WABCO is a global leader in safety and vehicle control solutions. The company makes conventional as well as advanced braking systems and other related air assisted products for the commercial vehicle segment. Its Indian subsidiary, WABCO India, has a strong presence in the Indian commercial vehicle segment. The company has five world-class manufacturing facilities, a software design center, a test track, and a nationwide distribution network to cater to the needs of the domestic market.
Shedding light on the company’s goals for 2020, Mr. Kaniappan, Managing Director, WABCO India, said: “Our vision is to improve the safety, efficiency, and connectivity of commercial vehicles through industry-leading technologies. We aim to improve road safety and reduce the number and severity of accidents by 2020.”
Mr. Kaniappan noted that many of their products including ABS (Anti-Lock Braking Systems), OnLane (Lane Departure Warning Systems), OnGuard (Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems), and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) played a key role in reducing road accidents across Europe.
Additionally Mr. Kaniappan expects the demand for WABCO OptiDrive (Automated Manual Transmission) to increase considerably in the heavy-duty trucks and buses segment. The system not only improves vehicle safety and driver comfort, but is also cost-effective, which makes it an ideal choice for Indian customers who seek high value from their investments.
He also expects significant penetration of their industry-leading single piston lightweight Air Disc Brakes, which provide effective braking and reduced stopping distances. He expects more and more customers to adopt their OptiRide (Electronically Controlled Air Suspension) technology, which is designed for increased fuel savings and superior driver comfort.
Speaking about the receptivity of the market and the company’s roadmap to achieve its 2020 targets, Mr. Kaniappan said: “We have always collaborated closely with our customers to execute our roadmap for advanced safety and efficiency technologies.”
Citing an example, he said that WABCO started the ABS retrofit program for trucks and buses way before the ABS mandate was proposed. The company’s retrofit program is now available all over India and over 50,000 vehicles, the majority of which are hazardous goods carriers, have been retrofitted so far.
The company estimates that there are around 2.3 million old, non-ABS trucks and buses still on the road and has plans to retrofit all of them with ABS to make the roads safer. It has also improved the retrofitting process significantly, as a result of which a non-ABS vehicle can be converted into an ABS vehicle in just six hours.
Similarly, the company has also started retrofitting programs for advanced technologies like OptiDrive, OptiRide, and Air Disc Brakes systems to demonstrate their value to customers. The programs serve as a platform for OEMs to introduce these technologies and also allow customers who purchased the vehicles earlier to benefit from these new technologies.
About the company’s key focus areas until 2020, Mr. Kaniappan responded that they plan to focus on safety, fuel savings, and connectivity. He feels that with the Government’s renewed focus on road safety, WABCO India is placed in an ideal position to contribute to the initiatives with its Stability Control and Driver Assistance technologies.
According to him, the company’s Automated Manual Transmission and other lightweight technologies can help reduce fuel consumption and lower emission levels and contribute towards environmental sustainability.
In terms of connectivity, the company aims to lower the operational costs and improve the productivity of commercial vehicle fleet owners using advanced fleet management solutions like digital connectivity and telematics.