The ATMA Annual Convention 2019, the flagship event of the tyre industry in India, held in New Delhi, brought together automotive and tyre industry leaders, top policy makers, government officials, thought leaders and consultants. Three past Chairmen of ATMA, Mr. K.M. Mammen, Dr. Raghupati Singhania and Mr. Satish Sharma, led the tyre industry in welcoming the dignitaries from the auto sector.
In his welcome address, Mr. Anant Goenka, ATMA Chairman, said: “The auto industry is going through tremendous changes and therefore the bonds between auto OEMs and the tyre industry become all the more important. There are new concepts such as electric vehicles, connected vehicles, shared vehicles and autonomous vehicles, all being talked about and being visible in different parts of the world. Against this backdrop it is more important for us to partner even closer, develop technologies closely and work and think together as to how we can convert these changes into strong opportunities for the entire value chain”.
Speaking through video conferencing, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), stated that the Indian tyre industry is creating new landmarks in its domestic growth as well as exports, contributing to a growing economy. He advised the industry to develop new technologies with single-minded focus on road safety which is the top priority of the Government. He also urged the industry to join hands with MoRTH in running driver training institutes and skilling people for improving road safety.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest at the inaugural session, Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, President, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), and Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said: “If the economy grows mobility will increase and if mobility increases, the economy will grow. There is large headroom for growth in India. However there are three major challenges facing the auto and tyre industry – energy security of the country, environment issues and the challenge of the ‘Make in India’ campaign. The auto & tyre sectors need to collaborate in meeting all the three challenges”.
In a special session with the ATMA Managing Committee held on the sidelines of the ATMA Annual Convention, Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, expressed confidence over the progress made by the tyre industry in India and urged it to continue focusing on manufacturing excellence and leading the world in both size and scale.
Mr. Anuj Kathuria, President, Global Truck, Ashok Leyland, delivered the keynote address on the emerging scenario in the commercial vehicle segment. Mr. Rakesh Batra, Partner & National Leader – Automotive Sector, E&Y, and Mr. Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA, presented an overview of the auto and tyre sectors respectively.
The ATMA Convention had three high-profile panel discussions, one each on Commercial Vehicles (CVs), Passenger Vehicles (PVs) and 2-Wheelers. Sector heads in auto OEMs interacted with their counterparts in the tyre sector.
The CV Panel comprised Mr. Satish Sharma (Apollo Tyres), Mr. Rajiv Prasad (JK Tyres), Mr. Rajesh Kaul (Tata Motors), Mr. Suvendu Moitra (Ashok Leyland), Mr. Pradeep Mishra (VE Commercial Vehicles), and the discussions were moderated by Mr. Rakesh Batra (E&Y).
Mr. Kavan Mukhtyar (PwC) moderated the PV Panel discussions in which Mr. Koshy Varghese (MRF Ltd.), Mr. Parag Satpute (Bridgestone), Mr. Deepak Sawkar (Maruti Suzuki), and Mr. Abhishek Sahi (Honda), participated.
The 2-Wheeler Panel had representation from leading 2-wheeler makers, including Mr. Nitish Bajaj (CEAT), Mr. P. Vijayaraghavan (TVS Tyres), Mr. Deepak Manchanda (Hero MotoCorp), Mr. Rahul A. Karambelkar (Bajaj Auto), and Mr. Ashok Goel (Hero MotoCorp). The session was presided over by Mr. Shamsher Dewan (ICRA).
Speaking at the valedictory session on ‘Future of Mobility’, Mr. Anil Srivastava, Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity) & DG-DMEO, NITI Aayog, said: “The Government has been working very hard on the issue of electric vehicles and significant policy decisions have been taken including FAME2. Several policy decisions have been taken for switchover and smooth transition to electric vehicles whether related to power tariffs or setting up of charging stations. The Ministry of Housing has amended byelaws for charging infrastructure. Ministry of Science & Technology is working on charging protocols. State Governments have also come forward with incentives like tax exemption for 2-wheelers.”
On the occasion, Tyre Safety Awards were presented to stakeholders who have helped tyre industry in spreading the message of tyre safety. The recipients were RSDC, ISRPL, Amity University and TDI International School. Mr. Anil Srivastava conferred the Awards along with Mr. Satish Sharma (Apollo Tyres), and Mr. V.K. Misra (JK Tyres).
New ATMA office-bearers
Mr. K.M. Mammen, Chairman & Managing Director, MRF Ltd., and Mr. Anshuman Singhania, Whole-time Director of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., have been elected Chairman & Vice Chairman respectively of ATMA for 2919-20.
Mr. Mammen has held executive positions in business associations in the country, including as President of the Indo Australian Chamber of Commerce. He is an executive member on the FICCI Board and Chairman of the Board of the Madras Christian College Association.
Mr. Anshuman Singhania, a graduate from the Oxford Brookes University, UK, and an alumnus of the London Business School, started his career from the shop floor as an apprentice and has held several positions in Planning, Production, Product Development, Quality Control, Stores & Purchase, Finance as well as Sales & Marketing. Being a techno-savvy person, he has played a key role in implementing the latest technologies in the manufacturing process.