ZF Aftermarket, the second largest supplier of parts, services and solutions in the global automotive aftermarket launched its manufacturer-independent, flexible, open telematics platform ‘Openmatics’ for vehicle applications in India. Sharing his perspective on the launch of Openmatics in India, Mr. Vijay Khorgade, General Manager and Head of ZF Services India, said: “ZF’s Openmatics platform is a proven technology, which will help reduce the fleet management service providers downtime, improve efficiency and overall customer experience. We are extremely happy to share that there is a dedicated team in India to support on requirement of Openmatics.”
The German major also showcased other products including steering & suspension range of parts, shock absorbers and special transmission oil along with oil change kits. Along with ZF and the newly-launched Openmatics brand, the company now offers a total of five brands in the Indian aftermarket, the other three being Sachs, Lemforder and TRW.
ZF was present at both previous editions of ACMA Automechanika, in 2013 and 2015, and made a vibrant presence at this year’s edition of the fair as well. Sharing his views about ZF’s participation at the exhibition, Mr. Markus Wittig, Vice President, ZF Services, Region Asia Pacific, said: “From a global perspective, Automechanika Frankfurt is the show to be for the aftermarket sector. Beyond that, going by our observations and the way different markets have evolved, the Automechanika shows in China and India are for us the ones to be part of.”
Answering a query about ZF Aftermarket’s focus areas in the Asia Pacific region, Mr. Wittig shared: “The road conditions in India and also in other Asia Pacific countries reflect the need for chassis and braking components. Globally, ZF has a product range capable of fulfilling 25 per cent of what a wholesaler needs in terms of powertrain, chassis, braking parts, so we will continue to focus on our core products and not expand too much into other segments. While it is a fact that products are lasting longer, complexity of products & systems is going up which has led to rising repair costs. We need more part numbers for different models, which is why we keep expanding our product portfolio to remain active and keep pace with the changes in the market.”
Talking about ZF Services India and its gameplan, Mr. Khorgade, explained: “The Indian aftermarket sector is growing and we are also growing at a good double digital growth which we would like to continue for the next three to four years. While we have strong presence in the premium car segment, we are working on penetrating further into the mass market segment in India. We are also taking efforts to enhance our brand awareness in workshops and among mechanics, especially in tier-II and tier-III towns and cities.”
ZF currently has seven service partners who are engaged in repair, reconditioning and remanufacturing of its products, and is working on gradually expanding the network for better coverage across the country.