ACMA Technology Summit urges industry to invest in R&D and brace up for transformation
ACMA Awards recognising performance excellence conferred upon 62 companies
Pune, November 26, 2019: The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the apex body of the Auto Component Industry in India, successfully hosted the fifth edition of ACMA Technology Summit on 25th and 26th November 2019 in Pune. This year’s theme ‘Exploring New frontiers of Technology’ was aimed at ACMA’s endeavour to facilitate the auto component industry in identifying disruptive challenges and delineate a roadmap for its future.
The 5th ACMA Technology Summit brought together national and international experts in technologies that are shaping the automotive environment of tomorrow. The summit witnessed incisive sessions on Future of Mobility, Green Mobility, Industry 4.0, Electric Mobility, AI, Blockchain, Design Thinking, Autonomous Driving among others.
The summit was graced by eminent personalities from the government and the industry including Mr. Deepak Jain, President, ACMA; Mr. Girish Wagh, President & Head-CVBU, Tata Motors Ltd; Dr Martin Koers, MD, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA); Mr.Pravin Agarwal, Jt. Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Govt. of India; Mr. Ashok Sharma, Assistant Vice President & Operating Head, Honda Cars India; Mr Raju Ketkale, Senior Vice President & Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motors; Mr Sarwant Singh, Managing Partner, Frost & Sullivan to name a few.
The Summit also witnessed conferring of ACMA Annual Awards, honouring excellence in Auto Component industry. Out of a total of 161 applicants, 62 winners were awarded this year. The winners of ACMA award also shared their success stories at the Summit.
The ACMA Awards are one of the most sought-after recognitions in the Indian auto component industry. These were instituted in 1966 and are presently bestowed for excellence in Export, New Product Design & Development, Process Technology, Manufacturing, Supplier Development, Human Resource, Inclusive Growth – A Make in India Drive, HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) and Unique Initiatives.
The event also witnessed launch of ACMA-Frost & Sullivan study on ‘Mega Themes of the Future – Opportunities for the Indian Auto Industry’. The study dwells extensively on disruptions being faced by the Indian automotive industry in the form of connected, autonomous, shared and electric (C.A.S.E) technologies. It also highlights how these disruptions are fueling innovation, bringing in new business models and creating revenue-generating hotspots.
At the event ACMA also signed MoUs with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Society of Automotive Engineers, India (SAEINDIA) as knowledge partners for ACMA Centre of Excellence (ACoE). With C-DAC, ACMA would work together to develop content for training programs and collaborate in Designing & setting up of labs, conduct workshops and knowledge sessions, provide technology services using C-DAC products and technology, and develop e-learning platforms customized for the auto sector.
While with SAEINDIA, knowledge sharing in the area of Mobility Engineering will be a key focus. ACMA and SAEINDIA would jointly leverage SAEINDIA Collegiate Clubs (AICTE Accredited Engineering Institutions/Universities) for joint programs, connect with national and international subject matter experts to conduct training and design and conduct certification programs. As long-term goals, establishing a best in class e-library for mobility engineering and building an e-network for on-line courses could be considered.
Commenting on the rapidly changing dynamics in the industry, Deepak Jain, President, ACMA said, “The automotive industry in India is undergoing significant stress due to plummeting sales, which in turn has adversely impacted the performance of components sector. But with sound macro-economic fundamentals and the recent interventions by the Government, it is only a matter of time that the growth will return to the industry. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the industry is prepared for next growth cycle, especially our tier-2 and tier-3.”
