Focus Sessions

India- An Automotive Hub :The Next Leap

   
T
he Government of India is drawing up an Automotive Mission Plan 2016 (AMP 2016) that would make India a global automotive hub.

At this juncture industry is faced with challenges that could also mean business opportunities. It has to cater to a growing home market and vie at the same time for a space in the global market. SIAM Annual Convention is a partnership with the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises to share the AMP 2016 with a broad set of stakeholders and to discuss, debate and drive this initiative.

The theme for the SIAM Annual Convention focuses on a series of topics that represent the next set of big opportunities and challenges facing the Indian auto industry in order to achieve the goals of AMP 2016. Each of these focus sessions reflects the growing importance of the Indian auto industry and its players. These themes do not represent short term tactical actions but offer opportunities that, over time, if sustained and undertaken well, can create significant advantage for the automotive industry in India.
People: Meeting the Human Resource challenge in a growth sector
   
T
he growth of any firm in India presents a unique challenge to recruit, develop, motivate, and retain talent. Current projections bring out the fact that there would be a shortage of well qualified personnel to enable the aspiration to be achieved.
People will increasingly become a source of competitive advantage for corporates across the world and Indian Automobile industry is no exception. More than ever before innovative ideas, creativity and skills of the workforce today are being considered assets. Firms in the Information Technology (IT) Sector had faced a similar challenge before. The Information Technology Industry emerges as a successful model for study with its human resource policies and practices. The growth story of an IT company and how it addressed the human resource challenge, and what could be some of the lessons for the automotive sector would be presented in this session.
Investment, Growth and Scale: Mergers and Acquisitions (M & A)
The scale of investments required in the automotive sector to achieve the goals of AMP 2016 is huge. There is a need for firms in India, both OEs and component manufacturers, to look at alternative strategies for growth. Acquisitions and alliances will become an important part of the growth strategy of companies as they seek to acquire global scale. To acquire or to collaborate is a question that many automobile companies would face as they seek global footprints. The presentation would estimate the size of investments required, look at M & A as an option, review some of the recent M & A activity, highlight what the issues and challenges are for firms in India, focus on some of the opportunities that may be available for the automotive sector and suggest alternate options that could be explored.
Technology: Addressing the challenge of fuel, safety and environment
Technology will continue to drive the growth and development of the automotive industry. The challenge of alternate fuels, safety and environment would ensure that the automobile of tomorrow is much more technologically advanced. The presentation would share what some of the technologies that would shape the future of the automotive industry are; where in the value chain would these technologies emerge, and what are some of the key issues that firms would need to address.
Building a Global Brand –Ingredients of Positive Brand Equity

The two key challenges and opportunities for the Indian Automobile Industry are developing and selling appropriate products for different segment of the ‘pyramid’ and entering new geographies to attain growth beyond domestic market. Underlying these two key opportunities is the goal of promoting the product brand which will promote Brand India.

The presentation in this session would provide an insight into the ingredients of positive brand equity which are so essential to building a global brand.

The Leadership challenge: How firms could meet the goal of making India an automotive hub
For firms located in India, meeting the goals of AMP 2016 present a number of challenges. How should firms look at the various aspects of this challenge and how could leaders introduce goals, sustain high performance and motivated teams in helping the organisation achieve its goals. What are some of the lessons that could serve as a model for firms in India to compete with giants? This is a participative session aimed at drawing lessons from a real life example.