AUTO POLICY VISION
TO ESTABLISH A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN INDIA AND TO DOUBLE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY BY 2010
1. POLICY OBJECTIVES
This policy aims to promote integrated, phased, enduring and self-sustained growth of the Indian automotive industry. The objectives are to:-
(i) Exalt the sector as a lever of industrial growth and employment and to achieve a high degree of value addition in the country;
(ii) Promote a globally competitive automotive industry and emerge as a global source for auto components;
(iii) Establish an international hub for manufacturing small, affordable passenger cars and a key center for manufacturing Tractors and Two-wheelers in the world;
(iv) Ensure a balanced transition to open trade at a minimal risk to the Indian economy and local industry;
(v) Conduce incessant modernization of the industry and facilitate indigenous design, research and development;
(vi) Steer India's software industry into automotive technology;
(vii) Assist development of vehicles propelled by alternate energy sources;
(viii) Development of domestic safety and environmental standards at par with international standards.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 Automotive industry has universal5ly emerged as an important driver in the economy. Although the automotive industry in India is nearly six decades old, until 1982, only three manufacturers - M/s. Hindustan Motors, M/s. Premier Automobiles and M/s. Standard Motors tenanted the motor car sector. Owing to low volumes, it perpetuated obsolete technologies and was out of sync with the world industry. In 1982, Maruti Udyog Ltd. (MUL) came up as a government initiative in collaboration with Suzuki of Japan to establish volume production of contemporary models. After the lifting of licensing in 1993, 17 new ventures have come up of which 16 are for manufacture of cars. This industry currently accounts for nearly 4% of the GNP and 17% 0f the indirect tax revenue.