the bold and the beautiful The Bold...

Auto expo 2012: Buckle up, it’s the year of the SUV’s

India’s most expensive bicycle worth two Tata Nanos!

Say hello to DC Avanti: ’s first indigenous sports car

Bajaj’s RE60: an auto, a car, a Nano killer?

Get ready for the return of the !

Will ’s low-cost bike rub the sheen off Hero’s Splendor?

The beautiful...

Auto Expo 2012: unveils Thunderbird 500

Auto Expo 2012: GM unveils premium hatchback Auto Expo 2012: BMW’s iconic Mini comes to India Auto Expo: Cars, stars and more And the plain unattractive

What’s worse than the chaos on our roads? Our Auto Expo!

Delhi Auto Expo: A fire hazard?

Green cars headline Auto Expo, but India not ready

They rape us with their eyes: The life of an Auto Expo model The Bold... Auto expo 2012: Buckle up, it’s the year of the SUV’s

Mean machines are here, yet again. In the backdrop of a slowdown of car sales and fuel prices going North, the auto makers are set to showcase the new cars and bikes in Auto Expo 2012.

Danish Raza, Jan 3, 2012 ew Delhi: Mean machines are here, “I am eagerly waiting for Mini. This is a small yet again. In the backdrop of a slow- sports car high on style,’ said Murad Ali Baig, N down of car sales and fuel prices going auto expert. North, the auto makers are set to showcase the new cars and bikes in Auto Expo 2012. Maruti loyalists will get to see an all new Maruti 800, said to be the car maker’s answer to Tata “Unlike previous editions of the Auto Expo, the Nano. automobile market is dull in India. As such, the exhibition is expected to create excitement in Maruti will also unveil Ertiga, the company’s the market and lure the customers,” said Tutu first MPV and the new version of Swift Dzire. Dhawan, auto expert, about the fair scheduled between 5 and 12 January in Pragati Maidan, Tata is coming up with Nano Diesel 2012. “The Delhi. 2012 model is really peppy. It has an excellent AC and is spacious. These days, people do not The line- up of vehicles shows that the SUV want a ghareeb (poor) car. They want a cute market will get crowded this year. There will car,” said Dhawan. be Q3, the smallest SUV from Audi and Evoque in the expensive category. In the Expo, you might also get to see RE 60, Bajaj’s entry level carrier which has created lot Among small affordable SUVs, the exhibition of buzz in the auto sector. will display Renault Duster — Renault’s first in the segment, Mahindra Mini Xylo, Safari Storm Hyundai has made a solid market in the small and the new avatar of Toyota Fortuner. car segment with Santro. In 2012, the company will focus on the luxury segment. Hyundai has That is six SUVs in total. lined up Sonata and premium sedan Elantra.

“This year, the manufacturers will explore the Ford will launch Fiesta Hatchback 2012. SUV sector because there is a lot of scope and solid demand in this category which has so far Reva NXR , designed by Dilip Chhab- been ruled by Safari and Scorpio,” said Sirish ria, is expected to grab quite a few eyeballs. Chandra, editor, Overdrive. “A car is no more a utility item. It is a status In the luxury segment, BMW will showcase symbol. People want something better and big- BMW Mini. The smallest car of the German ger as a class statement. If someone can afford a auto-maker, that will cost around Rs 20 lakh. Maritu 800, he will try going for an Alto to show that he has grown up,” said Dhawan. Mercedes concept car A-class and the range of small cars are bound to hog the limelight at the Participants from 24 countries are expected to fair. launch over 60 vehicles in the 11th edition of the biennial fair in Delhi. Out of these, eight will be will launch its modified Touareg- global launches. the 50-lakh-plus car. India’s most expensive bicycle worth two Tata Nanos!

ew Delhi: The bicycle is no more The Trek Elite which is priced at Rs 4.5 lakh, the poor man’s sawaari. In fact, the weighs just 10kg and is constructed with the same N amount you would have to shell out to technology used to make spaceships. own India’s most expensive bicycle could fetch you at least two Tata Nanos! Danish Raza, Jan 11, 2012 The bike also has 20 speed gears, hydraulic The Auto Expo 2012 has seen Firefox launch disc brakes that are used for motorbikes, and the Trek Elite 9.9 SSL- positioned as an off road hydraulic suspension. Added to this, some of bike (not bicycle). Priced at a whopping Rs 4.25 the Trek Elite’s gear and brake components are lakh, this is unlike any bicycle we have seen in constructed using titanium- an expensive but the country so far. lightweight material.

And what do you get for Rs 4.5 lakh? Firstly you In the last auto expo, the company launched the get a bike that gives lightweight a new defini- Trek Equinox priced at Rs 2.45 lakh. It was the tion. With a single frame constructed of carbon most expensive bicycle in India at that time. fibre, the Trek Elite weighs in at just 10kg. And according to Ajit Gandhi, Deputy General Man- Now the Trek Elite has taken that position. ager, Firefox, it is also constructed using OCLV “This is an off road bike meant for mountain- (optimum compaction, low void) technology, eers,” said Ajit Gandhi, adding that Trek Eite which is used to construct space ships. will be available only on order. Say hello to DC Avanti: India’s first indigenous sports car

The DC Avanti is powered by a 2.0 litre four cylinder Ford petrol engine which generates 261 bhp. It is expected to go from 0- 97km/h in 7seconds, and will cost half the price of an imported sports car.

Danish Raza, Jan 10, 2012 ew Delhi: Zooming down India’s According to Baig, the advent of the DC Avanti roads in a hot new sports car will soon reflects that India is finally developing the cul- N be an affordable dream. Say Hi to DC ture for sports cars that has been in existence in Avanti – India’s first indigenous sports car, cus- Europe and the USA for many years. tom made for Indian roads, and billed at a very competitive Rs. 24 Lakh (ex-showroom). The car has created quite a buzz in and outside the fair in the national capital. “This is good value for money because any im- ported sports car would not cost less than Rs 50 “I booked DC Avanti on the phone from Kolk- lakh,” said Murad Ali Baig, auto expert. atta on the first day of the expo. I had not even seen the car then. I have 30 cars. But this is DC Avanti was unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo different from anything I have ever seen,” said 2012 by Dileep Chhabria, the man known for a DC Avanti owner on the condition of anonym- customizing or modifying every car from the ity. ‘I have come to Delhi just to see what I am Nano to the Lamborghini. “This is meant for going to drive from now on,” he added. those who aspire to own a sports car but cannot afford a BMW, or Porsche. There are lot Auto expert Tutu Dhawan had a word of cau- of youngsters who want to pay for the feel good tion though. “It is only with a good after sales factor but can compromise a little on the per- service that such projects can succeed. Buying is formance,” said Bonito Chhabria, director, DC. the easy part. One has to see what happens after that,” he said. DC Avanti (Italian for moving forward) is pow- ered by a 2.0 litre four cylinder Ford petrol The car will be available at select DC outlets engine which generates 261 bhp. It is expected starting December 2013. That’s still two years to go from 0- 97km/h in 7seconds. A Honda V6 away, but possibly well worth the wait! engine will be used in the later assembly line- up. Bajaj’s RE60: an auto, a car, a Nano killer?

Will the RE60 become the success that the hoped for but has not yet achieved?

FP Editors, Jan 4, 2012 ill ’s ultra-low-cost four According to a Business Line report, the RE60, wheeler, RE60, become a Nano (the which weighs barely 400 kilograms, is expected W small car launched by ) to cost around Rs 1.8 lakh and will be produced killer? in Aurangabad, Bajaj Auto’s production base for its three-wheeler range. Fitted with a 200-cc Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, rear engine, it will have petrol and CNG/LPG would probably cringe at that question. “As a fuel options. marketing position, we are an anti-car com- pany,” he told a press conference in New Delhi During the unveiling of the model, the company on Monday, a fews days before the Auto Expo. outlined some parts of its strategy for selling the “This vehicle was born out of the costs and skills RE60. of a two-wheeler market. There must be a start- ing point for a strategy, which, in our case, was One, in India, the company is eyeing the mar- a brand.” ket of five million three-wheelers in India, nor ordinary individuals looking to buy their first The RE60 represents the culmination of a car, as its target audience. Since Bajaj Auto is four-year project to introduce an ultra-low-cost the dominant producer of three-wheelers in the four-wheel vehicle for Bajaj Auto. To be sure, country, that means it’s not trying to grab mar- the company, when it started on the project in ket share from other companies; instead, it will 2007, did indeed set out to create a Nano rival attempt to convert its own customers to opt for in collaboration with partner Renault Nissan. the RE60. “I feel that in the next 10 years, that entire fleet can be replaced with something like this,” said Bajaj.

Three-wheeler commuters are unlikely to complain — auto rickshaws and good-carrying three-wheelers have always been perceived to be somewhat of a safety hazard because of their instability (three wheels) and lack of a proper roof or side doors (in the case of auto rickshaws in particular).

According to a Business Today report, the com- pany already has an ally in Delhi’s Chief Minis- ter, Sheila Dixit, who apparently is quite eager to get rid of these “eyesores” (autorickshaws) However, the concept was dropped because “it from the city. “Do not be surprised if a diktat to did not make sense.” The better option was to replace all three-wheelers with products like the go in for a “four-wheeler”, said Bajaj, adding RE60 happens within a year or so,” the report that the RE60 was eventually completely devel- noted. oped in-house.

Just as well to call it a ‘four-wheeler” than a Nano killer. After all, there’s not much left to kill in the Nano; poor market positioning and distribution network has left the car, once touted as the world’s cheapest, struggling to find buyers in the Indian market. Plus, in terms of looks, the RE60 is a bit gawky and doesn’t quite look like a car either.

Nevertheless, it’s highly likely that comparisons will be made, at least in terms of pricing. Two, if priced right, the environmental friendli- however, the target could be ordinary individu- ness and high fuel efficiency could add to the al- als looking for a cheap self-owned vehicle to lure of the RE60 within its target three-wheeler commute. Bajaj Auto already exports 10,000 market. According to media reports, the vehi- three-wheelers every month to Sri Lanka and cle’s fuel efficiency is said to be more 35 kilome- 90 percent of them are used for personal travel, tres per litre. In contrast, the Tata Nano offers the company said. about 25 kilometres per litre. Africa is another market that the company is In addition, the RE60 emits just 60 grams of keen to tap, especially since public transport in carbon dioxide per kilometre— the lowest for a the continent is extremely poor. This strategy small car anywhere in the world, according to leverages on the company’s capacity to sell in experts, which should further bolster the appeal overseas markets. “We make about 5,20,000 of the vehicle among state governments seeking three-wheelers a year, of which only 2,00,000 to cut down carbon emissions in urban centres. are sold in India; the rest are exported,” said It is being touted as a green replacement for Bajaj. autorickshaws. So will the RE60 become the success that the Three, Bajaj Auto plans to aggressively market Tata Nano hoped for but has not yet achieved? the RE60 in global markets. At the press con- Only time will tell. But if all goes according to ference, Bajaj said that Sri Lanka could, quite plan (and government regulations permit), we possibly, be the first market where the RE60 might soon be saying goodbye to our three- is launched, even ahead of India. In Sri Lanka, wheeler rickshaws. Get ready for the return of the Vespa!

The Vespa has hobnobbed with the likes of Gregory Peck, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. And after a ten year hiatus it’s making a triumphant return to India’s roads.

Danish Raza, Jan 10, 2012 ew Delhi: Long before Hamara Bajaj home, we saw Minnisha Laamba pllion rid- became the two- wheeler of the Indian ing a Vespa with Ranbir Kapoor in Bachna Ae N middle class family, and bikes became Haseeno (2008). With 150 models, Vespa has a the symbol of the Indian male’s masculinity, it presence in 35 countries. was the Vespa that romanced our roads. And now after a gap of almost 13 years, the iconic Both, Bajaj and LML made modifications to the scooter is back. core Vespa design to suit the Indian market,” said Sunny Anand of Vespabretta, a Delhi based Italian auto company , has announced company that restores vintage . Anand that it plans to launch the Vespa 125 cc in the added that what can work in favour of the Vespa Indian market by March. “We are trying to cre- in the current scenario is that “It has been a ate a luxury lifestyle brand in the scooter seg- decade since the scooter (Vespa) vanished. The ment,” said Ravi Chopra, chairman and manag- gap has erased the baggage. The product and ing director, Piaggio Vehicles, India. the target customer are different now.” Com- menting on the Vespa’s grand return to India In the first phase of distribution, the company however, Chopra said, “This is the Vespa in its plans to make the scooter available in 35 towns true form. This is the version available in Eu- through 50 dealers. Piaggio is yet to reveal the rope”. “ price of the two- wheeler, but speculations are that it will cost around Rs 70,000. This ven- However, a lot has changed in India since the ture will also mark the first time that Piaggio Vespa’s LML days. is launching a vehicle in India without a local partner. Between 1961 and 1971, Bajaj auto limited produced the Vespa. After a brief gap, it reappeared on Indian roads in 1983, in partner- ship with LML as the LML Vespa. That venture terminated in 1999.

A bit of history for those who are unaware of how the Vespa became a phenomenon:

Piaggio rolled out its first Vespa in 1946. There were two- wheelers in that era, but Piaggio gave the world its first civilized scooter- it had a mud guard and the rider could sit on it in an upright position. Currently, scooters comprise only around 20 percent of the two-wheeler market in India. Four years later, Vespa made its movie debut in Scooters in India fall into two broad categories- the Italian flick Sunday in August. But it really utilitarian and feminine. While Bajaj (the com- became a Hollywood star when Gregory Peck pany stopped making scooters in late 2009) and and Audrey Hepburn maneuvered a Vespa 125 Honda (Eterno and Activa) belong to the former through the Rome traffic in the 1953 classic Ro- category, scooties by Bajaj and Kinetic target man Holiday. Since then, the Vespa has fea- female customers such as working professionals tured in countless movies. and college goers. The bike market however, is more evolved in Dear Diary, the 1993 film has a sequence titled terms of range and clearly defined segments. “In Vespa’ – on the saddle of a 150 Sprint”. In Lately, the ‘bike is masculine and scooter is fem- Alfie (2004), Jude Law wides a blue and white inine’ theory has got resonance. The machoism Vespa through the streets of Manhattan, while is translating into robust bike sales. Nicole Kidman hops on a yellow Vespa in Syd- ney Pollack’s The Interpreter (2005) “I believe Vespa will create its own new seg- ment, the way did in 2001. It at- But the Vespa is also a Bollywood star! Back tracted buyers from various categories,” said Ramesh Joshi, a Vespa enthusiast. Bike maniacs might think twice before shelling out around Rs 70, 000 to belong to the Vespa Another challenge for Vespa can be the fact that family, but as Joshi, a Vespa enthusiast put it. unlike Europe which has Vespa clubs and ral- “Bajaj, LML, Honda and Kintetic have all pro- lies, there is no scooter culture in India. duced scooters. But a Vespa is a Vespa.”

“This time, the effort will be to position Vespa as a fashion statement and not just a utility ve- hicle. It will be about the experience of owning a Vespa. Or, let us say, belonging to the Vespa community,” Chopra said. Will Honda’s low-cost bike rub the sheen off Hero’s Splendor?

The company hopes to introduce a low-cost bike, possibly the cheapest, in India — currently being manufactured in China — at around Rs 30,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

FP Editors, Jan 6, 2012 n Thursday, Honda and The Japanese giant, in particular, seems in no Scooter India, the Indian subsidiary mood to brood as it aggressively charts out O of Honda Motors, the world’s biggest plans for market domination. motorcycle maker, unveiled the ‘Dream Yuga’, its first bike aimed at the highly lucrative mass While it remains to be seen how Chinese made market at the Auto Expo in Delhi. bikes by a Japanese company will be received by Indians, there’s no doubting the formidable The 110cc bike, set to be launched in May, was capacity of Honda. After all, the company has a one of seven models (including variants) show- solid track record of transforming both the mo- cased during the expo. Other launches included torcycle and scooter segments when it entered a new 110cc Dio scooter as well as the larger them. In fact, every second scooter chugging CBR150R and 250R bikes. around on Indian roads is a Honda.

But the real game-changer could be this: Ac- More recently, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter cording the The Economic Times, the company India elbowed out TVS to grab third position in hopes to introduce a low-cost bike, possibly the the two-wheeler market. Its next target: Bajaj cheapest, in India — currently being manufac- Auto — the country’s No.2 two-wheeler com- tured in China. A top official from the company pany. told the newspaper that a feasibility study is on. Very cannily, it is gunning for the budget con- scious 100-125 cc bike market, a segment dominated by Hero (although mostly because of Honda’s technology due to the earlier partner- ship). The Dream Yuga, in fact, is positioned against Hero’s Splendor and Passion in this seg- ment. Sales of 100 cc bikes account for nearly half the Indian motorcycle market, according to industry experts.

Honda officials said they are investing more than Rs 1,000 crore over the next year to set up a new factory and increase production capacity to four million units in two years and 10 million units by 2020.

“Our dream is to become the number one mo- The Japanese giant’s Indian subsidiary hopes torcycle company in India,” Keita Muramatsu, to sell these 125 cc made-in-China bikes — president and chief executive officer of Honda currently sold in some African markets — at Motorcycle and Scooter India, told The Times around Rs 30,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), almost of India. “Right now, India contributes around Rs 4,000 lower than market leader Hero’s CD 13 percent of our global sales and we want to Dawn and about Rs 18,000 cheaper than the increase this to 30 percent.” , The Economic Times said. With their track record and radical future plans, Clearly, the gloves are off in the battle to win they just might accomplish that. market share. Hero and Honda had been part- ners for nearly 27 years, but last year, decided to go their separate ways. While Hero Honda (the joint venture) became Hero Motocorp, Honda became Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India. The beautiful... Auto Expo 2012: Royal Enfield unveils Thunderbird 500

Royal Enfield today unveiled its 500cc bike Thunderbird 500, which will hit the Indian roads later in the year.

PTI, Jan 5, 2012 ew Delhi: Motorcycle maker Royal Of the 7,000 units of sold by Eicher Enfield today unveiled its 500cc bike in a month, about 1,000 units is that of Thun- N Thunderbird 500, which will hit the derbird 350cc. Indian roads later in the year. “We don’t plan to discontinue the 350cc model. The company, however, did not disclose the The new variant is just an extension of the price of the new model. Thunderbird range,” Lal said.

“After 10 years of launching the Thunderbird, The company has also announced the launch we have completely redesigned the model, espe- of accessories like helmets, jackets and boots cially for the urban and the long distance travel- through its dealerships across the country. lers,” MD and CEO Siddhartha Lal told reporters here. “The accessories will be available from the mid- dle of the year, coinciding with the launch of the The company plans to launch it by the end of new model,” Royal Enfield CEO Venki Pad- first half of the year, he added. manabhan said.

Royal Enfield is the two wheeler division of the On the launch of its Cafe Racer, Lal said the BSE-listed Eicher Motors. bike would be available from the first half of 2013. The new bike will be manufactured at the com- pany’s Chennai facility. Auto Expo 2012: GM unveils premium hatchback

General Motors today unveiled two new vehicles under brands that will be launched later this year in India.

PTI, Jan 6, 2012

ew Delhi: General Motors (GM) today The company has another plant at Halol in unveiled two new vehicles under Chev- Gujarat. “The plant at Halol currently has a N rolet brands that will be launched later capacity to produce 85,000 units and it is be- this year in India. ing expanded to one lakh ten thousand units,” Balendran said. The (premium hatchback) and Chevrolet MPV Concept are the first two prod- When asked if the GM is planning to expand ca- ucts from GM’s joint venture with Shanghai pacity of its Talegaon plant he said, “We would Corporation (SAIC). consider expanding that plant but it will depend on market conditions.” “The MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) will be launched in India by the end of this year and the On the first day of the , GM show- hatchback will be commercially rolled out by cased two latest variants of multi-utility vehicles June-July this year, ” Vice – Chevrolet Tavera Neo3 and President Corporate Affairs P Balendran said at 2.2 AT. the ongoing 11th Auto Expo. “In this year we plan to launch another new ver- He said both the models would be launched in sion of one of our cars,” he added. both petrol and diesel variants and would be competitively priced. “The engines for the new cars would be manufactured at our plant in Talegaon near Pune,” Balendran said. Auto Expo 2012: BMW’s iconic Mini comes to India

The BMW Group launched its iconic Mini brand in India with four models priced up to Rs 31.99 lakh after having decided against such a move in the past.

PTI, Jan 6, 2012

ew Delhi: The BMW Group launched “More Indians are travelling and living abroad, its iconic Mini brand in India with four they have network overseas and are more aware N models priced up to Rs 31.99 lakh after of trends,” Segler said. To start with, the Mini having decided against such a move in the past. will have its separate showrooms, two in Delhi and one in Mumbai. The company has introduced four variants of the Miniwhile the Mini Cooper will be priced Rs “For the initial years, we will keep the numbers 24.9 lakh, the Mini Cooper S comes with a price that way and will focus on brand building in tag of Rs 27.9 lakh. India,” he said.

The Mini Convertible is priced at Rs 29.99 lakh, In terms of sales, the company is not looking while the Mini Cooper S Countryman has a at volumes, he said, adding that there were no price tag of Rs 31.99 lakh. plans to assemble the car in India in the near future. The BMW group had earlier planned to bring the car to the country by 2009, but shelved the The car will be imported as completely built plan on account of market conditions. unit. Asked about the high import duty imposed on imported cars in India, which could add a tax “Yes, it’s a bit delayed but not too late for the burden of about 110 per cent, Segler said it was Mini to be launched in India,” Kay Segler, Sen- not an issue as the situation was similar in mar- ior Vice-President, Mini Brand Management kets like Brazil, Mexico, China and even Korea. and Business Coordination, told PTI. “We have grown there in those markets and we He said the Indian market is now ready for a are confident of doing the same in India,” he brand like the Mini as the country has become a added. The company has started bookings of the part of the global community when it comes to Mini in India and deliveries will start by March, lifestyle trends. he said. Auto Expo: Cars, stars and more

ew Delhi: UK-based showcased four new models in India for the first time at the the biennial Auto Expo here today. After having showcased the vehicles at sev- N eral international events, Land Rover's Defender Concept 100 and Defender Concept 100 Sport and the Jaguar C-X16 and C-X75 can be viewed by auto enthusiasts here in the coming days. General Motors today showcased two latest variants of multi-utility vehicles - Chevrolet Tavera Neo3 and Chevrolet Captiva 2.2. These would be formally launched in the country later this year.

And the plain unattractive What’s worse than the chaos on our roads? Our Auto Expo!

For all its pretensions to being a world-class show, the Auto Expo in Delhi is a disaster in terms of crowd control - and a nightmare for exhibitors and media professionals.

Pranbihanga Borpuzari, Jan 6, 2012

oing by the sky-high rents that the On a day when the Expo was open only for 11th Auto Expo in Delhi commands – business and media, entire families — with G which are, on a per-square-metre basis, high-decibel, high-maintenance children in second only to the Shanghai Auto Show – it tow — overran the show, swamping the grounds evidently has pretensions to being a world-class and cramping the mindspace of those who had fair. professional duties to carry out. Private security guards battled valiantly to control the crowds, But going by the utter chaos that prevailed right but it was a lost cause. from the first hour of the first day and the colos- sal mismanagement of media accreditation and Evidently, tickets for the general public had crowd control facilities, it was more like a law- been sold even on days set aside for the me- less town mela, where just about anything goes. dia and business. Ironically, owing to a flawed registration process, the media badges of many Intimations of impending disaster were avail- genuine newspersons were never made out, able even on the first day, when the barcode which meant that they could not gain entry to reader for the passes and badges failed to work India’s auto expo. at the gates, leaving attendees queuing up in the cold, wintry Delhi morning. If that seemed like The bizarre sight of 10-year-olds setting off a an inauspicious start, things only got progres- veritable stampede and scrambling to grab the sively worse from there on. press kit (and the gifts that accompany them) that were distributed at the various launches capped what was an afternoon of utter chaos. Overseas media, foreign guests and almost all The media kits were evidently coveted for the exhibitors, who routinely attend such fairs the fancy booklets with photographs of the gleam- world over and are used to seamless and flaw- ing cars. less efficiency, have voiced similar angst about the Delhi Auto Expo. Many of them fret in The pandemonium and the hysteria got a lot private that organisational efficiency has dete- worse: by the time Bollywood stars took the riorated badly from last year, and worry that it stage for the launch at Mercedes, things had be- could get progressively worse. come utterly unmanageable. Launches by Tata Motors, Jaguar and Land Rover all witnessed Here’s what might help to retrieve the expo surging crowds that came to gawk at the stars from being an utter disaster. The steering, without a modicum of consideration for those organising committee and the ITPO should who had professional responsibilities to carry enforce stringent crowd management plans. out. When Katrina Kaif arrived for the As for the future, it might help to get the media launch, it took her a while just to get out of her accreditation process begin six months ahead of car, given the hordes that gathered outside the the expo – and ensure that only genuine report- hall in their hundreds just to get a glimpse of ers from established media houses are allowed her. to register.

Ahead of the expo, the various stakeholders – On the days when the fair is open to the gen- from CII to SIAM to ACMA – had claimed that eral public, effective crowd control systems are immaculate preparations had been put in place needed to avert the virtual stampede we rou- and that the fair would be a smooth ride for tinely witness. the media and exhibitors. But every one of the promised arrangements fell hopelessly apart. Lastly, it might be good to keep out those who only want to get up-close and personal with Worse, confronted with this chaos, the ex- Bollywood stars at such fairs. There is much hibitors were left to fend for themselves, in the professional work to be done and business to be absence of any members of the organising com- conducted – and the whole world is watching. mittee. “We have taken things up with CII and ITPO on so many occasions earlier, but at every expo it’s the same old story,” says a top official from a luxury car maker, speaking on condition of anonymity. “No one is interested and nothing ever gets done.” Delhi Auto Expo: A fire hazard?

The Delhi Fire Service has said that the Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi has not been given a ‘no objection certificate’.

Danish Raza, Jan 5, 2012

ith cars costing a good few lakhs The auto expo, touted as one of the biggest auto one would think the organisers of exhibitions in Asia, kickstarted today and will W Delhi’s Auto Expo would invest some go on till December 12. money and thought in providing functional and good fire equipment and facilities that would The first two days are media days after which match up. the expo will be thrown open for the public.

But, alas not. People sitting near a fire exit at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012. Naresh Sharma/Firstpost.com The Delhi Fire Service has said that the event has not given a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) “We have put a cap or upper limit of one lakh to the organisers of the Delhi Auto Expo 2012, people to visit the expo, daily,” said Rajiv Kale, which is currently on at Pragati Maidan, Delhi. chairman, steering committee, while addressing the press on Tuesday. “We did the inspection and found that the fire safety equipment was not functional. Hence, we denied the NOC,” said DFS chief AK Sharma. Green cars headline Delhi Auto Expo, but India not ready

ew Delhi: Music blared and white sensitive market, a lack of on-the-ground sup- smoke swirled in the cavernous Tata port infrastructure, and little or no government N Motors hall at the Delhi Auto Expo as support. an excited crowd milled near a stage displaying the company’s new hybrid car. “India is very far away from using this sort of technology,” said Kou Kimura, chief executive Most, though, were craning their necks to catch and managing director of Nissan-Renault India. a glimpse of the carmaker’s new gas-guzzling “It’s expensive, and needs both government Safari off-roader being launched on the other support and the necessary infrastructure to be side of the hall. Few seemed to notice the spar- possible.” kling green-technology vehicle behind them. Hybrid cars involve Billed as an event to pricey technology For all the green glitz, most of the cars, trucks and showcase new envi- that uses fuel engines buses on display are decades away from gracing ronmentally friend- and electric motors India’s roads. ly vehicles entering in tandem for greater India’s auto market, Reuters, Jan 6, 2012 efficiency. Electric ve- about a dozen new hicles need charging hybrid, electric or alternative-fuel vehicles from stations, and would require huge investments to global and domestic carmakers will debut at the equip a country as large of India. bi-annual expo. France’s Peugeot SA unveiled its hybrid 3008 But for all the green glitz, most of these cars, car on Thursday, while Volvo Buses showed trucks and buses are decades away from grac- off its hybrid bus in India. Mahindra & Mahin- ing India’s roads, executives say. Blame a cost- dra launched its range of Reva Electric cars on Friday. Petrol prices in India have risen by almost 50 “The Volvo hybrid is very much the solution percent since January 2010, and carmakers cities and environmentalists have asked for,” in Asia’s third-largest economy have invested Akash Passey, South Asia managing director in more efficient vehicles. Many car advertise- They rape us and CEO of Volvo Buses told reporters. ”We are ments around the Expo highlighted fuel savings. ready. All we await is the demand and the direc- tion from the authorities, so that we can apply Bajaj Auto, a leading Indian motorcycle mak- with their eyes: this solution specifically to Indian needs.” er, unveiled its first four-wheeled vehicle on The life of an Auto Expo model Tuesday, in a news conference dominated by Efficiency, not expense statistics trumpeting its industry-leading fuel efficiency. Global hybrid vehicle leader Toyota Motor Corp sold its 3-millionth hybrid car in March 2011. Tata, alongside its new diesel-hybrid Indigo The US and Japanese markets account for the Manza, also launched a hybrid bus, and un- overwhelming majority of hybrid sales. veiled a version of its ultra-low-cost Nano model that runs on compressed natural gas. “India is ready for good fuel efficiency. But hybrid, no, I don’t think so,” said Andy Palmer, CNG was made the mandatory fuel for all public executive vice president of Nissan Motor Co, transport vehicles, including taxis, in India’s recognised as a global leader in low-emission capital city in 2004. The move has been widely technology vehicles. praised and cited as the major reason behind a recent improvement in the city’s air quality. “It’s an expensive way of topping up the last 10 percent of a fuel engine’s capability. Hybrid isn’t “LPG, CNG, these low-emission fuels are much the answer for India,” Palmer said. more practical options than hybrid or electric vehicles, which India simply cannot afford,” Wheeling out hybrid or electric vehicles to said Arvind Saxena, director of marketing and banks of flashing photographers and wide-eyed sales at the Indian unit of Hyundai Motor Co. industry watchers is mainly a demonstration of a carmaker’s technological prowess, not an indication of any expectations for sales. They rape us with their eyes: The life of an Auto Expo model

A model working with one of the brands at the Auto Expo 2012 talks to Firstpost about dealing with lecherous customers, unwanted photographers, and what she thinks of the practice of ‘car modeling’ in general.

Danish Raza, Jan 9, 2012 he glitz and glamour of the Delhi At the current auto expo, I can differentiate auto expo hinges on two things. The between a genuine customer and those who are T vehicles are a major factor of course. here just for fun. If somebody is holding his But so are the models who stand next to them. camera at a certain angle, I know he is photo- As much ‘eye candy’ as information providers, graphing me and not the car. In that case, I turn these girls stand next to spotlighted vehicles for around. But at times, it becomes impossible hours at a time, hoping to attract large crowds to escape the shutterbugs. I simply hate being to their stalls. And if you thought it was all clicked. about standing and smiling, think again. One of the ‘auto models’ at the expo took the time You would think that I feel like a celebrity when out to speak to Firstpost on her experiences at people want to be photographed with me. Let this year’s auto expo as well as sauté expo’s in me tell you that they just want to befriend me. years gone by. She talks about dealing with There is no other reason. I am no actor or a fa- lecherous customers who have tried to touch mous personality with whom somebody would her, people who photograph her on the pretext like his or her picture to be clicked. of photographing the vehicle she is standing next to, and what she thinks of the practice of My guess is that around 80 percent people come ‘car modeling’ in general. Her name has been here just because some hot chicks are standing withheld. with car A or bike B. Allow me to say that the way they look at us (models) is like they want to His name was Rahul. He was a 6 feet tall, bald, rape us with their eyes. That, is the look we get. well built guy. He said he was a senior manager Believe me. It is a disgusting feeling. If this hap- in one of the 5 star hotels in Delhi. I was rep- pens outside this fair, I would not think before resenting an auto magazine in the auto expo punching the guy in his face. 2008. The pavilion was chock-a- block. He ap- peared sophisticated. He begun with inquiring It is interesting how these companies depend about the product I was endorsing. The conver- on models like me to promote their products. sation went on for around 10 minutes. As we There is a phrase in Hindi. Jo dikhta hai, woh were talking he kept coming closer to me. bikta hai (what is visible, sells). I enhance the visibility of the vehicle. The prettier your mod- Then…he touched my neck. els, the bigger the crowd you bring to the stall. But in reality it ends there. Nobody will buy the I tried ignoring it and continued talking to him. car or bike because I am standing beside it. He touched me again. That was when I lost it. “You don’t know how to stand here or what?” I As an individual, I wonder when companies said. “What happened?” that b*%# asked me. I have such good automobiles, why they need gave him the product catalogue and asked him us to sell them. Does it reflect a lack of confi- to move or else I would alert the bouncers. That dence on the part of the company? Having said was the first time I was worked at the auto expo. that, I will be sad if they decide to do away with the models. It is good money, you see. In fact, I am from Delhi. I am pursuing my Bachelor’s money is the only reason I am here. in English from Delhi University. I have been anchoring at events at various malls and institu- It is not easy to stand beside vehicles and sport tions in the city for three years now. I have also a smile for hours. It becomes tiring at times. worked with an international airline as ground Over the years, I have realized that we are ob- staff. sessed with fair girls or ‘gori chamdi’. I am fair and I get good amount of assignments. My anchoring experiences and that chapter at the expo made me learn my lesson. Now I However, there is immense talent and profes- maintain a certain distance while talking to sionalism in girls who are some shades darker visitors, even if I am not audible to them. The than me. There are no takers for them. This is thumb rule is to talk to them only while keeping why a lot of foreigners get opportunities here. It a distance where I feel I am safe. speaks volumes about how we define beauty. Scan QR code or click to download our iPad / iPhone app

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