Latest news with #Siam
Mint
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Mint
Honda says ABS rollout from Jan for two-wheelers to drive up imports
Honda Motorcycles and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd has joined larger peer Honda MotoCorp Ltd in flagging concerns about the January rollout of anti-lock braking system in all two-wheelers, saying it could spike imports as local suppliers are not yet ready to meet the demand. 'Cost is definitely there as an impact. But more important is in terms of whether we are really prepared from the supply side point of view," Yogesh Mathur, director of sales and marketing at Honda Motorcycles and Scooter India (HMSI), told Mint. Suppliers will have to rely on import routes due to the strict timelines and domestic manufacturing will have to prepare accordingly, he said. The country's second-largest two-wheeler maker's warning reflects the anxiety flagged by its former partner, Hero, about the 'key business risk" in its latest annual report, without directly referring to the anti-lock braking system (ABS) implementation from 1 January. The system improves traction and helps avoid skidding on roads, which helps prevent accidents. Currently, only two-wheelers with an engine capacity of more than 125cc are required to have ABS. At the end of the financial year 2025, only 16% of the total 19.6 million two-wheelers sold had the required technology. If the draft proposal is implemented, 84% of the two-wheeler market will have to install ABS, increasing the cost by ₹3,000-5,000 per unit. Representatives of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), an industry lobby, met on 9 July with the Union roads ministry secretary to seek a relaxation on the rollout deadline. The minutes of the 9 July meeting, accessed by Mint, showed the Siam delegation asked for more time to study India-specific accident data before implementing such regulations. '[But] the Secretary MoRTH stressed the urgent need for implementing safety measures, citing the high percentage of 2-wheeler fatalities, and emphasised technical interventions." HMSI's Mathur told Mint, 'If these deadlines prevail, definitely, I think it will be only through the import route, not from the domestic side unless the investments are being done by the supplier to increase their production." Analysts predict that the domestic ABS industry will see rapid growth due to the implementation of such regulations. 'With the shift toward ABS, we expect the industry size to increase by 5X to ₹80.4 bn," Rishi Vora, an analyst at Kotak Institutional Equities, wrote in a 20 June note. 'Currently, the 2W ABS market is dominated by Bosch—unlisted arm (60-70% market share), Continental andEndurance Technologies (10-15% market share)." Other analysts flagged reliance on imports for critical ABS 65–70% of critical ABS components, particularly electronic control units and wheel speed sensors, are imported, with China and select Asean nations forming a major part of the sourcing base, said Harshvardhan Sharma, group head for auto tech and innovation at Nomura Research Institute Consulting and Solutions India.'While domestic suppliers are actively expanding capacity, a full localization transition may require at least a 12–18 month runway, factoring in validation cycles, tooling, and volume commitments," Sharma said. Subhabrata Sengupta, partner at Avalon Consulting, suggests that with the deadline approaching soon, more players will look to enter the segment and expand their capacities. '...The ECU and sensor may be imported initially, but assembly may be indigenized quickly," Sengupta said. 'However, in our view, this is a deadline to light a fire. In all probability, this may get relaxed by say 6 months, making implementation smoother."
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Health
- Borneo Post
Another tropical beauty from ginger plant's family
The 'Siam tulip' is native to northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. — Photo from THE curcuma, commonly known as turmeric or ginger flower, is a genus in the family Zingiberaceae. The plant is prized for its exquisite blooms and lush foliage. I was really amazed by the one on sale at a shop in Mile 7 in Kuching, which was pot-planted and had purplish-blue flowers that looked like orchids. The bluish hue really evoked a sense of calmness and also a bit of mystery. It is long-lasting too – it has been a month since I bought it and the fragrant flowers have remained intact. There are similar-looking varieties from the same group. The most common may be the tropical 'Siam tulip' (Curcuma alismatifolia), which is native to northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. It has lone long, lance-shaped green leaves that emerge from the underground rhizomes, and the small purplish flowers have long bracts. It grows to about one to two feet tall. The turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial, rhizomatous herbaceous plant native to the Indian Sub-Continent and Southeast Asia, which needs a temperature range of between 20°C and 30°C, as well as high annual rainfall to thrive. The bright orange-yellow spice from this plant contains a chemical called 'curcumin', said to have medicinal properties that can help reduce swelling and inflammation, alleviate indigestion and relieve itchiness. Here are some practical and helpful cultivation tips: i. Choose the right site Curcuma prefers bright, indirect sunlight or partial shade. Direct afternoon sun can burn the leaves. This plant thrives in humid climates. Regular misting would help during dry season. ii. Soil preparation Drainage is key. Use loose, well-draining soil enriched with compost or organic matter. Soil with a mix of loam and sand works well. Avoid heavy soil, unless it is amended with organic matter. The pH level should be slightly acidic, but neutral soil is ideal. iii. Planting Plant the rhizome about two inches deep into the ground, with the buds facing upwards. The rhizome can also be propagated by dividing it with at least one viable eye or bud. Spacing between the rhizomes should be about one foot to one-and-half feet apart, to allow viable spread. iv. Watering Avoid overwatering, or else, too much water may cause rhizome rot. v. Fertilisation Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser (e.g. 10-10-10) once a month during growing season. Organic options are compost or diluted fish emulsion for gentle feeding, once in two weeks. vi. Mulching Spread mulch around the base to retain moisture and also to keep weeds away. vii. Container-planting It is best using large pots, with one-foot to one-and-half-foot depth. Use potting mix, with sand and compost. viii. Pest and disease management The common pests are aphids, spider mites and mealy-bugs. Spray plant with 'neem' oil, or apply insecticidal soap. Again, avoid overwatering to prevent leaf spots and rot. With proper care, curcuma plants may reward you with its exotic, vibrant blooms, and the same planting tips here are suitable for growing domestic ginger for home-cooking too. Happy Gardening!
Mint
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Mint
Hero calls out 'regulatory complexity' amid MoRTH's push for safety
The country's largest two-wheeler company, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, has added "regulatory complexity" as one of the new key business risks at a time when the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) is rushing the two-wheeler players to implement anti-lock braking systems (ABS) to increase said in its latest annual report that frequent regulatory changes increase cost and require process realignment, which is a concern for the company. The disclosure in the annual report came after a delegation of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) members met the secretary of the road transport ministry on 9 July to discuss the implementation of ABS regulations. Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Co. Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, and Ather Energy are among the members of SIAM. Also Read: Ola's 90% outlets to be shuttered in India's top electric scooter-selling state The government has made ABS mandatory in all two-wheelers from 1 January to improve safety. ABS helps provide better traction during braking, reducing skidding and accidents. Currently, only two-wheelers with engines above 125cc are required to have ABS, which is about 16% of the two-wheeler market. 'Constantly evolving regulations require continuous adaptation, leading to increased compliance costs. Frequent regulatory changes may cause operational disruptions and require process realignment," Hero wrote in its annual report as part of key enterprise-level risks and their mitigation. The company did not directly attribute the addition of this risk to the ABS proposal. Queries emailed to Hero MotoCorp remained unanswered till press time. Cost escalation However, the two-wheeler industry is concerned about the possible impact of the ABS regulation, which can lead to a ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 increase in the cost of a vehicle. At a time when the industry is expecting 5-6% growth in two-wheeler sales due to slowing demand, a cost increase can be a major challenge for the firm. The minutes of the meeting accessed by Mint showed that during the meeting with the secretary on 9 July, the Siam delegation asked for more time to study India-specific accident data before implementing such regulations. 'The Secretary MoRTH stressed the urgent need for implementing safety measures, citing the high percentage of 2-wheeler fatalities, and emphasised technical interventions," the minutes further read. According to analysts, Hero will face the biggest heat of the move as 94% of its total volumes does not have ABS. In a note on 20 June, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities said that 94% of the company's total volumes will be impacted, which can lead to increased costs. Also Read: Tesla dares BYD, BMW, Merc in India's luxury lane This will come at a time when the two-wheeler sales of the company are in the slow lane in the domestic market, with sales growing 4% to 5.4 million units. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the sales in the two-wheeler industry declined by 6% to 4.6 million units. Hero MotoCorp's sales during the April-June period fell by 12% to 1.3 million units. 'In terms of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motors will be the most impacted, as 94% and 64% of their total volumes, respectively, will undergo price increases from CY2026. Bajaj Auto will relatively have less impact, as 35% of its volumes will only get impacted by ABS norms," Rishi Vora of Kotak Institutional Equities said. While the industry is lobbying for relaxation in implementing such norms, not all players are on the same page. Ola Electric's chairperson and managing director, Bhavish Aggarwal, has argued for the quick implementation of the regulations to ensure customer safety. Also Read: India plans auto parts export boost amid Trump tariff shock 'Our stance is that the sooner the better. We should not compromise with customer safety," Aggarwal said during the company's earnings call on 14 July. 'For industry, when they do ABS, anywhere between ₹3,000 to ₹5,000, they incur in terms of Bill of Materials (BOM) cost, depending on what kind of ABS."Hero MotoCorp's mitigation strategies include 'proactive regulatory monitoring and active engagement with industry peers and regulators" to deal with regulatory complexity.
Mint
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Mint
MHI begins work on long-term automobile policy plan for India's 2047 goal
New Delhi: The Union ministry of heavy industries (MHI) on Thursday said it had begun working on a long-term automobile sector policy roadmap aligned with the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047. This plan, called the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2047, involves seven sub-committees made up of all stakeholders including other line ministries, industry associations, as well as academia, a statement by the heavy industries said. The purpose of this long-term plan is to tackle challenges such as technological advancements and charging infrastructure, according to MHI. The inaugural meeting of the AMP 2047 Sub-Committees was held to outline the objectives and framework, the statement said. Read more: Siam scrambles as CAFE-3 consensus crumbles MHI additional secretary Hanif Qureshi said, 'The vision for 2047 is not an aspiration but a strategic roadmap backed by concrete targets for sector growth, exports, and industry advancement. We must think beyond specific technologies or companies and focus on India's global standing in 2047, aiming to increase our share in global automotive trade through innovation and quality.' The AMP 2047, which will set interim goals for 2030, 2037, and 2047, follows previous AMPs which applied to a decade each – 2006-16 and 2016-26. A clear policy pathway for the auto sector in the form of AMP 2047 assumes importance as it contributes about 7.1% of India's total economic output and nearly half of the country's manufacturing output, according to an April 2025 NITI Aayog statement. Representatives of the ministries of commerce, environment, forest and climate change, power, road transport and highways, petroleum and natural gas, along with industry bodies such as Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (Acma), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci) were a part of the inaugural meeting for AMP 2047, the MHI statement said. Academic institutions, research think tanks and testing agencies would also provide inputs to AMP 2047. The Centre's focus on a clear long-term automobile sector policy comes at a time when the industry is divided over state policies regarding clean mobility. India, the world's third largest automobile market by sales, has policies such as the PM E-drive scheme and the production-linked incentive scheme for automobiles and auto parts (PLI-Auto) to promote the manufacturing and adoption of zero-emission vehicles. India's electric vehicle market has been gaining momentum, with sales rising about 17% in FY25 over the previous fiscal, according to the Vahan portal. Over 1.9 million EVs were sold in India in FY25, compared with about 1.6 million in FY24. The push for clean mobility, however, has recently faced hurdles, with automakers divided on whether the government should incentivize strong hybrid vehicles. But the government has remained steadfast, and has committed to supporting all forms of clean mobility, Mint reported earlier, citing union heavy industries minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in an email interview. Decarbonization, however, is only one of the headwinds that India's auto sector is facing. A strict export control on rare earth magnets – a critical component in the auto sector – by China has pushed Indian automakers a step closer towards potential production cuts. Mint reported in July 2024 that work was underway to formulate a structure on AMP 2047 with a focus on vehicles running on various powertrains including fossil fuels, flex fuels, batteries, and green hydrogen, citing officials aware of the development. The currently ongoing AMP 2016-26 focuses on upskilling of the workforce in the auto sector, and promoting exports. According to data provided by Siam and quoted by the heavy industries ministry in a parliamentary disclosure, the country's auto sector provided direct and indirect employment to about 30.7 million people in FY20. "For a country as diverse and demand-sensitive as India, an all-inclusive approach is non-negotiable. AMP 2047 must unify fragmented policy signals into a coherent national strategy - one that accelerates localization, de-risks investments, and positions India as a global mobility hub,' said Randheer Singh, former director of electric mobility, NITI Aayog. Singh added that India's auto sector is transforming from fragmented to integrated policy regimes. 'The biggest challenge isn't just technological. It is synchronizing market evolution with regulatory certainty and long-term capital planning.'
Mint
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Mint
CAFE puzzle: Tailpipes must not get to wag India's car market
A controversy is raging in the Indian automobile industry over what India's new norms for Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) should be. Maruti Suzuki has said the current proposals are unfair to makers of small cars, while the rest of the industry—makers of bigger cars, mostly, including EVs—seems to support the CAFE-2 norms proposed for 2027-28 onwards and CAFE-3 five years later. Whether India's largest carmaker expects special treatment for small cars (as with GST) or a correction of this policy designed to reduce carbon exhaust depends on what's at stake here. Since this is about a road traffic clean-up, it is hard to ignore a basic flaw in our CAFE norms: they do not take into account the number of people moved. Also Read: CAFE comfort: New fuel efficiency norms can speed up clean mobility in India Instead of splitting hairs over whether tailpipe exhaust targets should be adjusted, the government should create a new formula to replace what we have. As of now, the formula uses the average kerb weight of an automaker's vehicles for a per-kilometre emission goal to be achieved, but it should be replaced with the average number of passengers per kilogram of kerb weight for that company. CAFE norms were invented in the West after the 1970s' oil shocks to restrain fuel use. Instead of specifying a fuel efficiency target for each car model, it set an average for all cars made by each maker—the 'Corporate Average' bit. Over time, they evolved to cover emissions and various countries adopted them, including India. An automaker's CAFE goal is set as follows: the industry-wide target multiplied by the average kerb weight of all types of vehicles rolled out, divided by the industry's average kerb weight. The ratio of a company's average kerb weight to the industry's is the key variable here. Also Read: Cutting taxes on small cars is a quick fix that ignores the elephant in the room Maruti makes cars that are lighter on average than what others make. Since its ratio is less than one, the current formula gives it a steeper target. News reports suggest a proposal is being considered to let Maruti go by a normatively higher average kerb weight than its actual figure. This is not right. To set the policy straight, we must go back to the whiteboard and take into account the overarching fact that the purpose of cars is to transport people. What matters thus is the emissions per person moved. For the total tonnage of its fleet, an automaker that rolls out a large proportion of small cars would move more people per kilogram of average curb weight, assuming a common occupancy rate per vehicle for the industry. It may even turn out that small cars carry more people per car, given that those who buy larger cars tend to be relatively well-off and belong to households with multiple vehicles. But going by common occupancy is enough to serve the purpose. Also Read: Siam scrambles as CAFE-3 consensus crumbles Yet, taking passengers into the calculus is not enough to account for the entire carbon footprint of vehicles—reducing which is also important. While there are other issues that must be tackled to strengthen climate action, such as EVs using electricity that's likely to be spewing carbon at the generation end behind the power grid, not to mention the pollution of battery production, that point is crucial because big cars have a larger footprint. Any CAFE norms tilted against a maker of small cars would incentivize climate-unfriendly size enlargement across a fleet. While it is true that the Indian market has been shifting towards larger cars anyway, we shouldn't let policy distort it further in that direction.
