Biennial celebration is smaller than it has been for a long time and just got hit by the coronavirus outbreak as well
With the 15th Auto Expo set to open at the India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida on Wednesday, with the first of two media days, the Indian automotive industry wants to put a terrible eighteen months behind it.
However, the show this year will have several large companies skip the event, so much so that in the main halls, where the event was spread over two levels only a single level will be used this time. Almost all of India’s leading two-wheeler manufacturers are not taking part; with Hero MotoCorp, Honda Two-Wheelers, Bajaj Auto and TVS all skipping the meet, there has been a lot of speculation about the large-scale withdrawal of the motorcycle and scooter manufacturers with sources inside the companies saying that their launches tend to get overshadowed by those of car manufacturers.
But it is not just two-wheeler companies skipping the show this year, with several major car companies in India, including Honda Cars, Nissan-Datsun, Ford and Toyota all skipping the event as well. With the exception of Mercedes-Benz, most luxury car manufacturers are giving the event a miss. Several of the companies skipping the show are doing so for the first time in their history. The weak economy and lower sales coupled with the huge expenditure incurred by companies on the rapid transition to BS6 emission norms have hit home hard. This is also evident in the length of the show, curtailed to just five days, two days for the media on February 5-6, a Business day on February 7 and public days over the weekend on February 8 and 9, although with Delhi going to the polls on February 8, attendance could be hit but the new Noida Metro Aqua Line should help those attending make it to from the Capital.
And in another blow to the event, the coronavirus outbreak in China has hit the one part of the show that observers were keenly awaiting, the charge of the Chinese carmakers into India. With the shows organisers taking several precautions after the Indian Government announced that it will not allow visitors from China, even with valid visas, entry into India. Several Chinese companies were exhibiting at the show, notably Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation through its brand MG Motor and Great Wall Motors which has announced plans to enter India with their Haval brand of Sports Utility Vehicles. The Auto Expo’s organisers, the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM) has issued a statement saying that the Chinese exhibitors have assured that only local representatives will stand at stalls.
It is not just doom and gloom though, several companies are going to showcase new products, these include the country’s two largest carmakers Maruti and Hyundai, the latter launching the second-generation of their bestselling SUV, the Creta. Maruti Suzuki plans to outline how they are going down the path of increased electrification of vehicles with their ‘Futuro-E’ concept. The Volkswagen group will also showcase their new identity in India now that they are headed up by Czech brand Skoda and their new ‘India 2.0’ strategy with some new SUV’s.
Tata Motors will also showcase several new products and concepts and recent entrant Kia Motors will unveil their new compact SUV for the first time globally. But will all this be enough to save the show?
