The SAEINDIA International Mobility Conference (SIIMC 2022), the tenth edition of the Society of Automotive Engineers INDIA’s (SAEINDIA) flagship event, kicked-off on Wednesday, which is being hosted at Bengaluru, India. The three-day event will bring together the mobility ecosystem, with a phygital event to be held between 12 October to 14 October, 2022.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem”, which takes forward SAEINDIA’s commitment on advancing and promoting mobility engineering. Dr Murugesh Nirani, Minister of Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka, was the chief guest of the inaugural session. Along with the inaugural session, there was also an exclusive press meet.

Sharing his thoughts on sustainable multi-modal solutions, Mahesh Babu, SIIMC 2022 Conference Patron, and CEO at Switch Mobility India, said, “A robust mobility framework is the need of the hour to mitigate the impact of growing emissions and rapid urbanisation. Sustainable multi-modal solutions will help de-carbonise 100 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. SIIMC 2022 is a platform where all three stakeholders – the government, the industry and the communities have come together to make sustainable multi-modal mobility a reality.”

How is SIIMC 2022 different?
At the press meet, K Venkataraj, Deputy Director General, SAEINDIA, put across that with the tenth edition of the conference, each edition enhances itself. “This is because the transportation sector has gone through so much of transformation,” he remarked and continued, “We are actually living through the mobility sector transformation era. In order to address the present-day challenges, SAEINDIA’S duty is to bring in experts to the knowledge-takers and knowledge-givers. It’s a K2K business we are in. So, we bring in worldwide experts, who present it in terms of number of papers.”

All for the need for sustainability
Munirathinam Dhananjayan, Chair-Organising Committee, Founder and MD of Focus Group, said that the SIIMC 2022 three-day event will see over 700 mobility experts, including industry leaders and professionals from research and development, manufacturing, and services come together and network under one roof. “The key highlight of the tenth edition of the SIIMC 2022 is going to be the presentation of more than 180 papers and 543 abstracts on engineering innovations, with a focus on promoting sustainable and multi-modal mobility in the country. SIIMC 2022 will see a host of panel discussions and individual presentations, putting the spotlight on trends and innovations shaping the future of mobility,” he mentioned.

Some of the key sessions of the conference will see speakers coming together and discussing themes, states SAEINDIA. Some of these themes include the role of the automotive industry in meeting the challenges of global warming, the design and development of low cost electric microcars for urban commuting, edge-computing for multi-modal and intermodal mobility, building globally connected car platforms – unearthing complexity, balancing energy efficiency, driving excitement and comfort in battery electric vehicles, and if battery swapping is a viable alternative to accelerate the electric vehicle adoption in India.

Talking about the focus areas and theme of the SIIMC 2022 conference, Venkataraj said, “This year’s conference theme, “Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem”, resonates well with the present-day reality, where mobility is considered to be playing a big role in achieving sustainable development by promoting goals, like a clean and green environment and equitable livelihood.”

Venkataraj went on to assert, “We are in a very critical and early stage of production of sustainable solutions in mobility. Which is why, this year’s conference is going to help technocrats, stakeholders, etc, where they can learn from one another about what is happening in other countries. This way, India and other nations can gain knowledge from this conference.”

Additionally, while at the event, Suhas Gopinath, CEO, Globals Inc., inaugurated TechHive, claimed SAEINDIA. TechHive is a one-stop shop for start-ups to showcase their products and services to the global and Indian automotive market. It works towards facilitating networking and supporting new business opportunities, by bringing together start-ups, the automotive industry and investors.

The government’s role
When asked about the Government of India’s initiatives to set up multi-modal logistics parks across the country, Rashmi Urdhwareshe, President, SAEINDIA, cited that the government is addressing this in multiple ways. “One is improving the infrastructure by way of private connectivity,” she informed and went on, “The second is working on efficient goods transformation – we have even seen in one of the presentations how important it is to address goods transportation across the country. The third initiative is to look at greener solutions – not at just electrification but others, too, like LNG for example, which has great opportunity.”

What else to expect at the conference
SIIMC 2022 will see panel discussions that will be led by industry experts and researchers. As per SAEINDIA, the speakers will be from India’s leading automotive and technology organisations, as well as science and engineering institutes. The key organisations participating in the conference include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Bosch, Indian Oil Corporation and Indian Institute of Science.

According to SAEINDIA, C V Raman, CTO at Maruti Suzuki, Vijay Nirani, Managing Director at MRN Group, Vinay Harne, CTO at TVS Motors, Brian McMurray, President at General Mortors, Korea, Dr Sri Srinath, President at SAE International and Prashant Doreswamy, President at Continental Automotive India are some of the prominent industrialists who will be delivering various sessions at the conference.

Chennai-based automotive major Ashok Leyland has announced that its defence business has bagged multiple orders valued over INR 7 billion. The company has bagged orders to supply vehicles for troop transportation, logistics and other other specialised mobility requirements under the Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS) program.

The contract orders will see Ashok Leyland supply vehicles with serious off-roading and manoeuvrability capabilities such as the Stallion 4x4, Stallion 6x6, Short Chassis Bus and Mobility System Travelling Platform.

Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “For decades, Ashok Leyland has been a trusted partner in defence mobility. We are immensely proud to have secured these new orders, which reinforce Ashok Leyland’s leadership in the sector and reaffirms our commitment to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the armed forces. The defence business remains a key pillar of Ashok Leyland’s future growth.”

Amandeep Singh, President – Defence Business, Ashok Leyland, said, “As a proud proponent of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ we are committed to strengthening India’s defence capabilities through indigenous design and manufacturing in the Defence mobility sector. Our vehicle platforms ranging from 4x4 to 12x12, packed with contemporary Defence specific requirements, including armouring, known for their versatility and durability, remain the backbone of logistics and specialist needs of Armed Forces. As the largest supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army, we take immense pride in supporting our forces and remain committed to delivering these orders on time. Our future Defence order and tender pipeline is also quite robust.”

The 2,900 Gurkha vehicles that Force Motors will supply to the Indian Defence Forces are tailored to meet the diverse operational requirements of both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. They are in mission-ready conditions and engineered to perform in demanding defence environments as Light Strike Vehicles (LSV)
The salient properties of the vehicles include a robust build, reliable drivetrain and advanced 4x4 capabilities. Engineered to ensure successful operation in diverse terrains ranging from deserts to mountainous regions, the vehicles add to the count of many vehicles that Force Motors has supplied over the years to the defence forces. These vehicles have excelled in the most extreme environments, offering unparalleled performance, superior ground clearance, the highest water wading capacity in its class and exceptional manoeuvrability. 
Stating that they are honoured to continue our association with the Indian Defence Forces through this substantial order,” Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, mentioned, “Our vehicles are designed with focus on quality, reliability, ruggedness, and performance, aligning perfectly with the operational needs of our defence personnel. This order is a testament to the trust and confidence Indian Defence Forces place in Force Motors.”
 

Eicher Trucks & Buses, part of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), has inaugurated its first exclusive dealership for the Eicher Pro X range in Thane, Mumbai.

The new dealership features an interactive digital display and is strategically located around key logistics hub, industrial areas and business districts in the financial capital of India.

The Eicher Pro X is the company’s first electric offering in the small commercial vehicle space, which can be customised (cargo body design, load decks, variants and colour options) to meet the diverse customer needs. 

SS Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VECV, said, “Today marks a milestone in our journey towards customer excellence. The inauguration of the first Eicher Pro X dealership with AV Motors is not just the unveiling of a new facility, but a testament to our commitment to shaping the future of last mile logistics. This dealership represents the intersection of technology and trust, offering our customers an enhanced experience, backed by best-in-class Eicher Pro X small trucks.”

Ramesh Rajagopalan, EVP, Customer Service, Retail Excellence and Network Development, VECV, said, "The launch of the Eicher Pro X range marks a significant milestone in our journey towards shaping the future of logistics with next-gen, sustainable solutions. The inauguration of the Eicher Pro X exclusive dealership reaffirms our commitment to delivering innovative products and a superior retail and service experience. We wish the AV Motors team the very best as they begin to serve Eicher customers in this region"

The new facility is also connected to Eicher’s Uptime Centre, which enables maximum vehicle availability and operational efficiency. The company shared that its customers will also benefit from highly trained technicians, doorstep service bikes and GPS-enabled on-road breakdown support. The dealership also features dedicated EV charging infrastructure and service bays.

Chennai-based commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has denied any plans of finalising to acquire majority stake in SML Isuzu. The company issued the statement as clarification to media reports claiming that talks of a deal among Ashok Leyland, SML Isuzu and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation were at an advanced stage. 

At present, Sumitomo Corporation has a stake of roughly 44 percent in the Indian unit of Isuzu. In comparison, Isuzu itself holds 15 percent. 

While Ashok Leyland shares shot up by 4 percent based on the reports, SML Isuzu’s indices also rose by 6 percent on the BSE.

In a formal statement addressed to the Stock Exchange, the reports were dismissed as ‘factually incorrect.’ 

SML Isuzu’s expertise in lighter vehicles and Ashok Leyland’s strong position in the commercial vehicle segment would have been ideal and these factors formed the basis for the speculative reports by investors/analysts.

SML Isuzu traces its roots back to 1983 when it was incepted as Swaraj Vehicles to manufacture light commercial vehicles in Punjab. The company currently manufactures trucks, buses and special application vehicles in India.