Q: Globally, the car care market is bigger than the automotive aftermarket for paints. How is it in India. What is your current share in car care business and how do you plan to enhance it?

Malhotra: Car Care business is a new domain for us and we are just starting out. Globally and in India too, this is a large business area with potentially a larger market size than automotive aftermarket for paints. We are studying this business and working out our strategy. We will be offering our car care products as a product solution, through online and other channels, and as a service directly by us and our partners as well. This is an exciting area and you will soon see us becoming more visible.

Q: Your intent was to become a solutions partner, expanding into different areas like car care etc. Can you update on this journey?

Malhotra: We see ourselves emerging as a total solutions partner for customers, with car care encompassing refinishing of the paint as well. We call ourselves an augmented Finishing solutions company so our purpose is to provide excellent, unmatched finishing solutions for any surface, including cars.

This positions us quite uniquely in the market as no other player will be able to integrate paint into the car care proposition.

Q: Following car care technologies from the parent company in Japan may not be helpful as the geographical conditions are different in India. How do you customise it? Is your Indian R&D helping it?

Malhotra: While we leverage the knowledge and technology developed by our parent and sister companies, we essentially follow the market requirement. So we are in terms of technology and developments. We make for India, make in India and provide our solutions across India. That is how we operate.

For the automotive aftermarket business, our R&D set up in India is quite extensive and well resourced. Our technology centre in Manesar serves us well – both for the Indian market and as a key resource for the global business. This is where we do bulk of our developments – whether for paints or car care products.

Q: Till few years ago ceramic coating was popular in India. What is the current trend and how do you cater to the every changing customers’ expectations?

Malhotra: Ceramic coating is still quite popular but there are other products available too for the consumer. Our approach is to use our knowledge of surfaces and surface coatings to create unique and differentiated products for our customers. In this respect, we are developing new technologies. One of the unique products we have in this space is our CyGlaz clearcoat 9905 which creates a very strong film that far exceeds the performance of any normal coating or even a ceramic coating. So, there is a lot more in our kitty and we will soon be launching such products and services.

Q: What is Nippon’s USP? What are the compelling reasons for customers to look for NPI?

Malhotra: Every company tries to build its own compelling solution. Our differentiation comes from our widespread dealer network, our presence in over 1,000 towns in India, our unique products and services, our amazing sales and service team, our embracing of new ideas and platforms, our willingness and ability to customise, our short TAT between concept to creation and many more things. And all this stems from our unique DNA which makes us Nippon Paint. And this DNA is what makes us click across Asia Pacific and makes us the force that we have become.

The automotive aftermarket space is relatively very new for Nippon Paint and it is only in 2014 that we started focusing on this space as a separate, identified international business. So all that we have created is only in a short period of five to six years as compared to our illustrious competitors who have decades of legacy and knowledge. But I also feel that our freshness and ideas are helpful to give us a different perspective of the industry and emerging opportunities our uncluttered mind gives us speed to execute.

Q: Tell us about the Velocity Repair System; how many outlets are functional now and what the target for the next five years?

Malhotra: When we launched our Velocity Repair programme, there were not too many takers for it. Now, people who have used this product swear by it and use it extensively. In the first round, we focused on creating branded Nippon Paint Xpress Centres and set up around 50 such centres across India. Now, we take the product proposition across the country and make it available to all our major partner workshops. So, we have around 300 active users for this product line in India at this moment.

Our product proposition is still fresh and no competitors have been able to develop a similar system. In the future, we will continue to expand this portfolio and workshop network and take this to over 1,000 outlets. The key idea is for the car owner and not just the repair centre to experience this service and that’s what we are working on now.

Q: The secondary car market is always larger than the primary market and it is growing even bigger with the pandemic induced used-car sales. What kind of opportunity does this give you?

Malhotra: We are actively focused on the used car market and are working with leading used car players on the refurbishment side of things. Our solutions which give fast, efficient and high quality repairs make us the ideal paint partner for such used car companies and we are leveraging that capability.

In this field, we are also working on the concept of providing painting services and not just paint. Going forward, we see the refurbishment business relating to our used car customers growing into a very sizeable part of our business.

Q: What are the challenges NPI faced during the lockdown and COVID induced New Normal?

Malhotra: Several challenges; and we used this period to innovate. We relooked at our customer propositions. We developed and launched new products. We created new services. We set up new manufacturing concepts. We distributed our manufacturing from a single core to multiple units. We streamlined our supply chain. We localized more products and raw materials. We trained our workforce. We sharpened our optimisation focus. We developed new digital solutions. We empowered our managers. We cut our fat and become more lean and flexible. And yes, we didn’t forget our social responsibility and supported the painter community at this turbulent time.

So, in that sense, Covid-19 has been a great accelerator for us. Things that would have normally been done in a few years have been accomplished in a few months.

Q: What is the current status of the imported parts and accessories in India after the ban on imports from China? Does it anyway help affect you?

Malhotra: The paint industry has a fair share of raw materials and finished goods coming from China. At our side, we are not overly dependent on sourcing our products from China and more so, now our supply chain is more localised than ever. Yes, certain products sourcing from non-China sources is challenging but we are looking ahead at more localization and more diversified sourcing.

Q: With the life of automotive paints increasing due to technological advancements, how is the revenue being sourced nowadays?

Malhotra: We always aim to provide customers with more durable products. Our business is not impacted by the life of paint, but by the differentiation of the solutions that we offer. Our primary business in the aftermarket relates to collision repair which is not dependent on life but repair of paint due to accidents. Furthermore, as we expand into new products and new domains like wood coatings, car care, bus and application vehicles painting and light industrial coatings, our dependency even on collision repair induced paint consumption is also going down.

We always say – give the customer the best products and services and he will refer more customers to us. Give him a shoddy product with poor durability, we will shoot ourselves in the foot. So, we are absolutely clear that technology induced advancement of paint durability will always stand us in good stead.

Q: Can you tell us about your short-term and long-term plans?

Malhotra: In the short term, our plan is to utilise the learnings from the Covid induced lull to our advantage. As mentioned before, we have done a lot of things that will now help us. So, we will leverage these developments, regain our business and be back on growth. To that extent, October 2020 has been a good month where we were back on double digit growth and that gives us the satisfaction that we are back on track.

From the longer term perspective, the lockdown period has helped us to develop an alternative view about our business approach. We aim to be masters in Paint – Polish – Protect and we will be focusing on the various dimensions of this new strategy in the next two to three years. We are here to stay. And we are future ready. (MT)

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European automotive group Stellantis has appointed Sandeep Bhambra as the head of design for the Citroen and DS Automobiles brands, effective 2 November 2026.

Bhambra succeeds Pierre Leclercq at Citroen and Thierry Metroz at DS Automobiles, reporting directly to Gilles Vidal, Head of Design for Stellantis European brands. He will also join the management teams of both brands under Xavier Chardon, CEO of Citroen and DS Automobiles.

Leclercq transitions to Head of Design for Opel and Vauxhall, succeeding Mark Adams, who is retiring. Thierry Metroz will transition to support Gilles Vidal on European design strategy.

"The arrival of Sandeep Bhambra marks a new step in our ambition to strengthen the identity and appeal of our brands. His experience, creativity and vision of Design will be valuable assets in supporting Citroën and DS Automobiles in expressing strong and distinctive identities, true to their heritage while firmly looking to the future. I would also like to thank Pierre Leclercq for his work and contribution to Citroën. His talent and vision have helped shape several key projects and reinforce the brand’s distinctive character. I wish him every success in his new role at Opel," said Xavier Chardon.

Gilles Vidal said, "I am particularly pleased to entrust Sandeep with the responsibility for the Design of Citroën and DS Automobiles. His background, combining creativity, strong product expertise and a strategic vision of Design, will be a major asset in supporting the ambitions and transformation of both brands. I would also like to warmly thank Pierre Leclercq for his commitment and contribution to the development of Citroën Design, and wish him every success in his new role leading Design at Opel. Finally, I would like to thank Thierry Metroz for his talent, passion and contribution to DS Automobiles Design. His experience and vision will be invaluable in his new role."

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BendPak has launched the OctaFlex Series, turning its eight-arm car lift concept into production reality. The two-post lift aims to improve bay productivity, technician ergonomics and operational precision, making cab-off repairs, EV battery replacement and other demanding tasks efficient enough to pay for itself. The OctaFlex 12DPS is now shipping and will appear at the SEMA Show from 3–6 November in Upper South Hall Booth #36129.

After introducing the concept in 2024, BendPak spent two years refining it through customer feedback and lab testing. The OctaFlex 12DPS pairs a traditional 12,000-pound-capacity two-post lift with an integrated 6,000-pound lift-assist system, described as an industry first. Four primary arms support the vehicle while four secondary arms raise, lower or hold cabs, drivetrains, EV batteries, suspension assemblies and other heavy components without extra equipment, helpers or bays. The auxiliary arms move out of the way when not needed, allowing standard two-post operation.

The patent-pending series also features a magnetic pendant controller with two-speed controls, letting technicians stand back from the columns for better visibility. Each set of arms operates independently at normal or slow speed, supporting the fine alignment needed for EV battery installation or single-handed cab and chassis removal.

Dave’s Auto Center in Centerville, Utah, services trucks nationwide and performs multiple cab-offs daily across 25 bays. Owner Dave Bell said the installed OctaFlex saves hours, easing cab removal and allowing chassis work while the cab is airborne. He called it significantly more efficient than completing the cab-off before remaining repairs.

BendPak says shops save an average of two hours per cab-off. A bay pulling 20 cabs monthly at a USD 150 hourly rate could add USD 6,000 monthly, or USD 72,000 annually. Customers can calculate returns by visiting the OctaFlex page on the company website. Savings also come from eliminating a second technician and completing work in one bay instead of two.

Because OctaFlex holds chassis and cab, technicians stand comfortably with everything at eye level, improving ergonomics and eliminating manual lifting of heavy components. The lift features BendPak’s Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System with a 360-degree grip and 10 times traditional holding power. It is third-party tested and ALI Certified as model EV12DPS.

Jeff Kritzer, President and CEO, BendPak, said, “As dealers and independent repair shops continue to struggle with an ageing and shrinking technician workforce, they also face surging demand for labour-intensive tasks like cab-off repairs and EV service. OctaFlex eases the pressure by helping technicians handle complex jobs independently with greater efficiency and less physical strain, maximising throughput and profit potential.”

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Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWIPL) and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand vehicle safety and crash testing infrastructure in Chakan, Pune.

Under the agreement, SAVWIPL will transfer a land parcel adjacent to its Chakan car manufacturing plant to ARAI. The site will be used by ARAI to construct an advanced crash test facility for future mobility vehicles, covering both battery electric vehicle (BEV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) models. The facility will expand domestic validation capacity for electric vehicles, support faster implementation of Bharat NCAP requirements and enable testing needed for international export markets.

H D Kumaraswamy, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel, Government of India, said, "Expanding local R&D and safety testing infrastructure is essential as India's automotive sector advances. This initiative between ARAI and Škoda Auto Volkswagen India strengthens domestic testing capacity for electric vehicles and safety standards. By establishing this facility in Chakan, we are supporting the faster implementation of future Bharat NCAP requirements, helping address India-specific road safety challenges. It will also strengthen the capabilities of OEMs in India to develop vehicles that meet stringent export market requirements."

Piyush Arora, MD & CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, "Vehicle safety and local engineering capability are central to our operations in India. When ARAI required land for a specialised crash test facility adjacent to our Chakan plant, we adjusted our future expansion layout to support their request. As the company whose INDIA 2.0 vehicles were the first India-made cars to achieve 5-star Global NCAP ratings for both Adult and Child Occupant Protection, we have always believed that raising safety standards benefits the entire industry. This strategic partnership will help accelerate the development of safer vehicles in India by shortening EV development timelines, strengthening Bharat NCAP testing, and expanding the country's overall automotive engineering capabilities."

Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said, "The future of mobility will be defined not only by innovation but also by the strength of the ecosystem that enables safe, sustainable, and globally competitive vehicle development. This MoU represents a strategic milestone in India’s automotive testing and safety infrastructure. As vehicle technologies evolve rapidly, the need for advanced validation, crashworthiness assessment, and regulatory compliance capabilities will continue to grow. We view this partnership as an important step towards building world-class capabilities that will serve the mobility sector for decades to come."

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Rajendra Petkar, President and long-time Head of Engineering at Tata Motors, is to step down after an illustrious career of nearly four decades, according to media reports.

Petkar has rich experience in vehicle engineering and technology development across passenger cars and commercial vehicles. He has played a key role in reshaping the latest product portfolio at Tata Motors as he drove technological transitions managing Emerging Mobility & Technology Strategy at the automaker.

In his tenure as President and Chief Technology Officer of Tata Motors, Petkar managed an engineering division of over 5,000 personnel spanning technical centres in India, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Petkar led the introduction of battery electric vehicle platforms, the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell buses and the initial deployment of hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks. Before re-joining Tata Motors, Petkar was deployed from Tata Technologies to Tata Motors between October 1999 and September 2015.

Beyond his corporate roles at Tata Motors, Petkar served as President of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) from 2021 to 2023, Chairman of the Sustainable Mobility Group at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), and Member of the National Automotive Board, alongside holding positions as an Independent Director across multiple corporate boards.

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