As technology revolution grips auto sector, new players vie to have a finger in the pie

Chennai:

The automotive sector is amidst a technological revolution and the ordinary four-wheeler which is getting loaded with gizmos and embedded systems is attracting new players including telecom sector, content providers, social networking sites, gaming industry as well as service providers.

Addressing a conference on Innovation and Business Excellence in Automotive Industry organized by Confederation of Indian Industry here on Wednesday, founder and chief executive officer of Spitzer Group Richard D Spitzer said that the technology revolution in automobile sector has attracted many players from different sector who want a finger in the pie.

Automobile manufacturers are now coming up with third generation technologies like location-based services, intelligent POI (Points of Interest) family tracking, voice enabled social networking and full Internet capacity, he said.

Interestingly, India and particularly Chennai is emerging as design and innovation hub of global carmakers. Firms like Nissan have designed their new model Datsun in Orgadum. “It is locally made and the frugal design is being done by engineers from Chennai,” said Vincent Cobee, Corporate Vice President Global Datsun Business Unit Nissan Motor, Japan.

Narayan Sethuramon, Chairman – CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director WS Industries Ltd, said that there is a a growing trend of a shift in focus from single to system innovations creating new functions in a car by networking existing components and modules.

Sethuramon says that auto makers are investing heavily in research and development. “It is estimated that auto industry will spend an additional $20 billion by 2015,” he said.

He said that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help the automotive industry to meet umpteen number of challenges, providing a superior quality product and services to consumers. Today ICT is not only playing a supportive role but has become an integral part of the product and virtually the backbone of the industry.

“The recent launch of the Google car is a clear testimony. This initiative of Google to design and launch the driverless car has also been certified by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the US,” he said. 

While firms are trying to upgrade the technology in cars many like Nissan is banking on frugal engineering to tap the untapped marketn of Indian middle class. Cobee said that Datsun engineers in Chennai have come up with a mobile docking station. “This is to connect the smart phones which already has the latest technologies to offer. So instead of going in for hi-tech devices they can use their smart phones to avail the hi-tech facilities in their car,” said Cobee, while highlighting about Nissan’s business strategies.