Curtains down on Auto Expo 2018, more visitors than 2016

The curtains came down on the biggest event of the automobile industry on Wednesday. This year's Auto Expo, which happens every two years, saw 605,175 footfall, which is marginally higher than the previous edition in 2016 of 6,01,914.

However, many big auto companies including multinationals such as Ford Motors, Volkswagen Group, Nissan, Royal Enfield gave the event a miss this time.

About 53 manufacturers showcased over 100 products, including 22 launches, 81 product unveilings and 18 concept showcase. A total of 14 new brand launches happened this time which included Kia Motors India, Kawasaki Motors and Cleveland CycleWerks. In addition, 25 electric vehicles showcased and 11 start-ups which marked their presence in India.

Vishnu Mathur, director general, SIAM said, "Auto Expo – The Motor Show 2018-- is the biggest platform for the Indian automobile industry to showcase its journey towards the future of 'Mobility in India', with competitive and world-class products, technology and futuristic concept."

Sugato Sen, deputy director general, SIAM said, "We had 6,05,175 footfalls during this edition of the Auto Expo, as was expected. The feedback received from all quarters has been positive."

The theme --electric mobility--was imprinted all across with many start-ups showcasing their EV models. The industry is on the cusp of a change and has started to shift its gears towards an alternative to fossil fuels that have been gaining ground following the spurt in pollution levels in India. Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Maruti, Hyundai, Renault showcased their concepts for EV during the expo.

It is also in line with the government's mission to move towards full electric mobility by 2030. With global warming fears looming large, also many countries have fixed targets for completely doing away with fossil fuel vehicles.

However, the road to the new technology has been marred by lack of clarity on the policy front. Even the lack of infrastructure related to EV looms large over the auto industry. The auto companies have expressed concern over the lack of clarity on many issues before firming up their plans on EV. Renault India, Honda Cars, among others have openly expressed their concerns about the same.

Companies including Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors displayed their major focus on EVs through their pavilions.

To allay the fears of the industry, the minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anant Geete, during the inauguration of the event, said the government is in the process of formulating a new policy for the automobile sector to address various issues (such as high taxation structure) raised by the industry players. Besides, the policy would focus on meeting technological requirements at an affordable cost.

As per a report released by the thinktank Niti Aayog earlier this month, the accelerated adoption of electric and shared vehicles could save about $60 billion in diesel and petrol costs while cutting down as much as 1 gigatonne of carbon emissions for India by 2030. This would result in an annual diesel and petrol reduction of 156 million tonne of oil equivalent making a net-fuel cost saving of Rs 3.9 lakh crore, approximately.

The entry of South Korea's Kia Motors was another highlight of this year's Auto Expo. Kia Motors India CEO and managing director Kookhyun Shim had told DNA Money about a planned investment of $2 billion by 2020 in India and the launch of the SP concept SUV by mid-2019. Overall, it displayed about 16 global vehicles and one Made in India SP concept sports utility vehicle (SUV), inspired by Indian heritage and driven by advanced technology.

Adding to the glamour quotient were Bollywood actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Gul Panag and Rahul Khanna, and cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Gautam Gambhir for the oomph factor.