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The best part about this year’s Auto Expo was the venue split between the vehicle and component manufacturers. Quite unlike the practice till 2012 when both were housed in Pragati Maidan, circumstances compelled a shift in 2014 which turned out to be ideal.
Over the last 10 days, the spotlight was on the automakers as they were operating out of a new location at Greater Noida, a good 50 kilometres from Delhi. Cars and bikes also end up attracting more people because of the glamour quotient, quite unlike the component industry which is low profile and media shy.
By the end of the day, though, nobody was complaining. “The headcount could have seemed a lot lower than Greater Noida but, eventually, we had the right people visiting our stalls,” a top ancillary supplier told Business Line. Another chipped in to say that this was welcome compared to the ‘mad stampede’ seen in previous editions where it was impossible to contain the crowds.
“By nature, ours is a B2B (business-to-business) activity where the interactions are focused. In contrast, people gawk at fancy cars and bikes,” a supplier said.
Even though the top office bearers of ACMA (Automotive Component Manufacturers Association) insisted that this was a temporary arrangement, most people within this fraternity believed that it was a far better option. “When we were grouped with vehicle makers, it hardly helped our cause. This is a lot easier and enhances our presence in the bargain,” a marketing executive said.
Food plates were also carelessly littered and some international visitors grimaced seeing the spectacle. Yet, this still did not seem such a serious issue given that business transactions were carried out faster and more peacefully.
Likewise, the automakers had little reason to complain about Greater Noida considering the huge crowds that thronged the venue for nearly a week. Has the time now come for the vehicle and component makers to go their own ways?
The idea could seem blasphemous right now but the experiences at Greater Noida and Pragati Maidan seem to suggest that a solo business model is the best bet going forward. In fact, a section of component makers believe that an annual event would also help their cause compared to the biennial format currently. Clearly, the 2014 Expo could trigger some innovative thinking in the future.
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