With ACMA Leadership

IN AN UPFRONT INTERACTION WITH THE ACMA LEADERSHIP, PRESIDENT SUNJAY KAPUR AND DG VINNIE MEHTA DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SUPPLIER ECOSYSTEM WITH SUMESH SOMAN.

- SUMESH SOMAN

Q. Has the components industry recovered from the pandemic induced slump?

Sunjay: It has been almost two years since we had a physical event. So, this is a great opportunity for us to meet people physically again. The components industry has had a good run in the first half of the year. We have grown by 65 per cent in the domestic market; 76 per cent on the exports front and 25 per cent in the aftermarket segment.

Q. How are you faring in terms of the exposure to the commercial vehicle segment?

Sunjay: We have seen the commercial vehicle segment come back after a lot of pain and one must credit the structural changes in that industry, specifically with excellent norms, Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, capacity utilisation and so on. We still have several headwinds, as we are all aware the chip shortage, which continues globally and has created a immense headwinds for the industry as a whole.

Q. Coupled with supply-chain bottlenecks like the chip shortage, how have fuel price hikes and disruptions like Russia-Ukraine crisis, impacted business sentiment?

Sunjay: We have seen fuel price hikes owing to the nature of disruptions making it increasingly difficult to sustain a positive sentiment. Currently, Neon gas comes from Ukraine. However, chip manufacturers have a sufficient quantity of it at this point in time to my knowledge. Albeit, if this conflict continues, and I don't think any of us know what the geopolitical outcome of a conflict like this will be, it will definitely cause further delays threatening to reverse the progress made in semiconductor supply chains. Logistics costs are also a reason for container shortages. However, you know, the industry is extremely resilient. Demand is strong, which is definitely a positive for all of us because we see it coming in from across the board.