Localising Ride-Assist Technology

Continental Automotive India is in sync with the disruptive shift to localise ride-assist technology Sumesh Soman toured the Manesar plant to see the on ground preparations, in line.

- Sumesh Soman

Localised technology setups have been the ask for a while now. It's the pace of execution at Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that's attained newer heights. Government interventions like the Production Link Incentive (PLI) scheme under the 'Make in India' program umbrella have made it all the more lucrative. The resultant incentives extended to Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) has had companies file for eligibility with 20 Champion OEMs granted approval, and the tier supplier approvals expected to follow suit. While the approvals come only now, at Continental Automotive India (Continental) the pro-active work on this road map has begun to fructify as evident from our visit to the company's Manesar plant, in Haryana.

Any reduction in Costs of Goods and Services (COGS) is a win-win for stakeholders as per Krishan Kohli, Head of Vehicle Dynamics (VED) and Hydraulic Brake Systems (HBS) at the company. “For the brakes business, I think there is a large amount of localisation that has already been done. In the case of hydraulic brakes, it is northwards of 70 per cent, and for electronic brakes, it is to the tune of 50 per cent," he revealed. “We are right now working to increase the child parts for callipers and drums and aim to increase the percentage further aimed at boosting the competitiveness and sustainability in the market for the company," averred Kohli. Continental, caters to a majority of tieri OEMs in delivering parts and products, for both two-and four-wheelers, he informed. He further added, “The company stays committed to the market in terms of making investment and having a strong growth vision for the two-wheeler and four-wheeler segments alike.

Tech Focus

Optimised Curve Braking (OCB)