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The 16th edition of the Auto Expo 2023 - Components Show, jointly organised by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is scheduled from 12-15 January, 2023 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Over 800 companies from 15 countries will be displaying at the expo. With the show returning after a hiatus of three years, the overwhelming response to the 16th edition is a testimony to the industry's indomitable spirit of resilience.

Putting across his views on the response to the show, Vinne Mehta, Director General, ACMA, cited, “The participation has been overwhelming, and this is despite the fact that we are coming back after three years. There is a lot of excitement, and we are very happy that the show has done so well. The very fact that we are completely sold out, with a waiting list, is a clear indicator of the faith our community has in the show.”

Sharing the highlights of the show, Sunjay Kapur, President, ACMA, and Chairman at Sona Comstar, said, “I am delighted that the 16th edition of Auto Expo 2023 - Components, the most awaited event of the automotive industry, has shaped very well. With participation from over 800 companies, several of them from overseas, we have been completely sold out. In the backdrop of strong economic recovery and rising vehicle sales in the country, the Auto Expo 2023 - Components is expected to create newer opportunities for the components industry, as also provide a platform to showcase its prowess as it strives to stay relevant in a fast-transforming industry. With confirmation of several business and sourcing delegations, the event will provide an ideal opportunity for networking, striking international partnerships and gaining insights into the future of mobility.”

In fact, last year was a record year for profits and aftermarket growth. Speaking in terms of the industry growth in 2023, Mehta said, “The numbers of the current year are pretty robust. We are hopeful that we will close this year on a sound note.”

Talking about the focus of the show, Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII National Committee on Future Mobility and Battery Storage as also Chairman CII National Committee on Technology, R&D and Innovation, said, “With significant disruptive changes being witnessed in the automotive ecosystem world over and in India, the Auto Expo 2023 - Components show will be reflective of these dominant trends, including electric mobility, ADAS, biofuel and flex-fuel-based engine technologies, vehicular safety technologies, sustainable and ecologically sound manufacturing practices, digitisation, automotive start-ups, innovative technologies and solutions and much more. In tune with these, our theme pavilion 'Technovation' is designed to be a crystal ball of future of mobility, showcasing cutting-edge technology offerings from our domestic companies.”

Speaking more on 'Technovation', Mehta said, “The whole show is themed ‘Technovation’ because the entire industry is going through a transformation, from electric mobility to bio-fuels to hydrogen. Hence, there is a huge change in the dynamics of the industry. Apart from that, the CAFE II norms have already kicked in, there will be a lot of lightweighting, digitalisation of the shop floors and sophistication in terms of engine technologies happening.”

The key details of the show are –

Show size and venue
This edition of the components show is larger than the previous editions, spread across an area of over 60,000 square metres, covering the newly constructed halls (Halls A2 to A5 ground floor and first floor), with additional facilities at the Mezzanine level for parallel networking and conference events, at Pragati Maidan.

Participants
The show has attracted participation from over 800 companies from 15 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and USA, with six country pavilions – France, Germany, Japan, Poland, South Korea and the UK.

Theme and focus
The components show is themed 'Technovation - Future Technologies & Innovations', and will have the following focused pavilions –

EV components, innovation and start-ups
ACMA safer drives
ACMA industry services
Bearings pavilion
Garage equipment pavilion
REA, Gujarat state pavilion

Showcasing future technologies
It is expected that innovative and advanced technologies in the components sector, in both greener and cleaner energy-saving formats, will be unveiled and showcased through these pavilions.

Networking platforms
The following parallel events are scheduled during the Components show –

ACMA Aftermarket Summit
ACMA Global Summit & Automotive Technology Partnership Summit & Expo (ATPSE)
ACMA IPO Forum
Stakeholders Awareness cum Consultation Workshop for Development of National Strategy for Phase-down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
ACMA-AIWA Conference on Spare Service Support in a Changing Environment
SIAM Sourcing Group Forum

These forums will effectively engage the business community to conduct meaningful discussions and initiate dialogues for the future, with an objective to bring the latest and best technologies to the Indian automotive industry.

New products
The participants at the Components Show are using this once in two years opportunity to showcase new products and technologies with around 200 companies launching/displaying over 1,400 new products and technologies.

Visitor facilitation
The following initiatives have been undertaken for business visitors to make the best use of their time, and avoid the long waiting times at registration counters –

Register and print your own badge/QR code in advance
Get your pre-registered badge printed at the registration counter by giving your registration number
Use QR code on mobile phones to enter
Use tabs at registration counters to fill in details to get your badge

Whilst more than 10,000 business visitors have already used these mediums of registration, the Components Show is expected to be attended by over 100,000 visitors, including businessmen, government officials, diplomatic community and the media, from 40 countries.

Show timings and entry gates
The Auto Expo - Components business hours are 1000-1800 hrs on 12-14 January, 2023 and 1000-1300 on 15 January, 2023. The general public hours are 1330 -1700 on 15 January, 2023.

Entry to the exhibition halls closes every day 30 minutes prior to the closing time, while entry to the events venue closes one hour before closing. There are two gates to enter Pragati Maidan – Gate 4 on Bhairon Road and Gate 10, Metro Gate. Free shuttle services at Gate 10 will be available for the visitors from Pragati Maidan Metro Station to the exhibition halls. Whilst exhibitors can avail of the underground parking at the venue, paid parking facility will be available on Bhairon Road, Opposite Gate 4 of Pragati Maidan.

Cars24 Acquires Vehicle Info To Develop Vehicle Ownership Platform

Vehicle Info

Cars24 has announced the acquisition of Vehicle Info, an automotive utility application. The move is intended to facilitate the development of a vehicle ownership platform in India.

The acquisition signals a shift in strategy for Cars24, moving from a focus on buying and selling transactions toward managing the vehicle lifecycle. Vehicle Info provides users with tools to track insurance validity, traffic challans, FASTag balances and vehicle documentation within a single interface.

Vehicle Info was founded by Chirag Pipaliya in Surat. Developed without venture capital, the application was designed to address the daily management needs of car owners rather than one-time transactions. The platform currently ranks among the most used automotive applications in India for document compliance and utility tracking.

Vehicle Info will continue to operate as a standalone application. Its existing team will work with Cars24 to integrate these utility features into a broader ecosystem for car management.

The integration aims to consolidate fragmented services that vehicle owners typically manage across multiple platforms. By combining transactional data with ownership utility, the companies intend to create a system that serves users throughout the duration of vehicle possession.

Roinet Insurance Brokers Launches Motor Insurance Platform Roinet Kavach

Car Insurance

Roinet Insurance Brokers has announced the launch of Roinet Kavach, a digital motor insurance platform designed to increase insurance adoption in Tier III to Tier VI markets. The company expects 2.5x–3x growth over the next 6–12 months and is targeting a GMV of INR 1 billion by FY2027, with motor insurance projected to contribute 35 percent of revenue.

The platform utilises a network of over 70,000 rural touchpoints to reach first-time buyers, who currently represent 65 percent of the customer base. Primary growth has been recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Roinet Kavach is a mobile-first interface designed for low-bandwidth environments. It allows Point of Sale Persons (POSPs) to generate quotes, compare premiums and issue policies in three minutes.

The platform currently integrates real-time pricing from ICICI Lombard, Chola MS, SBI General and Go Digit. At present, two-wheelers contributes 75 percent, private cars 15 percent and commercial vehicles 10 percent of policies, respectively.

The platform serves 1,000 POSPs in rural and semi-urban regions, providing them with vernacular support, renewal integration, and claims assistance. According to the company, the system creates a monthly income stream of INR 2,000 to INR 10,000 for these distributors through transparent commissions.

Future plans for the platform include the introduction of telematics-based risk scoring, electric-vehicle-specific products, and usage-based pricing models as regulations evolve.

Rahul Mathur, CEO, Roinet Insurance Brokers, said, “Roinet Kavach solves a real and persistent distribution gap in motor insurance by ensuring transparency, efficiency, and accessibility for millions of Indians who have never availed a policy before. By placing the right digital tools in the hands of our last-mile POSPs, who are our backbone, we are strengthening insurance reach in underserved markets and helping build financial resilience in regions the industry has long overlooked. It is a win-win for both the end customer and our POSPs.”

Autorox And Boodmo Partner To Launch Connected Digital Aftermarket Ecosystem

Autorox

Autorox, a digital repair shop network, and Boodmo, an automotive spare parts marketplace, have announced a strategic partnership to create a connected aftermarket ecosystem in India. The collaboration aims to link workshops, parts catalogues and sellers in real time.

At present, Autorox operates a network of 2,000 workshops in India and has a presence in 40 countries. The partnership focuses on a ‘Discovery First’ workflow, which embeds parts intelligence directly into the digital repair order used by technicians.

The system integrates a digital parts catalogue into the Autorox repair process. When a vehicle is diagnosed, the workshop can identify parts, verify fitment and check live inventory from sellers on the Autozilla platform without leaving the repair interface. This data is then surfaced to marketplaces like Boodmo.

This integration is intended to replace manual searches and external catalogue checks. By linking the repair order to live seller data, the companies aim to ensure that stock levels reflect actual inventory rather than cached data.

The companies stated that this launch is the first step in a broader partnership. Future phases are expected to include:

  • Fulfillment Integration: Streamlining the delivery of parts from sellers to workshops.
  • Ecosystem Data Sharing: Building an interoperable infrastructure for the Indian aftermarket.
  • Automated Procurement: Linking diagnosis triggers directly to parts ordering.

Vijay Gummadi, Founder & CEO, Autorox, said, “India never waited for landlines or legacy banking - it leapfrogged straight to mobile and UPI. The aftermarket is at that same moment. Our partnership with boodmo is how we make that leap. By embedding real-time parts discovery directly into the repair workflow and linking it to live seller availability, we are eliminating guesswork and wasted time - and building a connected ecosystem that India's aftermarket has never had before.”

Oleksandr Danylenko, Founder, Boodmo, added, “By tapping into real-time availability from sellers, we are strengthening trust across the ecosystem and improving outcomes for workshops, sellers, and customers alike.”

ACDelco Makes India Return Via Licensing Agreement With Assurance Intl

ACDelco

Assurance Intl has announced the relaunch of ACDelco, the automotive aftermarket brand owned by General Motors (GM), in the Indian market. The move follows a licensing and strategic partnership between the two companies.

Under the agreement, Assurance Intl will serve as the official licensee for ACDelco in India, managing the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of specific products. The initial range consists of automotive batteries and lubricants for passenger and commercial vehicles.

To support the relaunch, Assurance Intl has established production capabilities at its facilities in Hisar, Haryana. The site includes a battery manufacturing plant and a blending facility for engine oils and automotive fluids.

The company stated that local production is intended to manage pricing while adhering to the quality standards set by General Motors. Products will be supplied through a network encompassing distributors, retailers and workshops across India.

The partnership aims to address local market requirements while following GM’s global aftermarket strategy. The companies also intend to investigate the development of battery technologies and lubricants aligned with vehicle trends and sustainability.

Rakesh Sharma, MD, Assurance Intl, said, “This partnership is a natural synergy between ACDelco’s global legacy in automotive aftermarket solutions and Assurance Intl’s manufacturing expertise, quality experience and distribution capabilities in the Indian automotive sector.”

Mahesh Ravindran, Country Lead (India) - Commercial Operations of Chevrolet Sales India, added, “The relaunch of ACDelco automotive batteries and lubricants products in India through an official licensing arrangement is aligned with our global aftermarket brand strategy. Assurance Intl’s operational capabilities and understanding of local market requirements provide a strong platform for the ACDelco brand in the country.”