ACMA Hosts Inaugural STEER 2025, Setting the Course For India’s Automotive Aftermarket

The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) recently held the inaugural STEER 2025, a national aftermarket confluence designed to chart a course for the future of India’s automotive components industry.

The event, convened on 8th August, saw participation from leading government and industry voices, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Shradha Suri Marwah, President, ACMA, Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA and Ramashankar Pandey, Chairman, ACMA Aftermarket Sub-Committee.

In his keynote, Joshi praised ACMA’s commitment to consumer empowerment and highlighted the government’s Right to Repair initiative, stating that it would help make genuine spare parts and repair information more accessible and encourage sustainability and affordability while strengthening India’s presence globally.

Throughout the day, delegates engaged in lively discussions on sectoral challenges and opportunities around safety, technology adoption, skills development, market access and supply chain resilience. Actionable recommendations emerged to help advance the aftermarket in line with evolving consumer expectations and international trends.

According to data presented by Ernst & Young, India’s auto component sector has experienced robust growth, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 percent from FY2018 to FY2024. The aftermarket segment itself expanded at around 8 percent CAGR over this period.

In FY2024, the industry’s turnover reached INR 6,147 billion, with exports climbing to INR 1,760 billion and constituting around 4 percent of India’s total national exports. The sector currently contributes approximately 2 percent to India’s GDP and provides employment to nearly five million people, highlighting its importance as one of the country’s largest employers.

Exports have become a significant driver, fuelled by strong domestic demand, supportive government incentives and India’s integration within the global ‘China+1’ supply strategy. Lower manufacturing costs give Indian exporters a competitive edge, with average factory wages 50-75 percent lower than those in China, allowing for 20-30 percent savings on labour-intensive components. Government schemes such as the Auto PLI Scheme have further boosted export growth, offering sales-linked incentives of 8–18 percent for advanced and electric vehicle components. Engine parts remain the largest export category, though substantial shares are also held by sectors such as suspension, braking, body/chassis, transmission and electronics.

Global opportunities abound in both developed and emerging markets. Key targets for Indian suppliers include Latin America, Indonesia, Poland, the UAE and Africa. Brazil’s automotive aftermarket alone is valued at USD 12,091 million (CY23), while Indonesia’s stands at USD 7,759 million, offering significant scope for further growth. Indian mechanical and consumable parts, particularly for two-wheelers, commercial vehicles and tractors, enjoy a reputation for quality in many of these regions; for instance, Nigerian purchasers are willing to pay up to 25 percent more for critical Indian spares compared to cheaper Chinese alternatives.

Trade agreements such as the India-UAE CEPA have facilitated access to high-growth markets by removing import duties, while bilateral pacts with African nations support expansion into West and East Africa. In Africa, car ownership remains relatively low at 40 per 1,000 people – far less than the global average – indicating substantial growth potential for automotive aftermarket products over the coming decade.

At STEER 2025, speakers emphasised strategies for further accelerating India's export momentum, including building stronger online and e-commerce presence, innovative branding, tailored product offerings, collaborative supplier initiatives, streamlined logistics and enhanced market access through local partnerships. ACMA reaffirmed its commitment to close collaboration with government and industry stakeholders, placing consumer empowerment and sustainability at the core of its vision to enhance India's reputation as a globally competitive supplier.

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Harman, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., has announced updates to its Ready product line and car audio offerings. These solutions are available for integration by automakers to manage hardware and software cycles and provide upgradeable vehicle experiences throughout the car's lifecycle.

The company focuses on execution across software, hardware and artificial intelligence. The updated portfolio is designed to address integration complexity and lifecycle costs for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The updated toolchain includes Ready CQuence Loop for cloud-native validation across virtual and physical targets. It also features Ready CQuence Run, a Type-1 automotive hypervisor used for secure isolation in 20 million electronic control units (ECUs). For fleet management, the Ready Link Marketplace and Smart Delta technology support updates for over 80 million vehicles, offering access to 190 applications.

Harman has introduced Ready StreamShare, which utilises a Bluetooth hub and low-latency headphones to create four personalised media zones. This allows for individual listening and cabin conversation. The HALOsonic system provides electronic sound synthesis for vehicle signatures, while branded audio updates include Genre Optimiser and Smart Bass Impact to adjust cabin acoustics using AI.

The Ready Care system uses in-cabin intelligence to monitor driver and occupant vitals, including heartbeat detection. For external awareness, Ready Connect provides telematics supporting 4G, 5G and satellite communication. Ready Aware utilises vehicle-to-network (V2N) connectivity to provide hazard alerts, supported by machine learning to filter information and acoustic sensing to detect emergency vehicles.

The display range includes Ready Display, utilising Samsung Neo QLED technology. This is the first automotive display to receive HDR10+ certification. For the driver's line of sight, Ready Vision QVUE provides a windshield display featuring gaze-aware brightness tuning and eMirror Live View for navigation.

Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, Harman, said, “In the vehicle, AI, Machine Learning and other emerging technologies are no longer a differentiator on their own. Execution is what wins. What sets Harman apart is our ability to orchestrate software, hardware, AI, audio, and visual technologies into holistic, road-ready experiences that meet consumer demand. With our integrated product portfolio and advanced developer tools, we’re helping OEMs solve key challenges like integration complexity and lifecycle costs, so that they can deliver rapid, consumer‑focused innovation across evolving vehicle platforms that bring their customers genuine delight behind the wheel.”

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Bolt.Earth and Statiq have announced a strategic partnership to enhance electric vehicle (EV) charging access across India. The collaboration focuses on interoperability, allowing four-wheeler users to access more charging options through a unified system.

Under the agreement, EV drivers can locate, access, and pay for chargers on both the Bolt.Earth and Statiq networks using either company's mobile application.

The partnership integrates Statiq’s DC fast-charging infrastructure for four-wheelers with Bolt.Earth’s platform. This expansion targets key cities and highways to assist with intercity travel and range anxiety.

Statiq operates a network that includes both AC and DC fast-charging solutions in urban centres and commercial hubs. Bolt.Earth provides a peer-to-peer (P2P) charging platform serving two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and four-wheeler vehicles across more than 1,900 cities.

Akshit Bansal, Founder & CEO, Statiq, said, “At Statiq, our vision has always been to make public charging simple, reliable and widely accessible. Partnering with Bolt.Earth enables us to connect two strong networks and providing EV drivers with more fast-charging options through a seamless experience. By reducing the need for multiple apps and bringing more chargers onto a unified journey, we’re taking a meaningful step towards an open, interoperable charging ecosystem that supports faster EV adoption across India.”

S Raghav Bharadwaj, CEO & Founder, Bolt.Earth, said, “Interoperability is the future of EV charging in India, and this partnership is a decisive step toward that future. By uniting Bolt.Earth’s universal network with Statiq’s robust, fast-charging infrastructure, we’re delivering unmatched accessibility and convenience to EV users. This integration aims to ease range anxiety, eliminate the hassle of multiple apps, and provide a single, real-time view of available charging points—making EV charging seamless, reliable, and user-friendly.”

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Japanese automotive component supplier Toyoda Gosei Co, has launched automotive weatherstrips containing a higher percentage of recycled rubber. The components have been adopted for the Toyota Motor RAV4, with plans to expand the application of this technology to other models.

While recycling processes for steel and plastic are established, rubber has historically been incinerated for energy recovery due to the complexities of devulcanisation. This process uses heat and pressure to break the sulphur bonds that provide rubber with elasticity; however, it often weakens the material and creates odours.

Toyoda Gosei has modified its proprietary devulcanisation technology to improve the quality of regenerated rubber. These refinements have allowed the company to increase the recycled content in automotive parts from under 5 percent to 20 percent. The achievement received a Project Award from Toyota Motor.

The company is now working to apply these techniques to:

• Synthetic Rubber: Expanding use in products such as rubber hoses.
• Natural Rubber: Developing processes for materials used in higher volumes across the industry.

The company intends to collaborate with vehicle manufacturers to establish a system for collecting and regenerating rubber from end-of-life vehicles. This circular model aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve resource circulation within the automotive supply chain.

Toyoda Gosei stated that by leading rubber recycling efforts, it seeks to address long-standing industry challenges regarding waste management and material strength in recycled elastomers.

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Greenfuel Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of Lumax Auto Technologies (LATL), has opened a manufacturing line for ferrule-less tubes and fittings at its Manesar facility. The line was inaugurated by the leadership team of Maruti Suzuki India.

The project involves an initial investment of INR 250 million, with a further INR 500 million planned over the next five years. The facility has the capacity to supply components for approximately 100,000 vehicles, with production ramping up in phases.

The facility localises the production of ferrule-less tubes and fittings for CNG vehicles, a technology that was previously imported. The solution uses torque-tightened assembly for mass production. Greenfuel developed the line in collaboration with its German partner, WEH Gas Tech, adapting the technology for Indian conditions.

Deepak Jain, Director, Lumax Auto Technologies, said, “The localisation of this technology reflects our strong commitment to the ‘Make in India’ agenda. By bringing critical manufacturing capabilities onshore, we are accelerating technology transfer, strengthening domestic supply chains, and enhancing India’s competitiveness in advanced automotive manufacturing.”

Anmol Jain, Managing Director, Lumax Auto Technologies, added, “This initiative lays the foundation for scalable and sustainable growth. It improves operational efficiencies, deepens collaboration with OEM partners, and enables faster validation cycles supporting the evolution of Indian manufacturing towards higher value-added capabilities.”

The transition to domestic manufacturing is intended to reduce reliance on global supply chains and eliminate costs associated with import duties and foreign-exchange exposure.

Akshay Kashyap, MD & CEO, Greenfuel Energy Solutions, said, “We are the first and only company in India to localise ferrule-less tubes and fittings along with the underlying manufacturing technology. This Make-in-India solution offers ease of installation, reduced labour costs, and enhanced safety for the automotive industry. We have already commenced supplies to a leading OEM and are witnessing strong interest from others.”

“This technology has been proven in Europe and used by an established German automotive brand for over seven years. We have successfully indigenised it in India in collaboration with our long-standing German partner, WEH Gas Tech, a relationship spanning nearly two decades. While the core line was sourced from Germany, it has been adapted and optimised for Indian operating conditions, combining global credibility with local engineering expertise,” added Kashyap.

In 2024, Lumax Auto Technologies Limited acquired a 60 percent stake in Greenfuel Energy Solutions’ alternate fuels business for INR 1.53 billion. The division reported revenues of INR 1.7 billion in the first half of the year and maintains an order book of approximately INR 2 billion. The expansion aligns with the industry-wide shift toward alternate-fuel platforms in India.

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