Seeking details on how the Passenger Vehicle Business Unit of Tata Motors, like many other vehicle makers, faced several challenges from the aftermarket perspective during the lockdown and COVID-19 induced New Normal, the company spokesperson said, there were not many challenges as everything had been planned from their end well in time. However, during the initial days of lockdown, getting special permission from local authorities in certain markets was one challenge the company faced which was eventually resolved.

Tata Motors ensured that its customers and COVID frontline workers received seamless customer experience. As a part of its initiative, the company introduced tips to take care of their vehicles during lockdown along with breakdown assistance and hotline service, that was attending calls 24x7 to provide the necessary support. It also introduced an exclusive helpline for frontline COVID workers and healthcare professionals during the lockdown. Customers could dial the dedicated numbers for assistance in case of any emergency needs. The company has taken necessary approvals from local authorities to attend to vehicles safely and efficiently with all precautionary measures. It serviced 200 plus vehicles of COVID fighters such as doctors/police during the lockdown period across the country. To further support, it also extended the warranty and scheduled service period.

For all pending service appointments, the team called customers to ensure them that their vehicle was in safe hands. Given the relaxation in curbs, restarting of service appointments will be planned in a staggered manner to ensure sanitisation and social distancing to maintain utmost customer safety, the spokesperson said.

However, the average time to respond to customers’ call for repair/ service varied depending upon various factors. For service requests, customers could call the customer care number, where specialists were available to answer queries 24x7, he said. In the case of emergency roadside assistance, the company made arrangements that the services team reaches the location within 60 minutes under city limits and within 120 minutes on ghat roads and other places. The average time per service appointment depends on the type of job that needs to be done on the vehicle. For regular paid service it takes around three to four hours, and free services or minor check-ups are taken care of within 90 minutes, he said. “We have 633 workshops across the country, 444 dealer workshops and 189 TASCs (Tata Authorised Service Centres),” he added.

While these initiative are taken to cater to the requirements of the customers, the vehicle makers also face specific issues about increasing number of stock-keeping units, triggered by more models and variants being introduced. However, Tata Motors has been using a very sophisticated analytical tool to predict the consumption and stock accordingly. The planning for spare parts inventory is done at the dealerships to ensure that sufficient stock is available for all the models based on consumption pattern.

Skilling

Talking on the need to upskill the workforce at authorised service centres, the spokesperson said, upskilling is a continuous process to keep all the dealer workforce updated on the latest technological introductions in the new range of vehicles. “We have seven training centres across the country and are currently conducting regular online training sessions to ensure that our dealer manpower is well acquainted with the same,” he said.

With technological advancements in the cars increasing with every new model, the challenge is to match the service centres to cater to the emerging requirements. From a customer’s perspective, it is more convenient to operate any function with the click of a button or a touch screen. Therefore, from a service perspective, it has become easy to identify service requirements in the vehicle through the medium of a laptop, thereby resulting in faster repairs. “Tata Motors Passenger dealerships have a separate profile of DET (Diagnostic Expert cum trainer) who is skilled in identifying such service requirements and ensures that repairs take place faster and with accuracy. We do not see any challenges from a security perspective, as all technology and electronics in the vehicles undergo multiple tests before being launched,” he said.

Talking on sustainable initiatives, he said, “Earlier in September, the Tata Nexon became the first Indian car to be published on the prestigious International Dismantling Information System (IDIS) platform for End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV). With this achievement, Tata Motors reiterated its holistic commitment towards making the entire life cycle of its products sustainable, i.e. from the development of ultra-low/zero-emission vehicles to responsible dismantling and recycling of the vehicle at the final ELV stage. This milestone on the Nexon signifies the increasing commitment of Tata Motors to ‘End of Life’ across its range of vehicles and the beginning of sustained declaration of dismantling procedures across its entire range of vehicles that are complex with increasing technological content, though over the years commercial vehicles have achieved good levels of recyclability where dismantling procedures are better understood.” (MT)

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

SAEINDIA is set to host the 23rd Asia Pacific Automotive Engineering Conference (APAC 23) from 13 to 14 November 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi.

The event, held under the theme ‘Xellerating towards Safe, Secure, Sustainable & Intelligent Mobility,’ returns to India for the second time following a 15-year interval. The conference will convene more than 1,000 delegates and 500 mobility experts representing vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, technology firms, research organisations and regulatory bodies across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The agenda comprises 150 technical presentations and 80 exhibitors covering subject areas such as powertrains, automated driving, cybersecurity, software-defined vehicles, vehicle dynamics, advanced materials and regulatory standards.

The venue features an exposition hall, a technology theatre for product demonstrations, and the TechHive platform designed to connect mobility start-up ventures with industry leaders, technology experts, and investors.

“APAC 23 represents an important opportunity for India to engage with the Asia-Pacific mobility engineering community at a time when our industry is undergoing fundamental transformation. By bringing together industry, academia, researchers, innovators and policymakers, we aim to create meaningful conversations and collaborations that can contribute to safer, smarter and more sustainable mobility,” said Saurabh Dalela, President of SAEINDIA.

Anoop Bhat, Co-Convenor, APAC 23, said, “The scale and diversity of APAC 23 have been designed to create an environment where engineering knowledge, technology innovation and business opportunities come together. From technical presentations and the exposition to TechHive and the Technology Theatre, participants will have multiple opportunities to discover technologies, exchange ideas and build collaborations across the mobility ecosystem.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Global technology company Bosch has announced a restructuring of its corporate framework in Germany, transferring the activities of its Mobility business sector and central service units into legal entities.

Under the plan, the Mobility division alongside Bosch Digital, Global Business Services and Global Real Estate will operate as wholly-owned limited liability subsidiaries within the Bosch Group from 1 August 2027.

The transition aligns the Mobility sector with the structure already utilised across the group's Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology divisions. Following the reorganisation, Robert Bosch GmbH will function primarily as corporate headquarters and central research operations, with approximately 62,500 associate employment contracts in Germany transferring to the subsidiaries.

The Mobility division remains the largest business unit within the group, generating EUR 55.8 billion in sales revenue in 2025, accounting for 60 percent of group sales.

Dr. Christian Fischer, Chairman of the Board of Management, Robert Bosch GmbH, said, "We are operating in an increasingly challenging environment across our markets. New competitors, particularly from Asia, are intensifying the competitive pressure. For us at Bosch the implication is that we need to bring innovations to market even faster, substantially simplify structures and processes, and accelerate our overall pace to keep up. The goal is to sustainably increase the profitability of the Bosch Group as a whole so that we can continue to fund technological breakthroughs from our internal resources. With the planned reorganisation of our corporate structure, we are creating the conditions that will allow each operating unit to unfold its full potential – with greater entrepreneurial freedom, short decision-making paths, and closer customer focus. It will also mean that our internal service units can contribute more significantly to the performance of our operating units, offering competitive and first-class services. One thing is clear: all legal entities will remain an integral part of the Bosch Group, irrespective of their new legal form."

Dr. Markus Heyn, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management, Robert Bosch GmbH and Chairman of the Mobility business sector, said, "We’re starting from a position of strength. But to defend our lead in the long term, we must consistently realign with new customer requirements, markets, and the competition. Going forward, we’ll be able to take an even more customer-centric approach, act more powerfully as one team, and shape change faster in one of the world’s most demanding industries. Our ambition is to continue setting the pace for the automotive industry. That requires speed, clarity, and business resolve – and we have all three."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

FORVIA and Great Wall Motor (GWM) have signed a global strategic cooperation agreement to expand their partnership beyond China into international markets.

The agreement encompasses collaboration across technological innovation, industrial operations, supply chain management, sustainability and workforce development. Under the framework, FORVIA will leverage its technology portfolio and manufacturing footprint across seating, clean mobility, electronics and lighting to support Great Wall Motor's international expansion. The partnership focuses on deploying localised production models and supply chain infrastructure across automotive markets globally.

Martin Fischer, CEO, FORVIA, said, "Chinese automakers are becoming major global players and are reshaping competitive dynamics across the industry. As they expand internationally, success will increasingly depend on the ability to combine local innovation with global execution. This is where FORVIA brings distinctive value. By combining Great Wall Motor’s growth ambitions with FORVIA’s technology leadership, industrial footprint and local-for-local execution model, we are creating a platform for long-term growth and innovation across the world's key automotive markets."

Zhao Guoqing, COO and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Great Wall Motor, said, "Globalisation is at the core of Great Wall Motor's strategy. We are continuously advancing our ecosystem-driven globalization and comprehensively strengthening our global operations and localised service capabilities. Having a partner that both understands the Chinese market and brings global industrial footprint and technology depth is essential to Great Wall Motor's global development. FORVIA has deep expertise across seating, clean mobility, electronics and lighting, and its ability to combine global footprint with local operations aligns closely with Great Wall Motor's development needs. We look forward to building on this agreement as a starting point to achieve deeper win-win cooperation in technology innovation, supply chain synergy and global market expansion."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has named Mark Colson as its next President and CEO, with his appointment taking effect on 1 December 2026. Colson will become the 10th leader to hold the position since the organisation was founded in 1933.

Colson brings more than two decades of experience as a trucking association leader and advocate for motor carriers and industry professionals. He is expected to draw on that background to build lasting coalitions, recognise the contributions of trucking workers and unite the industry around a cause promoting the highest standards of professionalism.

Since 2019, Colson has led the Alabama Trucking Association as President and CEO, engaging with policymakers in Montgomery and Washington to advance industry priorities and highlight trucking's economic and supply chain significance. Previously, he held several leadership roles at the Business Council of Alabama, including Interim President, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs, and Chief of Staff, collaborating closely with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Within the ATA Federation, Colson has served on the Strategic Priorities Committee and the Truck PAC Board of Directors, as well as the American Transportation Research Institute's Research Advisory Committee. In July 2026, his state association peers elected him Vice Chairman of the Trucking Association Executives Council. He also chaired the TAEC task force that produced the seven-point Trucking Resurgence action plan, released in December 2025 to address regulatory gaps exploited by noncompliant carriers and unqualified drivers. Colson is a Huntingdon College graduate, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for football, and holds an MBA from Troy University. He serves on Huntingdon College's Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.

Colson said, "This is a unique moment for ATA to make a renewed commitment to the trucking industry and the professionals who call our industry home. It's a commitment built first on earned trust, a sense of family and purpose, and an unrelenting passion to fight for the issues that matter most to trucking. The values that trucking leaders and professionals hold dear were instilled in me at an early age in my family's second-generation tyre shop, Blow-Out Tire Company, where I grew up changing truck tyres. They have followed me throughout my career fighting for the hard-working men and women throughout our industry, and it is a privilege to continue that fight alongside the team and members of ATA.

"State trucking associations and the dedicated staffs that support them are the boots on the ground when it comes to advancing and defending the trucking industry. It's been an honour to learn from my fellow state executives, and I'm excited to continue working with them to unleash the full strength of the Federation. We are on the verge of a trucking resurgence, but we must keep fighting and advocating as our industry leaders continue to climb out of one of the deepest and longest freight recessions in history. We must meet them where they are, listen to their concerns and do everything we can to help them and their people be successful."

Greg Hodgen, ATA Chairman and CEO of Groendyke Transport, said, "For more than 90 years, ATA's mission has been to give trucking a strong voice in the decisions that shape its future. Mark will build on that foundation, bringing fresh energy and a clear vision for advancing our industry's priorities and delivering even greater value for our members."

Derek Leathers, incoming ATA Chairman and Chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises, said, "The decisions made in Washington don't stay in Washington. They affect how we operate, how we invest and how we serve our customers every day. Our industry needs a strong, unified voice at the table to make sure policymakers understand those realities and fight for policies that enable trucking to keep America moving."

Chris Maxwell, Chairman of TAEC and President and CEO of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said, "Few trucking companies operate within the borders of just one state, which is why the ATA Federation matters so much. When bad ideas emerge in one state, they have an impact on motor carriers across the entire country. The partnership between ATA and the state associations is one of our industry's greatest strengths, and Mark understands firsthand what makes it so powerful."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!