Karnataka - Mysore   

Automotive Technology Fair gets under way

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Colourful start:Representatives of various industries releasing balloons at the inauguration of the three-day Automotive Technology Fair 2010 in Mysore on Friday.

MYSORE: The three-day Automotive Technology Fair (ATF), showcasing the emerging technologies in the automotive sector, got under way in the city on Friday.

Organised by the National Institute of Engineering (NIE) in association with VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., a joint venture of Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, the event is being attended by 25 automobile companies and around 80 dealers who are showcasing the latest in the field of automotive technologies in general and commercial vehicles in particular.

The theme of the ATF 2010 is “Emerging technologies in commercial vehicles”. Ashok Rao, President of Automotive Axles Ltd., Mysore, inaugurated the fair.

Insight to students

The event, organised under the ambit of industry-institute partnership, is expected to provide insight to students of engineering, diploma and other vocational courses about multidisciplinary technologies in automotive engineering and technology and address the daunting issue of capacity building in these areas.

Underlining the importance of the initiative, the organisers pointed out that India was poised to become the fifth biggest automobile industry market by 2016 and the value of the automobile sector in terms of turnover and investment had been pegged at 145 billion dollars. This was a testimony to the emergence of automobile and automotive sector as a key driver of the Indian economy in the future, they said.

However, experts participating in the event said there was a need for capacity building in view of the projected boom in the automobile sector which would require trained manpower of nearly 50 lakh in the next few years.

Prominent original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers participating in the fair include Eicher Motors, Automotive Axles, Mentor, Bosch, Indian Oil Corporation, JK Tyres and Apollo Tyres.

The exhibits include Eicher's trucks and bus range as well as products from Brakes India, Turbo Energy and Excise, among others. Topics such as emerging trends in automobile technology, autoronics, alternate fuels and green vehicles, new emission norms and transportation management will be covered in the technical sessions during the next two days.

Centre inaugurated

Vinodh Agarwal, CEO (Designate) of VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., inaugurated the NIE-Eicher Centre for Automobile Technology, which is being described as a major initiative in promoting industry-institution partnership.

He said that low availability of skilled manpower was one of the concerns for the automotive sector. The problem was bound to aggravate with the entry of many more manufacturers and incorporation of sophisticated technology, he said.

“The Automotive Mission Plan envisages a requirement of nearly 25 million people in India's automotive industry by 2016 and industry-institution tie up was essential to bridge this gap. Hence the VECV is tying up with leading institutions across the country to reach students the latest in automotive technologies and has established similar centres in Ahmadabad and Chandigarh,” he added.

The NIE-Eicher Centre for Automotive Technology will offer a postgraduate diploma in automobile engineering and the syllabi and curriculum will be worked out by institution and industry experts. Hands-on operational training will be provided to students. On completing the course, the students will be given the opportunity to join VECV manufacturing plants or dealer networks.

Dilip Chenoy, CEO and MD, National Skill Development Corporation, New Delhi; M.S. Shivakumar, NIE Principal, G.L. Shekar Vice Principal, members of the NIE management and the governing council, and representatives from industries were among those present.

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