The Hindu : Auto fair focus on the consumer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Auto fair focus on the consumer

By R. Gopalakrishnan

CHENNAI JULY 16. Consumer orientation and initiatives to offer ``integrated package'' of vehicles and services will be among the highlights of the four-day Auto Focus 2002 exhibition being organised here from October 10 to 13 by the Confederation of Indian Industry-Southern Region (CII-SR).

``Auto Focus, which is supported by the Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association of India (ACMA), is aimed at enabling both manufacturers and consumers to realise the full potential of the regional market for automobiles," said the Chairman of the exhibition, L. Ganesh.

To be held at the Chennai Trade Centre, Auto Focus 2002 will occupy an exhibit space of more than 65,000 sq. ft. and feature more than 200 exhibitors, including leading Indian and foreign manufacturers of cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers, besides component and accessories.

Emphasising the consumer orientation of the fair, Mr. Ganesh told The Hindu that besides offering business opportunities for trade visitors like in most fairs during the forenoon and afternoon, the event was being designed to attract families for an ``evening out'' (with facilities like go-karting for children) and would be open till past 8 p.m. Some new models in the two-wheeler as also passenger car segments were set for launch at the fair.

For another, arrangements were being made to bring together financiers, insurers and vehicle and accessories' manufacturers to offer integrated packages to consumers at competitive rates on the spot. The fair was being promoted in major markets for both passenger and commercial vehicles, including Namakkal and Tiruchengode in the case of the latter, to maximise its visitor potential. Besides vehicles and components, the fair would feature accessories (audio facilities, safety lock and so on) which are becoming increasingly popular with vehicle users.

Free space would be offered to agencies such as the City Police, Pollution Control Board and the State Transport Corporation to facilitate education of the public on safety and the environment.

The ACMA would hold a special show (``asli-nakli") to educate consumers on the menace of spurious spares.

The annual general meeting of the Federation of Automobile Dealers' Associations (FADA) to be held in the city at the time of Auto Focus 2002 would attract thousands of dealers from all over the country.

Similarly, the International Chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) would organise a conference on ``software and automotive engineering''.

The first Auto Focus was held in Coimbatore in 2000. This biennial event had its unique focus on the regional market, unlike the CII's Auto Expo which had its focus on the national and global markets for vehicles and components, Mr. Ganesh said.

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