Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. (RNAIPL) is betting on new products during fiscal 2020 for its growth in the domestic market, says its managing director and chief executive officer Biju Balendran . Excerpts:
What has been your growth story during FY18 and what is the forecast for FY19?
We have produced more than 18 lakh cars since May 2010. In FY18, we launched the new intelligent sports utility vehicle Nissan Kicks and new versions of Datsun GO and GO+.
We have also made some minor changes in models across Nissan, Datsun and Renault brands. FY18 was a busy year for us and it will continue to be so in FY19. We are gearing up for the launch of Renault Triber, planned in the second half of this year.
We are continuously focusing on up-skilling our employees and have tied-up with the National Skill Development Corporation with an aim to provide our employees training for future technologies.
Going forward, there will be an emphasis on digitisation. We will use available digital platforms in our manufacturing process to make the shop floor management simple and effective.
What is the planned capital expenditure for the current fiscal?
The plant in Oragadam represents [the] alliance’s total investment of ₹6,100 crore. The investments helped in building a full-fledged manufacturing facility with a capacity for building 4.8 lakh cars per annum.
RNAIPL is a flexible plant which can meet new demand and is future-ready. Continually improving the global competitiveness of the plant is one of our major goals and we regularly find innovative solutions to achieve the same.
What are the products lined up for this year?
Our upcoming product line-up will feature a mix of new models as well as facelifts of our current vehicle line-up. At present, the plant is gearing up for the launch of Renault Triber in the second half of 2019.
Have you started producing BS VI vehicles?
We are ready to deliver BS VI vehicles as per the schedule to comply with the new emission norms. Currently, we have 10 models in production and all the models will be BS VI-compliant as per set regulation.
What is your strategy for e-mobility?
The alliance partners are technology leaders when it comes to next generation mobility solutions. The Nissan Connect and Alliance In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) are the most advanced e-mobility solutions available in the market today.
The current line of cars come equipped with Nissan Connect. The latest being Nissan Kicks that has been positioned as an intelligent SUV in the Indian market.
Being one the largest alliance manufacturing plants, we are committed to support e-mobility both in domestic and export markets. We recognise the potential of electric vehicles for future mobility and have been actively working towards acquiring skills to stay ahead in the industry.
Our employees are being trained and skilled to work on next generation technologies.
When can we see EVs from Nissan in India?
As part of the Nissan India strategy, we announced [we would] bring the New Leaf to India in FY19. However, as iterated earlier, the New Leaf at launch will not be for mass market India. We are working with key stakeholders and will be selling it through strategic partnerships.
Which are your best-selling products when it comes to exports?
We have been exporting not only vehicles but also engines, gearboxes and other parts since we started production in 2010. Presently, we are exporting Kwid, Micra, Sunny and all Datsun models.
Over the last eight years, we have exported more than eight lakh vehicles to over 106 countries. Presently, Nissan Sunny and Nissan Micra are our best-selling products for the export markets. Sunny is exported to the Middle East and Micra, Datsun GO and GO+ are exported to Middle East and South Africa.
What are your key ‘green’ initiatives?
To minimise our ecological footprint, we have been working towards water and energy management.
RNAIPL has three rainwater harvesting ponds to meet its requirements up to 130 days. Additionally, it has in-house waste water treatment and an evaporator facility to recycle waste water. These have helped the plant achieve zero-liquid discharge benchmarks.Regular water audits and awareness programmes are held at the shop floor to identify areas of improvements and implement new initiatives while inculcating self-sufficiency by reducing dependence on the water supply by the government. Active measures have been taken to institutionalise an effective energy management plan. Our effective energy initiatives have brought down the CO2 footprint per car by 42% in the last eight years. In 2016, we started using wind energy as an alternative source for power. This year, we intend to tap into bio-thermal and solar sources to reduce dependency on grid power.
