Honda's Yoshiyuki Matsumoto is Autocar Professional’s ‘Man of the Year 2014’

The really big issue of 2014 – Autocar Professional’s 10^th Anniversary Special – is out! This 238-page bumper issue is a true-blue collector’s edition and there are plenty of reasons for that.

Every year, Autocar Professional honours a business leader who has led his company to new heights as its ‘Man of the Year’. For the strong progress made by Honda’s two-wheeler and four-wheeler businesses in India, Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, president and CEO of Honda Motor India, is our Man of the Year 2014. A Honda veteran, Matsumoto feels global companies like Honda should be “quick and agile to develop products that meet and exceed customer expectations.”

In line with its philosophy of ‘Essential reading for the automotive industry’, we bring you exclusive interviews with Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Co; Andy Palmer, CEO, Aston Martin; Jayaprakash Vijayan, chief information officer, Tesla Motors; Max Mosley, chairman of the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP); Rashmi Urdhwareshi, director of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI); Dr Chandan Chowdhury, MD, Dassault Systemes India; and Ajay Tandon, MD and CEO, Tata AutoComp Systems, among others.

Reflecting this special issue’s importance, captains of industry have written exclusively on a range of industry-riveting topics. They include Ravi Pandit, chairman and group CEO, KPIT Technologies; Prof. Gordon Murray, chairman, Gordon Murray Design; Dr Arun Jaura, MD, Traktion Services and Board of Director, SAE International; Sat Mohan Gupta, chairman, Comstar Automotive Technologies; Dr Wilfried Aulbur, managing partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants; R Dinesh, joint MD, TVS & Sons; Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, CARE Ratings; and Dr T Sundarajan, GM (R&D), Wheels India. And, Vijay Sujan, CEO, Sujan CooperStandard AVS, shows how leaders can benefit from taking a family managed business course. We also speak to Ajith Rai, CMD, Suprajit Engineering, who has been practicing ‘Made in India, Made for the World’, for over a decade.

The two-wheeler segment has been the bulwark of the Indian automobile market since the past two years. But now, what promises to provide accelerated growth on two wheels is the midsized bike segment. Our detailed analysis shows how this market is faring, who the key players are, and also provides details on the models that are headed India’s way. There’s also an interview with Rajeev Mishra, MD, UM India, which is set to introduce midsized bikes and develop 400cc-450cc engines locally. Till now, the Internet has been  playing a key role in drawing car buyers. R L Ravichandran, former CEO of Royal Enfield, aims to replicate this for two wheels only – find out more on just what his plans are in our exclusive story.

On the commercial vehicle sector front, one company which is quietly making news is Scania Commercial Vehicles India which is going about increasing localisation substantially. Along with a detailed review of its operations, we speak to managing director Anders Grundstromer, who also reveals his experience of working in India.

As India’s auto sector gets into high gear, it needs people whose skills and exposure are on par with the best in the world. Autocar Professional speaks to a number of HR leaders including Gajendra S Chandel, senior VP and chief HR officer, Tata Motors and Emrana Sheikh, VP (HR), Mahindra & Mahindra, to find out just how they are working on hiring, training and retaining the best talent.

If training is the mantra, lean management and top-notch productivity cannot be far behind. We speak to some OEMs and component suppliers how they are trying to meet their future skills requirements. Plus an interview with Dilip Chenoy, MD and CEO, National Skill Development Corporation.

There’s a lot of action on the Indian automotive shopfloor, from value engineering to low-cost automation and waste elimination. Find out how companies like Maruti Suzuki India, VE Commercial Vehicles, UNO Minda Group and Setco Automotive are going about a quiet revolution.

We’ve also got special reports on a couple of innovators who travel a road less taken and turn the spotlight on a crash investigator and a women’s taxi service operator.

Being the 10^th anniversary issue, we thought it fit to have a retrospective of key industry events of the past decade. Learn about some of the most exciting moments in the Indian auto sector: launches, acquisitions, tie-ups, greenfield plants and policies. We also drive down the automotive ad lane, reminiscing about some truly nostalgic advertisements from the 1960s, from both OEMs and suppliers. Yes, it was a busy time even then as it is now!

The anniversary issue is accompanied by a free copy of the Autocar Professional 2015 Directory, which is a comprehensive A-Z guide to the Indian automotive industry. Plus, a free year planner.  

All in all, the December 15, 2014 issue is a simply-not-to-be-missed affair. We promise you it will take you well into 2015. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from Team Autocar Professional.  

To get your copy of this special issue, write to us at autocarpro@haymarketsac.com or to Ganesh Jadhav at ganesh@haymarket.co.in