Automotive Players need to become agile, flexible and customer focused to succeed in the new normal: Sunil Kakkar, Sr. ED – Supply Chain, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd

In the current scenario, Automotive Players will need to change their operating model to become agile, flexible and customer focused in order to succeed in the new normal, said  Sunil Kakkar, Summit Chairman, CII Indian Automotive Value Chain Summit 2023 & Sr. Executive Director – Supply Chan, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Kakkar was speaking at the CII Indian Automotive Value Chain Summit organized today at Gurugram which was attended by over 250 participants from the automotive sector. 
 

Speaking further, Kakkar said that whilst volatility is the new normal, the industry needs to introspect and reflect on how it can not only survive the challenges of today and tomorrow, but also focus on future prospects and harness newer business opportunities that and ever changing business environment throws on us. 
 

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Jain, Deputy Chair, CII Northern Region & CMD, Lumax Industries Ltd said that Indian Automotive players should follow the mantra of ‘Safe & Swadeshi’. Speaking further, Mr Jain said that the automakers and their key suppliers are rethinking their supply structures in the face of the new normal and increasing political instability. Many players are acknowledging the growing need for more localization due to the new global supply risks and tougher regulatory stipulations, he further added.  
 

In his address, Rohit Relan, Chairman, CII Haryana & CMD, Bharat Seats Ltd emphasized that despite all the uncertainties, automotive players are required to make investment decisions today, in order to have know-how, production capacity and stable supply chains in place once market demands them. However, the question is ‘What are the right decisions in these uncertain times?’, added Mr Relan. 
 

Sunjay Kapur, President, ACMA & Chairman, Sona COMSTAR emphasized that despite facing a succession of recent challenges, India’s automotive procurement departments have begun to adapt, however, the pace and nature of the change must shift from employing new tools and methods to rethinking the entire procurement operation in strategic terms.  
 

While addressing participants, Sachin Kulkarni, ED & Board Member for Procurement, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd said that achieving localisation of raw materials, skilled manpower, efficient logistics, ensuring sustainability and getting required Government support will help our economy achieve a growth rate of 12% in GDP by the year 2030.  
 

Under the current scenario, major challenge for automotive industry is how to make our supply chain more agile without completely jettisoning decades of gains and efficiencies built through lean adoption, said Abhimanyu Sharaff, Chairman, CII Faridabad and Executive Director, Vikas Group.  
 

Who’s who of the industry addressed participants during the summit including Sanjay Labroo, CMD, Asahi India Glass Ltd; Ram Kuppuswamy, Chief Procurement & Supply Chain Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd; Krishnakumar Srinivasan, MD & CEO, Shriram Pistons & Rings Ltd; Manoj Kolhatkar, MD, Gabriel India Ltd; Mukund Vasudevan, MD, Moglix India; Sudhir Chikhle, Sr. VP – Sourcing & Supply Chain, Ashok Leyland Ltd; Arun Malhotra, Industry Expert & Former MD, Nissan India; and Mahadevan V S, CEO & Director, SOLIZE India Technologies Pvt Ltd amongst others.  
 

Rohit Relan, Sunil Kakkar, and Deepak Jain.