The Indian auto components industry expanded by 14.3% to ₹2.92 lakh crore last fiscal on the back of robust growth in after market sales. According to the latest data by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the after market segment grew by 25.6% to ₹56,096 crore last fiscal from ₹44,660 crore in the preceding year.

Exports in 2016-17 were at ₹73,128 crore as against ₹70,916 crore in the previous year, up 3.1%. Imports decreased by 0.1% to ₹90,662 crore last fiscal as against ₹90,571 in 2015-16. ACMA President Rattan Kapur said: “Despite the challenges of demonetisation and uncertainty in implementation of GST, vehicle production remained buoyant. In this backdrop, the auto component industry posted an encouraging performance.”

He said the after market segment was “a silver lining” growing 25.6%. On the outlook, Kapur said: “We believe that a technological transformation of the automotive industry is imminent, which calls upon the component industry to invest in R&D, create intellectual property, acquire and develop relevant technologies at a much faster pace to remain relevant for future needs.”

Expressing similar views, ACMA Director General Vinnie Mehta said that at this juncture, the industry is preparing for graduating from BS-IV by 2020. “Leapfrogging a generation of technology in just three years not only calls for sizeable investments for technology acquisition and absorption, but also for skilling of people,” said Mehta.

In terms of auto components supply distribution to automobile manufacturers, ACMA said 49% was to passenger vehicles, 22 % to two-wheelers, 11% to medium and heavy commercial vehicles, 8%to light commercial vehicles, 6% to tractors, 2% to three-wheelers and another 2% to backhoe loaders.