Dr. Firodia said, “Globally, higher axle loads are permitted which enables higher efficiencies in the goods transport industry. In India, historically, we had allowed lower axle loads as well as lower vehicle speeds due to the inability of our road and highway infrastructure to support such higher loads or speeds. With the modernisation of India’s roads and highways, it is natural for Government to look at higher load carrying capacities in trucks. SIAM, in principle, has supported an increase in axle loads up to the European levels” Dr. Firodia added.

The notification does away with the present CMVR table of tyres & Axle combination against permissible Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). This allows easier and more flexible development of new vehicle configurations of different tonnage by the manufacturers as it provides freedom of selection of any combination of tyre & axle within the CMVR permissible dimensions. This is also a welcome step, said Dr. Firodia.

However, the notification also raises some concerns related to safety, applicable date of the change and the readiness of the supply chain. Dr. Firodia said that the existing vehicles on the road are not certified for safety with the higher axle loads. Hence, this provision should not allow the existing vehicles with higher loads or else it will tantamount to legalising the wrong practice of overloading of the vehicles. Such overloaded vehicles may or may not be able to meet the mandatory braking and steering performance requirements leading to safety issues on the road. The new norms should be applicable only to the new vehicles which are certified by the test agencies from the safety point of view.  

Higher loads on vehicles will also require upgraded tyres and new specifications of the axles for which the supply chain also needs to gear up. Finally, there is no date of implementation mentioned in the notification. As BS6 vehicles development is in full swing and many of the OEMs as well as the supply chain would need some time to upgrade product designs and certify these new vehicles, a clear date of implementation of April 1, 2020 aligning with introduction of BS6 vehicles would be more appropriate, said Dr. Firodia.

Source: SIAM

Apart from this, there is a huge playing field for stainless steel in fuel tanks and bus bodies. Owing to India’s long coast line, stainless steel is the best choice for making bus body frames and panels, ensuring longevity in these highly corrosive environments. Jindal Stainless has successfully developed and deployed stainless steel fuel tanks for commercial vehicles. The metal’s fire resistance (ability to withstand temperatures in excess of 900 degrees centigrade) and cost effectiveness due to it being light weight results in saving fuel costs. All major global bus body manufacturers, such as Volvo, Scania, Optare trust stainless steel, primarily to reduce weight and prolong battery life.

According to the company, the Indian passenger vehicle manufacturing industry became the fourth largest in the world, with sale increasing to 4.02 million units in 2017. Overall, auto sector consumes nearly 2 lakh tones of stainless steel in a year. This is pegged to grow at a rate of 15% per annum, providing enough scope of growth to domestic producers of stainless steel.

Speaking about the potential of stainless steel usage in the automotive industry Vijay Sharma, Head Sales, Jindal Stainless noted, “The Indian automobile sector is rising fast with an annual growth rate of 15% registered in FY18. Against this backdrop, Jindal Stainless registered an even stronger growth of 25% in this sector in the same financial year, by virtue of its continued investment in innovation and a focus on import substitution. The transformation of the Indian automobile industry is fascinating, considering that auto majors are reducing costs while maintaining the same quality as their international counterparts. While developed nations deploy 19% stainless steel in motor vehicles, developing countries consume it to the tune of 5%”. Currently, Jindal Stainless contributes around 60% to the country’s requirement of stainless steel in automotive sector.”

Stainless steel is the ideal metal for meeting the demands of the automotive industry given its resistance to heat, pressure, and ageing. The aesthetic appeal of stainless steel is another added advantage. The high strength-to-weight ratio and improved slide-ability, higher weldability, and corrosion resistance, even in wet abrasive applications, make it an optimum choice for usage in this sector. It is used in vital components such as vehicle exhaust, disk brakes, catalytic converters and specialized parts of diesel turbochargers.

Jindal Stainless has a broad and trusted clientele of major brands such as Honda Group, Yamaha, Bajaj, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Toyota and others.