Forbes India speaks to Markus Heyn, member of board of management at Robert Bosch GmbH, from the 'Auto Expo 2016' event in New Delhi
Forbes India speaks to Markus Heyn, member of board of management at Robert Bosch GmbH, as part of our '4 X 4' (four questions -four answers) series, from the 'Auto Expo 2016' event in New Delhi.
Q1: Bosch is showcasing the connected vehicle at the Auto Expo whereby entire maintenance of the car is manned by a smartphone. Tell us more.
Dr Heyn: We would like to enable the vehicle to become your smart companion in the future. Vehicles pass traffic signs but a second later it has forgotten it. When they parking spots but miss it even though they have sensors. We will be using the sensors and the information, and bring it onto a platform where they will be provided as intelligent function to the end users.
Q2: Indian government will implement BS-VI. How are you preparing for the next generation of gasoline and diesel systems?
Dr Heyn: We follow a step-wise approach. We are having dialogues in order to come to suitable concepts specific to various vehicle segments and models suitable and fit for BS-VI applications. Then we start into serious development and figure out what is needed in terms of resources and investments etc. We only have a limited amount of time so we have entered the discussions and are pursuing it intensively.
Q3: Since most of India’s passenger car market is between the small and entry-level sedan segment, would it be a Herculean task for Bosch India to develop more affordable fuel systems that are BS-VI compliant?
Dr Heyn: I believe that there will be a multitude of BS-VI capable systems and I’m confident that the creativity of engineers in India will lead to the solutions because today we see a multitude of solutions in India that we don’t see in other parts of the world and I think that’s needed.
Q4: What’s your auto outlook for 2016?
Dr Heyn: Auto sector has developed heterogeneously. Heavy commercial vehicles are doing well this year. Light commercial vehicles are picking up, two wheelers are flat and passenger cars are slightly increasing. Overall it’s not a unified picture. So we are cautiously optimistic.
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