SIAM ex-presidents unite to find way out of ‘diesel-ban’
The Supreme Court ruling banning the registration of diesel cars with capacities above 2000cc seems to have struck a chord among district and state administrations. With more cities joining Delhi in not allowing cars sipping the heavy fuel on their streets, things are starting to get a little bit hairy for the manufacturers. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) – the leading body representing the auto-making industry in the country, too has stepped up its involvement. A few eminent personalities who have presided over SIAM in the past have come together with the powers-that-be at the respective manufacturers in order to find a way through this log-jam.
With distinguished names such as, Shri Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra; Shri Vikram Kirloskar, Vice-Chairman at Toyota Kirloskar Motors and other industry legends are said to be part of the group, according to reports. So far, it has been luxury auto-giants that have been most affected.Particularly, Tata owned – Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Mercedes-Benz whose famed three-pointed stars adorns some of the most exquisitely engineered cars on Earth, have had their entire diesel range in the above 2000cc bracket. But, there’s also home-grown SUV major, Mahindra who’s felt the pinch too. Moreover, other lower-priced brands such as Toyota and Tata Motors too have seen a few models reeling from the brunt of the Supreme Court ruling. So it isn’t a question of playing favourites for the car manufacturing industry.
There’s also the fact of company bottom-lines getting affected. The ban has hit the auto-makers hard. With over two in ten luxury cars sold in India, being bought in Delhi and the NCR, the losses are climbing. While there’s no denying that air-quality in the region has been a cause for concern; many feel that the auto-industry is being made to pay on account of being the only visible target in sight.
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