What should the auto industry do different?

Issue #9, Sep 6th 2020

What new steps should the automotive industry do to manage the multiple challenges it is facing today? Or what should it do differently? Several business leaders have been sharing their points-of-view. Here are some as reported recently in the media:

Tata Motors: design is key

"We must stretch beyond products and focus on building design. We need to make the design in India and then make in India. With the frugal approach to production in India, we will have the opportunity to take on the global supply chain," - Guenter Butschek, MD and CEO of Tata Motors at the Annual Convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India. - ET Auto

The fall in ride sharing

With rides down as much as 80 percent, the pandemic is testing whether Uber and other large start-ups can still innovate - Washington Post

The falling demand for gasoline

The dramatic crash in prices this year is weighing on Saudi Arabia's state oil giant, which relies on pumping crude to generate the cash it needs to pay dividends to investors and finance a big chunk of government spending. - CNN

XaaS business models

The seemingly radical move towards recurring revenue streams and remote work is actually a calculated one, and manufacturing leaders are seeing the benefits of transforming both their business and their operational structures to be more resilient and adaptable. - Forbes.

Continuing with 5 day week

Volkswagen sees no need for a four-day week at its plants to secure jobs despite a growing shift to electric cars that are easier to build and require fewer workers, the company's head of labour relations was quoted saying - Channel News Asia

Productivity for global competitiveness

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday asked the auto components industry to improve productivity and look at smarter solutions for becoming preferred suppliers to customers. - LiveMint