French acceleration at the Auto Expo – Component Show 2023

Business France India – the trade and investment commission of the French Embassy in India is organising a French pavilion at the Auto Expo 2023 from January 12th to 15th, hall A2, 1st floor, booth A33, at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. The French delegation will showcase innovation from suppliers of the automotive industry: From auto components to batteries and more globally, technologies from the intelligent transportation sector.

Come and discover the French exhibiting companies: Plastic Omnium – Being this year’s main knowledge partner of the delegation, EEMI, ARaymond and Val o. Auto Expo is Asia’s largest automotive show jointly organized by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). This year’s theme is ‘TECHNOVATION Global platform for future technologies and innovation’.

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Auto Expo 2023, French presence at the Pavilion: This year, the French pavilion will showcase companies offering sustainable technologies like fuel tanks, electric battery solutions, Hydrogen storage and other components like silicone hoses, metal rubber parts, to name just a few. Plastic Omnium is a successful French company in India, that has focused on traditional and hybrid fuel systems and emission reduction systems in the Indian domestic market until now but will be showcasing their latest electrification and hydrogen solutions at the Auto Expo. The company is a family owned and world-leading provider of innovative solutions for connected and sustainable mobility. The Group develops and produces intelligent exterior systems, high added-value lighting systems, clean energy systems and customized complex modules.

With 9 billion revenue and 37,000 employees, Plastic Omnium serves all the world’s major automakers as well as all mobility players, including heavy vehicles, rail and aerospace. Innovation-driven since its creation, Plastic Omnium is now paving the way for zero carbon mobility through its investments in hydrogen and electrification solutions. The Group is a leading global player in hydrogen mobility for trucks, buses, trains and aviation through the manufacturing of hydrogen storage systems, fuel cell systems and stacks. Plastic Omnium is also extending their product line-up to include battery packs and power electronics for heavy electric vehicles, providing manufacturers with a complete offer covering all energy sources.

EEMI is a French group with international presence, specialized in production and development of rubber and silicone hoses, moulded parts, and metal Rubber mountings. The brand produces special parts in small quantities, prototypes, or big volumes in daily production. The brand has Logistic and R&D centres in France as well as India with a focus on exports. 95% of production are made in India and is then exported worldwide. The brand works directly with Auto, industrial, Aerospace, marine makers, as well as TR2 supplier and is engaged in CO2 reduction and RSE ‘Responsible Social, Environment’.

As a technology company and partner to all automakers and new mobility players, Val o is innovating to make mobility cleaner, safer and smarter. Val o enjoys technological and industrial leadership in electrification, driving assistance systems, reinvention of the interior experience and lighting everywhere. On December 31, 2021, Val o had 184 plants, 21 research centres, 43 development centres and 16 distribution platforms, and employed 103,300 people in 31 countries worldwide.

Val o is present in India, since 1997 and has developed a very strong footprint in the country over the last 25 years. Val o India is headquartered in Chennai, has 8 Production Sites, 1 global Tech Centre, with state-of-art Lab facilities. It employs over 6,000 people in India, of which nearly 50% are engineers. Started in 2007, ARaymond India is a 100% subsidiary of a French organization and operates in Automotive, Energy, HealthCare and Horticulture markets. ARaymond is the worldwide leader in Fastening by Clipping and Bonding and Fluid Connection solutions. ARaymond India, with support from Network, collaborate with its customer in India and provides dedicated assembly solutions in this market.

ARaymond India strives for customer satisfaction by bringing in added value and innovation in design to cater assembly challenges for customers. Having a major base at Pune, ARaymond India also has a manufacturing facility in southern part of India; Chennai and sales office located at Delhi and Chennai to be close to customer. At the Auto Expo, ARaymond will be showcasing technology for Future for assembly, Thermal Management for EVs, Cleaning Solutions for ADAS, Connections for Data transfer etc.

Ever growing demands of the Indian Auto Industry The Indian automotive market is the 4th largest in the world with strong growth potential. India has nearly 19 passenger and 14 commercial vehicle manufacturers, more than 500 automotive suppliers and 10,000 subcontractors. India is catching up with the adoption of electric vehicles and set to accelerate further in 2023. This transition to electromobility has led to the development of new technologies in the automotive components market (battery cells, BMS, motors, electronic converters, chassis, etc.). FDI inflow into the Indian automobile industry during April 2000-March 2022 was worth $32.84 billion with a rise of foreign companies offering solutions to support this rapid growth and demand in India.

France accelerates its auto component offerings In the last five years, France witnessed a 5-fold increase in the number of 100% electric models. Since September 2022, there are more than 1 million electric vehicles on the road. The automotive industry in France has great ambitions in terms of production which can be seen in terms of 3 new gigafactories installed in the ‘battery valley’ in Northern France. French manufacturers established in India recognize the importance of competitiveness and therefore of ‘Indianizing’ their offer in terms of cost and technology through the establishment of R&D centres on site, as well as localization of production of their components

The French equipment manufacturers in the Indian automotive sector includes companies like, Plastic Omnium, Val o, Faurecia, Michelin, Saint-Gobain, 3DS, ESI Group, Tr ves, Mecaplast, Actia, Mark IV, NTN-SNR Roulements, Delfingen, ARaymond, Bontaz Center, A2Mac1, and more. Remarkable large groups like PSA and Renault with their manufacturing units in India are succeeding in the market with their new launches. The two nations have joined hands in the past for great exchange of technology as well as know-how and have strong potential for more such Indo-French synergies in the future in the Auto component sector.