A month in the India Transport Sector (No 21)

January, 2013

FOCUS: FUEL
FUEL AND ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN After years of sustained economic growth, the signs of a slowdown in the Indian economy are now imminent. The emerging Asian giant is preparing to face one of the toughest economic challenges of its recent history. The slump in the currency, the decline in growth rate (5.3%), the lowest in seven years, and the subsequent and frequent hike in fuel prices are signs of difficult times and a troubled economy. More information on ITP WHY WAS THE DIESEL PRICE HIKE POSTPONED? Toeing the line of populist politics, successive governments in India have been discouraged to raise the prices of petrol and diesel as they are believed to directly hurt the poor. The crucial decision to increase prices has been repeatedly postponed and prices of LPG, kerosene and diesel have been heavily subsidised by the government. More information on ITP SIAM ON THE FUTURE OF DIESEL IN INDIA Recently, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) met to seriously discuss the future of diesel in India as part of the "Diesel for Future: Economy and Environment" initiative. Several noted members of the Indian automobile industry and the government brought forth several proposals to find a solution and take control the situation. More information on ITP OIL FIRMS REAP PETROL PROFIT, BUT WONT CUT PRICE Driven by the depreciating value of the rupee against the US dollar, the increase in price of global crude oil and the continuing losses incurred by oil firms, the Government of India announced a steep price hike of petrol earlier in the year. As the crisis deepened the burden of international price rise was passed on to consumers who had to pay the price. More information on ITP

EDITORIAL
A few days ago, Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi said that India was not able to construct 20 kilometers of roads in a day because of the lack of builders. He blamed the economic environment to explain the fund crush. But on the other hand, it well recognized that transportation is a key element when considering economic development. Experience has revealed that lack of adequate transportation constraints the growth process and limits the reach of development to different areas in an economy. That sounds as a vicious circle. Well, before considering any solution, what is essential is to fully understand the situation. In order to do so, india Transport Portal is pleased to introduce the National Roundtable Discussion on Governance Issues in Transportation that takes place in January 31 & February 1st, 2013. Against the background of an increasing concern in regard to governance practices in the transport sector in India, the Walchand Hiranchand Unit (WHU) in Transport Economics, Department of Economics, University of Mumbai is organizing this event at the Kalina Campus of the University. The objective is bring together policy makers and practitioners, industry players (operators, service providers, financing entities, users), and academicians who have been closely connected with the sector to discuss issues on the theme mentioned above. The output from the conference that is organized by S. Sriraman, Professor of Transport Economics is expected to be a Status Note on Governance Issues in Transportation with issues being raised and attempt at solutions also being spelled out. This note will be sent via our Portal that is the roundtable partner, to policy makers, sector specialists, industry players, and academician across the country for widespread dissemination. Please find here the programme and the background note and, of course, stay tuned on India Transport Portal to find out more on this issue!

1
Copyright India Transport Portal. Edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. All rights reserved

A month in the India Transport Sector (No 21)

January, 2013 AUTO NEWS

ASTON MARTIN MAHINDRA STORY Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), a leading Indian automobile manufacturer, is all set to acquire a significant stake in the British manufacturing giant Aston Martin; a move that would catapult it to new heights. If the deal goes through, the makers of the popular Scorpio SUV in India could well be churning out the prestigious sports cars in the future. M&M is valued at a massive 250-300 million GBP (2,600 Crores INR approx), and is reportedly one of the strongest bidders for a 50 percent stake in Aston Martin. Closely competing with M&M in the bidding is European Invest Industrial that has recently gone into partnership with German Daimler AG. More information in ITP

RAILWAYS
CONGRESS RECLAIMS RAILWAYS Indian Railways, one of the largest rail networks in the world, is also one of the most important political portfolios of the Indian government. The post of railways minister has forever been a coveted one and as a result of the many coalition parties associated with Congress gaining ground on the political scene, the largest political party in the country had been forced to handover the post to its allies. More information on ITP RAILWAYS FARE HIKE Passenger train fares have always been a sensitive issue for rail passengers and politicians alike. The former Railways Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, was forced to resign from his post within days of announcing passenger train fare hikes. A new fiasco in parliament is set to erupt with the new Railways Minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal indicating a possible increase in passenger train fares. More informations on ITP HIGH SPEED TRAINS COLLABORATION A CHINESE AND INDIAN

Indian travellers may soon be able to reach their destinations much faster thanks to an Indo-Chinese venture to incorporate bullet trains into Indian Railways. More informations on ITP PALACE ON WHEELS A trip to Rajasthan is a journey into the pages of history and an experience of a lifetime. And what better way to travel through the royal cities of Rajasthan than on the absolutely enchanting Palace on Wheels. More informations on ITP LOKMANYA TILAK TERMINUS The Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) is going through a major facelift. Previously known as the Kurla Terminus, LTT is part of the Central Railway line and there are proposals to make LTT the outstation hub, replacing Dadar. More informations on ITP

MARUTI LAUNCHES NEW ALTO ON INDIAN ROADS Launched on Indian roads in September 2000, Maruti Alto has had a dream run ever since. The car has been crowned with stupendous success and has registered impressive sales figures with over two million units. In the words of Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki India, It (Alto) is the countrys largest selling car for the past eight years. More information in ITP

2
Copyright India Transport Portal. Edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. All rights reserved

A month in the India Transport Sector (No 21)

January, 2013 TRADE LEGISLATION

CUSTOMS AGREEMENT INDIA AND EU BETWEEN

ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

PRIVATE COMPANIES GET ROAD PROJECTS With 3.34 million kilometres of road, India has the second largest road network in the world. The rapid expansion and development of roads has made it the chief mode of transportation in the country. Today it is responsible for carrying 65% of freight traffic and 85% of passenger traffic in India. More information on ITP DUMPED SILTS LEAD TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION The fast-paced urbanisation and industrialisation in the country has been the direct offshoot of the rapid economic growth which India has witnessed across the last few decades. This not without flaws. Rapid urbanisation is generating millions of tonnes of waste which is adversely affecting the environment. In India it is a common practice to dump waste products like silt and debris on the roads with total disregard for the havoc it could create. More information on ITP SHOULD HEAVY MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE SEPARATE LANES? Studies have revealed that heavy vehicles are involved in most of the major road accidents in India. One of the many solutions proposed is to create separate lanes for these vehicles. A heavy vehicles lane would be defined as a segregated roadway within the road that is marked and designated for exclusive use by heavy vehicle drivers. They work in a similar way to bike lanes. More information on ITP

Luxury cars imported from Europe to India may not cost as much in the near future thanks to an impending trade agreement between India and the European Union. As part of the India EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Government plans to reduce import duty on cars imported from countries in Europe and to facilitate the sale of small cars that are exported from India to Europe. More information on ITP ANTI-DUMPING DUTY ON TYRES The announcement by the Finance Ministry of India to impose anti-dumping duty on bias ply bus and truck tyres only put an end to all the speculation surrounding tyre imports from the neighbouring countries of Thailand and China. According to the new policy, the anti-dumping duty will be valid for the next five years and has been recommended by none other than the Commerce Ministry. Pegged at different rates depending on the make and country of import, the antidumping duty extends to certain types of tubes and flaps as well. More information on ITP

SERVICE LANES TO BE MADE SIGNAL FREE A service lane refers to the road network which serves as a connecting arterial road to the main road, highway or expressway along which it is constructed. These roads run almost parallel to the highways and allow access to homes, offices, shops etc.exclusive use by heavy vehicle drivers. They work in a similar way to bike lanes. More information on ITP

3
Copyright India Transport Portal. Edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. All rights reserved

A month in the India Transport Sector (No 21)

January, 2013 ADVERTISE WITH US

ROAD SAFETY
INCREASING NUMBER OF AUTO ACCIDENTS IN INDIA With the fleet of autos on the roads growing, the number of road accidents involving these notorious three-wheelers is also on a rise. The very size and shape that accounts for their flexibility and mobility also render them vulnerable on the roads. They are lightweight and are prone to lose balance, especially when travelling at a high speed. Moreover in most cities, the auto drivers are tempted to pick up more passengers than the allowed number thereby greatly endangering their own and other peoples lives. More information on ITP NEW CAMPAIGN BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY With an estimated 13 people dying every hour on the roads, India tops the list with the highest number of road accidents in the world. Every year thousands of lives are lost to speeding while several more are left maimed for life. Road safety issues have plagued governments and concerned authorities for years. With road accidents assuming dangerous proportions, the government has been forced to acknowledge the prevailing situation. Efforts are on to explore different mediums of propaganda to reach out and educate the masses on road safety. More information on ITP ROAD SAFETY FILMS HIT INDIAS CINEMAS One of the most effective mediums of communication that is being explored is films. India is a movie-loving nation. Every section of the population regularly throngs the theatres to catch the latest movie with their favourite actors and actresses. Recognising the appeal of films and cinemas, in 2010, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) made the screening of road safety films mandatory in all movie theatres across the country. These short films will be shown before the start of the movie. The objective of these movies is to highlight the vulnerability of all on the roads and that it is duty of all to respond to an accident victim. More information on ITP

More information on ITP

ABOUT US
Indian Transport Portal is an online news center covering the most critical industrial issues related to transport markets in India. India Transport Portal is edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. a UK based press agency recently launched by a group of freelance journalists. Digital Bizzline Ltd. is registered at the Companies House UK: 07301455 contact@indiatransportportal.com

MEDIA PARTNER WITH

TRANSPORTATION ROUNDTABLE January 31 & February 1st, 2013 Mumbai ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE February 7 8, 2013 Bangalore SIAM BUS SHOW February 15, 2013 Delhi NCR TYRE & RUBBER INDONESIA March 26 29, 2013 Jakarta TYREXPO July 9 13, 2013 Chennai

4
Copyright India Transport Portal. Edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. All rights reserved