NALCO CMD bats for aluminium application in automobiles

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: With the growing application of aluminium in auto components, not only the fuel-efficiency has gone up but also the vehicular pollution gone down considerably.Replacement of 1 kg of heavy metal by aluminium reduces 22 kg of carbon dioxide emission during the lifecycle of a vehicle, according to T.K.Chand, CMD, NALCO.“While the developed countries use on an average 140 kg of aluminium per vehicle, in India it is about 40 kgs only.Nevertheless, by 2016, the use of this lightweight metal in auto sector in India is expected to go up by at least 3 times,” said Chand, on the sidelines of ETV International Auto Fest, which was inaugurated on Friday in Bhubaneswar.“Initially, aluminium gained a foothold in wheels and transmission casings.Now, it is widely used in hoods, trunks, doors, bumpers and other structures.Breakthroughs in welding technology have opened up further vistas of possibilities,” Chand elaborated.“But most importantly, at the end of a vehicle’s life, nearly 90% of the aluminium is recyclable,” Chand added.Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Minister, Health & Family Welfare and I&PR and Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Minister, Commerce & Transport, Govt of Odisha also addressed the inaugural ceremony of this 4-day Auto Fest.ETV International Auto Fest 2015Keeping in view the present automobile market and the growing attraction towards luxury cars and bikes, ETV News Odia organizes this first-of-its-kind International Auto Fest at Bhubaneswar, to bring all the stakeholders to one platform.The event will showcase the best of machines and wheels and attract a good footfall.This is designed as a great lifestyle show with attractions like live events every day, exclusive food court, vintage cars and super bikes rally, car dressing and my dream car painting competition etc.Renowned automobile companies and dealers and auto-enthusiasts shall attend this 4-day-long event.It’s exciting time in the automobile industry and Odisha seems to be riding high on it.An expanding middle class, a young population, and an increasing interest of the companies in exploring Bhubaneswar market have made Odisha thrive in the Indian automobile market.With banks and other financial institutions providing an assortment of vehicle loan schemes with attractive rates of interest and convenient installments, people are highly encouraged to go in for loans to purchase cars of their choice.These days, many manufacturers are introducing new models by taking into account customers’ expectations like vehicle’s quality, reliability, safety & utility and the market competition.Depending upon customers needs, four segments – small, midsize, premium and sports utility vehicles currently represent the car market in the country.Odisha takes an important role in the auto market including the automobile parts sector owing to its raw material, cost and manpower advantage.In the last few years, it has been noticed that Odisha is increasing its investment in the auto components and petro chemical sector.Earlier, some budget car showrooms have started their business in the state, but with the growing demand exclusive showrooms of luxury brands such as Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar have also come up.Apart from these, Volkswagen and Nissan are also expanding their business in the state.As such, in sedan and hatchback segments brands like Maruti, Hyundai, Tata, Chevrolet, Honda, Ford and Mahindra etc.have got a good penetration in Odisha market.