Automotive Updates - 4th May 2015

• General Motors aims to grab at least 5 per cent market share in India within the next decade, as it sees that market overtaking Japan as the world's third biggest with projected annual sales of 8 million vehicles by 2025.The Detroit carmaker, which is losing money in India even after 18 years there, will unleash a product blitz aimed at reviving sagging sales, and will make India a new global manufacturing and export hub, taking some of the strain off South Korea, where labour costs have ballooned in recent years.(ETauto)

• As part of its CSR activities, Maruti Suzuki India has announced that it will scale up its skill development activities by setting up Automobile Skill Enhancement Centres (ASECs) at 45 government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country. The carmaker has committed Rs 5 crore towards this project. Each of these centres will be equipped with a model workshop to provide practical training. Together with this, Maruti will also appoint full-time trainers, provide tools and equipment and forge partnerships with local Maruti Suzuki service workshops to upgrade skills of ITI students and make them job-ready. Nearly 2,100 youths are expected to benefit annually through these ASECs. The trainees will be free to seek employment in any workshop, including those not servicing Maruti Suzuki vehicles. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/maruti-train-service-personnel-itis-annually-8343#sthash.CovpCTA3.dpuf

• Minda Corporations, the flagship company of the Rs 3,200 crore Ashok Minda Group, has got a new partner for its venture manufacturing vehicle keys and access systems.US-based Vehicle Access Systems Technology (VAST) has taken a 50% stake in the business after previous partner, French auto parts maker Valeo, exited the joint-venture by selling its stake to Minda 18 months ago. The JV will now be called Minda VAST Access Systems.(ETauto)

• To revive the fortunes of what Ratan Tata called ‘People’s Car’, Tata Motors is all set to unveil its new avatar, GenX Nano, positioning it as an aspirational vehicle.In a bid to lure first time buyers and bury the ‘cheapest car’ tag that has been associated with the Nano, which drew the world’s attention when launched in 2009, the company is making a “critical intervention” offering, with a host of new features.It will have automatic manual transmission, openable boot and bluetooth phone sync audio system, among other features. The GenX Nano is expected to hit the markets in 6-7 weeks time, following which the existing range of Nano will be phased out except for the CNG version.(livemint)

• Japanese auto maker Honda has questioned its erstwhile Indian partner Hero's claim of 102.5 km/litre fuel economy rate for Splendor iSmart bike, saying "such claims are misleading and are far from reality".The Indian firm, Hero MotoCorp on its part hit back saying its fuel efficiency values were certified by iCAT (International Centre for Automotive Technology), a government authorised agency, and "challenging these test results" mean "questioning the standards and regulations established by the Government of India, and in turn, the law of the land in our country".

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is planning to bring in a policy under which, it will be able to determine whether a vehicle has reached the end of its life or not, irrespective of its age.The "sunset policy", as it will be known, will enable the government to decide when a vehicle is beyond repair and unfit to ply on the roads. These vehicles will have their registrations cancelled and sent to the scrapyard. At present, the government is looking for scrapyards to send the deregistered cars to. It is likely that these scrapyards will come up on the outskirts of Chennai (in Tamil Nadu) and Kandla (in Gujarat).(team-bhp)