Auto industry revs up

With the revival of the economy, every segment of the automobile industry, be it scooters, motorcycles, cars or trucks, showed positive signs of growth. The industry also witnessed collaborations and introduction of latest technology and growing concerns about cleaner and greener technologies.

The last year of the millennium has been the year of the Korean invasion in both the four-wheeler and two-wheeler segment, the latest being that of scooter major, Kinetic which with a Korean tie-up recently launched two motorcycles. The latter half of the year became synonymous withsimultaneous news of tie-ups and launches which made the Indian automobile industry more vibrant. The truck market also went on the upswing with global players such as Volvo and Indian majors TELCO and Ashok Leyland flooding the medium and heavy Mamp;H commercial vehicles segment with several new and unique products. The scooter, lifeline of the Indian middle class, found itself surrounded and outsmarted by the motorcycle as the consumer mindset took a drastic change.