ACMA Atmanirbhar Excellence Awards and Technology Summit

The eighth ACMA Atmanirbhar Excellence Awards and Technology Summit focused on ‘Gearing up for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainability’. It emphasised upon the significance of innovation and sustainability in the auto component industry. Sunjay J Kapur, ACMA President and Chairman, Sona Comstar, expressed his gratitude to the central government for encouraging sustainable development in the country through the ‘Panch-amrit’ strategy - announced at the COP 26 summit in Glasgow. The strategy aims to establish non-fossil energy capacity, satisfy energy needs with renewable energy, minimise carbon emissions, and attain net-zero emissions by 2070. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal congratulated the winners of the ACMA Atmanirbhar Excellence Awards. He emphasised that India’s future in technology and innovation hinges on investment in R&D and commitment to indigenousness. He also highlighted the pivotal role that the auto components industry can play in leading the charge for self-reliance, through increased investment in new technology and design, and by integrating the informal sector to build an indigenous value chain. He underscored the importance of building a strong defence industry and promoting indigenous manufacturing, as this is expected to enable India to be self-reliant and turn into a reliable and trusted supplier to the world. The minister reiterated the significance of India emerging as a supplier to the world and commended ACMA’s active role in supporting start-ups and smaller businesses and integrate them into the mainstream. He also emphasised the need for India to focus on productivity, quality, and net-zero commitments, to become the next frontier of technology, development, and production for the world.” ACMA President Kapur added, “As the Indian automotive industry moves forward in 2023 and beyond, it is essential to embrace green and clean technology to remain ecologically relevant.” He highlighted the need for the auto component industry to be ahead of the curve in adopting new environmentally sound technologies, sustainable manufacturing practices, and business models that minimize carbon footprint while embracing the ethos of a circular economy.” The eminent jury for the Awards included Vinod Aggarwal, President, SIAM and MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV), Sunil Kakkar, Sr. Executive Officer - Supply chain, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Rajesh Uppal, Member Executive Board (HR, IT & Safety), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., MR Anandakrishnan, Sr. VP (Purchase), TVS Motors Ltd., Vipin Kaul, Purchasing Leader Cummins India ABO, Cummins India Ltd., Angela Mans, Head of Foreign Trade and International Relations, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), V. Sridhar, Senior Director, Purchase, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd., Ganesh Mani S., President & COO, Ashok Leyland, Sundar, Asst Vice President, Unit Head, HMIL Procurement, Hyundai, Raju Ketkale, Executive Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Ltd., and B. Srinivas, Executive Vice President-Product Strategy and Purchasing, VE Commercial Vehicles.

The event concluded with the announcement of 68 auto component manufacturers who were awarded the prestigious ACMA Atmanirbhar Excellence Awards across categories of Excellence in Manufacturing, Sustainable Business, Digitisation, Localisation, and Exports.