June 15, 2021 issue – an Indo-German Special Autocar Professional’s June 15 issue is the annual ‘Indo-German Special’, which puts the focus on Germany, one of India’s biggest trade partners in the EU. Key highlights : -In his first media interaction since taking charge as the Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce in April 2021, Stefan Halusa speaks about building bridges between people, cultures and companies, how German R&D Centres in India are game-changers, and making Indian operations globally competitive and a base for exports. -Nearly 450 German suppliers have manufacturing operations in India.

We detail what some top players have to say about Make in India. -Find out why Mercedes-Benz India’s MD and CEO Martin Schwenk is hopeful of a good recovery in H2 2021, 15-model assault for this year, and full details of the industry first ‘Retail of the Future’ strategy. -Volkswagen Group’s ambitious ‘India 2.0’ initiative is underway in full swing. With two big SUV launches around the corner, Skoda and VW are hopeful of increasing their sales traction in India.’ - Dattatri Salagame, who took charge as the new President and MD of Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI), Bosch’s largest software and technology centre outside of Germany, reveals that RBEI is set to expand to Hyderabad and Pune.

Auto sales inching upwards It is still not the time to uncork the champagne but as phased unlock initiatives begin once again, the automobile industry is looking for hints of green shoot, especially after a washed-out May – - India Auto Inc is feeling positive about the near future, given the forecast of good rains which augur well for rural prosperity. - Two-wheeler and car manufacturers like Bajaj Auto and Maruti are hopeful that the vaccination drive will help bring demand back. - Auto financing companies like Mahindra Finance also expect the festive season to provide a new charge to demand.