Says Mr. R. Dinesh, Director, TVS Automobile Solutions, “We are glad to have Mitsubishi Corporation as our strategic investment partner. This strategic investment goes to show the success of TASL as a scalable business model not only in India but also in overseas markets. TASL has also grown profitably and crossed Rs. 1300 crs. in revenue for FY19. Together with Mitsubishi, we would be exploring the overseas opportunities in Africa and beyond.”

Mr. S. Wakabayashi, Senior Vice President, Mitsubishi Corporation, said, “This is an important partnership between two great organisations. Indian automotive aftermarket has grown in double digits consistently for many years now and is expected to grow constantly in the future. With TASL’s business know-how and Mitsubishi Corporation’s global expertise, we will mutually have a win-win partnership.”

He further added “We have taken the leadership in transforming Indian automotive aftermarket by creating an ecosystem of retailers, garages & fleet where in each stakeholder is benefited in terms of growth, efficiencies and profitability by actively participating in the value creation for end customers."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sunil Dhingra, Founder & CEO, Jazzmyride.com, said, “We see tremendous synergy with TVS ASL with O2O (online to offline) retailing approach thereby bringing the best of both the worlds to the benefit of all stakeholders in the value chain.”

Mr.Swaminathan, Co-founder & CEO, Hansa Cequity said, “We are excited to partner with TVS ASL in Autosense which will provide technology and platform based, analytics-driven marketing services in “business as a service” model for the after-market industry.Autosense will help improve sales force, provide analytics solutions for increasing parts efficiency and fleet management analytics to bring down on cost of run for fleet, etc. for the auto industry."

Mr.Ravi Neeladri, RedSun Telematics, said, “We have invested 100,000 manhours in developing this integrated platform that brings key safety features like theft alarms, towing alarm, geo fencing, etc., integrated service management with remote vehicle diagnostics, predictive maintenance, service maintenance due alerts, etc. for ensuring higher life of the vehicle, driver management for passenger cars & commercial vehicles and fuel management features to bring down running costs.”

At present, Indian automobile aftermarket provides a complex picture for manufacturers with over 150 million vehicles outside warranty period that are being served by thousands of garages and retailers. TVS ASL will help simplify aftermarket complexity both vehicle manufacturers and component manufacturers to reach out to their customers directly and effectively by leveraging the digital technology solutions. The visibility of consumption will not only help manufacturers customize marketing solutions but also define & design new products and services for higher market share and profitability.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bob Mackenzie, Executive Chairman, AA, said, “We are entering the Indian marketat a time when its automobile growth is set to take off. We are delighted to announce this joint venture with TVS as they havethe largest service infrastructure in India, which is a big plus for our B2B Customers in India. In addition, we will bring our global expertise to the roadside assistance business, which we expect to transform into a holistic business centred on the customer.”

AA, with over 40% market share in the UK and over 15 million customers in RSA business,has attended 3.5 million customers in the UK in 2014, translating into 10,000 customer services everyday. It also offers variety of products and value added services besides its Roadside assistance services that include Insurance and Driving services.

TVS RSA business has unmatched infrastructure with presence all across India covering 1795 locations and 28 States with a network of over 4000 Authorized Service Providers (ASP’s).Itprovidescover to over 1 million customers and attends100,000 breakdown servicesin a year. Further, TVS RSA has over 1000 tow trucks for patrolling and towing operations to support stranded customers. TVS RSA’s service offerings include emergency breakdown (mechanical and electrical), Flat tyre assistance, key lock-out services, cab assistance, Fuel delivery, patrol and towing assistance.

Mr. Nigam further added, "Fuel and Tyre maintenance are the two major expenses for fleet operators. That way Tyre industry provides enormous business opportunity for us. With this JV, TVS Automobile Solutions will become the only organized player to have expertise in all the sections of after-market automobile service industry."

Myers Tire supply provides complete solutions for tire repairs and maintenance services including modern repair process for passenger car tyres, commercial vehicle tyres and Off-road equipment / vehicle tyres. It has a successful business model across USA with more than 40 branches. The business model will be customized and implemented in India to suit the requirements of Indian market and customers. The expertise of Myers will also be shared through training of technicians in handling / repairing the new age tires and wheels.

Myers Tire supply, along with TVS ASL, would look to make a mark for its business in India and other parts of Asia through this Joint Venture. Together, the companies will develop their global sourcing capabilities and operate through a localized branch network to meet customer demands with competitive quality and pricing.

Products Range:
TVS ASLs Tools & Garage equipment business deals with sales & service of products like, Automotive workshop equipment, Lifting equipment (two post lift and scissors lift), Tyre & Wheel service equipment (wheel alignment, Tyre changer, Nitrogen inflator, etc.), Paint shop equipment (paint booth, prep station, etc.), Body shop equipment (Spot welder, MIG welder, Dent pullers, etc).

Myers Tire Supply, on the other hand,deals with Tyre & Tube repair tools, accessories & consumables, Puncture repair kit for passenger cars, commercial vehicles both Radial and Tubeless tyres, Consumables like valves, patches, wheel balancing weight, etc.

Freedom Club Membership
Besides offering quality services at affordable cost, MyTVS has introduced ‘Freedom Club’ (FC) annual membership to provide complete ‘peace of mind’ when it comes to post warranty car maintenance services. FC membership provides customers with significant savings in the range of 30% – 50% of annual maintenance cost. FC membership comes in two categories, catering to hatchback and Sedan models. Hatchback membership card is fixed at Rs. 6,999/- and Sedan membership card is fixed at Rs. 9,999/- per year, and which includes labor, consumables and taxes for the scheduled services offered. Additionally, FC members can avail Roadside Assistance coverage and 15% Special Labour Discount on Mechanical and Non-Insurance Body repairs at MyTVS outlets during their membership.

Mobile App – MyTVS AutoPlanet
To facilitate a superior service experience to its customers, MyTVS has launched the mobile app ‘MyTVS AutoPlanet’ (which can be downloaded from both Google Playstore and Apple Store iOS). With MyTVS AutoPlanet, customers can book their car service at the touch of a button and also get the repair estimate through the app itself. The service showroom will also support cashless service for accident repair vehicles, for which MyTVS has tie-ups with most major insurance companies.

Service on-call facility
MyTVS has introduced ‘Service-on-call’ facility at select cities, where customers can make a phone call to request basic services at their door-step. MyTVS expert mobile team will reach customers place to provide basic and corrective maintenance services like Periodic Maintenance Service, Wash, Brake pad replacement, Door adjustments, Horn adjustment / replacement, Battery replacement, minor electrical repairs, Tire rotation, accessories fitment and Interior cleaning.

The company also has strategic tie-ups with key OE Suppliers like, Asian PPG, Bosch, Michelin, 3M, Valeo, Hella, Schaeffler and Gates for specialized parts and service. Customers can also experience MyTVS’ signature ‘Express Service’ facility where the general service check-up, lube change and car wash will be done in 90 minutes.

The Pudur facility will undertake all service related mechanical jobs including, scheduled maintenance service, electrical works, accident repair and parts replacement. Customers can also experience MyTVS’ signature ‘Express Service’ facility where the general service check-up, lube change and car wash will be done in 90 minutes. With the launch of mobile app ‘MyTVS AutoPlanet’ customers can now book their service at the touch of a button and can get their repair estimate through the app itself. The showroom will also support cashless service for accident repair vehicles for which MyTVS has tie-ups with all the major insurance companies.

Freedom Club Membership
Besides providing quality services at affordable cost, MyTVS has also introduced ‘Freedom Club’ (FC) annual membership with an aim to provide complete ‘peace of mind’ when it comes to post warranty car maintenance services. Further, the FC membership provides customers with significant savings in the range of 30% – 50% of the annual maintenance cost. The FC membership comes in two categories, catering to hatchback and Sedan models. Hatchback membership card is fixed at Rs. 6,999/- and Sedan membership card is fixed at Rs. 9,999/- per year. Additionally, FC members can also avail Roadside Assistance coverage and 15% Special Labour Discount on Mechanical and Non Insurance Body Repairs during their membership.

The new service facility is located at over 12,000 sq.ft. space in the prime area at A-1, Industrial Estate, K.Pudur, Madurai – 625 007., The state-of-the-art facility has exclusive 10 Mechanical Bays with 3D Wheel Alignment, Wheel Balancing and vehicle scanner, emission check, Nitrogen inflator, etc.

MyTVS has well trained technicians, tinkers and painters for specialized jobs. This along with advanced electronic diagnostic tools help address the repair accurately. The company also has strategic tie-ups with key OE Suppliers like, Asian PPG, Bosch, Michelin, 3M, Valeo, Hella, Schaeffler and Gates for specialized parts and service.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashish Rajgarhia, Director, TVS Rajgarhia Automobile Solutions, said, "The multi-brand car service business, though new to Kolkata, has been well received by the customers. We have been receiving encouraging response from the customers and will be inaugurating our second facility in Kolkata shortly."

The certified used car warranty service will provide an extensive coverage of parts for cars, subject to a mandatory check-up at the service outlet. The customers will also have the option to choose the services for 6 months and 1-year terms.

MyTVS, which has a decade long experience in multi-brand car service business, formed a joint venture with Rajgarhia Automobile Solutions in 2012 for the Eastern Region market in order to expand its multi-brand car service business. MyTVS now owns about 70 outlets (including company owned, franchisee and Joint Ventures across the four States of South India, Kolkata and Gujarat), and is aiming to increase them to 400 by 2015 across India.

MyTVS has spent a lot of time and resources for obtaining the training know-how from the manufacturers, and has invested extensively in its training academy in Madurai, Tamilnadu for training its employees. The service level and quality parameters in place conform to international standards, and have been developed with inputs from reputed international automotive consultants Carter & Carter (with offices in Canada, USA, UK & Australia). Constant service benchmarking efforts are also being done with leaders in the industry such as AAA, AA of 5UK, RAC, Cross Country Club of USA and NRMA Australia.

The MyTVS outlet at Kolkata is a 17,000 sq.ft. State-of-the-art facility, located at A1-48, new Paharpur Road, opposite nature park, Kolkata. The outlet has 24 bays (including mechanical and body shop) to service cars and will have the best-in class equipment to carry out repairs swiftly and to the customers satisfaction. The state-of-the-art facility will also have 3D Wheel Alignment, Wheel Balancing, Engine Scanner, Dust Free Paint Booth, Water wash ramp, Nitrogen inflator, AC gas re-charger etc. The service centre aims to provide passenger car owners, a complete servicing solution that a customer will find it in an up-market car dealer workshop.

Says Mr. R Dinesh, Joint Managing Director, TVS & Sons, "Inspite of the current down turn, we are looking forward to a good growth for the Aftermarket car service business. I am looking forward to Sanjay with his rich automobile experience and background enabling this business provide total solutions and add value to customers and stakeholders."

Sanjay Nigam, on his new role, says, "I consider this as a great opportunity to work with a highly respected brand like TVS. The auto business that we handle caters to both B2B as well as B2C segments, which makes my job interesting and challenging. I am looking forward to this challenge and leading the company, to achieve its goals."

Sanjay has hands on experience in running P&L, operations, strategy execution, technical operations, network development, marketing & sales, after sales, corporate affairs including Government affairs and administration.

He began his career as Management Trainee on campus selection in Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in 1987 and trained in integrated steel plant shop floor operations. Among his career milestones, he worked on deputation with Australian JV BHPE - Kinhill, sales & marketing with central marketing organization, SAIL and regional head with Macmillan India.

Sanjay joined the auto industry as regional head for Maruti Suzuki responsible for vehicle sales growth, increase of market share, service & parts and worked up as National Head of Sales of Ford Motor Co (India). He was the Country Business Head and Director (Automotive) for American multinational, Trilogy Inc. Before joining TASL, he was Managing Director with ALJ Group -Toyota Motors, Jeddah for the last five years.

Sanjay a graduate engineer from IT - BHU (now IIT Varanasi), studied management from IIM Calcutta and Manchester Business School, UK (with British Chevening scholarship). Sanjay will be based out of Chennai and brings in more than two decades of executive leadership experience to the table.

Mr. K. Balakrishnan, MD and CEO, Servion Global Solutions said, "The automobile industry is fiercely competitive. Organizations understand that product features are no longer sufficient to stay ahead of competition and are consequently turning to customer service. Not only to acquire new customers, but retain existing ones as well. I believe that the solution we had designed and delivered for MyTVS will enable them to create sustainable differentiation and offer service in line with the values they stand for."