Give us an overview of the operations of Faurecia Seating India in terms of its manufacturing presence.
Faurecia Automotive Seating has four plants in India located strategically to cater to global and local OEMs needs. We have units set up in Sanand, Gujarat catering specifically to Ford for Front Seat Structures, then Seat Mechanisms plant in Manesar, Haryana producing world class tracks and Recliners for Volkswagen, Ford and Maruti Suzuki, and in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for Ford Front Seat Structures and in Pune, Maharashtra for Volkswagen and FCA Front Seat Structures. By having a manufacturing presence across the country, we are able to target all the OEMs according to the projects we collaborate with them.
Faurecia Seating India is a single source to deliver 100 percent the front seat structure to Volkswagen, FCA and Ford MCA/North America Programs.
All our units are in accordance with Faurecia global standards and all units are certified Quality Management System- IATF 16949:2016 and Environment Management System-ISO 14001:2015 and Pune Facility certified Formel Q ‘A' rated plant as per VDA 6.3 by VW India. Our equipment includes Robotic Recliner Welding Cells, High Precision Laser welding and tube end forming technology. We also have automated assembly lines with 100 percent traceability system implemented and fully equipped QA lab with weld penetration testing facility and 4D weld watcher for online quality checking of laser welding. All our equipment also is in accordance with Faurecia global standards.
Just to give you a perspective of our capacity, in calendar year 2019, we have manufactured parts for 600,000 cars for various OEMs.
How has the Covid-19 outbreak affected your business in India and how are you dealing with the new normal as an organisation?
All our manufacturing plants were closed for more than two months and we estimate overall volume reduction of 30 percent across our customers for 2020. Prior to the pandemic, we also suffered slowdown due to BS-VI transition.
From the very beginning, the highest priority at Faurecia has been the safety of our employees and the "Safer Together protocol" was adopted as response to protect our teams. All our connected employees have been working from home for almost four months now adhering to health and safety guidelines. We ensured that all our employees were given laptops or desktops to work from home and are equipped with team working tools to ensure good communication. The move ensured that our R&D activities are fully operational throughout this time.
Today, all our plants are operational with all necessary precautions defined by our group and local guidelines. Introduction of Covid Police, Covid Leader and Covid Coach in all our Plants has made the implementation of new normal way of working faster and robust. With this implementation we also ensured that all our suppliers and subcontractors are also following Faurecia new norms. We are aware that we are living in an unprecedented situation. That's why we are following the situation daily to anticipate and adapt all our processes and to ensure Faurecians' health and safety; that are our priorities. The current situation will permanently change how we work, consume and communicate and we are going to adapt all together in this new world.
Like many organisations, we have realised that we should take the disruption as an opportunity to step into new directions. We are leveraging this disruption to focus on innovative products for the automotive sector with regards safer and cleaner products.
Our main focus across all our plants for the remaining 2020 is to implement the resilience plan in our operations for a better tomorrow.
You have a very robust Technology Centre at Bhosari in Pune. Give us an overview of the same and tell us how you are leveraging on this infrastructure?
The Faurecia Technology Centre in Bhosari, Pune is one of the 37 R&D centres globally. Our tech centre in Pune is extremely robust and has over 1500 employees across four business groups - Seating, Interiors, Clean Mobility and Clarion Electronics. In addition to design and development activities, there is also a pilot line for a small batch production that is being used for domestic acquisition and development programs, a trim line to fast track complete seat development and a testing set-up to validate domestic programs. In addition to the Pilot plant, we also have full setup for testing of complete systems according to OEMs specifications and latest regulations.
A huge advantage of having a tech centre, which has all the business groups present, is being able to work closely across all business groups activities, and providing solutions for the entire Cockpit; this is like a ‘One-Stop-Shop' for the OEMs.
Which are the automotive OEMs that Faurecia Seating India is currently working with?
Faurecia has a diversified customer portfolio, but in India we are mainly working with Ford, Volkswagen, Maruti Suzuki and FCA. We are also working with new global OEMs coming to India.
Tell us something about your supply chain in the automotive ecosystem in India.
Faurecia Supply chain is very strong and value stream mapped in the current dynamic automotive market. There is a purchasing organisation, which is working with separate logistics department to manage the supply chain and is responsive to varying customer demands and requirements. Ensuring deliveries with zero MPM incidences, Faurecia supply chain organisation is also closely working with suppliers for Carbon Neutrality program to achieve targets set by Faurecia globally.
How would you analyse your suppliers in the Indian market?
Faurecia believes in innovation, technology and quality. Our suppliers are playing important role to fulfil these expectations for the end customers. Our existing suppliers for all commodities like stamping, fasteners, mechatronics, comfort and wellness and few more are technological driven, quality conscious and growth-oriented organisations. These are partnering and supporting us in all aspects of quality, cost and deliveries as well as with all the requirements for all our technological product development and their regular supplies. This is happening uninterruptedly with intentions of long-term business partnerships and the mutual growth in win-win situations. Faurecia is always striving for few but good suppliers in the Indian market who will support and sustain Faurecia's culture and values.
Can you briefly tell us about a couple of interesting projects that you and your team have executed in the recent times?
At Faurecia, we believe in sustained investment in innovation and development. In 2019, we had 618 first filing patents globally. In India too, Faurecia Automotive Seating has an innovation team that is constantly identifying the needs of the consumer and developing products to make their journey in the car safer and more comfortable.
Keeping in mind the ongoing trends in the market as well as the tropical climate in most parts of India, Faurecia has developed its own ventilation system that boasts a very quick time to sensation for the occupant and helps in better thermal comfort.
In India, people spend almost seven percent of their day commuting and this is resulting in chronic back pain and other spinal injuries. To provide additional comfort we have developed a lumbar and massage system that is India centric. Trying to not limit the ‘lounge class' experience to only premium sedans, we are also working on providing this experience in the entry level segment.
As mentioned earlier, we are also focussing on hygiene inside the car to ensure safety for all the occupants, whether it is in their personal vehicle or in the ride sharing segment.
‘Cockpit of the Future' is a concept that is very dear to Faurecia. Tell us about the progress of this concept in the context of the Indian market.
The Cockpit of the Future (CoF) is about technology and experiences which revolve around the end-user to create a cockpit which is versatile, predictive and connected. It highlights the Faurecia know-how and transformation.
In India, we have recently initiated a CoF project which focuses on an Indian End-User and considers his/her pain points which emerge out of very relatable user stories. The Futuristic Cockpit for India will have Innovative technologies focusing on Connectivity, Comfort and Personalisation.
With its ‘Cockpit of the Future', Faurecia is well-placed for providing a full cabin solution supported by extensive consumer research and innovation, which enables us to provide unique user experiences.
What is your take on the rapidly evolving ‘Connected Car' concept?
The ‘Connected Car' concept is one of the game-changers for Indian automotive OEMs, and recent successful vehicle launches serve as an indicator of the same.
India is an ideal playground for connected services, as India is the second biggest smartphone market. Young Indian consumers are well equipped with high-speed data, and want to have a seamless experience and digital continuity as much as possible.
A connected car comes with an on-board internet connection which opens possibilities for providing features like remote diagnostics, safety & security, fleet management, navigation, infotainment, IoT connect and so on.
We can anticipate a huge growth in connected car technologies, as the penetration of these features is currently at an early stage in India. Faurecia with its Cockpit of the Future and Clarion Electronics Business group has solutions to address the emergent market needs for connected car technologies.
As in-car connectivity increases, vehicles will become a digital enabler for everything we want to do online. We unveiled this year at the CES Las Vegas our partnership with Microsoft that combined expertise in edge-computing, artificial intelligence, cloud-based services and cockpit integration to enable occupants to stay connected, productive and entertained while in the car. That is our vision of tomorrow's vehicle.
What role do you think the seating system plays with regards to this concept of ‘Connected Car'?
The Connected Car is here to stay and at Faurecia Seating, we are developing different products to extend connectivity to seats as well. There are many solutions that are in development in areas like comfort and wellness, and a more personalised seating experience for our end consumers.
The Indian car buyer is now maturing and has started taking safety quite seriously. Tell us about your collaborations with auto OEMs in India towards ensuring safety from the seating perspective?
With new safety regulations like India NCAP coming into place, we are looking at much safer cars. Today, safety features like airbags which were standard in other parts of the world like Europe and North America, have also been made mandatory in India. End consumers have also become more conscious about this aspect and it has definitely been taken into account by the OEMs as well. Occupant safety is a priority for Faurecia. Our seat structures and mechanisms, as all our products, meet all global standards and regulations.
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