Building Trust in the New Mobility Era - By Mr. K. Venkataraj

#ACMA #FutureOfMobility #AutomotiveAftermarket #AutomotiveIndustry #AutoAfter2026 #STEERSouth #CustomerTrust

October 2026 : A vehicle is sold once, but it is serviced, repaired and trusted for years. In India's rapidly evolving automotive aftermarket, customer confidence is becoming the defining factor for sustainable growth.

At STEER South - AutoAfter 2026, organised by the ACMA Mobility Foundation at Chennai in October 2026, I had the opportunity to moderate a leadership conversation on “Winning Customer Trust in the New Mobility Era.”

Joining me were Mr. S. Sujit Nayak, Senior Vice President and Business Unit Head – Automotive Aftermarket, Brakes India; Mr. Raghavan N, President, Lucas Indian Service Limited; and Mr. Ramashankar Pandey, Advisor, ACMA Aftermarket Committee and CEO, Work with Dignity Foundation.

The discussion brought forward five priorities for strengthening India's automotive aftermarket ecosystem.

1. Proof Over Promises: Trust is earned through product traceability, independent testing and conformity to BIS and AIS standards, not merely marketing claims. As vehicle technologies evolve, demonstrable product quality and reliability will increasingly differentiate credible aftermarket brands.

2. Growth Must Be Earned: India's automotive aftermarket reached approximately ₹1.08 lakh crore in FY2025-26, registering around 9% growth. However, its share of the overall auto-component industry has declined from approximately 17.7% in FY22 to 14.3% in FY26. Sustaining growth will require greater emphasis on customer retention, product authenticity and consistent service quality.

3. New Skills for New Vehicles: Electric vehicles accounted for approximately 8.3% of total vehicle retail volumes in FY26, with EV penetration reaching nearly 61% in the three-wheeler segment. Technicians must now handle high-voltage systems, battery management systems (BMS) and ADAS calibration. Large-scale upskilling, particularly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, is essential.

4. Trust Must Be Systemic: Customer confidence depends on the entire value chain - from manufacturers and distributors to workshops. Accurate fitment data, accessible repair information, transparent workshop ratings and structured technician training are fundamental to building a dependable aftermarket ecosystem.

5. Empowering MSMEs Through Validation: Many Indian aftermarket MSMEs possess strong engineering capabilities but lack access to advanced testing infrastructure. Independent validation, technical support and recognised quality certification can strengthen their competitiveness and expand domestic and export opportunities.

The Road Ahead

One message emerged clearly from our conversation: customer trust cannot be built by manufacturers, distributors or workshops in isolation. It requires collective responsibility across the automotive aftermarket value chain.

As mobility technologies evolve, the industry's next growth phase will depend not simply on selling more components, but on delivering safer, more reliable and consistently trustworthy customer experiences.

The future belongs to organisations that make trust measurable, repeatable and scalable.

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