The foundation was laid in 1989 by their father, Mr. Kannan, who built a renowned business in used engine spares for German cars. Growing up around a scrapyard teeming with high-end vehicles gave his sons, Sunil and Ajith Kumar, a unique, hands-on education in automotive engineering.
In 2016, armed with a mechatronics engineering degree and a desire to forge his own path, Sunil Kumar saw an untapped opportunity. He noticed that while his father sold used engines and gearboxes, there was a growing need for the new, high-quality service parts that accompanied them, filters, oils, and more. This realization marked the pivot from used parts to new, and the birth of Kannan Auto Parts in 2017.
“I wanted to sell filters, but I didn’t want to sell any cheap Chinese parts or just make some quick money. I’m here to make a statement and a name for myself. I was very keen on selling good quality parts,” said Mr. Sunil Kumar, Managing Director, Kannan Auto Parts.
An Unwavering Commitment to OE Quality
Instead of competing on price with low-quality alternatives, they decided to compete with the dealerships on quality, offering the exact same OE-grade parts without the dealership markup.
This focus has established them as a premier specialist for a comprehensive range of European vehicles. Their expertise extends across the German luxury trifecta of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, and includes other prestigious marques such as Volkswagen, Skoda, Volvo, Jaguar, Range Rover, and Land Rover.
By stocking an extensive inventory for this diverse lineup, they ensure that owners of nearly any premium European car can access dealership-level quality in the aftermarket. Their mission was clear: source directly from the world’s best manufacturers like MANN-FILTER, Mahle, ATE, Textar, Schaeffler, and Continental.
“When I went into Mercedes, the perspective of spare parts just changed the entire angle of how we look at them. I saw Mercedes brake pads and discs where I could clearly see they were made by another brand, with their logo right next to the Mercedes logo. This is how we got exposed to these OE manufacturers. We started digging more into it, finding out who manufactures for Mercedes, BMW, and Audi, and thought, why don’t we knock on their doors?,” said Mr. Ajith Kumar, Managing Director, Kannan Auto Parts.
Strategic Growth and Building Trust
As their reputation for quality grew, so did the business. Ajith Kumar joined his brother, bringing fresh energy to their expansion plans. They quickly realized that to build a sustainable, large-scale business, they needed to serve both retail customers (B2C) and other workshops (B2B). To maintain integrity and trust in the market, they made a crucial strategic decision to split their operations.
“To build a B2B relationship, they have to feel very secure and confident that the price point which they buy from us is right, and the way we handle the retail and wholesale counters is genuine. So, we had a policy of splitting the companies. We said one will do wholesale, and one will do retail. I took the responsibility of wholesale, and we started distributing parts to independent workshops across the state, “Ajith mentioned.
Revolutionizing Service: The Specialized Station
With a robust parts distribution network in place, the brothers identified another gap in the market: specialized, quick service. They observed that for tasks like changing a battery or tires, car owners go to a dedicated shop, not a full-service workshop.
This led to the creation of their specialized service stations. The concept is to offer focused, high-quality services for routine maintenance tasks. A customer needing an oil change or new brake pads for their premium German car can visit a Kannan Auto service station and get the job done quickly, with a choice of top-tier OE brands, and by expert technicians.
Empowering an Ecosystem Through Education
More than just a service point, the stations are becoming centers for customer education. In an age where consumers research everything online, Kannan Auto Parts embraces this trend. They find that modern premium car owners are more knowledgeable than ever, often arriving with specific requests for brands and part numbers.
“In another 10-15 years, people will be truly educated about what’s inside their car. Just like assembling a PC today, they’ll know the specs they want. Already, a customer who calls for a filter gives us all the details before we even ask. In this generation, we just need to provide the availability and range of good quality parts, holding them tight and not letting them drift towards low-quality items. We want to provide a service station where they can rely on us for that,” Sunil explained.
Navigating Challenges and Charting the Future
The journey is not without its challenges. Global geopolitical issues have led to logistical nightmares, with volatile shipping schedules and “war surcharges” on air freight increasing costs. The biggest challenge, however, remains the knowledge gap. The lack of standardized training for technicians working on multiple high-tech brands is a significant hurdle for the industry’s growth.
Despite this, the brothers are optimistic. They see a steep growth trajectory for the aftermarket in South India, driven by educated consumers who value quality. They are actively working to build platforms for knowledge sharing and are urging manufacturers to invest more in training programs for independent workshops.
“If we want a 2x growth, the key area manufacturers have to focus on is training. We are the link between the manufacturer and the user. If we can educate the technician on how a job is to be done, it saves a lot of time and money, because he won’t break anything. If this knowledge sharing is done right, this industry will grow much faster than we expect. It’s a chain that starts from the manufacturer, comes through us, and ends with a successful repair at the workshop.,” Ajith stated.
Today, with established units in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Kochi, and a new branch opening in Bengaluru, Kannan Auto Parts is steadily expanding its footprint. Their guiding principle, however, remains unchanged. They refuse to compromise on quality, famously turning away requests for cheaper, unbranded parts, believing that a single bad experience can damage a customer’s faith in the entire aftermarket.
As they look toward the future, with the advent of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and ever-advancing technology, Kannan Auto Parts stands ready to adapt, learn, and lead. Their story is a powerful testament to the fact that in the long run, a business built on integrity, quality, and a commitment to its entire ecosystem is a business built to last.
