Banco Products (India) Ltd., a leading manufacturer of gaskets, radiators and thermal management components, marked its strong entry into Tamil Nadu by participating for the first time in Auto Expo Trichy. The company used the platform to showcase its latest product innovations and reaffirm its commitment to South India’s fast-growing automotive aftermarket.
Banco’s participation highlighted its ‘Genuine Parts Drive’, a mission to promote reliable and durable components in the aftermarket. The company believes that the southern region, especially tier 2 and tier 3 markets, has a strong inclination toward quality products and new technology adoption.
“South India is a very technical market. Mechanics, retailers and even vehicle owners understand the value of genuine parts. This makes the region crucial for Banco — South alone contributes nearly 23% to our business and is growing at 18%, almost three times India’s GDP growth,” said Ritunch Gupta, Vice President – Aftermarket Sales & Marketing, Banco Products (India) Ltd.
Driving Skills with Purpose
Beyond products, Banco has taken a leadership role in skill development. The company has partnered with ASDC under the Skill India initiative to train Banco channel partners field force, retailers, mechanics and garage technicians across India.
“We have signed an MoU with the Indian Government through ASDC to train not just in-house teams but also roadside mechanics and workshops. We’ve already completed two batches and plan 8 – 9 more this year. When mechanics use genuine parts, vehicle performance and customer trust increase – that’s the message we are spreading,” he explained. (Ritunch Gupta, Vice President – Aftermarket Sales & Marketing)
At Auto Expo Trichy, Banco launched a new range of Benz gasket kits and entered the two-wheeler BS6 market with newly developed kits, the first time this range has been launched from the South.
Supporting Channel Partners and Customers
Banco operates with a holistic aftermarket value chain approach, working with distributors, wholesalers, retailers, workshops and fleet operators. Banco Aftermarket division has launched Project AMD 2.0 focussing on secondary pull, demand generation initiatives, skilling, better service level, Digitalisation to connect full value chain and customer delight initiatives, said Ritunch Gupta, Vice President – Aftermarket Sales & Marketing, Banco Products (India) Ltd.
“Our engagement is at ground level through mechanic meets, transport hub visits and awareness drives. Even in tier 3 cities of South India, BS6 vehicles are already common. The market adopts technology faster than the rest of the country, this is a big opportunity for us,” he added.
“Individual efforts are not enough anymore. Tier 1 companies must collaborate to train mechanics and garages or the aftermarket will face serious challenges. Technology is changing fast—if we don’t upgrade mechanic skills now, their survival will be at risk in the coming decade,” he emphasized.
Banco has set an aggressive expansion plan for Southern India. “We currently cover 35 – 38% of districts directly in the South and by 2027 we aim to reach 50%. Growth is coming strongly from tier 3, tier 4 and tier 5 markets, and we will intensify our presence there,” he concluded.
