FADA's Mega Biennial Event - Auto Summit 2010 There is a palpable excitement and expectancy in the air as FADA's mega biennial two-day convention, viz. 6th Auto Summit 2010, scheduled for 8th & 9th January 2010 at Hotel The Lalit, New Delhi, draws near. The Summit is being held in the midst of a buoyant auto scenario following the downbeat sentiment that prevailed for over one year in the wake of global financial meltdown. The news that the Government now expects the economy to grow at 7.75% during the year 2009-10 is an icing on the cake. However, there is no room for complacency. The theme of 6th Auto Summit is: "Auto Retail-Restructure for Sustained Growth". As the recent recession has shown, the industry and the trade need to be prepared for cyclic downturns, changes and restructuring in keeping with the fast changing scenario where competition is the buzzword. Auto Summit 2010 will have an impressive array of industry leaders and eminent speakers, including Hon'ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways - Mr Kamal Nath; Mr Pawan Kant Munjal; Dr Pawan Goenka; Mr Edward C Tonkin - Chairman, NADA; and Mr Dmitry Gulin - President, Russian Association of Automobile Dealers, who will adorn the dais at Inaugural Session. An automobile dealer is an important link in the automotive business value chain. As far as the customer is concerned, the dealer is the face of manufacturer and therefore, responsible for the product quality and after-sales services. With the growing complexities and sophistication of vehicle technology coupled with the intense competition in the market place, automobile dealers need to be professionally managed, well equipped and technically competent. Today, running and operating an automobile dealership requires huge investment, managerial skills and enterprise. Needless to mention, while sales margins have been shrinking over the years, there are new opportunities emerging and waiting to be tapped. The focus of this Summit is nitty-gritty of dealership management and bread & butter issues dear to the heart of automobile dealers. As a part of the programme of Summit, six separate group discussions have been scheduled on various aspects of dealership management, including increasing revenues from workshop and allied business activities, increasing productivity and efficiency through better reporting systems, using internet as a marketing tool, used vehicle business and manpower planning. With the presence of a galaxy of industry leaders representing various segments and captains of allied businesses, the deliberations of Summit are expected to throw up answers to the major issues of concern to automobile dealers and identify new opportunities for auto retail. A new feature of the 6th Auto Summit is the Automotive Dealer Excellence Awards (ADEA) being steered by the Auto Monitor magazine in association with FADA. 13 awards at stake for those excelling in different vehicle categories and various areas of dealership operation will be presented at a glittering ceremony in the evening on 8th January 2010. The awards will recognise auto dealers for their management practices & systems that have helped improve customer & employee satisfaction, efficiency, productivity and profitability, as also their green initiatives and community service. Background Commencing from the year 2000, FADA has been organizing a biennial Convention of Automobile Dealers, viz. Auto Summit at New Delhi coinciding with the Auto Expo. The Summits were a grand success with the participation of 700-800 delegates representing automobile dealerships, vehicle manufacturers, oil companies, banks, insurance & finance companies and media from all over the country and abroad. Practically, all leaders of automobile industry and allied businesses have addressed at this forum in the past on various issues concerning auto industry and trade. The previous Auto Summits organised at a grand scale on the themes: Millennium Challenges - Threats & Opportunities; Building Relationships; Consolidating Relationships - Road Ahead; Auto Retail - Global Perspective; and Challenges of Sustaining Growth & Keeping pace, were inaugurated by persons no less than Mr Rajnath Singh, Major B C Khanduri - both the then Union Ministers of Road Transport & Highways; Mr Praful Patel, Union Minister of Civil Aviation; Dr Brijmohan Lall, Chairman, Hero Honda and an industry leader in his own right; and Dr Ashwani Kumar, the then Minister of State for Industry in the Government of India. The Summit deliberations helped in creating a tremendous awakening and identifying the challenges & opportunities for automotive business as a whole.