Automark

Rastgar Air Compressors Hosted a Dinner for Honoring Pakistan’s Industry
9th March, 2017 Karachi:The need for high quality air for meeting the needs of Food, Pharma, textile and other industries was stressed by Chairman, Imtiaz Rastgar while addressing guests at a dinner in honour of dignitaries from manufacturing industries and the visiting team from Gardner Denver FZE, UAE.
“It is part of our corporate social responsibility to attend to the Compressed Air utility in industry so as to supply the appropriate quality of air to each process at the lowest possible energy cost”, said Imtiaz Rastgar.
Rastgar & Co, Authorized distributor of CompAir Air Compressors in Pakistan, hosted a dinner on 8th March, 2017 at Marriott Hotel, Karachi, Pakistan to honor industries of Pakistan for their business to Gardner Denver FZE and Rastgar.
Mr. David Fenwick, Director Sales Gardner Denver FZE, specially thanked industrialist for showing confidence on CompAir Air Compressors and Rastgar services.He met individually to all guests and spoke about latest innovation in compressed air technologies to make their businesses more profitable, with more energy efficient and productive machines.
Managing Directors, CEOs and Directors from major industrials groups and Associations of Pakistan attended the dinner and appreciated the efforts put in by Rastgar Air Compressors for offering reliable products and aftermarket services. Some of the guests were Mashood Ali Khan, Chairman PAAPAM, Haseeb Ahmed, Director Sitara Chemical Industries, Tariq Haroon Dada, EVP TATA Textiles, Qamar ud Din Khan, CEO Mehran Commercial Enterprises, Adnan Yousaf, MD Transpak Ltd, Dr. Rajpoot, Technical Director Nabi Qasim Industries, Asif N. Ansari, GM Hilton Pharma, Menin, CEO Shamrock and many more.
Gardner Denver is a leading global provider of flow control technology, application expertise and support services to a diverse customer base through a family of trusted brands.CompAir, A brand of Gardner Denver, focuses on developing engineered solutions for its customers’ biggest operational challenges, with an emphasis on providing absolute reliability, increased efficiency and lower energy expenditures wherever possible.Ground breaking compressed air technologies, such as Quantima, deliver superb efficiency and performance. Plus with the dedicated in-house AirEnd manufacturing CompAir is able to specifically influence the performance of the compressor to achieve the highest levels of reliability and efficiency
Rastgar Air Compressors is authorized distributor of CompAir Air Compressors in Pakistan. For more information visit www.rastgar-co.com

Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited achieved yet another milestone for being first in the history of automobile industry of Pakistan to commence locally manufactured Knock Down (KD) parts’ export operations to Vietnam Suzuki Corporation for mass production of Suzuki mini-truck model.

In this regard, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Pak Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd., Bin Qasim Plant, Karachi on 09^th January, 2017. Mr. Hirofumi Nagao, Managing Director and CEO of Pak Suzuki and Mr. Abdul Razzaque, CEO of M/s. Metalline Industries were chief guests on that occasion.

The 1^st ever locally manufactured knock down (KD) parts’ exports consignment was shippedby sea from Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) on 20-Jan-2017.

This step by Pak Suzuki will further contribute towards the national economy in the form of foreign exchange revenue. Pak Suzuki is already among the top list of OEMs contributing a substantial amount in terms of duties and taxes towards the national ex-chequer.

Pak Suzuki has plans to further enhance the export market operations for locally manufactured knock down parts.

The Korean company, Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service, which has been operating inter-city buses nationwide and Lahore City buses for the last 18 years, has imported 35 articulated, state-of-the-art buses, which comply with global standards of rapid mass-transit. The Multan metro buses are equipped with CAN system,and have environment friendly Euro-3 engines which produce 75% less emissions (pollution) compared to other diesel buses. These buses will transport over 90,000 commuters daily on very affordable fare of Rs.20 one-way. The Multan Metro Bus Service will run on a dedicated corridor across the city which is 18.5 kms long comprising of 21 stations.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shaheryar Chishty, Chief Executive Officer of Daewoo Express stated that operating Multan Metro Bus Service for the Government of Punjab is a matter of pride for Daewoo Express and we are very impressed by the professional manner and transparency through which the entire bidding process was conducted by Punjab Mass Transit Authority. He also said that this encourages us more to invest further into other transport projects of the Government in other cities of the country for the benefit of the public at large.

In the fast-paced world of today, the driving needs and dynamics have changed dramatically. A person who has worked hard and made a fortune for himself wants a ride that complements his achievements and pronounces his accomplishments.  The lust for prestige lures the individual to go for an SUV to articulate the masculine self-esteem on the go. However, for a practical person who uses his ride for transportation, apart from the projection of his success, a sleek sedan serves the purpose better.

To cope with both the demands, car manufacturers across the globe have recently introduced the crossover category – an automobile that combines a car platform, preferably a hatchback, and the bold features of an SUV. In Pakistan, due to this changing trend and steadily climbing economy,the demand of SUV’s is currently on the rise.

Suzuki is globally known as a small-car specialist, but one should not forget that Suzuki has also produced very successful range of 4×4’s, one of which was the world’s first crossover, named Vitara, which started being manufactured way back in the year 1988. At that point in time, Suzuki was thinking about the future, and pioneered with a crossover in a consumer segment with low customer interest at that particular time. Due to this fact, the Vitara was redesigned to become a grown-up SUV in its 2^nd and 3^rd generations, the last of which was released in the year 2005.

With the trend changing, favoring the crossover again, the 4^th generation Vitara was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2014 as a crossover. Combining the sleekness in a stylish modern design with the boldness of an SUV, the Vitara won hearts for its design while inspiring many with its competitive feature package.

The 4^th generation Vitara that is launched in Pakistan comes with a 1.6L naturally-aspirated engine, which delivers a decent 118bhp at 6000 revs. This may not sound much, however the USP of this product is its weight. Weighing in at only 1185 kg, the Vitara is one of the lightest SUVs on offer. This not only allows it to carry more, but also improves its power-to-weight ratio which stands in at 104 bhp/ton. It needs to be mentioned that the big brands offering turbocharged engines may offer more power, however the power-to-weight ratios remain well under 100, which clearly indicates how well the Vitara is when it comes to performance.

As far as the feature package is concerned, the Vitara comes as standard with a multifunction steering that features Cruise control and Audio control. The 6-speed Automatic Transmission is enabled with a manual mode which allows the driver to have the manual changing sensation with the paddle shifters equipped on the steering wheel. The multifunction display shows the economy, mileage and range of the vehicle along with other variables. The air conditioning system of Vitara can be automatically controlled with input from outside temperature sensors. The hi-spec Vitara also comes equipped with a panoramic sunroof which makes the drive even more pleasurable. Keyless entry is also enabled for the hi-spec variant, along with automatic headlamps and wipers for drivers’ convenience.

A Unique aspect of Vitara is its infotainment system. The infotainment system features 10.1-inch touch screen with Android OS. The system also has the ability to connect to users’ mobile phone via Bluetooth and mirror link.

As far as safety is concerned, the Vitara provides unprecedented passive safety, as it combines high tensile steel for passenger cabin safety, with cleverly designed crumple zones that enable enhanced accidental safety for the occupants. Not only the vehicle structure, but the safety feature of 7 SRS airbags along with seatbelts having ELR and pre-tensioners ensure that the occupants remain safe post-accident.

The Vitara also comes equipped with ESP which means that the driver can depend on the vehicle to remain under control even on the harshest terrains. The ABS coupled with EBD ensures high levels of braking performance. The car also features Hill hold and hill descent controls which ensure the car remainunder control on hilly terrains. The car also comes equipped with parking sensors, to enable the driver to park with ease. One feature that adds to the beauty along with safety of the Vitara is its LED projector headlamp, which provides excellent visibility in dark, unlit roads.

The most unique feature of Vitara is its 4WD function. The indigenous “All Grip” function combines 4 driving modes which have been incorporated to give the driver maximum control of the vehicle on all terrains and driving conditions. The car automatically switches between 2WD and 4WD in order to facilitate the driver to ensure the Vitara grips the terrain. The other driving modes include the Sports Mode, which facilitates aggressive driving and maneuvering from the driver,whereas the Snow Mode complements the driver by maintaining traction on slippery surfaces. The car also comes with a dedicated Lock feature as well which maximizes the extrication of the vehicle if stuck.

Compared to its rivals, the Vitara comes equipped with features which are available as optional extras to the consumers. This means that the consumer is ripped-off if he wants to purchase a standard car which has almost no special features.

In this regard, we have to admit that Vitara comes packed with features which not only enhance driving pleasure and performance but also provide unparalleled safety to the occupants. Therefore, it is bound to present the driving pleasures to the individual who has earned his success.

by Shahzad Tabish

This exclusive review published in Monthly AutoMark Magazine’s printed edition of January-2017 issue

Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif has approved the launching of a ‘motorbike ambulance service’ in Lahore and some other major cities of Punjab.
Sources report that the Chief Minister of Punjab has approved the launch of 100 Motorbike Ambulances in the provincial capital-Lahore, while 50 each in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi districts, initially. This scheme is primarily aimed to pick/treat injured and to deal with emergencies in congested areas, where the access to a typical ambulance remains an issue. Not only will this service rush to narrow streets, small roads and poorly accessibly localities, but will also decrease the response times drastically.
Sources reveal that the typical ambulances will follow smaller and nimbler motorbike-ambulances up to main roads to receive the injured from bikers and shift them to nearest hospitals.
This idea of motorbike-ambulances is derived from the Japan, Turkey and UK models and it is also being reported that in the latest development, the Rescue 1122 director-general had initially forwarded the proposal for this service to the Chief Minister, under the health reforms programme.

In March, earlier this year, the government approved a new automobile policy, which offers benefits exclusively for new entrants in the market, including tax incentives, in a bid to aid them in establishing manufacturing plants in the country.
The new auto policy includes the following features:
• One-off duty-free import of plant and machinery for setting up an assembly and manufacturing unit;
• Permission to import 100 vehicles, of the same variants, in the form of completely built units (CBUs) at 50% of the prevailing duty, for test marketing after the project takes off.
• Reduced 10% customs duty on non-localized parts for five years, in place of the previous 32.5% for the new investors.
• For existing investors, the duty will be reduced to 30% from July;
• Localized parts can be imported by the new entrants at 25% duty, as compared to the current 50% for five years.
• For existing players, the duty on import of localized parts
will be brought down to 45% from July, 2016.
The new automotive policy has, indeed, brought in solid interest from foreign as well as local companies, to invest in the automotive sector, with German automotive giants BMW and Audi AG, and French automakers Renault already planning on launching locally-produced cars in Pakistan. On the domestic scale, Yunus Brothers and Kia Motors will also set up auto-assembly plants in the country, whereas Dewan Farooque Motors Limited has applied for resuming vehicle production at its closed unit.
Additionally, the National Logistic Cell has shown interest in investing in the automotive sector in collaboration with Germany, while several Chinese automobile manufacturers and assemblers are also keen on establishing vehicle manufacturing plants in Sindh.
All this foreign as well as local investment in the automobile sector is, undoubtedly, good for Pakistan’s rapidly growing economy. However, it remains to be seen if these European automobile giants do actually enter into the oscillating Pakistani automobile market, and how well they perform should they start manufacturing and launching newer and more expensive brands into the market.
Some questions, however, remain unanswered: Do the people of Pakistan really need this type of transport? Are they ready to allow a larger number of cars on the already congested and heavily-jammed network of roads in the country? Are they ready to pay a higher price for their vehicles, considering
the present difficulties of everyday commute?
Unlike Lahore, Karachi has not been given much attention to in terms of development of infrastructure. Being the largest and, undoubtedly, the busiest city of Pakistan, the people of Karachi have to go through hours of traffic standstills every day because of blocked roads, unattended traffic diversions, and the ever-increasing number of cars and motorbikes. The absence of a mass transit system and a network of good roads has forced the people to revert to smaller modes of transportation, such as motorcycles, and the poor public transport system of minibuses, auto-rickshaws, and taxis, all of whom are key culprits in the worsening traffic situation of the city. The increasing capital inflow is, without a doubt, beneficial for the country’s growing economy, but the solution of the problem does not lie in the inflow of cash. The problems lie much deeper and it would take much more than foreign investment to correct them.

Press Release:

Karachi: The first ever German Engineering and Motor Show (GEAMS) is being held in Karachi Expo Centre from January 26-28, 2017, with world’s renowned companies to showcase their state of the art products and technologies.

Apart from famous German automobiles manufacturers, a number of engineering and motor companies have shown interest to participate. The Nordex SE, Dawood Engineering & Thal Engineering have confirmed their participation while AUDI, BMW, BASF, Evoniks, Hascol, MAN, PORSCHE and Compair (Rastgar Engineering) have shown interest and will confirm their participation very soon.

The event is being organized by Pegasus consultancy, leading event organizer of the country, partnered and supported  by German Pakistan chamber of commerce & industry, embassy of the federal republic of Germany, Islamabad and consulate general of the federal republic of Germany, Karachi & Sindh board of investment, Government of Sindh.

“The exhibition would be a unique collaborative platform for the participating exhibitors and visitors, a best place for B2B negotiations”, the managing director of organizing company, Aamer Khanzda said. “We would be having interactive sessions during the show wherein participants could have discussion on latest technology and trends”, he further said.

The exhibitors besides displaying their latest models automobiles, parts and accessories would also be seeking dealers and distributors for their companies. The inaugural day would be exclusive day while second day business day and third day would be open for the general visitors, Mr. Khanzada added.

Riding on the success of the Defence Products Exhibition, IDEAS 2016, Chairman Pakistan Aerospace Complex, Air Marshal Arshad Malik, hosted a lunch for Pakistani Engineering Sector in which a large number of PAAPAM members were invited. The event was organised to commemorate the launch of Pakistan Aerospace Council as a platform for networking between Pakistani hightech sector and its clients in Pakistan as well as the global market place.

Speaking on the event, Air Marshal Arshad Malik gave an overview of the excellent order book and work load of PAC Kamra and its ability to localise aircraft assemblies required in military and trainer planes produced at Kamra.  He said Kamra valued specialist companies from the automotive sector who could take a step further into aerospace component manufacturing.
Introducing the Pakistan Aerospace Council, Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, Member PAC Board, stressed on the need for Cluster formation in the aerospace and hightech sector and how this could lead to meeting local needs for hightech while the global market offers immense possibilities for similar parts. He mentioned that there are over 2,000 aeronautics, defence and space related companies in Europe, employing 750,000 people with turnover of 190 Billion Euros. These companies import large quantities of parts and Pakistani high tech sector companies mentored through the CBI Export Coaching Program are already making respectable exports to Europe.

Mr. Rastgar also stressed that every OEM, whether in private or defense sector is successful only on the basis of the health of its supply chain and for this it is important to nurture high tech clusters around the OEMs together with the local universities. He invited all hightec companies to become members of PaeC, www.pakaero.com.pk.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mashood Ali Khan, Chairman PAAPAM, said that several of their member companies are mature to work for the aerospace sector and expected to play their role in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance. He thanked he Chairman PAC Kamra for such a welcome to the Pakistani engineering sector and said that PAAPAM would reciprocate by visiting Kamra for a detailed meeting and understanding of their needs.

Also present at the lunch was Qazi Sajid Ali, Chairman, German Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Qazi Sajid said GPCCI platform was important for Pakistani hightech and they would welcome collaboration as well as display of Kamra products at the forthcoming German Auto & Engineering Show, 26-28 January 2017, at Expo KARACHI.

• PRESS RELEASE