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The world of accessories and car decoration is a huge business – so much so that it's currently valued at Rs 1,200 crore, and is expected to double and touch Rs 2,400 crores in two years time. In keeping with this, the 9th Auto Expo dedicated a special pavilion to accessories and car decoration. The pavilion proved to be immensely popular with automotive enthusiasts checking out the latest in ICE or In Car Entertainment, as well as safety & security systems, not to mention current trends in upholstery.
Have you ever been driving in a strange city and gotten totally lost? World over, that problem has been addressed with the use of GPS technology. Some years ago, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's son Mark got lost while participating in the famous Paris-Dakar event. It took many days to find him in the middle of the desert. Today, all cars competing are equipped with GPS. Now, finally GPS is in India too and there were a few companies displaying the technology and equipment.
Navtor, Coship and Voxtel Carrera demonstrated their units. Map My India was also present – the company has almost all of India covered in GPS maps and apart from selling an in-car display unit with voice capability, also provides maps for use in mobile phones and PDAs adapted for the purpose. Its early days yet but as GPS has been proven to be a useful tool for finding one's way in a strange and unfamiliar city, prices should start coming down.
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The acknowledged revenue earners however are in audio systems – head units, speakers, sub-woofers and amplifiers. Of late though, the focus has been on DVD-based video systems with in-dash video displays, headrest monitors and monitors attached to the roof of a car along with multi-channel speakers. In keeping with this, JVC had a large range of their latest electronics on display as did Pioneer along with other brands like Mega Audio and NECVOX. Alpine was present but it chose to have a pavilion of its own and showcased its products in a Honda CR-V painted in the brand's colours. German ICE specialist Blaupunkt also had a separate display together with its parent company Bosch while Worldtech displayed standalone integrated DVD players. Delphi-Grundig decided to station their wares in the auto components hall (18). The company has an interesting product line, especially a monitor that doubles as a video screen for movies as well as GPS maps.
So if one wants to stand out from a crowd, especially a crowd that comprises of all the cars in a city, there are options available that cost little and still make the interior of a car that much more personal. Even if one does not have the wherewithal to get his or her car fully customised, like turning an Ambassador into an Ambierod, it is good to know that there is an alternative. |
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