Visitor turnout at Auto Expo expected to surge

About 700,000 people are expected to visit Auto Expo 2016, which will be held from February 5 to February 9 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

The biennial automobile event saw 560,000 visitors in the previous edition held in 2014. This time, there will be 65 exhibitors, 10 more than the 2014 event.

The 13th edition of the much-awaited auto show will see a record 80 new launches, again 10 more than the new launches at the 2014 event. The high-profile expo is being held in the wake of growing concerns about the damage caused by auto pollution, especially in and around Delhi.

The state government had earlier this month introduced on an experimental basis an odd-even formula, to ensure 50 per cent of the vehicles were off road, to curb high pollution during the winter months. The government claimed that the 15-day experiment was a success, but has not decided whether to continue with it.

The Supreme Court also imposed a ban on registration of all new diesel vehicles (with a capacity of over 2,000cc) and SUVs till March 31 in Delhi.

But the Indian automobile industry has fared exceedingly well. During 2015, more than 2 million passenger cars were sold in the country, the highest ever.

Source : BS Motoring