Sify, Aptech Arm In Race For Auto Companies-Promoted Portal

Last month, Ashok Leyland, Tata Engineering (Telco), Maruti Udyog TVS Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, Hindustan Motors, Hero group and Mahindra & Mahindra had formed a core group and announced their intention to create a vertical e-commerce portal for the auto industry.

The eight companies account for almost 80 per cent of the business that is transacted between the vendors and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

According to industry sources, the companies would be required to undertake a concept study of the proposed portal. "They will conduct a preliminary study and give the specification requirements to a core group," the sources said.

"Though what is being planned is a comprehensive auto portal, it is likely that at least four sub-portals would be developed each individually wiring two-wheeler, commercial vehicles, cars and three-wheeler OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) with their vendors.

Top officials in Sify and BConnectB are tightlipped about their initial move. According to them, any announcement regarding the portal should be jointly made by the auto majors. Both the companies, however, affirmed their interest in developing the portal given the nature and magnitude of the project.

Sify officials had earlier said that they were talking individually to several of the eight promoter companies (of the auto portal being planned) as also to SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) and ACMA (Automotive Component Manufacturers Association). Sify itself has plans to develop several B2B vertical portals in domains like auto, steel, office equipment, machine tools, plastics.

According to sources, the portal was being planned on similar lines Covisint, the mega auto portal planned by the global troika, General Motors, Ford Motor Company and DaimlerChrysler.