JUGAADS OF INDIA IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR
JUGAADS
OF INDIA IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR
- Vishal Aravind S
India is a very unique nation with a vast
diversity and history. As with every country, the culture and the lifestyle
followed in this nation is exclusive and cannot be witnessed elsewhere. This
also applies to the automotive sector and the “car culture” being followed here
by both the auto enthusiasts and the general public.
People tend to go very creative and think out of the box in finding
cost-effective methods to find a solution for the problems they encounter. In
sticking with the automotive context, one can observe a lot of innovative
solutions performed by the Indian people in this aspect. From, covering a whole
car with cow dung to keep it cool during summer (since cow dung actually helps
to cool down the surface temperature), making DIY parts to replace a missing or
damaged part of a vehicle to address the specific issues faced by the users,
the list of jugaads followed by the Indians can go on and on.
To provide a perspective on how extreme these
activities can go, this one is something from my personal experience. I was
once travelling across North-East India on a hilly region where the roads were
filled with potholes and as coarse as a teenager’s face. I then came across a
truck which was moving at around 40 kmph, the hood of the truck was open with
two guys standing on the fender with one holding the hood open and the other one,
re-filling fluids in the engine compartment. To maintain visibility, the driver
had removed the windscreen glass and was driving the truck by nearly a vertical
driving position (nearly standing-up). I, decided to follow them and find out
what they were upto. It turns out, there was a leakage in one of the fluid
storage units and they had to make it to the destination on time and that had
led them to resort to this innovative solution. Ofcourse, it was a nightmare in
terms of safety but nobody on that truck seemed to care as long as they could
make it on time.
These are some sights which can only be
seen in India (or any developing/ under-developed country for that matter). The
methods and techniques adopted by the people seem to keep them on their feet,
saving their time and money.
The lucrative and inane activities doesn’t stop here and can apply to
the people’s approach towards transport rules & regulations, the consumer
psychology when they look for a new vehicle or product and so on. One such
example can be found, when a consumer purchases a new car. Most of them tend to
go for a mid-variant, and then add-on the features of the top-variant (like
audio systems, leather seats, etc.) either through dealerships or via the
aftermarket route.
But,
to summarize, this is one of the greatest and interesting factors about India.
Something which gives the country its character and “the flair”. There is never
a dull moment on Indian conditions. Instead, it comes across a very exciting,
constantly on-the-foot busy nation. It ultimately manages to stand true by the
saying!
“Surviving on the Indian market is a
highly underrated skill. It prepares you in life for the unexpected turns and
to handle various kinds of situations, which one wouldn’t necessarily come
across elsewhere.”
Down below
are a few more pictures to elaborate on the Jugaads followed by the
Indians in the automotive sector.
