Preparations for holding of state elections for the Post of Chairperson underway!

Dear Friends,

FADA will be holding its 60^th AGM on September 11, 2024 at Le Meridien, New Delhi & a communication in this regard has been shared with you all. Additionally, this year marks the election for State Chairpersons, who will represent and lead our dealer community at the state level. While the nomination forms have been shared on email, it can also be downloaded from our website www.fada.in.

The term for State Chairpersons is two years, during which they serve on FADA's Governing Council. They play a dual role: leading the dealer community within their respective states and advocating state-specific concerns at the national level, while promoting FADA's initiatives among local dealer members alongside state chapter members.

I urge you to carefully consider nominating a capable and committed dealer principal as your State Chairperson, someone willing to invest their time and effort for the betterment of our dealer community.

Following the 60th Annual General Meeting on September 11, 2024, at Le Meridien, New Delhi, we invite you to join us for the 6th Auto Retail Conclave, themed "Transforming tomorrow - elevating customer and revitalising dealer synergy," starting from 2 pm at the same venue. This conclave aims to enhance customer-centric practices and address the evolving needs of automobile consumers, while strengthening OEM-Dealer relationships to provide a unified voice and strategic direction for all stakeholders.

Later in the evening, we will host a gala award presentation ceremony honouring the recipients of the Dealer Satisfaction Study Survey Awards 2024 and FADA’s inaugural Customer Experience Index (CEI) Study ’24 Awards for OEMs. The CEI study ’24, conducted in association with Frost & Sullivan, is already underway, and the DSS ’24 for OEMs in partnership with PremonAsia is live as well.

I urge all my dealer friends to take out time and fill DSS’24 for OEMs, which is designed by the dealers, for dealers and is from dealers. Your participation will significantly contribute to a qualitative study report, strengthening OEM-Dealer relationships and addressing the challenges and concerns of our community.

Please register to attend both the 60^th AGM and the 6th Auto Retail Conclave in large numbers, if not done, demonstrating the unity and strength of our dealer fraternity to key stakeholders in the automotive industry. Detailed program information will follow soon.

Friends, in a recent landmark development for dealer community, I am happy to share that the Hon’ble Madras High Court addressed the petition filed by FADA regarding the implementation of the new Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 in Tamil Nadu and the UT of Puducherry. The court's ruling underscored that under Article 254 of the Constitution of India, laws enacted by Parliament supersede conflicting provisions enacted by State Legislatures. Therefore, the amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 introduced from 01.09.2019, and subsequent amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 must be adhered to without delay by the State Government.

This ruling marks a significant stride towards enhancing customer satisfaction in vehicle purchases and facilitating a conducive environment for the dealer community to conduct business. FADA is actively engaging with MoRTH to disseminate this order to all State Transport Departments. It is crucial that these amendments are uniformly implemented across all states, ensuring compliance with the updated regulations for vehicle registration on e-vahan 4.0 nationwide. This initiative aims to streamline vehicle registration processes in a seamless and efficient manner across India.

I urge each of you to collaborate with your State Chapter team to liaise with the State Transport Department. Together, let's ensure they are well-informed about this critical judgement and work towards uniform implementation of the new CMV Rules nationwide.

Reiterating to FADA activities during the month, I am delighted to share some remarkable updates and achievements from FADA and its chapters across the nation.

Under the leadership of Chairperson, Mr Soham Misra, FADA West Bengal initiated a quarterly event 'Drive and Thrive: Fireside Chats with Auto Legends', aimed at sharing best practices. The inaugural session featured insights into the 'Toyota Way' by Mr Amit Manaktala from Topsel Toyota. The chapter members also participated in a productive meeting with the West Bengal Transport Department, underscoring our commitment to collaborative efforts.

FADA Rajasthan Chapter organised a Dealer's Meet at Jodhpur under the leadership of Mr Jayesh Dhoot, FADA GC Member and Regional Director - FADA Rajasthan. He along with FADA CEO Mr. Saharsh Damani discussed issues of Dealers and what the association is doing for ease of doing business.

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, FADA Gujarat organised online Yoga session for all its members under the leadership of Mr. Pranav Shah, FADA Governing Council Member. The session was taken by Ms Meera Nair, Certified Yoga Trainer.

FADA’s Life Member, M/s Automotive Manufacturers Private Limited headed by Mr Bharat M Sanghvi as Chairman & Past President of FADA digitally inaugurated their Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF), promoting the ESG initiative of MoRTH at Nagpur in Maharashtra. This facility will play a crucial role in sustainable vehicle end-of-life management.

In another initiative, FADA MP Chapter, under the leadership of Chairperson, Mr Ashish Pande, launched the 'Lawyer-on-The-Spot' (LOTS) program in partnership with Lawyered in Bhopal. This program aims to provide legal support to dealerships, enhancing customer service and revenue opportunities. FADA also organized a webinar on LOTS, open to dealers across India, to familiarize dealer fraternity with the program and its benefits. I hope you found the session useful.

FADA has opened a new chapter in its monthly vehicle retail data reporting by sharing insights into retail sales distribution between urban and rural markets. This aims to provide a deeper understanding of market performance across different segments. I am sure these insights will offer valuable indicators of micro-market performance for stakeholders in the automotive industry.

Recently, Mr Vinkesh Gulati, Chairman, FADA Academy and I participated as panellists at the Elets National EV Summit in New Delhi. We shared our insights on the impact of digitalization in the automotive aftermarket.

Exciting educational initiatives are underway with FADA Academy preparing to launch an Advanced Certificate Program in Automotive Operation and Future Technologies, in collaboration with IIT Delhi. This program is tailored to prepare dealer principals for upcoming challenges. Seats are limited, so I encourage you to enrol soon and secure your place at the forefront of automotive education.

We are committed to advancing with new initiatives for the benefit of our dealer community and to make meaningful contributions to our communities. FADA remains a reliable safety belt you can always depend on.

I once again extend my heartfelt thanks to all members for your ongoing support and dedication.

Yours Sincerely,

Manish Raj Singhania

President-FADA