Competitive Market Analysis of Exide and Amaron Batteries

Marketing Major
A Project report on competitive market analysis between Amaron and Exide | Senjuti Sarkar, IISWBM
EXIDE
INDUSTRIES
COMPITITIVE MARKET
ANALYSIS BETWEEN
AMARON AND EXIDE

competitive market analysis between Amaron and Exide 2014
Senjuti Sarkar, IISWBM Page 2
Contents
Acknowledgement:........................................................................................................................................ 4
Executive Summary: ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Organization Profile:..................................................................................................................................... 6
Major Milestones........................................................................................................................................ 6
Corporate Structure : ............................................................................................................................... 8
Summary of Market Statistics :............................................................................................................. 9
Factors involved in the Success of Exide Industries :.................................................................. 9
Organisation Structure:.........................................................................................................................10
Objectives of the Study: .............................................................................................................................15
Scope of the Study: ......................................................................................................................................15
Limitations of the Study:...........................................................................................................................16
Methodology used in Study:.....................................................................................................................17
Current market scenario of Battery Industries and Key Players descriptions:...................18
1. Prospect of battery industry in India:.....................................................................................18
I. Drivers of Battery Industry: ...................................................................................................18
II. The Economic environment and its relation with the economic market of
battery industry in current situations: .......................................................................................19
III. Current trend setter of competitive environment: ...................................................20
2. The key players of this sector:...................................................................................................21
3. Position of “Exide” among its competitors: ..........................................................................27
4. “Amaron” As a “Competitor”: .....................................................................................................31
The study of “competitive market analysis” of Exide and Amaron in and around sectors
of Kolkata:.......................................................................................................................................................34
1. Secondary data analysis:..............................................................................................................34
Secondary data analysis using financial statements:............................................................38

2. My Field experience, special findings and review: ............................................................45
2.1. Experience of Exide Store visit:........................................................................................45
2.2. Experience of Amaron Store visit :..................................................................................45
2.3. Experience of Store Visit of Other brands :..................................................................47
2.4. Experience of Multi-brand Store visit :..........................................................................47
2.5. Experience of Visit to Vehicle Showrooms :.................................................................48
2.6. Special Findings and Review : ...............................................................................................49
3. Sampling and Analysis of the primary data, collected from field: ...............................50
Analysis I: ...............................................................................................................................................52
Analysis II :.............................................................................................................................................55
Analysis IV: ............................................................................................................................................62
The Highlighted weakness and drawbacks of “Exide” Market:..................................................63
The near future threat to the industry:...............................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Major Opportunities of “Exide” in market: ........................................................................................63
Recommendations:......................................................................................................................................63
Conclusions:...................................................................................................................................................63
Bibliography: .................................................................................................................................................64
Annexure:........................................................................................................................................................64
1. Contact List:.......................................................................................................................................64
2. Questionnaire:..................................................................................................................................64
3. Supporting documents for secondary research..................................................................64
4. Exide internal documents............................................................................................................64

Acknowledgement:
I, Senjuti Sarkar, a student of Marketing specialization from Indian Institute of Social
Welfare and Business Management(IISWBM),Kolkata, would like to express my great
appreciation to all those who have extended their enthusiastic support in helping me to
complete this endeavour.
I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my
corporate mentor Mr. Pratyush Routray, Area Sales Manager of Exide Industries,
Kolkata Brunch for his kind efforts to acknowledge me the reality of current market
environment of the battery industry, as well as helping me to get well versed with the
sales environment of a company from the competitive perspective. The cordial support,
valuable information and guidance given by him time to time was the most beautiful
learning phase of my summer internship project. Along with him I also owe to Mr.
Subrata Das, Senior Service Engineer of Exide Industries, Kolkata Brunch for his
technical guidance at the initial days of my internship work.
Apart from this I am also thankful to Vishal Franshis Gaitano Sir and Indranil Sarkar Sir
of our placement department to give me a chance to visit Exide Industries for
completing my summer internship project.
I am particularly grateful for the guidance given by Dr. Pradip Das Sir and Dr. Archana
Sharma madam of IISWBM for their exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant
encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. The blessing, help and guidance
given by them time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am
about to embark.
Finally, I want to dedicate this project to my father, Mr. Sandip Sarkar and my mother
Mrs. Madhumita Sarkar, as they are my inspiration to do a master degree in my life. I
owe to them more than I own to the Almighty. Thanks a lot ma and baba for giving me
the opportunity to excel so high in my career.
Last but not the least; I am particularly grateful for the assistance given by my co-
worker Mr. Swarnendu Mukherjee at the time of data collection and other
contemporary research work.
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Date: Signature

Executive Summary:
The aim of this study was, to find out the competitive market analysis of the battery
industry, between two giant players Exide and Ameron (Amara raje). The limitation of
this study was only examining the automotive and inverters UPS product
differentiations in and around sector of Kolkata
Amaron & Exide is the leading batteries companies in India. Both are strong
competitors to each other, both companies are competing with each other in every
segment of battery and also compete in promotional and marketing strategies. They
have carried same competition in and around sectors of Kolkata also. So I selected this
topic to carry out my research in “Comparative Study of Amaron & Exide Batteries in
and around sectors of Kolkata.”
The requirement of competing firms on the knowledge about factors that affect
Promotional & Marketing Strategies is necessary. With so many market-related
research studies in the past as well as the changing market culture, it is essential to
focus research topics on particular areas that deemed to be lack of up-to-date research
to indicate what the precise needs of this segment with respect to Battery industry and
businesses. The purpose of this research is mainly to fill the gaps and contribute to the
existing knowledge related to the subject of the study.
A market survey of the individual big players in and around region of Kolkata is done.
Then interviews and interactive sessions are scheduled for collecting the data about
their financial status, market positions and competitive analysis. The basic tenets of this
approach include:
 Forging closer-than-ever ties to, and communication with, suppliers and
customers.
 Dependency of the producers or retailers heavily on the expanded capabilities of
customer need.
 The response of the supplier. Whole sellers and retailers are the sample data for
the primary data analysis.
Finally, some conclusion and recommendation of few companies are done. Using
hypothesis testing it is proved the data are quite good enough to show interdependency
between them. Finally, the conclusion is done to ensure the market capitalization of one
industry over others.

Organization Profile:
Exide, a name coined out of Excellent Oxide – an ingredient, has through its continuous
commitment and customer focus, emerged as one of the most powerful brands in
existence today. The brand name embodies excellence, commitment, dependability and
service which has shaped its responsibility for the customers and leadership towards
the market.
Exide is the biggest storage battery manufacturer in India, as well as the South Asian
and South-East Asian regions. It is the leader in both organized automotive and
industrial segments in India. The products manufactured by the Company include
automotive batteries, industrial batteries and submarine batteries. It is the only
company providing submarine batteries to the Indian Navy. In the Industrial segment it
caters to industries like power, telecom, etc. The Company is one of the five companies
in the World which has the capability to make submarine batteries for both Russian and
German types.
The company manufactures the widest range of storage batteries in the world from 2.5 Ah to
20,400 Ah capacities, covering various technology configurations and the broadest spectrum
of applications.
The company was incorporated as Associated Battery Makers (Eastern) Ltd., on 31
January 1947 under the Companies Act, 1913 to purchase all or any of the assets of the
business of manufacturers, buyers and sellers of and dealers in and repairers of
electrical and chemical appliances and goods carried on by the Chloride Electric Storage
Company (India) Ltd, in India, since 1916 with a view thereto to enter into and carry
into effect (either with or without modification) an agreement which had already been
prepared and was expressed to be made between the Chloride Electric Storage Co
(India) Ltd on the one part and the company of the other part. The name of the company
was changed to Chloride India Ltd on 2 August 1972. The name of the company was
again changed to Chloride Industries Ltd. vide fresh Certificate of Incorporation dated
12 October 1988. The company was further changed to Exide Industries Ltd. on 25
August 1995.
The Corporate Office is located in Kolkata.
Mr. P. K. Kataky is the present MD & CEO and Mr. G. Chatterjee is the JMD of the
company.
Some other key personalities are:
 Mr. Nadeem Kazim, Director-HR
 Mr. Subir Chakraborty, Director- Industrial
 Mr. A. K. Mukherjee, Director-Finance & CFO
Major Milestones :

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Corporate Structure :
Shareholding Pattern as on March 31st,2014 (As per BSE) :

Summary of Market Statistics :
The company recorded a net sale of Rs.5964.2 crores in 2013–14 as compared to
Rs.6071.4 crores in the previous year with a corresponding profit before tax of Rs.723.1
crores as compared to Rs.742.3 crores in the previous year.
As of March 31, 2014 INR MM
 Segment-wise Distribution of Company Sales
Depending upon the twelve-month period ended on March 31, 2014.
Factors involved in the Success of Exide Industries :
Technology, innovation, quality and country-wide service network are the four
pillars on which Exide achieves its high pedestal.
The R&D Center, set up in 1976, is counted among the premier battery research
facilities in the world and is recognized by the Department of Scientific & Industrial
Research under Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. Of India
Behind the strong value and growth of Exide Industries, lies the combination of all the
factors mentioned below. All the factors are equally important and are dependent on
each other.
Exide follows the Hub-and-Spoke concept of work, where the regional offices are the
Hubs and the branch offices reporting to each regional office are the spoke of that
particular regional office. For example, Exide’s Kolkata office is a Hub and the district
level offices are its spokes.

Organisation Structure:
 Automotive Segment :

Automotive sector mainly includes sale to major vehicle manufacturers and aftermarket
sales. In India the company markets the products under Exide, SF, Sonic and Standard
Furukawa brands and supplies to all car and two–wheeler manufacturers. In
international market it sells products under Dynex, Index & Sonic brands.
In this segment,
The multinational customers are ,
 Hyundai
 Mercedes Benz
 General Motors
 Fiat Group
 Renault
 Mitsubishi
 Toyota and
 Honda
The domestic customers are ,
 Mahindra
 Tata
 Bajaj
 Maruti Suzuki and
 Hero
Apart from lead acid batteries this company is the only domestic supplier of lithium–
ion batteries for electrical vehicles manufactured by Mahindra–Reva.
 Industrial Segment :
It manufactures industrial batteries in a wide range from 2.5 Ah to 20,600 Ah.
Industrial segment includes sales to power back-up equipments (UPS and Inverters),
traction equipments (fork lifts, golf carts, electric vehicles), infrastructure sector
(railway, telecom, power generation and utilities) and exports (traction and stand by).
In India it sells products under Exide, Index, SF, CEIL and Power Safe brands and in
international market under CEIL, Chloride and Index brands.
The multinational customers are ,

 Riello UPS
 Ericsson
 Siemens
 ABB
 Iegrand
 Emerson
 APC UPS, Schneider Electric
The domestic customers are ,
 Godrej
 BHEL
 NTPC
 L&T
 Voltas
 Viom
 Power Grid
 BSNL
 TVS
 Indian Railways
 Submarine :
The Company is also engaged in manufacturing of high–end submarine batteries (Type
1, 2 & 3). It is one of the five companies in the world which has capacity to manufacture
submarine batteries for Russian and German types. It manufactures two to three
submarine batteries a year India’s defence requirement.
Exide continues to be the sole supplier of submarine batteries to the Indian Navy and
it is also an accredited supplier to the Admiralty Shipyard, Russia.
Best in Class Manufacturing & Technological Capabilities :
The company has six factories strategically located across the country – two in
Maharashtra at Chinchwad and Ahmadnagar, two in West Bengal at Shamnagar
(Mother plant) and Haldia, one in Tamilnadu at Hosur and one in Haryana at Bawal.
In 2012, the company has acquired two Home UPS manufacturing units in the State of
Uttarakhand at Roorkee and Haridwar respectively.
Exide, one of India’s leading producers of lead-acid storage batteries for both
automotive and industrial applications produced
- 27.02 MM Auto batteries produced in FY14
- 1771 MM AH Industrial batteries produced in FY14
Joint Ventures for Technology Development :
Exide has entered into joint ventures with the following organisations for technological
research and development purpose.
 East Penn Manufacturing Co. USA

 Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co. Ltd. (part of Hitachi Group, Japan)
 Furukawa Battery Co. Ltd. , Japan Automotive Batteries
Strong Indian Footprint with an Expanding Global Footprint (Dedicated
Distribution Network) :
As of May, 2014
 Exide Authorized Dealers,
 Automotive 13,304
 Industrial 9500
 Outlets 41500
 Humsafar Partners 21000
 Depot-cum-Service Stations 206
Exports span 18 countries across five continents in a growing list of overseas
customers. The company forayed into new markets in South East Asia, Africa and
Spain for export of automotive batteries. In Industrial batteries, successful initiatives
were taken to export batteries to new markets in Africa.

Objectives of the Study:
Amaron & Exide is the leading batteries companies in India. Both are strong
competitors to each other, both companies are competing with each other in every
segment of battery and also compete in promotional and marketing strategies. They
have carried same competition in and around sectors of Kolkata also. So I selected this
topic to carry out my research in “Comparative Study of Amaron & Exide Batteries in
and around sectors of Kolkata.”
The requirement of competing firms on the knowledge about factors that affect
Promotional & Marketing Strategies is necessary. With so many market-related
research studies in the past as well as the changing market culture, it is essential to
focus research topics on particular areas that deemed to be lack of up-to-date research
to indicate what the precise needs of this segment with respect to Battery industry and
businesses. The purpose of this research is mainly to fill the gaps and contribute to the
existing knowledge related to the subject of the study.
The main aim of research was to find out the actual performance of batteries industry in
respect to in and around sectors of Kolkata. Primarily, this study aims to compare top
two leading battery companies Ameron & Exide in relation to the factors that affect
market of batteries. Specifically, the research objectives include the following:
 To study Market of batteries in and around sectors of Kolkata.
 To study the comparative monthly sales of Exide and Amaron by interviewing
exclusive dealers and distributors based within Kolkata.
 To study of Promotional & Marketing Strategies Ameron & Exide Batteries in and
around sectors of Kolkata.
 To study of market depth of Ameron & Exide Batteries.
 To study a services provided by batteries companies.
 To do an in depth analysis over the shift of brand preference within the retailers,
distributors and the end users from “Exide” to “Amaron” within Kolkata and
surroundings.
 Marketing Mix of Amaron and Exide and their comparative study
Scope of the Study:
It is a critical importance to the organization, how it delivers products and services to
the customers, whether the product is tangible or intangible. Effective and efficient
physical movement of the tangible product will speak about the intangible services
associated with the product and the organization which is delivering it.
The battery industry in India is very vast. With the introduction of newer automobiles,
electronic and electrical appliances, newer battery manufacturing companies are
coming up as well as the existing companies are increasing their network with the help
of new dealers and sub-dealers. So there are lot of problems and scope of analysis on
the battery industry. With the increased complexity of business environment, it has
become very important to decide on the scope of a study and then perform the study
according to that.

This study analyses the information that can be used for evolving some marketing
decisions on the competitive market scenario of the two leading brands of Indian
battery market. The scope of this study is to look at the particular topics described
below and arrive at a decision on the competitive market scenario of the two leading
brands of Indian battery market.
Sales Analysis: Sales analysis considers types of consumers that constitute the
potential market, size and location of the market, growth and concentration of the
market over a certain period of time, purchase habits of key market segments, the
consumers’ preference to buy some particular brands.
Sales Methods and Polices: This study has focussed its attention to evaluate the
effectiveness of the present distribution system likely to be used in establishing or
revising sales territory boundary, physical distribution system and after sales services.
Product Management: Every marketer tries to formally or informally utilize
information to manage the existing and new products and examines market feedback
about competitive offerings. This study has been conducted to monitor the competitive
performance of the two leading brands of Indian battery market.
This study provides correct information that reflects a real state of market. Through
this project we will be able to get an insight of the battery market of Kolkata.
Findings of this project can be useful for getting the feedback about various batteries,
their market presence and consumer responses for the batteries based on the dealers
response.
This project can be used to formulate new marketing and promotional strategy for
increasing sale. It also helps to decide on the strategy to reduce competitors influence in
market.
The research project will be helpful to new entrants of Kolkata Market and it will
definitely help to plan their Marketing Strategies for the market.
Limitations of the Study:
During the entire research study I tried my best to make my study and report
exhaustive and qualitative. The battery industry in India is very vast. With the
introduction of newer automobiles, electronic and electrical appliances, newer battery
manufacturing companies are coming up as well as the existing companies are
increasing their network with the help of new dealers and sub-dealers. So there are lot
of problems and scope of analysis on the battery industry. But with the constraints of
time and resources we have to limit our study in between specific domain. The
limitations were:
 The time period for the study was very short.
 We had to keep our questionnaire very short so that it could be answerable within
2-3minutes as the respondents usually try to avoid being questioned sighting lack of
time as an excuse.
 Some dealers did not entertain us with required responses.
 Some respondents might have given wrong or biased responses.

 The questionnaire we used to collect the responses might not be equally
understandable to all. So the respondents provided their responses on their
respective understanding of the topic as well as the questionnaire.
 Our study is restricted within the battery stores, garages and automobile
showrooms in and around Kolkata.
 The study is was restricted within the Automobile and Inverter/UPS sector of
batteries only.
 Most of the respondents were reluctant to co-operate.
Methodology used in Study:

Current market scenario of Battery Industries and Key
Players descriptions:
1. Prospect of battery industry in India:
Indian battery market is always remains in a buoyant position at the initial days from its
birth and the reason behind the decline of demand is era wise invention of alternate
energy sources. At the same time when few of the alternative energy sources are proved
to be nature un-friendly then the domain of battery industry again undergoes steep
progression.
I. Drivers of Battery Industry:
There are some demand and growth drivers are there for the battery industry along
with which some of the factors is also there which slows down the industry growth.
Drivers of Battery Industry
 The Growth of the battery industry is driven by not just automotive sector but
significantly by the telecom, railways, power and other industries.
 With several parts of the country being short of power, the use of inverters too
has gone up significantly, and this is not going to come down soon.
 Banking, insurance and finance companies continue to be the largest segment for
battery usage, followed by the IT/ITes and telecom. Other important users are the small
home office (SOHO) and manufacturing sectors.
 Growth of renewable energy, like solar and wind power, will drive additional
demand for energy storage capacity. Again, the government promoting the solar energy
sector, demand for batteries will take a quantum leap in the years ahead.
 The Indian battery industry was operating in two types of manufacturing and
distribution sectors.
1. Organised Sectors (55%)
2. Unorganised Sectors (35%)
3. Rest amount is Imported from Foreign (10%)
With progressing days the manufacturing units, distributors and dealers are naturally
shifting from unorganised sector to organised sectors. This shift is becoming one of the
key drivers for growth.
 The continuous growth in the battery market can be attributed to the growth in
the inverter market, new business opportunities in non grid areas, and the
large-scale generation of renewable energy.
 A statistical survey reveals that that in the financial year 2013-14 Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar is leading with the demand of batteries. Along with that a lot of
demand for batteries came from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The CEO of Okaya Power Ltd. Mr Rajesh Gupta again, reported that in the post
2013, the demand for battery is increasing at the eastern part of the country.
Therefore, It is a overall dependency on the power generation and its storage
that facilitates the sales of batteries in India.

Reason for slowdown:
 The decline of the auto industry.
 Increased cost of production of automobile battery, inverters, house hold
battery.
 The use of generators, voltage stabilizer.
 Use of bio-fuel car, solar car is replacing the use of storage energy, so battery and
inverter is losing its privilege.
 Introduction of Chinese battery in the market, which is cheap and durable.
 Increased competition in the market.
 Falling auto sales deepen pain for battery makers from 2011-2012 Financial
year. The continuing weakness in auto sales would prove to be a double whammy for
battery makers in the year 2011 year, Exide has warned analysts.
The drop in sales beginning middle of 2011 would start getting translated into a dip in
replacement market sales as within a year, those batteries would run out of life and
have to be replaced. Battery makers still continue to see robust replacement market
sales due to high car sales seen in 2010 and in the first half of 2011.
But things are changing fast. By beginning of the fourth quarter, auto battery makers
like Exide and Amara Raja would have to contend with the dreaded prospect of
continuing lower supplies to car makers, called original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
supplies, and also a drop in sales of batteries in the replacement market as well.
II. The Economic environment and its relation with the economic
market of battery industry in current situations:
After a continuous downtrend in 2011–12 and 2012–13 the Indian economy showed
some signs of recovery since the second quarter of 2013–14 and it was expected that it
would gather pace in the remaining quarters – but the expectations were short–lived.
The economy witnessed cyclical downturn in growth slowdown, high current account
deficit and unbridled inflation. This in turn stifled growth, especially in the industrial
sector. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP), the official measure of industrial
activity in India, declined by 0.5% in March 2014 as compared to March 2013. This was
mainly due to the continual decline in the manufacturing sector, month after month,
both for capital goods as well as the consumer durables sector. In fact, the
manufacturing sector suffered a fall in production for the first time since 1991–92. On
the external front, a series of events including uncertainty surrounding the Euro–area
sovereign debt crisis hampered growth in almost all developed as well as emerging
economies.
Like almost all sectors, the battery industry in India had a definite set back during
2013–14. All automobile segments, except two wheelers, reported a fall in sales during
the year. Passenger vehicle sales, which a few years back was estimated to grow by
double digits/witnessed a negative growth of nearly 4% in 2013–14. Increase in input
costs, higher excise duties on utility vehicles, high interest rates and spiralling fuel costs
resulted in postponing of purchases. Utility vehicles sales continued to remain flat. The

performance of commercial vehicles declined sharply by around 19%, out of which
medium and heavy commercial vehicles sales declined by over 22%. The only
redeeming feature was the two wheelers sales which grew by a modest 7% during
2013–14 due to which the overall automobile industry grew by a meagre 4% in 2013–
14.
In the industrial battery segment, 2013–14 continued to be a difficult year with negative
sentiments being exhibited across most of the infrastructure sectors. Since several
infrastructural projects were held up due to various bottlenecks, this had an adverse
impact on the sale of industrial batteries.
III. Current trend setter of competitive environment:
Products and Business trends:
The battery market is witnessing increased competition which has lead to the expansion
of the market, and as a result, customers get the benefit of superior products and
services, as well as good value for their money. With the growth in several industrial
sectors, the demand for batteries is increasing and most major companies dealing in
batteries are growing too. Battery manufacturers are doing everything possible to
capitalise on the opportunities that the inverter segment is offering. Efficient logistics,
competitive pricing, aggressive after sales service and a goof product, backed by a long
warranty period are the focus among all the competitors and among then the 0..01%
efficient companies are enjoying the market capitalization.
According to Kunwar Sachdev, MD, Su-Kam Power Systems, the market is clearly
shifting from the existing flat technology to tabular plate technology for longer power
backup and longer life on the battery, which are required in the Indian environmental
conditions.
According to Rajesh Gupta, MD, Okaya Power Ltd, batteries with higher Ah and higher
warranty period are more in demand. Adds Sunil Bhatnagar, MD and Marketing head,
Artheon Electronics Ltd, The market for small lead acid batteries is currently growing as
most of CFL applications are shifted to LED products and this guarantees a requirement
of small batteries.
At the end of 2011, there was some shortage of solar batteries for solar lanterns, CFLs ,
Home UPS systems, etc, and by 2012, most companies in the battery segment were
overbooked. A good demand was also seen for gel batteries for solar applications,
through AGM VRLA batteries make up the major portions of this market. As per as the
buying trends are concerned, consumers base their purchase decisions on various
parameter like price, warranty, after sales services, retailers recommendations,
credibility of brands, etc. However the retailer recommendations are the biggest
influencer.
“It’s the PRICE that sets the Trend:
Lead constitutes about 60-70 per cent of the cost of batteries. Hence, the cost of
batteries invariably depends on the cost of lead, which fluctuates drastically due to its
non-availability and the premium to be paid to source it. This, to a great extent,
increases the cost of batteries. Battery prices are, therefore, governed by lead prices at

the London Metal Exchange (LME) and also by the dollar to rupee exchange rates. India
has just one lead mine and hence most companies import lead. Therefore, the price of
batteries fluctuated this year, along with fluctuations at LME. Special separators, cost of
technology and manufacturing processes for batteries also add to production costs,
which raise the overall price of batteries.
“There has been about 15-20 per cent increase in battery prices in the last 12 months.
Taking positive cues from the global markets, lead prices today edged up by 0.10 per
cent to Rs 109.40 per kg,” informs Kunwer Sachdev, CEO and MD Su-Kam Power System
limited.
“Buyers generally compare prices of batteries manufactured in India with those made in
China. In India, we do not have any AGM separator manufacturer, so this has to be
imported. The ABS container also needs to be imported. So the Indian battery prices are
generally 5-6 per cent higher than that of the Chinese products,” explains Sunil
Bhatnagar. “But I would suggest that buyers should not just get lured by low price of the
imported batteries, but should remember that Indian batteries comply with the
specifications of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). These products go through all the
required tests,” he adds.
Till the government formulates proper norms on pricing of lead, Indian manufacturers
will continue to suffer from the unfair advantages enjoyed by low cost batteries dumped
by the Chinese manufacturers. Now a days, importing and selling batteries is much
cheaper than manufacturing them in India. However, with higher volumes, this problem
can be overcome.
Therefore, from all these informations it is clear that the battery industry in India is:
2. The key players of this sector:
The battery industry in India that comprises automobile, sealed maintenance free
(SMF), tubular and lead acid batteries, has been registering an annual growth rate of 25
per cent year on year. While China still remains the world’s largest battery market, India
is expected to register the strongest growth in sales by 2014. Demand for Indian
batteries from importers worldwide has increased and to meet this, Indian
manufacturers are also gearing up. The main sectors in which demand is expected to
grow in 2012 are solar, telecom, automation and power conditioning.
The year 2013 was truly great for the battery manufacturers in India as the industry
witnessed robust growth. The need for uninterrupted power in various industries like
telecom, banking, hospitality, etc, has fuelled the growth of the battery market. The
boom in solar batteries has added further impetus to this industry. Electronics Bazaar
has attempted to rank the top battery manufacturers/brands on the basis of their
revenue. We should point out that some of the companies ranked here are not
manufacturers in the true sense, but they do offer their own brands.
In comparison to our survey last year, the positions of the key players did not change
much, but there has been a significant jump in their revenue.
Today, the trend is for companies to have multiple businesses, in different verticals. And
these companies file just one consolidated revenue figure, making it difficult to
ascertain the turnover of their battery business alone. Barring a few in this list of 15
companies, all the rest are into multiple businesses.

The Followings are the key players of the industry:
Exide Industries Ltd:
Company established in: 1947
Annual revenue (2012-13) is Rs 61,472.50 million
Exide Industries manufactures the widest range of storage
batteries, with an annual output of 8 million automobile
batteries and over 600 million Ah industrial power. It is
the only manufacturer of submarine batteries in India.
Manufacturing facilities: Three in Maharashtra, two in
West Bengal, one each in Tamil Nadu and Haryana.
Manufactures: VRLA batteries
Sectors it caters to: Railways, telecom, power, solar, automotive and industrial. The
company started out by manufacturing storage batteries and has grown to become one
of the largest manufacturers and exporters of batteries in the subcontinent today. It has
since grown steadily, modernised its manufacturing processes and taken bold initiatives
on the service front. Constant innovations have not only helped the company to produce
the world’s largest range of industrial batteries but also to cover various technology
configurations. The company designs and manufactures industrial, automotive and high
end submarine batteries.
Amara Raja Batteries Ltd(Amaron):
Company Head: Jayadev Galla, MD
Amara Raja Batteries Ltd (ARBL), in collaboration with Johnson
Controls Inc, USA, is the largest manufacturer of standby valve
regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim
Region. The company has its fully integrated world class
manufacturing facility in the holy city of Tirupati, AP.
Amara Raja is a leading manufacturer of automotive batteries
that it markets under the brands Amaron and Tribal, which
are distributed through a vast pan India sales and service network. ARBL has reached a
position of leadership in a short span of time with its innovative engineering, research
and design, all of which enable it to deliver customer focused products targeting the end
users’ actual requirements. ARBL pioneered the amazingly long lasting Amaron
maintenance free batteries in India. The company is a preferred supplier to major
telecom service providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, the UPS sector (OEM and
replacement), the Indian Railways, and also caters to the power, oil and natural gas and
other industry segments.
Manufacturing facility: Renigunta, AP
P K Kataky CMD
Jayadev Galla, MD

Manufactures: Lead acid and VRLA batteries
Sectors it caters to: Automotive, defence, railways, telecom, solar and UPS systems.
Luminous Power Technologies Pvt Ltd:
Annual revenue (2012-13): Rs 19,373.70 million
Company Head: Manish Pant, MD
Luminous is a key manufacturer in power electronics offering
solutions for packaged power. It has 28 sales offices and more
than 55,000 channel partners. It sells automotive batteries under
the Electra and Racer brands.
Manufacturing facilities: Eight plants in Himachal Pradesh and
Maharashtra
Manufactures: VRLA/SMF, flat plate, solar ,tubular, monobloc
and automotive batteries
Sectors it caters to: Telecom, services and utility industries, commercial, industrial,
hospitality and automotive
HBL Power Systems Ltd:
Company Head: Dr A J Prasad, CMD
HBL Power Systems Ltd is a listed Indian company with focus on engineered products
and services. Its initial business strategy was to identify those technology gaps in the
Indian market that the company could fill by ‘indigenous efforts’. The first products
selected and successfully developed by the company were aircraft batteries, eventually
leading to HBL offering the world’s widest range of specialised batteries. Its expertise in
batteries generated opportunities to diversify. The company subsequently moved into
new businesses and markets such as industrial electronics, defence electronics and
railway electronic signalling. Recent diversifications that leverage the company’s
engineering strengths include precision manufacturing, small AC and DC motors, spun
reinforced concrete and green technology products.
Manufacturing facilities: Seven units in Shameerpet, Nandigaon, Thumukunta,
Mahbubnagar, Vizianagaram and Haridwar.
Manufactures: Nickel cadmium, lead acid batteries, and
lithium and silver zinc batteries.
Sectors it caters to: Aviation, telecom, utility, railways,
defence, solar and automotive.
Su-Kam Power Systems Ltd:
Annual revenue (2012-13): Rs 10,219.90 million
Manish Pant, MD
Kunwer Sachdev, MD

Company Head: Kunwer Sachdev, MD Su-Kam Power Systems Ltd is India’s most
admired power solutions provider, with a growing presence across Indiaand over 70
countries worldwide. A truly knowledge driven company with innovation at its heart,
Su-Kam develops intelligent power backup solutions, engineered to be energy efficient
and thus reduce the user’s carbon footprint. In the competitive industry of power
backup solutions, it has retained its position of leadership for years. It synergises its
expertise in manufacturing traditional power backup systems with its focus on R&D to
continuously develop new products. It has seven state of the art manufacturing facilities
distributed across three locations—Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and Gurgaon. All
its manufacturing facilities are certified under OHAS–18001 for operational health and
safety. Its world class manufacturing infrastructure is equipped with automatic
conveyor lines and automatic testing systems for the enhanced reliability of products. It
manufactures a whole gamut of products like inverters, transformers, batteries, OLU,
solar products, etc, with a clear focus on improving productivity, quality and reducing
wastage in every sphere.
Manufacturing facilities: Seven facilities in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh and Gurgaon
Manufactures: Lead acid, automotive and tubular batteries
Sectors it caters to: Automotive, railways, telecom, government, commercial and
industrial.
Base Corporation Ltd:
Annual revenue (2012-13): Rs 8985.92 million
Company Head: Girish Arora, CMD
Base was founded in 1987 with the aim of becoming
an active partner in the development of the power industry
, while using the latest technology. In keeping with its aim, the
company ushered in the latest technology by becoming the
exclusive distributor for the Panasonic brand of batteries in India. The company
launched its own brand Base Terminal in 2002. The company also introduced several
game changing initiatives like the ‘Dial-a-Battery’ service’ in 2003. It has been
responsible for many firsts in the Indian battery market like introducing VRLA
technology. Its manufacturing facility at Solan, HP, is geared to give its customers only
the best in the category. It is equipped with the latest technology from USA, Taiwan,
Korea, China, Germany, France, Turkey and other European countries in order to make
some of the most efficient products in the industry today. It has a highly experienced
team of professionals working at 27 branches across the country, along with a network
of 7000 dealers.
Manufacturing facilities: Solan, Himachal Pradesh and Hosur, Tamil Nadu
Manufactures: VRLA, automotive, flat plate, gensets, solar batteries
Sectors it caters to: Telecom, railways, utility and the hospitality industry
Girish Arora, CMD

Genus Power Infrastructures Ltd:
Company head: I C Agarwal, chairman
Genus has three business divisions; the metering solutions
division, the power back-up systems and solar solutions
division, and the engineering construction and contracts
division. It has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities for complete backward and
forward integration.
Manufacturing facilities: Jaipur and Haridwar
Manufactures: Batteries
Sectors it caters to: Industrial, power and commercial
Okaya Power Ltd:
Company head: Rajesh Gupta, CEO
Okaya is one of the fastest growing battery brands in India with
an installation base of more than 5 million batteries. It has a
nationwide network of more than 32,000 dealers, 470
distributors, 27 branch offices, 210 customer care centres and
seven manufacturing plants. It is one of the most preferred
choices of millions of Indians, who have been using Okaya
batteries in their inverters and UPS systems for many years.
Okaya batteries ensure full capacity, long life and trouble
free performance. The company always focuses on the actual requirements of its
customers and develops custom made products and services. It is backed by a highly
focused research and development group that aims to achieve the world’s best
standards in developing rugged batteries for inverter and UPS applications, apart from
other mission critical industrial applications. The company is equipped with the latest
sophisticated equipment, which are run by a highly qualified and experienced team of
professionals who have been continuously developing new products to meet customer
requirements.
Manufacturing facility: Baddi
Manufactures: VRLA gel and solar tubular batteries, generator-specific batteries,
inverter batteries, etc
Sectors it caters to: Telecom, railways, PSUs, solar power and the hospitality industry.
Apart from this top eight there are seven more companies are there who are in the top
15 list. The following table describes the rank wise distribution according as the
revenue generated in FY 2012-2013.
I C Agarwal, chairman
Rajesh Gupta, CEO

Rank Company
Revenue
(in Rs,
million)
FY 2012-
13
Revenue
(in Rs,
million)
FY 2011-
12
Products manufactured
1
Exide Industries
Ltd
61,472.50 51,743
Industrial & automotive
batteries, UPS systems
2
Amara Raja
Batteries Ltd
29,810.780 23,733
batteries, UPS
systems/inverters
3
Luminous Power
Technologies Pvt
Ltd
19,373.70 10,700
batteries, UPS systems,
inverters, also into solar
4
HBL Power
Systems Ltd
11,974.20 11,060
Industrial batteries, battery
chargers, off-grid solar
systems, etc
5
Su-Kam Power
Systems Ltd
10,219.90 6940
batteries, solar batteries,
panels, UPS systems/inverters,
gensets, etc, also into solar
6
Base Corporation
Ltd
8985.92 7022.20
batteries, solar and genset
batteries, UPS systems
7
Genus Power
Infrastructures Ltd
6613.22 7172.90
Batteries, UPS systems, static
UPS, inverters, solar
inverters/UPS systems, etc
8 Okaya Power Ltd 5563.94 5658.10
batteries, water purifier
9
Southern Batteries
Pvt Ltd
2595.60 2125.70
batteries
10 Tudor India Ltd 1557.41 1237 Batteries
11
True Power
International Ltd
383.76 523.2
Industrial batteries, UPS
systems, inverters, stablisers,
geysers, etc, also into solar
12
Artheon
Electronics Ltd
351.05 253.11
Industrial batteries, e-bike
batteries, solar products,
telecom products, etc
13 Greenvision 312.86 Batteries

Technologies Pvt
Ltd
14 upsINVERTER.com 278.18 152.70
Batteries, UPS systems,
inverters, stabilisers, solar
charge controllers
15
Fusion Power
Systems
232.33
Industrial batteries & e-bike
batteries
3. Position of “Exide” among its competitors:
Exide is the biggest storage battery manufacturer in India, as well as the South Asian
and South-East Asian regions. It is the leader in both organized automotive and
industrial segments in India.
Recognition of Exide’s pursuit of quality was achieved when RWTUV of Germany
awarded Exide the ISO 9001. It has also received ISO 14001 Certificate in recognition
of its eco-friendly production process.
The Company is one of the five companies in the World which has the capability to make
submarine batteries for both Russian and German types.
Technology, innovation, quality and country-wide service network are the four
pillars on which Exide achieves its high pedestal. For customers all these attributes
transcend Exide from a manufacturing company to a solution provider. After all who
can provide all these benefits together with its wide range of products, the ability and
competence to guide a user to select the right battery for a particular application, skilled
and experienced engineers for erection commissioning and assured professional
assistance throughout the service life of a battery.
Exide follows the Hub-and-Spoke concept of work, where the regional offices are the
Hubs and the branch offices reporting to each regional office are the spoke of that

particular regional office. For example, Exide’s Kolkata office is a Hub and the district
level offices are its spokes.
The company recorded a net sale of Rs.5964.2 crores in 2013–14 as compared to
Rs.6071.4 crores in the previous year with a corresponding profit before tax of Rs.723.1
crores as compared to Rs.742.3 crores in the previous year.
 Automotive Batteries :
Sales of Automotive batteries had a flat growth rate by value in 2013–14 as compared
to that of the previous year.
 The aftermarket sales of four-wheeler batteries witnessed an overall de–growth of
8% in units, as compared to the previous year.
 However, in the two wheelers aftermarket there was a growth of nearly 5%.
 Sale of batteries in the four wheeler OEM segment was less by 7% in units during
the year.
 However, in OEM two wheelers there was a minor growth of 1% in sales as
compared to that of the previous year.
 Industrial Batteries :
Sale of Industrial batteries during 2013–14 was Rs. 2065 crores as compared to Rs.
2614 crores in the previous year.
 Submarine :
Sales of submarine batteries were Rs.43.20 crores during 2013–14.
Exide continues to be the sole supplier of submarine batteries to the Indian Navy and it
is also an accredited supplier to the Admiralty Shipyard, Russia.
 Exports :
Export of automobiles batteries recorded an impressive growth of 21% in value as
compared to the previous year. The overall export of Industrial batteries in value
recorded a growth of 10% during 2013–14.
Company forayed into new markets in South East Asia, Africa and Spain for export of
automotive batteries. In Industrial batteries, successful initiatives were taken to export
batteries to new markets in Africa.
Products Offered by Exide :
Exide is the only brand that offers a battery for every type of vehicle on Indian roads.

Type 1 Type 2 Type 3
2-
Wheeler
3-
Wheeler
4-
Wheeler Inverter UPS
Fork-
Lifts
Golf
Carts
Electric
Vehicles Railway Telecom
Power
Genera
tion Utilities
Exide
Bikerz
Exide
Eko
Exide
Matrix
Exide
Inverter
Exide
Home
UPS
Product
Line
Length
Exide
Xplore
Exide
Mileage
Exide
InvaSmart
Exide
Xtreme
Exide
Champion
Exide
Champion
Exide
Skutec
Exide
Little
Champ
Exide
Little
Champ
Exide
Electrica
Exide
Xpress
Exide
InvaPlus
Exide Jai
Kishan
Product mix width
Infrastructure
Submarine
Passenger
Industrial
Power Back-up Traction
Automotive
Services Offered by Exide :
During my research I found that most of the dealers/sub-dealers who prefer Exide
batteries over Amaron, do so because of Exide’s out-of-the world after sales service.
Fixed Journey Cycle Plan (FJCP) vans visit every dealer twice a week to take care of
order, replacement and scrap battery of each store. The vans pick up all the batteries
that need to be serviced or replaced, bring those to the respective Exide service stations
where the necessary actions are taken. Then those vans drop the batteries to the same
stores. To get the battery serviced, one just needs to drop that in the nearest Exide
store. To get an Exide battery serviced is that easy and hassle free.
 Exide Care Outlet :
Exide Industries Limited has set up more than 500 exclusive outlets promising an o
ut-of-the-world experience to customers. Familiar as Exide Care, these flagship outlets
are the pride of Exide Industries and reinforce the Company's commitment to superior
customer care and service. These offer complete auto power solutions through the
Company's wide range of products.
Exide Care outlets are
designed to maintain specified
service standards and offer
complete customer delight
and experience of the brand
through a combination of state-of-the-art
design, pleasant ambience, cutting edge service
technology and customer focus.
Bat Mobile Service :
As the leader in automotive batteries, Exide has always understood the importance of
the car battery and how helpless one feels when it's suddenly gets down. That is why
Exide has introduced BAT MOBILE, an emergency on-road service for any 4-wheeler
with a battery problem.
Vans, equipped with the latest facilities and manned by trained personnel, are placed in
strategic locations in the city, ready to rush to the aid of vehicles stalled with battery

problems. Central Communication Centers have been set up with dedicated telephone
lines in different cities to receive calls from customers.
Just dial the toll free number - 1800-180-111-11 and an Exide BATMOBILE will be
there at your service soon. Moreover, it is a free service. No matter where the car is. No
matter which battery is in use. And in case the scope of the service required is beyond
what the van can provide, then you will be guided to a place where you can get help. In
the last 10 years we have serviced more than a few lakh customers. And that is just a
result of word-of-mouth popularity.
Exide BATMOBILE, which started in 2000, at Entally, Kolkata has expanded to 32
locations with a fleet of 51 vans.
Today, Exide BATMOBILE is on another expansion mode. Now the service is also
available on 2-wheelers. It has been introduced across 14 locations around Gujarat
and Maharashtra and we aim to scale it up to 208 locations soon.
Batmobile is an emergency service available within municipal limits in select cities between 7 am -
12 midnight. This service is available for any make of batteries.
 Exide reach out (http://www.exidereachout.com ) :
It is an integrated approach to identify, acquire and retain customers by enabling the
organisation to manage and co-ordinate customer interactions across multiple
channels, departments, lines of business and geographies. Reachout is a unique solution
to maximise the value of every customer interaction and drive superior Distribution
Channel Performance.
It delivers comprehensive, out-of-the box e-business functionality that is uniquely
tailored to our business practices. Built on Exide’s information architecture, it enables
the management, coordination and synchronization of all customer touch-points. The
challenge is to make it easy for customers to fulfil their needs and satisfy them any way
they want, at any time, through any channel.
 Battery Mall :

The battery is the soul of one’s prized possession
,be it a bike, a car or even an inverter. The
Exide Reachout Battery Mall gives the customers
an opportunity to browse through the entire
repertoire of Exide batteries, tailored differently
depending upon different vehicle specifications.
The battery mall is also informative
It provides the information regarding battery price as well as warranty period. So that
the customer has the flexibility to decide on the battery that fits his requirement. The
mall is user friendly. It displays the battery models most suited to one’s requirement,
when the vehicle type detail is provided.
Other than Bat Mobile service, mobile service vans are available for heavy vehicles as
well as industrial batteries.
Corporate Social Responsibility :
The market leader also fulfils its responsibility towards the society.
Even the best batteries are made from materials like lead.
And lead, if not meticulously handled,
can harm the environment. So Exide takes back the used batteries through its dealers.
Every time the customer returns a used battery to any of Exide’s authorised dealers,
Exide contributes to UNICEF's Child Environment Programme. This simple yet
thoughtful act helps to change the lives of vulnerable children who are in dire need of
water, sanitation and hygiene in schools. It also saves the environment form the harmful
effects of the chemical ingredients used to make the battery.
4. “Amaron” As a “Competitor”:
Amara Raja Batteries Limited is the second largest manufacturer of lead-acid storage
batteries for industrial and automotive applications in India. One of the leading
automotive and industrial battery brands of the Company is Amaron. The Company’s
products are supplied to various user segments viz., telecom, railways, power control
and UPS under Industrial Battery business; and to automobile OEMs, replacement
market under Automotive Battery business. Amara Raja’s products are being exported
to various countries in the Indian Ocean Rim. The Company also provides installation
and maintenance services to customers.
The Company has recorded total revenue (net of excise duty) of Rs 34.37 billion as
against Rs 29.59 billion in the previous year registering a growth of 16%. The profit
after tax has registered an impressive 28% growth.
In the Q1 of FY 14-15(for the quarter ended June 30) Amara Raja Batteries reported
8.34 per cent rise in its net profit at Rs 105.96 crore.
Let’s take a look at the company’s current market scenario in the different segments
 Automotive:

Amaron has introduced products like Pro, Flo, Go, Black, Fresh, Hi–way, Harvest, Shield
and Optima catering to various automobile needs. The Company's automotive battery
business reported double digit revenue growth supported by volume increase of 9% in
four–wheeler and 63% in two–wheeler batteries, over the previous financial year.
During the last financial year, the capacity of two–wheeler battery and four–wheeler
battery was enhanced to 8.40 million and 6.00 million units per annum respectively.
 Two-Wheeler :
The Company currently caters to only the replacement market. Its market share is
around 25%.
Amaron has entered into tie-ups with Honda and Lucas-TVS Limited. Its recent foray in
the two wheeler Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) segment is expected to boost
volumes and help expand its market share in the 2 wheeler segment in near future.
 Four-Wheeler :
The Company derives about 60 % of its revenue from the auto segment, where it has
Ford, Maruti, Hyundai, Honda, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Force, Mercedes-
Benz, Hindustan Motors and Opel as its clients. The Company enjoys competitive
advantage in the automotive battery division due to the 100 % share of business with
Ford India and Daimler Benz; 100 % share of business in Maruti AStar exports and
Hyundai ‘EON’. Amaron is also the first supplier of batteries to M&M for Scorpio Micro
Hybrid vehicles. The Company has a market share of nearly 28 % in the automobile
OEM market.
The Company is a dominant player in the aftermarket segment for four-wheeler
batteries. Despite a slowdown in new vehicle sales, the company remains better off as it
has a huge market for replacing old batteries in existing vehicles. As the average life
span of battery ranges from 2-4 years Amaron is expected to benefit immensely from
the ever increasing number of registered vehicles on Indian roads. Auto sales between
2009 and 2013, implies that the replacement demand for vehicles sold during that time
will increase over the next few quarters. The Company generates three-fourths of its
auto segment revenues from the replacement markets. The Company has a market
share of 35 % in the replacement markets for cars. Amaron expects strong replacement
demand over FY 2014-2016 and the Company is expected to grow above the industry
average during this period.
 Industrial :
The industrial division, brings in the rest of the revenues. The Company's Industrial
Battery business registered double digit revenue growth over the previous financial year.
Under this it manufactures and market five products namely Powerstack, Amaron
Quanta, Amaron Volt, Amaron Sleek and Applications. In the industrial battery business,
major application areas include Telecommunications, Power Utilities, Railways, Defence
and other heavy Industries like oil and gas. Its clientele includes big names like BSNL,
MTNL, Lucent, Alcatel, Siemens, Nokia, Ericsson, Alstom, Crompton Greaves, etc.
In the Industrial division, the main attention is on telecom sector where Amaron’s
market share is nearly 46%. Amara Raja’s alliance with Bharti Airtel generates large
exports to Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
In Industrial battery division, the Company is planning to invest Rs. 4.40 billion to
augment capacities in Large VRLA product lines over FY2014-15.

 Inverter and Home UPS :
India’s increasing power deficit (about 10-12% average) is the critical factor driving
growth of the home UPS industry. Frequent power shortages provide a huge market
opportunity for the Company’s industrial battery segment for home UPS batteries in
future. While untapped rural and semi-urban markets hold big potential, the urban
market continues to provide an equal opportunity due to the persisting power demand-
supply gap. The demand will mostly come from the southern markets including Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with the power supplies going off track there.
Indian UPS market is estimated to be US$ 3-3.5 billion.
Amaron’s current market share in UPS sector is nearly 30%.
Products Offered by Amaron :
2-Wheeler
Passenger
Vehicles
Commercial
Vehicles
Farm
Vehicles
PBR(Alpha) Pro Hiway Harvest Inverter UPS
PBR(Beta) Flo Fresh Current Home UPS
Product
Line
Length Go
Black
Fresh
Industrial
Product mix width
Automotive
Power Back-up
Services Offered by Amaron :
 Amcare :
This service helps to find the location of the nearest Amaron PitStop . The toll-free
amcare number – 1800 4254848 is available 24x7 for availing the service.
Amaron has set up mobile service at all locations to make things even more
convenient. Non-Amaron users can walk into any Amaron store to check the health of
the battery, whatever brand it may be or call on the AMCARE number and change to an
Amaron.
 Amaron Website (http://www.amaron.in) :
Amaron’s website is an integrated approach to identify, acquire and retain customers by
enabling the organisation to manage and co-ordinate customer interactions across
multiple channels, departments, lines of business and geographies.
The website provides the following facilities :
 Choose Your Battery :
When the Vehicle Name, Vehicle Make and Model are provided, it displays the battery
models most suited to one’s requirement. The information displayed contains Battery
Name, Battery Type, Free Warranty (in months) and Pro-rata Warranty (in months).
This facility gives the customers the flexibility to decide on the battery that fits his
requirement. It is user friendly.
 Locate Your Nearest Pitstop :

Amaron Pit Stop can be easily located in the Amaron website by providing the Country
Name, Name of the State and Name of the City.
 Order Battery Online :
Amaron batteries can be ordered online from the website, which is linked to another
website http://www.batterywale.com. This gives the customers an opportunity to
browse through the entire repertoire of Amaron batteries, tailored differently
depending upon different vehicle specifications. The Battery Type, Make, Model, Brand,
State, Location and Area needs to be provided along with the contact number of the
customer.
 The website also provides Tips for Buying a Battery and Battery Safety &
Handling Guidelines for the customers.
 Distribution network :
Amara Raja’s, distribution network plays a vital role in aftermarket automotive
batteries sales and Amara Raja has been successful in creating a dominant network.
Amaron has 287 franchised distributors, including 21,000 retailers and 400 plus
service hubs and the value is rapidly increasing. It is the second largest distribution
network in the Indian Battery Market. The Company plans to double its distribution
network within the next 2-3 years and will focus more on areas where unorganized
players are predominant – i.e. semi urban & rural areas.
The company has pan India presence with network spread across 18,000 retail outlets,
2,000 service hubs.
The study of “competitive market analysis” of Exide and
Amaron in and around sectors of Kolkata:
1. Secondary data analysis:
Using the secondary data we will try to create a logical conclusion about the market
capitalisation of any one of the two in the competitive market. In the current scenario of
bleak domestic automobile sales, the battery sector provides a good investment
alternative. We expect the battery sector to benefit from the strong 22% auto sales
CAGR between FY09-FY12. The typical three year battery life means that replacement
demand is likely to pick up after a weak phase. We believe that Exide and Amara Raja
are well placed to capitalize on this 20%+ growth opportunity, now that the capacity
expansion is on-stream. UPS/inverter sales continue to post double-digit growth and we
expect the weak demand from the low-margin OEMs to be more than offset by
replacement/industrial sales.
The competitive analysis and the market capitalization is just the outcome of the Year
ending financial statements. The visible attribute of the annual report statement which
clarify the market capitalisation are as below:
 Size and relationship advantage with OEMs
 Organized replacement

 Margins with per ton production instead of high lead price rise.
 Gross fixed asset turnover and EBITDA margins
 ROE and ROIC trend
 Revenue growth trend
 Balance sheets
 Financial ratios
Size and relationship advantage with OEMs:
Quasi duopoly – 90% of market between Exide and Amara Raja ; Strong OEM tie-ups
and vast distribution network difficult to replicate.
Organized replacement:
Organized replacement too, is a quasi duopoly between them.
Margins with per ton production instead of high lead price rise:
This is nothing but the margins of pricing power. The pricing power in retail assures
margins of sustainability. We have already discussed that the price of lead is one of the
most vital driver force to decide the market capitalization. Instead of rising lead prices

the companies between two whichever will produce battery with low cost will capitalise
the market and the current scenario is:
Both companies sustained margins even at lead prices of >3k/ton; disappointments in
the past have been either due to high cost inventory (EXID) or shift in product mix
(AMRJ).
Margins resilient despite volatility in lead prices
Gross fixed asset turnover and EBITDA margins:
Gross fixed asset turnover is a ratio which implies the measurement of the efficiency
with which fixed asset is employed. It is a measurement of sales per rupee of investment
in fixed assets. A high ratio indicates a high degree of efficiency in asset utilization and
low ratio indicates inefficient use of assets.
Gross fixed asset turnover ratio =
AssetsFixedNetAverage
SalesNet
High gross fixed asset turnover levels:
A company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (commonly
abbreviated EBITDA) is an accounting measure calculated using a company's net
earnings, before interest expenses, taxes, depreciation and amortization are subtracted,

as a proxy for a company's current operating profitability, i.e., how much profit it makes
with its present assets and its operations on the products it produces and sells, as well
as providing a proxy for cash flow.
ROE and ROIC trend:
The amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. Return on
equity measures a corporation's profitability by revealing how much profit a company
generates with the money shareholders have invested.
Return on Equity = Net Income/Shareholder's Equity
Now the trend is showing that the ROE of Amaron is very fluctuating within the period
of FY-07 to FY-11; but in most of the time Amaron are at the higher ebb than exide.
ROIC:
A calculation used to assess a company's efficiency at allocating the capital under its
control to profitable investments. The return on invested capital measure gives a sense
of how well a company is using its money to generate returns. Comparing a company's
return on capital (ROIC) with its cost of capital (WACC) reveals whether invested capital
was used effectively.
The general equation for ROIC is as follows:
Also known as "return on capital".

Now this analysis shows that the profitable investment of exide is more than Amaron.
As far as the revenue growth trend is concerned:
Now to have a closure look to the company’s profile we need to have a analysis on the
basis of their financial status by analysing companies balance sheets and income
statements.
Secondary data analysis using financial statements:
Here in this segment of data analysis we will going to decide depending on the assets,
yearly turn over, earning per share which company is enjoying the competitive
advantages in the market.
In general there are six major types of ratios are available with different fragmentation
at the analytical level. They are as follows:
1) Liquidity Measurement Ratios
 Curent Ratio
 Quick Ratio
 Cash Ratio
 Cash Conversion Cycle

2) Profitability Indicator Ratios
 Profit Margin Analysis
 Effective Tax Rate
 Return On Assets
 Return On Equity
 Return On Capital Employed
3) Debt Ratios
 Overview Of Debt
 Debt Ratio
 Debt-Equity Ratio
 Capitalization Ratio
 Interest Coverage Ratio
 Cash Flow To Debt Ratio
4) Operating Performance Ratios
 Fixed-Asset Turnover
 Sales/Revenue Per Employee
 Operating Cycle
5) Cash Flow Indicator Ratios
 Operating Cash Flow/Sales Ratio
 Free Cash Flow/Operating Cash Ratio
 Cash Flow Coverage Ratio
 Dividend Payout Ratio
6) Investment Valuation Ratios
 Per Share Data
 Price/Book Value Ratio
 Cash Flow Coverage Ratio
 Price/Earnings Ratio
 Price/Earnings To Growth Ratio
 Price/Sales Ratio
 Dividend Yield
 Enterprise Value Multiple
But among them for the competitive business analysis the basic few financial ratios are
as follows:
Debt-to-Equity Ratio:
Total liabilities and total shareholder equity are both found on the balance sheet. The
debt-to-equity ratio measures the relationship between the amount of capital that has
been borrowed (i.e. debt) and the amount of capital contributed by shareholders
(i.e. equity).The formula used to compute this ratio is:
D/E ratio =
EquityrsShareholde
sLiabilitieTotal
For Exide: For Amaron:

For Financial Year 2012-13 For Financial Year 2012-13
Total Liabilities were: ₹ 4,548.35Cr Total Liabilities were: ₹1,770.47Cr
Shareholder’s equity were: ₹ 3,423.59Cr Shareholder’s equity were: ₹1,059.81Cr
D/E ratio= (4,548.35/3,423.59) D/E ratio= (1,770.47/1,059.81)
= 1.326 = 1.67
Total Liabilities were: ₹ 4,956.62Cr Total Liabilities were: ₹2,139.44Cr
Shareholder’s equity were: ₹ 3,731.46Cr Shareholder’s equity were: ₹1,362.70Cr
D/E ratio= (4,956.62/3,731.46) D/E ratio= (2,139.44/1,362.70)
= 1.328 = 1.57
Generally speaking, as a firm's debt-to-equity ratio increases, it becomes more risky
because if it becomes unable to meet its debt obligations, it will be forced into
bankruptcy.
In this case of competitive analysis we can see that Exide’s total liabilities increases
with the same proportion as the increase of its shareholders equity, and as a result the
D/E ratio keep increasing from last year to this year. Therefore, to increase the
capital the invasion of preferential shareholders are increasing, which is a negative
significance of the business. Whereas Amaron’s D/E ratio decreases this is a positive
significance for the company. Although both the companies the D/E ratio is not very
satisfactory as the margin should be lies within 1.25.
Corollary: Amaron 1 Exide 0
Current Ratio:
The current ratio measures a company's ability to pay its short-term liabilities with its
short-term assets. The current ratio is a liquidity ratio which estimates the ability of a
company to pay back short-term obligations. This ratio is also known as cash asset ratio,
cash ratio, and liquidity ratio. A higher current ratio indicates the higher capability of a
company to pay back its debts. The formula used for computing current ratio is:
Current Ratio (CR):
sLiabilitieCurrent
AssetsCurrent
Current Liabilities were: ₹ 999.38 Cr Current Liabilities were=₹ 576.19Cr
Current Assets were =₹ 1,982.70Cr Current Assets were =₹1,256.85Cr
Current ratio= (1,982.70/999.38) Current ratio = (1,256.85/576.19)
= 1.984 = 2.181
Current Liabilities are=₹ 1,093.95Cr Current Liabilities are: ₹633.70Cr

Current Assets are =₹ 2,247.63Cr Current Assets were: ₹1,298.61Cr
Current ratio= (2,247.63/1,093.95) Current ratio = (1,298.61/633.70)
= 2.054 = 2.049
Rate of change of CR for Exide=
984.1
984.1054.2 
=3.52%
Rate of change of CR for Exide=
181.2
181.2049.2 
=-6.05%
The standard value of current ratio in a company is assumed to be 1.33. But with more
than 1.33 value signifies that the probability of bankruptcy for the company is low if the
business is at low ebb. In this case the current ratio of exide and Amaron, the rate of
increase of CR in case of exide is heading Amaron.
Quick Ratio:
The quick ratio (also known as the acid-test ratio) is similar to the quick ratio in that it's
a measure of how well a company can meet its short-term financial liabilities. However,
it takes the concept one step further. The quick ratio backs out inventory because it
assumes that selling inventory would take several weeks or months. The quick ratio
only takes into account those assets that could be used to pay short-term debts today.
Quick Ratio=
sLiabilitieCurrent
Inventory)-Assets(Current
Current Liabilities were: ₹ 999.38 Cr Current Liabilities were=₹ 576.19Cr
Current Assets were =₹ 1,982.70Cr Current Assets were =₹1,256.85Cr
Inventory = ₹1,167.10 Cr Inventory =₹292.86Cr
Current ratio=((1,982.70-1,167.10) Current ratio = ((1,256.85-292.86)
/999.38) /576.19))
= 0.816 = 1.673
Current Liabilities are=₹ 1,093.95Cr Current Liabilities are= ₹633.70Cr
Current Assets are =₹ 2,247.63Cr Current Assets were= ₹1,298.61Cr
Inventories = ₹1,185.57Cr Inventory =₹ 335.01Cr
Current ratio= ((2,247.63-1,185.57) Current ratio = ((1,298.61-335.01)
/1,093.95) /633.70)
= 0.970 = 1.520
The standard value of quick ratio is 0.69 and a higher quick ratio indicates the better
position of a company. Therefore if the organizations somehow get bankrupt, then to
clear up short term debt the potential of Amaron is better than Exide.

Return on Equity (ROE):
This ratio indicates how profitable a company is by comparing its net income to its
average shareholders' equity. The return on equity ratio (ROE) measures how much the
shareholders earned for their investment in the company. The higher the ratio
percentage, the more efficient management is in utilizing its equity base and the better
return is to investors.
Equity is another word for ownership. ROE tells you how good a company is at
rewarding its shareholders for their investment.
Return on Equity(ROE)= 100*
Equitysr'ShareholdeAverage
IncomeNet
Net Income = ₹ 522.78Cr Net Income =₹ 286.71Cr
Shareholder's Equity=₹ 3,423.59Cr Shareholder's Equity =₹1,059.81Cr
ROE ratio=(522.78/3,423.59)*100 ROE ratio = (286.71/1,059.81)*100
= 15.269 = 27.052
Shareholder's Equity=₹ 3,731.46Cr Shareholder's Equity =₹1,362.70Cr
ROE ratio=(487.08/3,731.46)*100 ROE ratio = (367.44/1,362.70)*100
= 13.053 = 26.964
Standard value of ROE is 11%. Higher ROE is good for company’s health. In this
analysis it is evident that the ROE of the battery industry is at its descending progress.
But among these two battery giants the position of exide is declining in a more steep
way than Amara raja. The decline in ROE is more in Exide than in Amaron.
Net Profit Margin Analysis:
The net profit margin is a number which indicates the efficiency of a company at its cost
control. A higher net profit margin shows more efficiency of the company at converting
its revenue into actual profit. This ratio is a good way of making comparisons between
companies in the same industry, for such companies are often subject to similar
business conditions.
The formula for computing the Net Profit Margin is :
Net Profit Margin= 100*
SalesNet
IncomeNet
Net Sales =₹ 6,071.37Cr Net Sales =₹2,958.92Cr
Net Profit Margin ratio =(522.78/6,071.37) Net Profit Margin ratio =(286.71/2,958.92)

*100 *100
= 8.61% = 9.689%
Net Sales =₹ 5,964.24 Cr Net Sales =₹3,436.66Cr
Net Profit Margin ratio=(487.08/5,964.24) Net Profit Margin ratio = (367.44/3,436.66)
*100 *100
= 8.16% = 10.691%
Amaron is enjoying a competitive advantage over exide on net profit margins.
Price/Earnings Ratio (P/E ratio):
The price/earnings ratio (P/E) is the best known of the investment valuation indicators.
The P/E ratio has its imperfections, but it is nevertheless the most widely reported and
used valuation by investment professionals and the investing public. The financial
reporting of both companies and investment research services use a basic earnings per
share (EPS) figure divided into the current stock price to calculate the P/E multiple (i.e.
how many times a stock is trading (its price) per each dollar of EPS).
It's not surprising that estimated EPS figures are often very optimistic during bull
markets, while reflecting pessimism during bear markets. Also, as a matter of historical
record, it's no secret that the accuracy of stock analyst earnings estimates should be
looked at sceptically by investors. Nevertheless, analyst estimates and opinions based
on forward-looking projections of a company's earnings do play a role in Wall Street's
stock-pricing considerations.
Historically, the average P/E ratio for the broad market has been around 15, although it
can fluctuate significantly depending on economic and market conditions. The ratio will
also vary widely among different companies and industries.
P/E Ratio=
SharePerEarnings
ShareperPriceStock
ShareperPrice = ₹ 150.27Cr ShareperPrice =₹ 421.71Cr
Earnings Per Share =₹ 6.15Cr Earnings Per Share =₹16.79Cr
P/E ratio = (150.27/6.15) P/E ratio =(531.71/16.79)
= 24.13 = 25.116
ShareperPrice = ₹ 160.75Cr ShareperPrice =₹ 535.20Cr
Earnings Per Share =₹ 5.73Cr Earnings Per Share =₹21.51Cr

P/E ratio = (160.75/5.73) P/E ratio = (367.44/3,436.66)
= 28.05 = 24.88
If a company has a P/E higher than the market or industry average, this means that the
market is expecting big things over the next few months or years. A company with a
high P/E ratio will eventually have to live up to the high rating by substantially
increasing its earnings, or the stock price will need to drop. Generally, a P/E lowers than
15 indicates that a company's shares are currently undervalued, while a P/E ratio
higher than 20 indicates that its shares are overvalued. Therefore this is evident that the
overvalued share price of exide than its EPS is making the market of the company
volatile and this scenario has worsen in between the last and present year. So the
position of Amaron is better here also.
Operating Cash Flow/Sales Ratio :
This ratio, which is expressed as a percentage, compares a company's operating cash
flow to its net sales or revenues, which gives investors an idea of the company's ability
to turn sales into cash.
It would be worrisome to see a company's sales grow without a parallel growth in
operating cash flow. Positive and negative changes in a company's terms of sale and/or
the collection experience of its accounts receivable will show up in this indicator.
Operating cash flow/Sales ratio= RevenueSalesFlowCashOperating
Operating Cash Flow : A element of cash flow statement
Operating Cash Flow = ₹ 359.72Cr Operating Cash Flow =₹ 335.47Cr
Net Sales = ₹ Cr Net Sales =₹ 2,958.92Cr
P/E ratio = (150.27/6.15) P/E ratio =(335.47/2,958.92)
= 24.13 = 25.116
Operating Cash Flow = ₹ 646.95Cr Operating Cash Flow =₹ 278.75Cr
Net Sales =₹ 5.73Cr Net Sales =₹3,436.66Cr
P/E ratio = (160.75/5.73) P/E ratio = (278.75/3,436.66)
= 28.05 = 24.88

2. My Field experience, special findings and review:
The main part of any research work is the process, method and experience of data
collection. In the case of my data collection although my area of interest was the
Exide, Amaron and Multibrand battery sellers, which include both distributors as
well as dealers in and around Kolkata region.
Initially the target was to find out as many such stores as possible, in and around
Kolkata sector. At first our mentor helped us by providing with 28 of such stores.
Our challenge was to locate the stores, convince the responsible persons over there
and extract the information we need from them. Those stores were spread all over
Kolkata region, spreading over Kolkata and Howrah.
During that period we discovered that 4 stores are not currently operating battery
business, 2 stores refused to entertain in spite of our persuasion.
Later we visited the B.T. Road, located the stores on the road by ourselves and
collected the required data.
2.1. Experience of Exide Store visit:
 M/s. Diesel House :
It is a very old store, established in late ’60 s. A very small store, yet very busy. From the
very beginning of the store, it deals in Exide batteries only.
 Lokenath Battery :
When we reached, no one was there to entertain us, the responsible person was
roaming around nearby. He was reluctant to entertain us even after knowing that we
were interns of Exide. We have noticed some SF-Sonic batteries in the store.
 Jai Ambey Battery:
The store remains closed during the afternoon. According to the owner, the battery
market is not doing well. He is not satisfied with the number of batteries he manages to
sell per month.
 S.O.S. Auto Electric:
It is a big store with couple of employees. It is a settled and stable business. The
customers are mostly sub dealers ( part of humsafar network) and two wheeler owners
 Admark Battery centre:
The customers are mostly Car owners of cars like Santro, Maruti Aulto etc.
2.2. Experience of Amaron Store visit :
 Sunderlal:
It is one of the biggest distributors of Kolkata region. We could not find out the
organization at once even if we knew we reached at the right address. There is no sign-
board or something like that to indicate presence of such a big store. It is a very old, big
store with a sustainable employee base. The employee with whom we interacted was
friendly but was reluctant to disclose the sale. We faced a tough time to convince him.
The biggest and most innovative store I have visited during the period of data collection.
The customers are mostly dealers and service centres of Kolkata.
 Zillion Power Pvt. Ltd.:

It is one of the biggest distributors of Kolkata and Howrah region. The store is a big
store with a sustainable employee base. The employee with whom we interacted was
very friendly and easily disclosed all the information we asked him. The customers are
mostly dealers and service centres of Kolkata and Howrah.
 Super Battery Corporation:
Earlier it used to be a multi-brand dealer but currently it is an exclusive dealer of
Amaron. Found couple of Tata Green batteries on the showcase. The owner possesses
unfavourable perception towards Exide. It is a sustainably big store with two
employees.
 Power Zone:
Earlier it used to be a distributor but currently it is an exclusive dealer of Amaron, for
around 15 years. It is a sustainably big store with two employees. The employees are
very friendly.
 Weltek:
It is a very small store. The owner has a plan to be a multi-brand dealer.
 MLR Auto Udyog :
The owner was not willing to talk about other brands of battery when approached.
 Kirna Tyres:
The store has a sustainably large service centre adjacent to it. The customers are mostly
Maruti car owners and Maruti service centres.
 Dear Power :
The owner did not reveal his sales figure even after lot of persuasion. The customers are
mostly car owners and service centres.
 Gita Auto Electric :
The dealer complained on no over the counter service for Exide batteries. For any issue
with the battery, the customer has to take it all the way to the main Exide service centre
at Padmapukur, Entally. While Amaron services its batteries over the counter. The
customer can service and collect their batteries from the dealers itself. Amaron
batteries last longer, upto 5 years and do not need distilled water replacement in
between unlike Exide batteries. The customers are mostly Maruti car owners.
 NN das Motor Auto emission Checking centre :
 The dealer complained that Exide’s service quality is poor, that is why Maruti has
shifted loyalty of OEM ie original equipment manufacturing from Exide to Amaron
owing to its long lasting performances. Inverter-UPS batteries are available on
special order only.
 Puspita Motors :
It is a large dealer in B.T. Road area. It has many sub-dealers in that area.
The dealer used to be a titanium dealer of Exide and used to bring huge business for
Exide but his Exide dealership was cancelled due to his certain unacceptable activities
and disloyal nature.
Customers are mainly local sub-dealers. The store also sells factory-charged batteries. It
has a service centre adjacent.
 Auto Scan Maruti Service Station :
It is an exclusive Maruti Service Station of that area. The customers are Maruti car owners.
 Snehasish Developers :
Deals in Amaron industrial batteries. The customers are car owners.

 S B Enterprise:
The customers are car owners and auto rickshaw owners.
2.3. Experience of Store Visit of Other brands :
 Chopada Motors :
Deals in Luminous batteries. Inverter and UPS batteries are mostly sold batteries, for
households as well as industrial requirements.
 BN Auto Electric Works :
Produces its own batteries named BN Auto Electric batteries for 2-wheelers and
inverters.
 Debnath Auto Centre :
Currently an exclusive dealer of Amara Raja Power Zone batteries. Earlier it was a
Hamsafar Dealer of Exide under S.O.S. Auto Electric. The dealer failed to upgrade
himself as an exclusive dealer of Exide and switched to Amara Raja Power Zone
dealership with a current sale of around 125-150 automotive batteries per month.
 Das Auto Electrical Works :
An exclusive dealer of SF-Sonic batteries. Major selling batteries are 35Amp and 80Amp
batteries and major customers are local service centres.
 VIP Batteries :
Manufacturer and whole seller of Anayon Batteries, which are low maintenance
batteries for automobile and inverters. The dealer was not willing to entertain other
brands or comment on other brands of batteries.
2.4. Experience of Multi-brand Store visit :
 Shree Balaji Tradelink:
A significantly large multi-brand dealer. Prefers Exide because of its service.
 Amrita IT Electronics:
Currently not operating the battery business but has a plan to resume shortly. Prefers
Exide because of its easy availability and service.
 Info Silicate Systems Pvt. Ltd. :
Deals in inverter batteries only. But it has currently diversified to other businesses as
inverter battery market is not performing well. Prefers Exide due to availability and
service.
 United Battery Corporation :
The dealer prefers Exide because of its quality and service. He is interested to be an
exclusive Exide dealer, but he is also hesitant to be an exclusive Exide dealer as the price
of Exide batteries are little higher than the other brands and Exide keeps on increasing
the price without prior intimation (according to him).
 Gold Battery Industries :
According to the dealer, Amaron provides better after sales service than Exide.
 Atul Automobiles :

The dealer refused to talk, did not behave well, even refused to give his card. But his
store contained more number of Exide batteries than that of other brands like SF-Sonic,
Luminous etc.
 Battery House Kankurgachi :
The dealer promotes Exide Batteries over other Batteries.
 Star Battery :
The dealer suggests SF-sonic and Amaron batteries over Exide. According to him SF-
sonic and Amaron provides better Service than Exide.
 Sinha Electric Store :
This multi-brand dealer prefers Exide batteries over other brands of batteries he deals
in.
 Alliance Technology :
For inverters only Exide batteries are available in the store. Though the dealer sells all
types of battery brands, but prefers Exide.
 Tyre Zone, Moto Spa :
The dealer promotes both Amaron and Exide Batteries.
 Abha Power :
The dealer promotes amaron batteries over Exide.
According to him, car Manufacturing companies have switched their OEM battery
manufacturing preference from Exide to Amaron. Hyundai and Honda currently have
60% Amaron OEM, 30% Exide and 10% others.
 AVM corporation :
The dealer did not entertain. The notable brands present in the store are amaron, Su-
kam etc (from observation).
 Saheli Electric :
This multi-brand store mainly contains SF-Sonic, Amaron and Luminous batteries. The
maximum sold battery is SF-Sonic SK-1080-80R battery for taxis.
 Sabitri Electronics :
This multi-brand store mainly contains Exide, SF-Sonic, Amaron, Base etc batteries. The
maximum sold battery is SF-Sonic jumbo battery. The major customers are Sumo and
commercial vehicles like lorry.
 Joy Santoshi Maa Auto Electric Battery Center :
Deals in inverter and UPS batteries only. Power-Zone, SF-Sonic are notable brands sold.
Majority of the customers buy the batteries for household purposes.
 A.K. Battery :
A very small store with very less number of batteries in store. The dealer mainly deals
in Power-max batteries, a local make. Other batteries of notable brands can also be
available on order. Major customers are automobile owners.
 Shakti Battery Stores :
Though the dealer has a stock of both Exide and Amaron batteries, majority of his
customers buy Amaron batteries of 35Amp and 80Amp for automobiles.
2.5. Experience of Visit to Vehicle Showrooms :
 Auto Home :

Deals in TVS 2-wheelers. The 2-wheelers contain 60% TVS and 40% Exide OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) batteries.
 GNB Motors Pvt. Ltd. :
Deals in Piaggio ape and Ashok Leyland commercial vehicles which contain 70% Exide
and 30% TATA Green OEM (original equipment manufacturer) batteries.
 Bengal Hyundai :
Hyundai showroom. The Hyundai cars contain 60% Exide and 40% Amaron OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) batteries.
It requires 2days for servicing of Exide OEM batteries which are within the warrantee
period and the service centre representative has to carry it to the Exide service station
of Padmapukur, Entally. According to the store manager, sometimes it becomes very
difficult to convince the owners about that 2day period of battery servicing. Car owners
usually do not want to leave their cars at the service station for 2days only for the
battery problem.
 Madhuri Auto Mobile :
Deals in battery driven TOTO cars of Basantee Eco Drive. The TOTO cars contain four
88Amp Exide batteries.
2.6. Special Findings and Review :
 There is no unified perception among Exide dealers regarding the after sales service
of Exide. All of them do not have the correct information about it. Some of the dealers
complained that there is no over the counter service for Exide batteries. If any issue
arises with the battery, the customer has to take it all the way to Padmapukur, Entally
service centre. But in reality Exide provide over the counter services. The customer can
service and collect their batteries from the dealers itself.
 In B.T.Road area most of the exclusive battery dealers and sub-dealers deals in
Amaron batteries. It seems that Amaron as a brand is more preferred over there.
According to Puspita Motors, there are a number of sub-dealers in that area who buy
batteries from Puspita Motors. As Puspita Motors has switched from Exide to Amaron,
the sub-dealers are following the same path.
 Majority of the multi-brand battery dealers prefers Exide batteries due to
availability and easy after sales service.
 The dealer/distributors are reluctant to disclose their monthly sale volume.
 According to most of the multi-brand dealers, the quality of Amaron and SF-Sonic
batteries is better than that of Exide batteries.
 The passenger vehicles like public bus and taxi which are 15+years old are being
replaced as per the Government law. As new cars with advanced technology, attractive
design and style and easy exchange offers are continuously being introduced into the
market, a large number of car owners are replacing their old cars with new ones. A car
battery usually lasts for 3-5 years. So currently the replacement market is not doing
well.
 The service centres want a prompt servicing of the OEM Exide batteries which are
within warranty period.

Competitive Market Analysis of Exide and Amaron Batteries

Competitive Market Analysis of Exide and Amaron Batteries

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