New Delhi: The wreaking of the global havoc may have begun from China's Wuhan, but the coronavirus' dreadful impact is being severely felt in the Auto Expo 2020 at Greater Noida, which has been touted as Asia's biggest auto carnival.
The main Motor Show, into its 15th edition, is being held some 30 km way from the national capital while the Components Show is being organized at New Delhi's Pragati Maidan.
What again sets the thin crowd in the auto stalls apart from the previous editions of the show is the ubiquitous mask. It seems to be almost everywhere. And not just due to the infamous Delhi pollution. Most visitors, company executives manning the stalls sport the mask in an attempt to stave off the health threat that is assuming overwhelming proportions.
The foreign crowd, where the Chinese are always in huge numbers - is also less due to a number of visa cancellations.
A defining obvious trend is the abiding interest in electric vehicles. But a lot of challenges exist there including a clear policy framework and logistics like charging stations.
Read: Auto Expo 2020: Know the vehicles launched
Amid the usual new vehicle launches, there is no doubt that the mood is subdued. One prime reason is of course the dismal numbers of the economy, the global one as well as in India as growth figures are headed southward.
"There is much less participation and interest this time, especially from China. Besides the global economic slowdown, the coronavirus has created quite a scare. Not just its impact in this auto show but if the coronavirus is not controlled soon, it will have the spiralling effect that will lead to serious repercussions in the entire auto eco-system," an industry source told ETV Bharat.
"Because of the virus scare, many component manufacturing units in China have closed down work. That impact on the supply chain will be seen and felt in the next few years."
China is a major player in the global auto industry—not just for vehicles but for components too which are significantly produced by small and medium scale industries. Many top auto companies like SAIC Motors, BYD, Great Wall Motors, are Chinese-owned. Veritably, anything that affects China impacts the entire auto sector eco-system.
"Compared to the previous editions, there have been very few inquiries in the 'components show' which is not a good sign as it is essentially a business-to-business (B2B) interface where vehicle manufacturers come to seek products for their components," the auto expert added.
As if to underline the damp sentiment, many global auto majors like BMW, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover are conspicuous by their absence in the show this time as also two-wheeler brands like Yamaha, Honda, Harley Davidson and Triumph.
Read: Auto Expo 2020: Carmakers showcase their best for India
