Auto Expo 2016 attracts 80,000 visitors on Day 1

Greater Noida: The Auto Expo, which opened to public Friday, saw about 80,000 auto enthusiasts making it to the biennial event.

While the first two days were open to media and business visitors, the expo has been thrown open to the public from today till February 9.

The show, jointly organised by SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), ACMA (Automotive Components Manufacturers Association) and the Confederation of Indian Industry, is taking place at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.

Visitors kept pouring in to experience some of the best and latest products in the Indian automobile market, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said in a statement.

The Auto Expo is being held at a time when the automobile manufacturers are under pressure amid rising concerns over pollution, specially in Delhi-NCR, where diesel SUVs and cars with engines above 2,000 cc have been banned following a Supreme Court order.

Some of the major participants in the Expo are Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra and Mahindra, Hyundai Motor India, Honda Cars India, Tata Motors and Audi, among others.

New participants include Jeep, Polaris and Italian motorcycle maker Benelli.

Some companies have also given the event a miss citing high costs and low returns on investments. These include Bajaj Auto, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson.