Ford Motor Company’s India operation  said that its sales in India tripled in February compared with the same month a year ago. For the month, Ford sold 9,293 cars in India compared with 3,223 last February.

Ford India's Newly Released "Figo" Model

Both Ford and General Motors are doing very well in India lately.

Takeaway: If you take the time to understand the pulse of the India consumer, you will be rewarded handsomely even in the light of local, Korean, and Japanese competition.

German automaker Daimler AG plans to buy more components from India for its global operations and expects growing demand for luxury cars to drive sales higher in India Chief financial officer, Uwe Jarosch, said recently. “Currently, our sourcing from India is €40 million to €50 million.”

Mr. Jarosch said the company is in talks with Indian vendors to contribute to a new global platform, Mercedes Front-wheel Architecture,  for passenger vehicles, including  hatchbacks and compact sport-utility vehicles.

General Motors said last Thursday that it planned to source $1 billion worth of auto parts from India over the next two years.  Indian parts makers are exporting batteries, alternators, fuel tanks, forgings and more to markets in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

This is an indication of the prowess of Indian manufacturing, built on the back of the domestic automobile industry.

The Economic Times carries a nice piece by Karl Slym currently CEO of General Motors India, who first came as a visitor the country and now lives there as an expatriate.

“Coming (to India) as a visitor and as a resident are two completely different things. I enjoy the life here and feel every bit a part of it, so much so, that I actually find myself very protective about the country.”

Click here for the full story.  “There are definitely specific differences about doing business in India, but nothing that can’t be managed with a little adjustment. Like in Japan, India likes to start a little later but also stay till later at the other end of the day. In the UK, people usually go to work earlier and leave earlier for family time, or to go out for dinner. They keep that time for themselves. Here, the same time is morning. One area I have noticed while doing business here is a lack of pre-planning for events. With the confidence of finishing stuff in the last minute, people here are naturally disinclined to plan much ahead. ”

In writing my book on Doing Business in 21st Century India, I spoke to dozens of Americans who became Indo-philes after spending a years in the country.  Slym’s experience is typical of those who can survive the first year and keep smiling!

German automotive parts company Schaeffler Group will set up a research and development unit in India. The maker of hydraulic clutch release systems, may hire up to 200 people. For all its trouble in the US, American car-maker General Motors is doing well in India. It plans to hire 150 engineers to support R&D for next generation engines, transmissions and hybrid; the company said it will enter into fuel cells research in India.

Meanwhile, Ilan Kinreich, COO of Radware, a provider application delivery solutions for business-smart networking, announced the opening of its R&D center in Bangalore. India is one of only three worldwide R&D locations for this American company.

And David Goulden, EMC’s Chief Financial Officer, recently committed to spend $1.5 billion to expand its research and development and services delivery in India until 2014. The company opened a 495,000 square-foot facility in Bangalore. It will house an R&D center and will deliver customer support services. The R&D facility is three times larger than the previous one, and can house up to 3,500 employees.