About PPAP - Procurement Podcast for Automotive Professionals
Welcome to PPAP - Procurement Podcast for Automotive Professionals, your essential weekly guide to the dynamic world of automotive spare parts procurement. Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to sharpen your edge, a newcomer eager to understand the industry's intricacies, or simply fascinated by how vehicles stay on the road, this podcast is for you. Join us as we navigate the complexities of sourcing for both mass-market and luxury OEMs, exploring everything from electrical components and interior aesthetics to powertrains and chassis.
We started with the absolute basics of automotive procurement. We explored the strategic divide between mass-market and luxury sourcing. We went deep into electrical and electronic components, into cabin interiors and aesthetics, into the powertrain — the single most expensive category on the bill of materials. We got into the structural backbone of a vehicle with chassis and BIW. We tackled thehard realities of global sourcing and resilience. And today, we've closed theloop by looking ahead to sustainability and AI.
10 May 2026
EP07 Global Sourcing & Resilience — Beautiful Complexity vs. Brutal Fragility
Episode 7: Global Sourcing — Beautiful Complexity vs. Brutal Fragility
Welcome to PAP: The Procurement Podcast for Automotive Professionals. In this episode, host Chandramohan explores the high-stakes world of global sourcing—a practice driven by the search for lower costs, specialized capabilities, and access to essential raw materials.
While global sourcing offers immense power, recent history has exposed its inherent vulnerabilities. From the semiconductor crisis that halted production lines globally to the Suez Canal blockage, the industry has learned that a "cheap" unit price can be a dangerous illusion.
Beyond the Unit Price: Why true experts prioritize Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), factoring in logistics, inventory carrying costs, and risk.
The Four Pillars of Global Sourcing: A framework built on strategic intent, airtight supplier qualification, rigorous risk mapping, and a sophisticated logistics architecture.
The "China Plus One" Strategy: How geopolitical shocks and tariffs are driving a shift toward secondary manufacturing hubs like India, particularly in Pune and Chennai.
Mass Market vs. Luxury Models: A comparison of how procurement varies between high-volume scale (e.g., Toyota) and precision-based heritage (e.g., Rolls-Royce).
The Practical Resilience Playbook: Five actionable steps to de-risk your supply chain, including multi-tier transparency and digital visibility tools.
Whether you are managing rubber gaskets or carbon fiber door skins, this episode provides the discipline and framework needed to protect your organization in an unpredictable global market.
21 Apr 2026
EP06 Chassis
In this episode of PPAP , we will dive into the "spine" of the automotive world: the chassis and Body in White (BIW). From a high-stakes midnight crash test in Germany to the precision engineering of suspension systems, we explore why these components are the intersection of metallurgy, physics, and life-or-death safety.Key topics covered in this episode include:
The Material Revolution: A look at how the industry is shifting from mild steel to advanced high-strength steels (AHSS), aluminum, and carbon fiber to meet aggressive lightweighting and emission targets.
Mass vs. Luxury Procurement: Comparing the cost-optimization strategies for a mass-market SUV like the Tata Nexon with the strategic technology partnerships required for the Range Rover’s active air suspension.
The Indian Ecosystem: Navigating the challenges and opportunities for stamping suppliers in India’s major automotive corridors like Pune and Chennai.
20 Apr 2026
EP05 Powertrain
In this episode of the podcast, host dives "under the hood" to explore powertrain procurement, the most expensive and technically demanding category in automotive. The discussion covers the fundamental components that deliver power to the wheels, representing roughly 25% to 35% of a vehicle's total bill of materials.
Key highlights from the episode include:
The EV Transition: Why the shift from internal combustion engines to electric motors is a supply chain "earthquake" that renders traditional parts obsolete.
Mass vs. Luxury Strategy: A comparison of procurement for the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s high-volume AMT unit versus the co-developed, high-performance Porsche 911 PDK transmission.
Supplier Landscape: Insights into the roles of established Tier 1 giants like BorgWarner and ZF, alongside emerging EV powerhouses like CATL and Nidec.
Actionable Tips: Advice on building a technical vocabulary, mapping single-source risks, and why professionals shouldn't wait for a formal program to start learning about battery cell chemistry.
Whether you are navigating the Indian automotive ecosystem or managing global supply chains, this episode provides a roadmap for mastering the heart of the machine.
9 Mar 2026
EP04 Inside the Cabin Interiors & Aesthetics
In this episode of the PPAP Procurement podcast, we shift our focus from the exterior to the core: the car interior. We explore how interiors define the passenger experience through aesthetics, comfort, and increasingly, sustainability.
Join host Chandramohan S as he navigates the complex world of sourcing interior components for the aftermarket. We’ll discuss the challenges of maintaining consistency in color and texture, the massive contrast in procurement strategies between mass-market textiles and luxury Nappa leather, and innovative solutions for managing inventory for low-demand, high-cost luxury parts. Finally, we look ahead to the rising demand for green materials and the top industry leaders driving innovation in cabin design.
2 Mar 2026
EP03 Powering the Future: Electrical & Electronics
The rise of electric vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems has made theprocurement of electrical and electronic parts in the automotive industry morecritical than ever. These parts are complex and rapidly evolving, and theirprocurement involves ensuring technical compatibility and safety. Availabilityis also a major concern as electronics can become obsolete quickly.
25 Feb 2026
E02 Mass Market vs. Luxury: The Sourcing Divide
In this episode we are diving into the strategic divide: how mass-market and luxury OEMs approach sourcing their spare parts differently. We will also look at the major Tier-1 suppliers in Automotive Interior Space.
21 Feb 2026
EP01 The Basics of Automotive Procurement
Welcome to the "Automotive ProcurementPulse," the podcast where we break down the complex world of automotivespare parts, from mass-market giants to luxury icons. Whether you're a seasonedprocurement pro or just looking to break into the industry, you're in the rightplace.
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