Page 17 - BRIDGESTONE PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2025

10/10/25, 1:52 PM Industry experts highlight the UAE’s pivotal role in sustainable mobility during Automechanika Dubai networking event - Middle Ea…
life in mind. Every service is data-driven and delivered with precision, and every kilometre
leaves a smaller footprint than the one before. In the past, the aftermarket existed to
sustain the journey. Today we are the journey. How we maintain, repurpose, and innovate
will determine the lifespan of vehicles, as well as the sustainability of our cities.

“With the combined efforts of operators, innovators, policy makers, and strategic partners,
we have the chance to shape the industry for the future.”

A strong lineup of sessions addressed a range of topics, including a panel on ‘The Connected
Aftermarket – Telematics, Data, and Digital Innovation,’ moderated by Subhashree
Ramarathnam of Frost & Sullivan. Speakers, including Mohamed Yagoub Mastoor of Ruptela,
Vijay Gummadi of Autorox, and Maneesha Bhatnagar of LeasePlan Emirates, examined how
telematics, data, and digital innovation are redefining the aftermarket and the need for a
connected ecosystem to enhance trust and efficiency.

“The primary challenge we are facing, from a repair shop perspective, is a highly
fragmented ecosystem – repair shops not connected to suppliers, car owners, insurance
companies, and fleet operators,” said Gummadi.

“Due to this lack of a connected ecosystem and its fragmented nature, the primary issue is
trust – car owners don’t trust repair shops in the independent aftermarket. We have to
enhance the trust by bringing connectivity to all the main players,” he added.

The conversation then turned to E-Commerce Platforms as the New Engine for Aftermarket
Sales and Service, where Steven Pickering of Buyparts24, Ashar Ali Minai of Bosch Middle
East, Vijay Gummadi of Autorox, and Hani Tannir of Al Masaood discussed how digital sales
channels are transforming customer access to parts and services, and the opportunities and
challenges of building consumer trust in online platforms.

“Digital will always be our North Star, but in B2B, it is still quite ‘fidgital’ in nature – you still
need the support of a salesperson, that physical push. We have found that some customers
are more advanced and more free-flowing on the digital side, but we’ve realised the
importance of meeting customers at different levels of adoption. We’ve had to establish
what our customer language is, versus ours,” added Pickering.

Sustainability was brought into focus in a session on Powering a Sustainable Aftermarket
with Circular Economy, moderated by Nirmal Shani, Global Energy & Sustainability. The
panel, featuring Talha Marzouk of OWS Automotive Solutions, Raji Hattar, Sustainability &
ESG Strategy Advisor, and Raya Makawi, Advisor in ESG & Government Affairs, discussed
practical strategies for remanufacturing, recycling, and resource efficiency as essential tools
for achieving greener operations.

Elsewhere, attention shifted to Navigating a Future with EVs and ADAS, moderated by Heiko
Seitz of PwC, where Dr Manfred Braenl, Porsche Middle East & Africa, Dr. Nima Mehrdadi of
HELLA Middle East, Roberto Lopes Da Silva, NIO UAE, and Gurhan Cevikel of Bridgestone
Middle East Africa addressed how the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and advanced

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