Big boost to bus segment under enlarged JNNURM scheme

Bus and SPV Expo showcases opportunities in Indian bus market

In its bid to give a major boost to the bus segment, the Centre has expanded the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme to provide support to State Governments for replacing their fleet of buses. In total, 15,000 buses would be bought in the next 90 days for the purpose, for which the Centre will give subsidy as envisaged in the guidelines of the programme.

Under the project, Delhi will get 1,500 buses, while Mumbai will have 1,050, Bangalore 700, Kolkata 1,200, Hyderabad 700 and Chennai will have 800 buses. The programme will broadly involve an investment of around Rs. 7,000 crores, of which the Centre’s share will be around Rs. 4,000 crores.

Addressing the media at the inauguration of the Bus and SPV show, Mr.Dilip Chenoy, Director General of SIAM told that, the Government is considering another stimulus package for the automobile sector, which will lead to replacement of about 40,000 buses of State transport corporations (STCs). In a study conducted for the purpose, it was found that there are more than 32,000 over-aged buses which are being operated by various state transport corporations. The over-age could be both interms of the years and the number of kilometers covered. hence the government has decided to replace 40, 000 of these old buses in 2009-10. These buses will be more in the Mofussil category priced between Rs. 15 to 20 lakhs.
The bus segment is in for exciting times in 2009-10 and it is to showcase this opportunity that the Bus and SPV show was organised by CII, SIAM and ACMA. The event held between 11th and 14th of March 2009, had participation from 5 major players in the industry including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, Mercedes and Swaraj Mazda. Some of the component majors including Bosch, Allison Transmission and Vapor bus also participated in the event. SIAM is planning to organise more such shows in the future, which would compliment the Auto Expo, which will be held in Janaury 2010.

With regard to the JNNURM scheme, some of the State road corporations have started floating tenders for purchase of buses. Many more tenders are expected to open soon. JNNURM aims to convert cities into engines of economic growth, to encourage urban fast-track integrated development.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Bus and SPV Expo, Mr. Sudhir Mehta, Chairman, SIAM Committee for Trade Fairs, said that India is the second largest producer of buses after China, accounting for 16 per cent of the world production. If one excludes China, India would account for 30 per cent of the world’s bus production in 2007. The bus manufacturing capability in India has nearly doubled over the last eight years, with 75,000 buses produced in 2008 with a five-year average growth rate of 10 per cent. Large and small buses grew at 11 per cent and 9 per cent respectively over the last five years. The city-wide variation in bus penetration across India varies from as low as 0.4 to 6 buses per thousand people.

In terms of value, this industry is estimated to be over Rs. 7,500 crores and supports huge employment in the country – not only in bus chassis manufacturing but also down the line in body building, servicing and even drivers, conductors and cleaners. It already supports huge employment. The Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016 of the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises has identified that in the next 10 years the automotive industry could support an additional 25 million employment if properly nurtured.

This industry has a strong backward (component, basic material) and forward linkages (insurance, financing, oil industry and roads). Each vehicle sold also generates manpower requirements for providing service support and drivers. Buses play a very important role in mobility of the general population. Even in cities, unless there is a strong public transport system, it becomes difficult to manage the huge private vehicles.

Buses are a vital mode of public transportation. State Road Transport Undertakings currently account for approximately 15 per cent of total bus fleet. In 2006-07, these undertakings carried 2,235 crore passengers covering 46,210 crore passenger km.

STUs in India had around 115,000 buses at the end of 2006-07, giving employment to 660,000 people. However, their share has been declining over the years. While in the earlier years the share of buses in the public sector was around 32 per cent, today it has declined to 15 per cent. Some of the reasons for drop in the share of the buses in the public sector have been unviable operation of road transport undertakings, inadequate fare structure in the States, lack of capital expenditure on acquiring buses, etc. Since 1991, the share has further deteriorated due to withdrawal of capital support from the Centre to STUs/STCs.

Production of large buses has been stagnating of late, at around 20,000 units, mainly because STUs were not able to replace buses because of lack of funds. However, in 2007 alone, the offtake increased substantially, to around 45,000 units. Though the number fell again to around 38,000 last year and to 32,000 this year, it is expected that with Government support, especially under the JNNURM scheme, the situation will improve a lot in 2009-10.
The following significant developments are worth noting:

* In 2007-08, the number of buses bought by STUs or STCs was estimated at around 16,783 units.

* As per the CIRT data, the cancelled km of STUs/STCs in 2006-07 is stated to be around 6,000 lakh km because of poor ownership of buses by STUs and STCs.

* In Delhi alone, the cancelled km was more than 300 lakh km.

* Since 1991 and up till 2005, the number of buses in the public sector have increased from 1,06,100 to approximately 1,15,800, whereas in the same period private sector buses have grown in number from 2,25,000 to over 6,51,800.

Traffic planning and management in various cities in recent times have led to different types of experimentation, including BRT systems, and the industry is confident of addressing the specific problems of towns and cities appropriately.
JNNURM launch

JNNURM was launched by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on December 3, 2005. A total of 343 projects were sanctioned. It envisages an investment of more than Rs. 1,00,000 crores with a committed Central Government share of Rs. 50,000 crores. The State Governments and urban local bodies will contribute Rs. 50,000 crores.

The mission is to be implemented in a time-frame of seven years (2005-2011). The objective is to ensure integrated development of urban infrastructure and services, secure effective linkages between asset creation and management and to ensure adequate investment of funds to address deficiencies in the urban infrastructure. It lays particular emphasis on providing basic services to the urban poor.

JNNURM has two components: Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) for bigger cities and the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for small and medium towns that aims to encourage reforms and to fast-track planned development of identified areas with a focus on urban infrastructure.

The progress of municipal reforms is an important component of the mission which enables a city to claim additional funds under this scheme. In order to cope with the massive problems that have emerged as a result of rapid urban growth, it has become imperative to draw up a coherent urbanization policy/strategy to implement projects in select cities on a mission mode.

In its third year since inception, JNNURM is now progressing at an even pace. Under Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) which focuses on 63 mission cities, 324 projects have been sanctioned covering 54 cities in 26 States and Union Territories in the country. The cost of these projects is estimated to be Rs. 30,135.23 crores.

JNNURM came in for appreciation from the then Finance Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram, who proposed to increase the allocation of the mission from Rs. 5,482 crores in 2007-08 to Rs. 6,866 crores for 2008-09. The mission is seen as the main vehicle for improving urban infrastructure and has also succeeded in bringing about reforms in urban governance and urban-related laws.

Tata Motors targets major share of JNNURM order

Tata Motors has done wonders to its bus portfolio. Till 5 years back, bus business was practically a non-existent business for Tata Motors, particularly in the fully-built segment. Today, more than 80 per cent of the LCV buses sold are fully-built, and eventually the plan is to have 75 to 80 per cent of all buses sold as fully-built across all products, says Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Head -Sales & Marketing (Buses), Tata Motors.

At the Bus & Special Vehicles Expo (BSVE) 2009 held in Bangalore the company showcased its expertise by providing a wide range of passenger carriers across all segments, including the high-end luxury buses built as per the Hispano designs, the low-floor city buses from Tata Marcopolo, the 909 school bus and the 712 staff bus, also of the Tata Marcoplo range.
Tata Motors currently has three manufacturing facilities for buses. The first is the unit in Lucknow where Tata Marcopolo low-floor buses are being built. The second which is the new facility is in Dharwad, which is going to be the world’s largest bus manufacturing facility with a capacity to manufacture 15,000 buses. The Dharwad plant has started commercial production and is currently building the lighter range of buses like the school and staff transportation buses.

The third one is the ACGL unit in Goa where the company builds buses primarily for export. Incidentally, the high-end luxury bus, the Tata Hispano, is built at this plant as per designs provided by Hispano, the prominent Spanish bus company in which Tata Motors acquired a stake a few years back.

The Tata Hispano luxury coach is an integral rear engine and has a huge 10 cubic metre space for baggage storage requirements of passengers. The bus is equipped with 45 fully reclining two tonne fabric seats. Each seat has an adjustable head flap, retractable arm rest along with a bottle holder and magazine pouch. The high deck coach is ideal for tourist / inter-city transport.

Tata Motors has so far sold 50 units of the Tata Hispano buses and targets sale of 250 units in the next financial year. The bus is priced at Rs. 55-60 lakhs based on the features. It comes with the 240 hp Cummins engine and the chassis is 12m long. The company has supplied these buses to MSRTC, APSRTC, UPSRTC and private operators like Neeta travels.

Low-floor Marcopolo buses

This is one segment where Tata Motors has grown leaps and bounds in terms of technology and products. The Tata Marcopolo low-floor city buses, 650 of these buses have already been supplied to DTC in Delhi and the company has bagged another order from DTC for 1,625 buses of the low-floor concept (1000 non-AC and 625 AC).

The Marcopolo bus with its low-floor height of <>

The company is expecting a big order for these buses under the JNNURM plan. Other than these low-floor city bus which is less than 400mm in height, the company also has a semi low-floor bus which is chassis on which body is built as per customer requirement. Currently the ultra low-floor city buses are running in Delhi and a couple of buses in Bangalore.

By the end of this year, the company hopes to see these buses running in other States like Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. New Starbus range On the LCV platform, Tata Motors has introduced a few new models, the 909 school bus and the 712 AC staff bus. Both the buses are from the Marcopolo range which also belongs to the Starbus range. The buses come with new body and chassis and are available as 24, 32 and 40-seaters. The buses have significantly more length and wheelbase which add to the seating capacity and extra legroom for passengers.

The new Starbus range of buses are BSII and BSIII-compliant. These vehicles are manufactured at the fully automated manufacturing and assembly plant of Tata Marcopolo, Dharwad plant. The 909 is also available in a CNG fuel option. Ideally suited for transportation of company staff, for schools and transport to tourist destinations and in normal route bus. Apart from fully-built buses, Tata Motors has also launched a true bus chassis called Super Milo. The Super Milo is primarily for private contract market and offers 10 to 15 per cent better fuel average. “We have managed to convert the conventional chassis market to 100 per cent radialised market. In the future we would like to make even the rear air suspension mandatory”.

Between the two categories of the large and the lighter buses, the company has sold 14,000 units in the 12 tonne+ category and 11,500 of the lighter buses. The company is expecting a growth of 10 to 15 per cent in the next financial year.

Ashok Leyland to build low-floor buses at Alwar plant

Ashok Leyland is gearing up to garner a significant share of the bus market. The company recently received an order for 875 ultra low-floor buses from DTC, 350 of which are AC and the balance non-AC. With the JNNURM order for 15,000 vehicles coming up, the company expects big orders for its city buses in the next couple of months.

Ashok Leyland has been a pioneer in the bus segment. In the city bus segment, it offers a complete range, including an ultra low-floor bus with rear engine (230 to 260hp engines – CNG and diesel options), semi low-floor bus with front engine and rear engine options. The company can offer buses at <400>

These 12-metre- long buses will have 35 seats with a 2x2 configuration. Passenger ride comfort is further addressed through a wide 1100 mm door and kneeling facility for easy entry and exit as also comfortable grab bars and air suspension. A retractable ramp is a disabled-friendly feature. These buses, powered by a 230 hp engine, will be fitted with automatic transmission, speed limiting device and multiplex wiring.

The chassis and the body for the fully-built buses will be manufactured at Ashok Leyland’s Alwar plant, which had spearheaded the induction of CNG technology in Delhi buses, with a supply of over 3,500 CNG bus chassis. The infrastructure has since been augmented for bus body assembly, with ultra-modern facilities like a cubic framing fixture, hydraulic automated paneling, conveyors for automation, body lifting mechanisms, paint booth and a shower testing facility.

The company has established a capacity to manufacture 4,000 such buses per annum at its Alwar facility. It is also setting up its new plant in Uttaranchal which will be operational by March 2010.

Ashok Leyland develops hythane engines

Ashok Leyland has successfully developed, in association with Eden Energy of Australia, a 6-cylinder, 6-litre 92 kW BS-4 engine for operation with hythane. Hythane is a blend of natural gas and hydrogen (usually 20 per cent hydrogen by volume). Addition of hydrogen, a renewable fuel, improves efficiency while retaining the low emission characteristics of CNG.

Concurrently, a 4-cylinder 4-litre 63 KW engine is being developed for H-CNG blend in a joint R&D programme with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Indian Oil Corporation.

Application of these engines to buses is at an advanced stage at Ashok Leyland, which is also in discussion with Government agencies regarding making hythane available for commercial use in the future.

It may be recalled that Ashok Leyland pioneered the use of CNG fuel for mass transportation in the country by rolling out India’s first CNG bus in Mumbai in 1997. Today, over 5,500 Ashok Leyland CNG buses ply on the roads of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vijayawada and Mumbai, as also in certain overseas markets.

Another significant development by the company was India’s first multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) for high capacity CNG engine in 2008.

Volvo Buses to establish Consultancy Services: Positive outlook for 2009

Just when the entire commercial vehicle industry is going through a period of recession, Volvo India has bucked the trend by announcing fresh orders of over 150 inter-city buses from major State Road Transport Corporations. To meet current orders as well as plan for emerging need for modern city buses, Volvo Buses will be increasing its production capacity by 25 per cent.

Volvo clocked a 150 per cent increase in volumes in 2008 compared to 2007. It has also announced a major initiative to establish a separate division for Consultancy Services in India. The need for modern bus transport system is fast maturing and Volvo Buses aims to tap into this growing opportunity by introducing its Consultancy Services in India.

Volvo will work with various corporations showing interest in improving transport efficiency. help in traffic planning and helping in modern approaches to city planning by de congesting the city and moving.
Mr. Akash Passey, Managing Director, Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd., said: “The sustainable business model that modern Volvo Buses offers its customers, allow us to remain positive even in a downturn. The culture of bus transport is changing in India. The long-term impact on a city, mobility and life cycle costs are key criteria in city bus planning. Central and State Governments are committed to build transport solutions that meet growing urbanization demands. We are well poised to partner with various civic authorities in building transport infrastructure to bring in tomorrow’s solutions today.”

The current inter-city order booking does not yet include that potential from the city segment which is now strongly backed by Central Government initiatives. These new initiatives will provide a further fillip to the industry in 2009.

“This year we will strategically focus on city segment through various long and short-term initiatives. We today have the most intense city transport model in Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai and Pune – which will support the city planning process where decongestion remains No.1 priority. As the market leader globally, we have the expertise and the products to support this development and are now ready to bring it into India in a focused manner through separate Consultancy Services,” added Mr. Passey.

BMTC is currently operating 300 Volvo city buses in Bangalore. The results are quite obvious. For example, in the airport corridor, but for BMTC’s Volvo fleet, there would be a requirement for 22,000 additional passenger vehicles to transport passengers to and from the airport. Just imagine 22, 000 additional vehicles on Bangalore’s already congested roads.

Mr. Passey feels that there will be significant growth in the city bus segment in the next 3 to 5 years. Most cities will move from low range products to medium and premium applications.

Volvo is looking at a small share in the JNNURM order for 15,000 vehicles. Out of the total order nearly 20 per cent would be low-floor buses which could be in the price range of Rs. 50 to Rs. 80 lakhs. Volvo is currently at the top end of the segment, and is hoping to get a small share. Even if we talk of a 1 to 2 per cent share of the order, the number will be close to 300 buses, which will be significant orders for Volvo and all these would be city buses. “We will be able to make an entry into 8 to 10 cities as a result of the JNNURM”, says Mr. Passey.

Consultancy support

Consultancy Services will bring together Volvo Buses’ experience and expertise from across the globe in creating projects that will provide sustainable solutions customized for a city’s transportation needs. The team will create modern vehicle and transport management system, so that State Road Transport Corporations can streamline operations, reduce costs and provide better service for passengers. The service will partner with various stakeholders in the process the customer organisation.

The service will include manpower based in Sweden and in India who will operate on project basis with customers and also partner with allied local agencies in the development. Projects on this account are already on the anvil. Rapid urbanization creates an enormous challenge for the civic authorities and the cost in terms of fuel, lack of business mobility and safety is enormous.

Volvo Buses has created high-efficiency bus-based transport systems that make it far more attractive to travel by public transport. Volvo has delivered more buses for BRT systems than any other supplier in the world. A few of the cities where Volvo works with on mass bus transport systems are: Bogota in Colombia, Mexico City in Mexico, Goteborg in Sweden, York in Britain and Curitiba in Brazil.

Mass Transport Bus Systems the world over are largely subsidy-free in principle. They generate profit from day one. Today there are about 50 cities with various degrees of implementation and about 100 cities that are planning for BRT.

BRT is the most efficient way to transport people. 13 cities are going to BRT growth and in the next 5 years we hope to see phenomenal growth in the BRT corridor. Cunsultancy from Volvo - who have worked with 40 cities around the world. They will over the next 6 months work with BMTC and share data and their global experience and based on that will implement measure to improve transport efficiency. First step will be from BMTC.
Mr. Passey is hoping that five years from now 50 per cent of turnover would come from soft office which includes consultancy services, aftermarket, parts and service. The company has 38 service points across India.

In 2008 Volvo launched its multi-axle coaches, which have been received well. The company has sold 50 units of the multi-axle coach, mostly to private operators. It currently has over 400 city buses and close 2,000 inter-city buses on Indian roads.

Volvo is also planning to use the Indian bus facility as a hub for exports. Three years from now the company is targeting 25-30% of its volumes from exports to Middle East and Africa.

More orders for Volvo buses

Volvo has received an order for 260 buses of which BMTC (Bangalore), has placed an order for 140 Volvo 8400 city buses.

BMTC already operates more than 300 Volvo buses in the city which have radically changed the view of what it is like to travel with city buses in India.

“Surveys show that 60% of the passengers in these buses previously traveled in their own car or by motorcycle,” related Akash Passey, Managing Director of Volvo Buses in India. “For many Indian cities, the goal is to have more people use mass transit and, consequently, this requires new, modern buses.”

Volvo buses are also used in Bangalore for transportation to and from the airport.

“Each new Volvo bus placed in traffic increases the exposure of buses. As a result, increasingly more of the population views buses as a better alternative than traveling in their own vehicle,” says Akash Passey.

Volvo Buses has also received orders for 120 Volvo 9400 inter-city coaches from Karnataka and Maharashtra. The orders are from customers already operating Volvo coaches known for their high performance.

“Our customers have seen that passengers prefer these coaches, are prepared to pay extra to travel in them and that, as a result, the coaches generate highly favorable productivity,” says Akash Passey. The buses will be assembled at the Volvo Buses’ plant in India and deliveries will be made in 2009.

Mercedes targets sale of 100 luxury buses this year

Mercedes is targeting a sale of 100 units of its luxury bus this year. The company has so far sold 25 units since it launched its buses in September 2008 to major bus operators like Sharma, Neeta, Konduskar, Kaleeswari, Eagle and SST.

The buses have been primarily introduced in western and southern regions on routes like Mumbai-Bangalore, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Kolhapur, Bangalore-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Mumbai, Hyderabad-Vijayawada, Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Ahmedabad-Rajkot. The high-end luxury bus pitted against the Volvo and priced at Rs. 75-80 lakhs has 45-seat capacity under standard layout.

Mercedes is currently importing the bus chassis as CKDs and assembling it at its new facility at Chakan in Pune. This facility has been set up with a capacity to manufacture 1,200 truck and bus chassis per annum. The 305 hp, Euro III-compliant coach comes with an O 500 R/RF chassis from the MB stable and the body built by the Jalandhar-based Sutlej Motors.

Mr. Ashok Bhardwaj, General Manager (CV-Bus Sales), Mercedes-Benz India Private Ltd., said the company is in talks with all the major STUs in the country, including KSRTC, APSRTC and MSRTC, and expects significant orders in the current year both from STUs and private operators.

Mercedes has just entered the luxury bus segment. A global leader with a wide range of products across all segments, the company will definitely look at the city bus segment but only after it establishes its presence in the luxury bus segment.
In an earlier interaction Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, had indicated that the company is planning to launch one or two products in the commercial vehicle segment, which could be in the truck or bus segment. It is still not clear as to which segment the company would launch its products. But considering the opportunity in the city buses, Mercedes could well look at launching its products in this segment. It has already established its service network in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The bus market in India is witnessing a tremendous change – a revolution aided by Government-driven infrastructure projects which are dedicated to redefine the mass transportation industry in India.

Large projects like the NSEW corridor and the Golden Quadrilateral are already underway and are close to completion. As links between far-flung places strengthen, there is an increased demand for mass transit systems to move the people with solutions that are reliable, robust, and passenger oriented. It is this need that the Mercedes-Benz buses will fulfill.

Swaraj Mazda provides complete passenger transportation solutions

Swaraj Mazda had a significant participation at the Bus and SPV show. Moving from being manufacturer of M&HCV vehicles, Swaraj Mazda today offers the complete range in the bus segment. The company has recently added its Isuzu range of buses in the high-end Luxury segment and Executive segment. This has further strengthened the bus segment in which Swaraj Mazda is traditionally a strong player.

The company commands a very strong marketshare in the LCV range which is typically used for tourist purpose, school and college buses and for staff transportation.

The top of the line product is the Prestige LT-1, which was launched a couple of years back. This high end luxury inter-city bus is pitted against the Volvo. The company has sold nearly 10 buses till date, mostly to private customers, and the response has been very encouraging, says Mr. Ganapathy Lakshmanan, Chief Manager - Marketing of Swaraj Mazda Ltd.

“We have showcased our products to the State transport corporations and we look forward to some good orders in 2009-10”, adds Mr. Lakshmanan.
The company has invested of Rs. 300 crores on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which is located right next to its existing facility which rolls out LCVs. The new facility has capacity to manufacture 7,000 bus bodies and 12,000 truck and bus chassis. The company has indicated its plans for launching trucks from Isuzu in the heavy commercial vehicle segment.

Swaraj Mazda is working with Isuzu very closely for its future range of products. In fact, the Prestige LT-1 bus model comes with engines and transmissions from Isuzu and the bus bodies are built at the new facility. Isuzu is closely watching the developments in the Indian commercial vehicle segment and is planning to step up its presence. A lot depends on the recovery in the commercial vehicle segment in the domestic market.

Tata Nano launched

Tata Motors formally launched its prestigious small car, the Tata Nano, in Mumbai on March 23. Keenly awaited across India since its unveiling on January 10, 2008, the Tata Nano is BS-III compliant and comes with an all-new 2-cylinder aluminium MPFI 624cc petrol engine mated to a four-speed gear box and will be available in three variants. The car will be on display across the country at Tata Motors passenger car dealerships and other select authorised outlets from April 1.

Addressing the press at the launch function, the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Mr. Ratan N. Tata, said: “The Nano represents the spirit of breaking conventional barriers. From the drawing board to its commercial launch, the concept, development and productionisation of the car has overcome several challenges. It is to the credit of the team at Tata Motors that a car once thought impossible by the world is now a reality. I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in presenting the Tata Nano to India and the world.”

The Tata Nano is currently being manufactured at the company’s Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand in limited numbers. The new dedicated plant, at Sanand in Gujarat, will be ready in 2010 with an annualised capacity of 3,50,000 cars.

The vehicle offers an incredibly spacious passenger compartment which can comfortably seat four adults. With a length of just 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, it has the smallest exterior footprint for a car in India but is 21 per cent more spacious than the smallest car available today. A high seating position makes ingress and egress easy. Its small size, coupled with a turning radius of just 4 metres, makes it extremely manoeuvrable in the smallest of parking slots.
The three trim levels and their key features available at launch are:

Tata Nano Standard (BS-II and BS-III): The standard version, in three colour options, single-tone seats, and fold-down rear seat;

Tata Nano CX (BS-II and BS-III): In five colour options, with heating and air-conditioning (HVAC), two-tone seats, parcel shelf, booster-assisted brakes, fold-down rear seat with nap rest;

Tata Nano LX (BS-III): With the features of CX plus complete fabric seats, central locking, front power windows, body coloured exteriors in three premium colours, fog lamps, electronic trip meter, cup holder in front console, mobile charger point, and rear spoiler. Many of these features are not available in current entry-level small cars in the country.

Performance & Specifications

The 2-cylinder engine, delivering 35 PS @ 5250 rpm and a torque of 48 Nm @ 3000 rpm, enables the Nano to have a top speed of 105 kmph and negotiate inclines with a gradeability of 30%. Fuel efficiency of 23.6 km/litre, certified by ARAI under mandated test conditions, is the highest for any petrol car in India. The high fuel efficiency, coupled with a low kerb weight of 600 kg, ensures that the car at 101 gm / km has the lowest CO2 emission amongst cars in India. It is BS-III compliant and is BS-IV ready. It is also available in BS-II norms.
Safety

The Tata Nano safety performance exceeds the current regulatory requirements. It passes the roll-over test and offset impact, which are not regulated in India. It has an all-sheet metal body, reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones and intrusion-resistant doors, besides mandatory seat belts, and complies fully with the existing Indian safety standards. Tubeless tyres, among which the rear ones are wider, enhance safety. The warranty is for 18 months or 24,000 km, whichever is earlier.

Booking

In view of the expected significant demand and limited production capacity initially until the Sanand plant is fully ramped up to capacity, the Tata Nano will be available through a booking mode. An exclusive agreement has been entered into with the State Bank of India to manage the booking process.

Sale of application forms and acceptance of booking will start from April 9 and close on April 25. Forms sold at a price of Rs. 300, with a range of offers from select associate Tata Group companies, will be available at over the 30,000 locations in about 1,000 cities through Tata Motors passenger car dealerships, the State Bank of India (SBI) and its branches, its subsidiaries and associates, other preferred financiers, and outlets of Westside, Croma, World of Titan and Tata Indicom exclusive stores.

After collecting the forms, customers have two options. They can either pay the entire booking amount themselves or seek financing of the amount. For those who seek financing, Tata Motors has entered into agreements with 15 preferred banks/NBFCs for the Tata Nano booking loan product. The booking product offered by these banks will enable a Tata Nano to be booked by paying an amount starting Rs. 2,999 only. Their chosen financier will directly submit their application forms to SBI on their behalf.

Those who choose to themselves pay their entire booking amount can submit their application forms to SBI through the 1,350 notified branches in 850 cites and also at Tata Motors passenger car dealerships, Westside and Croma outlets. Option to submit bookings online is available at www.tatanano.com.

Within 60 days of the closure of bookings, Tata Motors will process and announce allotment of one lakh cars in the first phase of deliveries, through a computerised random selection procedure. These allotments will be price protected for the launch prices till delivery of the cars, but the booking amounts will not bear any interest for the customers. Deliveries will commence from July next.
Applicants have the option to retain their booking deposit even if they do not get allotment in the first phase. Those who choose this option will be eligible for interest on their deposit, effective from the date of announcement of allotment of the second phase, at a rate of 8.5 per cent for retention period between one year to two years and 8.75 per cent for a retention period of more than two years. Allotment of retainees will be simultaneously communicated along with the allotment of the first one lakh cars.

Tata Motors has entered into agreements with 15 preferred banks/NBFCs for the Tata Nano booking loan product. They are the State Bank of India, Tata Motor Finance, State Bank of Patiala, ICICI Bank, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Indore, Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank, Federal Bank, Corporation Bank, Indian Bank and the Central Bank of India.

The Tata Nano comes with an attractive range of accessories and merchandise. The range of merchandise includes a Nano phone, Nano watch, T-Shirts, etc., and will be made available online at www.tatanano.com as well at all Tata Motors passenger car dealerships and outlets. Accessories include alloy wheels, body kits, etc., to customise the Tata Nano to individual tastes.

Bosch showcases high-end systems for CV segment

Bosch is geared to meet the newer requirements of the bus and special vehicles industry. Bosch showcased its high-end systems and solutions for commercial vehicles at the Bus & Special Vehicles Expo. The Common Rail systems with solenoid injectors and common rail for commercial vehicles and compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel injection systems were some of the systems on display from the Diesel Systems Group of the company. Its Gasoline Systems Group displayed the new generation fuel pump module and powertrain sensors.

The new generation starter motors developed by Bosch for commercial vehicles has a high power-to-weight ratio and higher cold cranking capacity. Also on display were the new compact generators of higher efficiency and durability for HCVs and LCVs. The other products showcased included body control module and immobiliser system and ECUProg, an EOL solution from Bosch.

Buses in India will have to meet the emission requirements of Bharat Stage III and IV norms from April 2010. Bosch has its Common Rail injection system for high-end vehicles and advanced CNG technology solutions for the Special Vehicle industry. The advanced Bosch CNG injection system is precise and micro-processor controlled.

Developed by the Automotive Electronic Division, the Body Controlled Module (BCM), when used in vehicles, electronically controls critical factors like central door lock, remote keyless entry, cabin tilts, external/internal lighting – all through an electronically controlled unit (ECU). The solution is a great error management diagnostic tool as it detects any errors present in the auto components in use. ECUs are customized to individual vehicle variant needs and for the fine tuning of chassis, body and fleet requirements.

Also displayed at the expo were the robust range of cable-free, power tools charged with never dying lithium ion batteries, and a complete Do-It-Yourself range of woodworking for flooring and bus body building applications.

Bosch car multimedia has reliable integrated navigation devices to guide drivers to their destinations with city maps and flexible solutions for the entertainment requirements of buses.

Addressing stall visitors, Mr. NGK Menon, Vice President, OE Sales, said: “Bosch has state-of-art solutions and systems for the commercial vehicle segment. Though currently we are going through sluggishness in the HCV and LCV market, recovery is expected sooner, and we expect our products to sell more among the manufacturers”.

Start stop system

Rising fuel prices, ever-stricter exhaust-gas limits and the need for further reduction in the carbon footprint necessitate innovative solutions acceptable to both vehicle manufacturers and drivers. The Start/Stop system for Bosch is a convenient and economical solution to realize these targets and savings.
When a vehicle comes to a stand, this system automatically switches the engine off, also restarting automatically as soon as the driver wishes to drive off again. On the principle of “no movement - no fuel consumption”, a vehicle at a standstill thus neither consumes fuel nor emits CO2. Noise pollution also drops to the zero level.

In the ECE15, the urban section of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), reductions in fuel consumption and emissions of up to eight per cent can be achieved. In practice, the time spent standing still is often longer, hence the actual savings potential is correspondingly greater. Preliminary tests in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai also show promising results: savings potential of up 12 per cent in city traffic.

Basically, the function of the system is achieved by adapting and intelligently controlling components already installed in the vehicle. The heart of the system is the specially developed Start/Stop Starter Motor, which is matched to individual demands and networked with the engine control unit. Input parameters for control are provided by sensors attached to the battery, pedals, transmission, ABS and the crankshaft.

Unlike the earlier start/stop concepts, operation is identical to that of a vehicle without start/stop system. This decisive advantage is the basis for confidence in the function, leading to a high degree of acceptance and rapid spread of the system.

The successful implementation of the development plan is demonstrated by the series introduction of the system by BMW. For this customer, Bosch developed its start/stop starter motor to series maturity. Since March 2007, all BMW Series 1 vehicles with 4-cylinder engines and manual transmission have been equipped with this starter motor as series. Since September 2007, all models of the series 3 as well as the 4-cylinder mini with manual transmission have this equipment.

Common-rail system

The common-rail system is key to developing low-consumption, high-performance diesel engines featuring high-pressure direct-injection system. Modern direct-injection diesel engines with common-rail systems consume a good 30 per cent less fuel and emit around 25 per cent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than comparable gasoline engines with port injection. Bosch plans to further reduce consumption and CO2 emissions by optimizing the common-rail system and its components.

Bosch is also developing both piezo and solenoid-valve injectors, thereby extending the ten-year success story of the common-rail system. The new, highly dynamic solenoid-valve injectors are similar in terms of performance to piezo injectors and are designed for injection pressures of more than 2,000 bar. A medium-term goal for the piezo line is to use injection pressures greater than 2,200 bar to improve both the performance and exhaust characteristics of the diesel engine.

The Bosch CP4 common-rail pump with a pressure potential of more than 2,000 bar makes a major contribution in this context. This pump is designed for the very highest hydraulic efficiency and supports combustion processes with extremely high injection pressures even at low engine speeds and medium to high loads. The variability of the injection systems is also a crucial factor. Advanced injections reduce NOx emissions and noise, and post injections cut soot emissions.

Therefore, the common-rail technology makes a significant contribution to ensuring that modern diesel engines will also meet future emission levels. For the first time, Bosch production of high-pressure diesel injection systems will exceed eight million units this year.

Suspa India expands components capacity to meet growing demand

There are certain things which have made our lives a lot easier than what it used to be, but we hardly realise the change. Like, for example, the back door in your hatch back car which opens so effortlessly. Gone are the days when you had to use a lot of physical effort to lift the back door. Today just a click or even at the press of a button, the door opens automatically and effortlessly. The part which has caused this change is a gas spring connecting the door and the body which helps for easy lifting and closing of the doors, and the manufacturer is Suspa.

Suspa is a worldwide leading manufacturer of gas springs and dampers, as well as crash management, safety and height adjustment systems. These products are used in hundreds of applications in a variety of markets. Suspa, founded 1951, also has manufacturing locations in Germany, China, India, the US and the Czech Republic, with sales offices throughout the world. In many fields, Suspa is the consistent innovator and market leader.

The company is a leading source for innovative system solutions for lifting, lowering, tilting and damping. In Germany, Suspa employs over 750 people in the locations Altdorf and Sulzbach-Rosenberg. Worldwide we employ over 1,500 people in seven of our own production facilities. Suspa manufacturers close to 30 million gas springs globally.
Suspa established its business in India in 1993 to cater to the demand for gas springs in the Indian and south east Asian markets. India is an interesting and a very important market for gas springs as it is used more on a hatch backs than on sedans. Today the company has a 70 per cent marketshare in India catering to the requirements of Maruti, Tata Motors, Hyundai and General Motors in automotive business and JCB, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra, Fiat, New Holland, SMKannapa, TAFE, Elgi in industrial applications. The company caters to the 100 per cent requirement of Tata, GM and Hyundai. With Maruti Suzuki it has an 80 per cent share with all new product introductions fitted with Suspa gas springs. Suspa also caters to the majority of the requirement of JCB in India and for their requirement in UK as well.

“We have a large marketshare in the passenger car segment, and now we would like to increase our presence in the truck, bus, tractors and construction equipment segment”, says Mr. Werner Kleinschmit, Managing Director of Suspa India.

A gas spring is a type of spring that, unlike a typical metal spring, uses a compressed gas, contained in a cylinder and variably compressed by a piston, to exert a force. Gas springs are used frequently in automobile construction, where they are commonly used to support the weight of vehicle doors while they are open. The range of applications is very multifaceted and goes from pure mechanical, to partial automatic, to fully automatic system solutions.

Suspa has developed innovative and individual applications for lifting, lowering, tilting, and damping for all types of vehicles, like systems for opening and closing of doors, trunks, hoods and lift gates, components for the vehicle interior, and components for automobile bodies and convertible tops. These solutions are realized in a large number of automobiles and also for utility vehicles of all types. The international experience and the total knowledge of the company always flow into the customer‘s applications.

Typically in cars, the product is fitted on the back door of hatch backs. In buses, the application for gas springs is in the luggage compartment and rear engine compartment. In the past bus drivers had to lift up the heavy luggage compartment doors with a lot of effort. Today it’s easier and less strenuous: liftline gas springs helps in opening and closing of these heavy doors effortlessly. Suspa is ramping up with Volvo in India for the bus business and supplies to many of the other bus manufacturers. Similarly in G90 trucks of Ashok Leyland it is used on the front grill.

In tractors, the front hood or the door of the engine compartment come fitted with gas springs. Similarly application is in construction equipments like JCBs. Suspa’s Varilock (lockable gas springs) are also used on reclining seats by seat manufacturers like Pinnacle, Fainsa, Harita and Krishna Maruti These are broadly the major applications for gas springs which Suspa is catering to in the Indian market. The engineering team at Suspa is constantly looking for newer applications where gas springs can be adapted, like on roof hatch in buses, battery fuel opening doors in truck and buses. Suspa obtains experience from many projects and markets, not only from the automobile industry. These experiences flow into the development of new products and solutions. The focal point always revolves around lifting, lowering, tilting and damping.

In terms of technology, currently the product is a simple mechanical product but the company is already working on future technologies like electro mechanical gas springs or powered systems as it is popularly known. The future will be more of electronically controlled gas spring systems, says Mr. Kleinschmit. In addition Suspa is an expert in energy absorption and crash management systems.

Suspa India is continuously investing on its Indian facility and expanding its capacity and manufacturing process. The company has an installed capacity of 5 million gas springs a year which is the largest in India till date. Currently Suspa India manufacturers 3 million units of gas springs per annum. The company has invested Euro 2 million on the Indian manufacturing facility till date and is planning to add a new paint line and an additional facility to manufacture piston rods, which is currently being imported. Suspa India is certified for ISO/TS 16949-2002. The company has received the Hyundai 50 ppm Award and is now working towards 0 ppm.

Suspa is a global leader in gas springs and has established a similar leadership position in the Indian market. But the company is not complacent with the its success. Suspa is constantly looking for newer application for its products. With capacities in place, Suspa is geared up to take advantage of the future growth opportunity for its products in the Indian market.

Continental’s Technical Center in Bangalore inaugurated

The international automotive supplier Continental has just launched its new Technical Center India facility at Bommanahalli on Hosur Main Road in Bangalore, to develop automotive technology and provide software services for Continental’s Automotive Group.

Since 2006, the Technical Center India has partnered with Siemens Information Systems Ltd. (SISL), KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd. (KPIT) and Wipro Ltd. for developing and supporting multiple automotive engineering projects for its global customers at Continental. Now the center is further expanding its Indian operations by establishing a captive development center in Bangalore. The Technical Center India employs about 600 engineers and aims at a 20 per cent annual growth.

Inaugurating the Technical Center, Dr. Gunnar Juergens, Head of Technical Center India, commented: “The approach consists of a captive development center of Continental and Offshore Development Centers (ODCs) which are operated by our engineering partners. Our partners in India are SISL, KPIT and Wipro. By working with partners we acknowledge the fact that India has great engineering talent and trusted experience in managing and developing world-class engineering. Our joint approach with the partners has been very successful and has built up a high level of acceptance and trust inside Continental, worldwide”.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Markus Distelhoff, Managing Director of Continental Automotive Components (India) Pvt. Ltd., observed that with the opening of the Technical Center, another milestone in the history of Continental India was achieved.

Globally, Continental India is recognized not only for its manufacturing capabilities but also for its development and engineering services. The Technical Center India brings home the rich experience of working on innovative technology for advanced markets and enables our engineers to localize technology for emerging markets at affordable prices.

The activities of Technical Center India include:

* Development and testing of engine management systems to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of engines

* Development of digital tachographs and telematics systems to optimize fleets of commercial vehicles and public transport systems (e.g., the London bus system)

* Testing of energy management software for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

* Software development and verification for electronic brake systems

* Testing and enhancement of body controllers with integrated tyre pressure monitoring systems

* Software enhancement for emergency call systems

* Software development to connect mobile phones with the car audio system and to stream media from the phone to the car

* Developing high-end car radios with embedded phones which enable new kind of services into the car

With sales exceeding Euro 24 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tyres and technical elastomers, the Corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate.

Ashok Leyland’s employee motivation for improved productivity pays off

“An idle mind is a devil’s workshop”, so says an old adage. However, Ashok Leyland begs to differ. The last six months has possibly seen the worst crisis in the history of the Indian commercial vehicle industry, and Ashok Leyland has utilised the period to motivate its employees to come up with ideas for improving productivity and efficiency resulting in significant savings in cost.

It all started in 1999, which was again during the recession that hit the commercial vehicle industry. The company then started an initiative called IMPROVE involving employees at all levels and departments. Employees form groups and quality circles that work on projects and processes which identify wastage and reduce it, increase productivity and enhance savings.

Today there are over 5,000 such groups spread across all the plants of the company, and every year a competition is held where each of these projects is assessed for its innovation, team spirit and financial savings for the company. The best six are selected to make presentations to the management, and one among them is picked as the winning project of the year.

The Ennore plant, which was the first manufacturing facility of Ashok Leyland to have started operations in 1948, has made many improvements and is particularly leading by example in this period of crisis. Mr. Sridharan Balaji, General Manager - Manufacturing of Ennore Plant, says that from October 2008, when the recession actually started, a total of 1,600 projects have been identified, of which 780 have been approved and implemented. All these projects have resulted in savings of Rs. 1.67 crores for the company.

In fact, by November 2008, the number of working days dropped to just 12 in a month. It was this slack period which was utilised by the employees to suggest areas of improvement to ensure enhanced productivity and cost reduction.

Normally the Ennore plant carries Rs. 120 crores worth of inventory at any point of time. This has been reduced to Rs. 90 crores, which is currently 16 days’ inventory. The company has managed to convert 1,305 vehicles which were lying in stock into saleable units by making minor modifications. This has led to reduced inventory of finished products and also reduced procurement of parts which would otherwise be required to manufacture those vehicles.
Ashok Leyland has also implemented Gemba, an initiative improve productivity and efficiency in the shop floor, few years back, which has helped reduce the cost and improve productivity. This employee involvement can go a long way in improving productivity and will also result in significant cost savings for the company.

The following are some of the innovations and improvements effected :

Innovation: A particular drilling and reaming operation in the ‘H’ engine fuel injection pump timing gears became a bottleneck at peak volume: the maximum capacity was only 44,000, whereas the required quantity during peak production was 71,000. The team identified the time taken for the operation as the problem area. New machinery was too expensive to consider, and moreover this process would soon become obsolete with the introduction of the new BS III norms. The aim was therefore to find innovative ways to reduce the process time of 18 minutes for four gears.

The first breakthrough achieved was in the introduction of the 8.8 mm carbide drill in place of the HS drill, which brought down the process time to 12 minutes. After further extensive analysis and testing, the team hit upon the solution to replace the 8.8 mm drill with a 9 mm drill without reaming. This further brought down process time to just 8 minutes. Not only was the unit’s demands met, but this also brought down the cost of components by Rs. 30. And this is a real case of sweating out an asset (the drilling and reaming machine) that would soon become obsolete. This works out to a recurring saving of around Rs. 21.30 lakhs per annum (at peak volume).

Process value engineering: There have been two significant improvements made in this area, namely, achieving higher overall equipment efficiency and interconnecting the two cooling towers. To keep the furnaces up and running in the renovated heat treatment shop, there are three cooling towers, all of which hitherto had to be used round-the-clock, 21x7, 365 days. Now, by interconnecting them, the two towers can be used to cool all the three furnaces and thus save on the energy used by one tower. Soon, all the three towers will be interconnected and then, at any time, two of the three can be used in rotation.

With regard to interconnecting the three gas chambers, the furnaces require Endo gas, a mixture of LPG and air in the proportion of 9:1. By using tow-way pipelines and introducing simple nozzle systems, the three Endo gas chambers have now been interconnected. Both these steps offer immense flexibility in operation of the furnaces and at the same time saving on energy.

The ultimate benefit from the above projects is conservation of the most critical resource of electrical energy by 4,23,756 units per annum (annual recurring savings of Rs. 20 lakhs) at full capacity working.
Value stream mapping: The primary objective at present is to determine and work with the defined inventory for each and every part used in the company vehicle. The programme aims at putting in place a system whereby the inventory of components is brought down to the barest minimum. This is by working out the amount of ready stocks required on the floor and that required in the stores, considering the location of the supplier and thereby the time taken for delivery. It also involves suppliers to set up depots close to the company’s units so that transit time is reduced to the minimum.

The focus is now on cost management initiatives and 5S house-keeping methods. As for quality architecture, the process is to put in place a matrix that indexes the criticality of a component against the capability of the process, whereby the requisite concentration is given to either a critical function or developing a certain capability. The aim is to reach 100 PPM levels.

Rectification involves conversion of non-moving vehicles, aggregates and parts into saleable units without affecting the dynamics or performance of the products. The aggregates are either retrofitted on vehicles or at assembly or pre-assembly stages – rear axles, by changing some of the external peripherals, steering boxes (choice between the Indian and Chinese makes as per demand), engines, gearboxes (between 5-speed and 6-speed), tyres, and batteries.

Some vehicles, already dispatched to RSO, are brought back to the unit for conversion. Overall inventories have been brought down by over Rs. 7 crores. The unit is now focusing on zero inwarding.

Apart from these initiatives, the focus is clearly on conservation – be it energy or any other resource. All safety-related measures are being taken up, like mapping possible accident spots and introduction of sensors. Even a maintenance audit, on the lines of a financial or quality audit, is being mooted.

SAME-Deutz-Fahr’s Ranipet plant expansion under way

The SAME-Deutz-Fahr Group (SDF), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery, will be expanding its production plant at Ranipet in order to allow increased production volumes. SDF will also be introducing its premium brand Deutz-Fahr in the Indian market.

The current production capacity at the Ranipet plant where the Group already produces tractors of 40-70 hp, 3 and 4 cylinder engines, is 6,300 units per annum. The capacity expansion at Ranipet will increase the total covered surface up to 12,000 m2 and the total area to 132,000 m2 with a maximum production capacity of 11,000 tractors and 15,000 engines a year. In 2008 the total tractor production in Ranipet increased by 28 per cent to close at 4,000 units. This year the group plans to introduce a new 65-75 HP platform with a Tier III specification engines for the export markets.

The SAME-Deutz-Fahr Group, based in Treviglio, Bergamo (Italy), is one of the largest manufacturers of tractors, combine harvesters, engines, and agricultural machinery. Globally, products are made and sold under the SAME, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini, and Hurlimann brand names. Tractors range from 30 to 270 HP, while combines range from 125 to 450 HP, including conventional and rotary combines.

In 2008, the company, which employs around 2,700 people, achieved a turnover of 1,209 billion Euros. SAME-Deutz-Fahr owns 45.1 per cent of Deutz AG, one of the leading independent international manufacturers of diesel and gas engines.

The localization process in India of the 50-70 HP tractor platform was completed in 2008. Initially the tractors were produced exclusively for the export market (Europe, the US, Middle East and Africa). Now SDF will produce these tractors for the Indian market under the Deutz-Fahr brand.

India has the world’s largest tractor market with a total sales volume of 310,000 units in 2008. Due to structural changes in the Indian agriculture sector, there is consistent growth in the over 40 HP tractor segment which is likely to grow and represent 38 per cent (110,000 units) of the industry by 2015.

The continued development of India’s agriculture, combined with the growing demand for modern technology, allows the perfect opportunity for SDF to introduce its premium German brand, Deutz-Fahr tractors to Indian farmers and contractors.

The Deutz-Fahr brand which is targeted at progressive farmers in India will strengthen the position of SDF in India where the group will continue to sell its current products in the 40-6- HP range under the SAME brand.

“The production of the new 50-70 HP tractor range in Ranipet for both the domestic and export markets strengthens our presence in India, a strategic market in which the Group has been present since 1996, underlines Andrea Bedosti, Corporate Executive Vice President Sales, After Sales and Marketing. Thanks to the new product range, which offers important technological features, we expect to significantly increase our market share in India”.

Francesco Carozza, Chairman of SAME-Deutz-Fahr India, stated: “Deutz-Fahr has a long tradition that spans more than 80 years. The German Deutz-Fahr brand is known all over the world for its reliability as well as for its culture of service. Deutz-Fahr tractors, combines and forage harvesting equipment are the essence of technological research incorporated into pioneering products – machines that anticipate trends in modern farming and adapt to all kinds of operating conditions, in the name of total quality.”

Globally, in the last five years there are three major areas which are seeing increased agricultural activity for agricultural tractors and machinery. They are Russia, China and India. The total world market for tractors is 1.1 million. Today, India, China and Russia account for 50 per cent of the world tractor market.

Deutz-Fahr plans to focus in the next five years on these three countries which constitute for more than 60 per cent of the total tractor market. In order to compete in these three fast growing markets, it is important to develop a product range that will suit the local market.

KMS emerging major player in bus body building

KMS Coach Builders is a recent entrant in the bus body building industry. The founder of the company, Mr. Ismail Shariff, who comes with three decades of experience in the line, started his career in 1979, working for Azad Coach Builders in Bangalore. Later he started his own venture by undertaking construction of bus bodies of various types under labor contract for BMTC & KSRTC. Today KMS’s labor force work in all State transport corporations across Karnataka.

It is with this vast experience in bus body building that he started KMS Coach Builders in 2006 with its manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Bangalore.
Mr. Shariff says: “In India, the perception of passenger transport is undergoing a radical change. The travelling public is looking for more comfort & better aesthetics. Quality is another aspect which the customers attach greater importance. Keeping these facts in view we are planning to develop buses which are passenger-friendly.”

In a short span of two years, KMS has established itself as an important fabricator of bus bodies for all major State transport corporations, including BMTC, KSRTC, NEKRTC, NWKRTC, MTC (Chennai), TNSTC and APSRTC. The company has been working closely with Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors for executing these orders.

KMS has established a fully equipped facility for bus body building, which is equipped with painting booth with the baking facility, 10 tank process zinc plating & hot phosphating, machine shop comprising of heavy duty shearing machine and press brake to fabricate components, water shower plant for roof leakage test, CO2, Mig-Mag welding equipments, hydraulically operated panel stretching equipment, centralized screw compressor for operation of pneumatic tools and diesel generators for uninterrupted power supply.

KMS has a workforce of over 1,200 people who are employed in various bus body building units of State transport corporations on labor contract basis. This is a key strength of KMS as it has an experienced labor force capable of building all types of bus bodies be it the stage carriers or the high end luxury air-conditioned buses.
In the last two years, the company has built over 2000 buses, including the ‘Meghadoot’ air-conditioned luxury buses for KSRTC, ‘Rajahamsa’ luxury buses, moffussil type buses for STUs with tubular structure, City type double-door buses with 2 x 2 seats, ‘Suvarna’ improvised city type buses with passenger-friendly features, suburban type double door buses with 3 x 2 seats, and staff & school buses for educational institutions. The company has a very strong technical team headed by Mr. N. Gangadhar who is the Technical Director of KMS. Mr. Gangadhar comes with years of technical experience working for leading automobile manufacturers.

At its current facility KMS has a capacity to build 75 buses. With the plant running to full capacity, KMS is now planning to set up another facility near Hosur to cater to the requirements of Ashok Leyland. The complete financial assistance for KMS has been provided by State Bank of Mysore.

Certified to ISO 9001/2008, KMS is already completed the formalities for the accredition process with CIRT and they have been listed under the ‘A’ category.

The company is also working jointly with OEMs in developing new models and designs. It has recently developed a new city bus for Ashok Leyland. These buses supplied to BMTC are being operated from different parts of the city to the Bangalore International Airport. BMTC has added over 300 buses of this type to its fleet in just six months. Recently BMTC has inducted a new series of BIG – 10 buses, also built by KMS.

“We are confident that in the coming years, there will be good demand for aesthetically built travel-friendly buses for public transport, and KMS will play an important role in meeting this demand”, says Mr. Shariff.

CauveFLEET can help manage your fleets more efficiently

Staff transportation is a very common facility provided by most of the IT and manufacturing units. Usually this is an outsourced activity which is handled by private bus operators on behalf of the respective companies. In view of the current recession in the IT industry and the overall downturn in the manufacturing sector, companies are looking at ways and means to reduce the cost and improve efficiencies.

Staff transportation being a key component of cost, clients are now asking for data for the last few years from service providers to assess the efficiency of service. Considering the city traffic conditions, even a normal delay of 30 minutes of a bus carrying 40 employees amounts to 20 man-hours of work loss for the company.

As companies tighten the belt and start asking for these reports, bus operators are in a fix. Most operators don’t have organised systems and procedures resulting in inefficiencies in the system. The same phenomenon holds good for cargo transportation as well. But this is bound to change in the next few years with many of the fleet operators realising the need to get more organised.

India is a huge population of unorganised fleets and identifying an opportunity in this segment, Cauvesoft has launched CauveFLEET, a dedicated transport management system which will help operators manage their business better. Irrespective of whether the fleet size is 30 or 10,000 vehicles CauveFLEET addresses most of the business bottlenecks. CauveFLEET is a web-based easy to use solution which can help manage the fleet operator’s business efficiently from anywhere the world.

Cauvesoft was started in the US by Mr. B. Swaminathan in 2004. The company has its off-shore development centre in Chennai. Mr. Swami says: “In 2006 we started looking at the Indian market and found that there was huge requirement for introducing IT systems in the transport segment. The products available in the market are not serving the exact requirement of fleet operators. Hence we started studying the requirement of fleet operators, identified their challenges and requirements and developed a product which will suite their needs best”.

CauveFLEET is an integrated system which will help fleet operators prevent costly unexpected breakdown in business due to neglected vehicles and equipments. It also serves as a ready reckoner to understand the fleet usage, maintenance, fuel economy, driver management, human resource management, accounting and finance management, maintenance system management, spares/inventory management, vehicle information management and all the necessary expenses associated with operating a successful fleet business.

Cauvesoft’s first major customer was SBLT, a major player in the staff transportation business with a fleet of 500 buses. Typically the problems faced by fleet operators are, tracking the vehicle, the driver, fuel cost and fuel average of vehicles, daily log providing the departure and arrival timings, periodic maintenance, replacement of spares and obtaining FC. These are some of the issues required to be addressed by the operator on a regular basis.
CauveFLEET web-based vehicle management system provides complete solution for all these issues. The system can track & manage vehicles, provide third party vehicle data, comprehensive reporting on the status of vehicle, staffs, collaborative suite for performing day-to-day tasks, tracking of vehicle transactions and availability, vehicle information, including the position of vehicle, type of vehicle, contract information, maintenance information, etc., driver information including the driver’s daily log of activities, advances, payments, salary and loans.

CauveFLEET integrates seamlessly with a broad range of finance, operational, maintenance and management information systems to form the entire part of an enterprise wide solution exclusive for fleet owners.

Vehicle Management module

Vehicle Management module provides a collaborative environment for performing day-to-day tasks. Vehicle Management module covers Daily Vehicle transactions including the positioning of vehicle, type of vehicle, customer information, vehicle contract information, etc., Average fuel consumption for different type of vehicles are captured, definition for tolerance limit for different vehicles can be prefixed and variance can be recorded and reported. Vehicle management module is linked to HR, accounts & finance, vehicle maintenance & master data module.

It also helps manage the entire RTO regulations, capture mandate RTO expenses such as counter permit renewal, fitness certificate, taxes, national permit renewal, permit taxes and insurance expiry information until it is renewed.

Cauvesoft has carved a niche for itself by looking at the transport segment which has been hitherto unaddressed by IT majors. “After the successful implementation of CauveFLEET in SBLT, we are now talking to many other fleet operators for implementing our software. The response has been very positive and we look forward to some significant breakthroughs in the immediate future”, adds Mr. Swami.

Mahindra upgrades Tourister school bus range

The Mahindra Tourister school bus, considered the No.1 in the segment, has consistently delivered incredible value to its customers. Coming from the Mahindra stable, each school bus is engineered to deliver on its promise of total safety, but without any compromise on comfort and efficiency.

Greater safety for a worry-free drive, superior comfort for unmatched convenience, contemporary styling for aesthetic appeal and the best mileage at the lowest maintenance cost make the vehicle a top brand.

The Tourister school bus range is available in 16, 25, 32 and 40-seater BSII versions. A 25 seater is also available in CNG and CRDe engine variants conforming to the BSIII norms.
In keeping with the customer-centric M&M philosophy, the Tourister range has been upgraded several times over the years to meet the ever-changing customer requirements. A few years back, the Mahindra Tourister introduced the CRDe engine technology, which till date remains the only brand in the segment to offer such technology. CRDe engine boasts of the lowest noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) factor, ensuring that kids enjoy a quieter drive.

This year M&M is proud to introduce an improved version of the existing Tourister range, the Tourister i, signifying the 32 improvements which have been incorporated in the existing bus to further enhance safety, comfort and aesthetics. With the new launch, all school buses henceforth will be sold under the Tourister i brand.

After two very successful years of school bus season, 2009 promises to get even bigger and better year. Branded as the Mahindra School Fest ‘09, this year’s school bus campaign aims to consolidate and further strengthen the Tourister’s position in the school bus segment.

This thrust will be led by a highly focused marketing campaign targeting over 65,000 schools, fleet owners, bus operators and drivers across the country. Trained executives called Mahindra School Bus Experts (MSBe) will fan out across India, driving home the message.

There is a new SMS service which has been kick-started for addressing enquiries pertaining to Mahindra Tourister i school buses.