Volvo Buses has been a pioneer in introducing new products and technologies in the Indian bus market. It’s exactly a decade since Volvo launched its B7R 4X2 buses in India, and the company has set standards at every stage by introducing new products and technologies. Be it the B7R city bus on a true bus chassis or the low-floor city bus or a multi-axle coach, Volvo has taken the lead to set fresh benchmarks in bus transportation.Continuing this tradition, the company has introduced its revolutionary I-Shift on its multi-axle coach. The 9400 XL will sport two new features, the I-Shift and alloy wheels, again for the first time on an Indian bus.
Mr. Akash Passey, Managing Director, Volvo Buses India Private Ltd., said: “The Volvo I-Shift technology has the capability of making the driver’s life, passenger comfort and the transport economy move one notch up. The Volvo I-Shift is an automated gear changing mechanism which mimics the best driver. This means that, with this new transmission, you are almost securing the best driving practices irrespective of the driver, which has a significant impact on vehicle fuel efficiency, performance, reliability and driver comfort.”Volvo I-Shift is a 12-speed manual gearbox with an automated gearchanging system. The starting gear is selected automatically according to the road gradient and vehicle load, which makes driving extremely easy. Moreover, low weight and small dimensions allow for compact installation.
Another important feature of 9400 XL is its alloy wheels supplied by Alcoa and used for the first time in Indian buses. “We introduced this concept for the first time in South Africa where it has been very well received. Alloy wheels make the bus look very attractive. It weighs less and improves efficiency by offering better riding comfort”, added Mr. Passey.
Volvo Buses has also announced its plans to become a billion-dollar company. Currently, with a major share of 80 per cent in the inter-city luxury AC coach market and with its presence in 13 cities running city buses, Volvo Buses has announced plans to drive the bus industry into the future.
Mr. Passey observed: “I am very happy to inform you that our President Hakkan Karlsen has named India the 4th global hub for Volvo buses, after China, Mexico and Poland. You will see a lot happening within and outside India because of this decision. We want to be among the top three markets for Volvo buses worldwide. We would like to develop more products locally, and we’ve chosen India as a model for development across the globe”.
The company proposes to double investments in the Hosakote plant in Bangalore to Rs. 200 crores over the next two to three years. This will help ramp up the annual production capacity to 5,000 buses from the current 1,000 buses. The new investments are aimed at fuelling the company’s growth.
“Even as we have changed the bus industry over the past 10 years, the next 5 years will see Volvo Buses in India moving much faster than hitherto. This growth will be marked by our investments into expanding our industrial base, much higher export levels, new customer experiences across India and of course a range of product concepts. Together we aim to create an opportunity to sell 5,000 buses and be a billion-dollar company,” he asserted.To cater to the growing future demand and growth plans, Volvo Buses will equip its factory with new facilities, customer experience lounge, new integral techniques, a Competence Development Centre and paint shop expansion. The Hosakote facility will thus expand almost 100 per cent with a 30 per cent increase in manpower.
“Importantly, whatever we do and create we aim to drive better quality of life for all associated with us – drivers, customers, passengers, etc. This has been the history with all our products. Our B7R 4x2 coach changed the way India moves between cities. Our Volvo 8400 City Bus is changing city landscape and decreasing congestion levels across 13 cities in India. The recently introduced Volvo 9400 multi-axle bus has swept the market in just one year to become the best-selling coach in the country”, commented Mr. Passey.
The future of Volvo Buses in India is backed by a strong Indian footprint. It has almost 80 per cent market share in the luxury inter-city AC coach segment and over 50 per cent market share in the AC diesel low-floor city buses, with its presence across 12 cities in the country. It will step up exports from 2011, which will account for 25-30 per cent of the total production over the next few years. In 2010, exports, mainly to South-East Asian and African countries, accounted for five per cent.
Currently, there are about 4,000 Volvo buses operating in India. The company is bullish on its growth in 2011 as the industry is buoyant about the future of the bus market with an expected growth of 5-10 per cent for the coming years.
