BharatBenz - Daimler's exclusive brand for Indian market unveiled

Daimler, the world’s largest manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty trucks, unveiled its new brand of trucks for the Indian market. The brand, BharatBenz, will offer Indian customers an entire range of trucks from 6 to 49 tons across various applications.

The new brand will figure among the other global truck brands of Daimler, including the MercedesBenz, Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built and Mitsubishi Fuso. What is interesting to note is that, apart from MercedesBenz, all the other brands have been acquired by Daimler. So, in a sense, BharatBenz is the second major truck brand created by Daimler globally.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mr. Andreas Renschler, Head of Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses, and Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), together unveiled the BharatBenz brand at the production location in Oragadam, near Chennai.

“We are sending a clear message with our new truck brand: Daimler is at home in India. Our BharatBenz trucks are the right combination of Daimler’s DNA and India’s market know-how. These trucks will be developed and built in India, for India, and by specialist employees from India,” said Dr. Zetsche.

Mr. Andreas Renschler explained: “India’s macro-economy has been on a growth track over the last few years and is estimated to grow between seven and eight per cent in the next ten years. Additionally, India has become the world’s second largest market for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. By 2020, we expect the Indian truck industry to double. We will play a significant role in this leap. For us, the most promising market is the ‘new middle market’, for which we will offer our new truck product portfolio. That’s why we’ll see a general upward trend towards vehicles that will set new standards in terms of performance, quality reliability and efficiency. This market is expected to grow to as much as 80 per cent of the Indian truck market until 2020”.

DICV is investing in the state-of-the-art plant in Oragadam to the extent of Rs. 4,400 crores. This plant, spread over 400 acres of land, will be the truck manufacturing hub from where the modern, indigenously-made trucks will roll out. The new facility will have a capacity to manufacture 36,000 trucks in the first phase and 72,000 trucks in the second phase of expansion.

“We’re not new to this country. In fact, the very first Indian-made truck back in 1954 was a Daimler product. Once again, we’re building on a proud tradition. To build an even brighter future, we also have a strong footprint in India when it comes to research and development: We already have a team of 500 R&D experts here, and we plan to double that number in the next two years. These are excellent conditions to make sure our new trucks will be a fusion of Daimler DNA and Indian engineering”, said Dr. Zetsche.

Mr. Renschler observed: “We’ll invest about 700 million euros over the next five years. That’s because we believe in India and we believe in the trucks we will offer here. What’s more, Daimler Financial Services is currently building up an operation in India to provide a full financial services program to support our Indian truck business and customers. So, as we get ready to begin production next year, we’re also putting in place the services we need to successfully launch in the Indian market in mid-2012”.“We’ve designed it to perfectly suit the needs of Indian customers with superior technology, benchmark reliability and optimal total cost of ownership (TCO). Plus, we’ll build an entire range of vehicles from 6 to 49 tons – providing solutions for hauling, construction and tractor trailer applications. But may be the most important factor is that those products will truly be at home here in every respect: They’ve been designed and tested specifically for Indian usage patterns and road conditions. In short, we want to sell trucks that are made in India, for India, by our excellent team from India”, added Mr. Renschler.

According to Mr. Marc Llistosella, the BharatBenz product range will draw on Daimler Trucks’ entire range of technological expertise in order to best address the special needs of Indian customers. The product range in the light-duty segment is based on the Fuso Canter tried-and-tested platform, while the heavy-duty range is based on one of Mercedes-Benz trucks platforms. With these platforms, the trucks have been ideally tailored to the needs of Indian customers.

The first product to get launched in 2012 is a 25-tonner truck haulage, construction and rigid truck applications. These trucks are already localized to the extent of 70 per cent and will be more than 80 per cent localized within the first two years of launch.

DICV has already been conducting extensive testing of its trucks both at the test tracks and on-road across India. These trucks have already completed a million km in testing. “We do not test our trucks with our customers. We bring finally tested products to the market”, said Mr. Listosella.The choice of “Bharat” as part of the name reinforces Daimler Trucks’ commitment to serving the local market.

Daimler AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, is commemorating 125 years of its automobile this year. The pioneering spirit of its founders set the world in motion, by creating the world’s first automobile. Having spearheaded a tradition of innovation, with many firsts to its credit, including the world’s first truck 115 years ago, the new exclusive Indian brand BharatBenz is yet another great achievement in Daimler’s quest for excellence.
World class test track

The comprehensive, in-house, state-of-the-art test track is the first initiative of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles in developing trucks for India. The test track has been designed based on meticulous research done on road-load data patterns across the country, on various terrains.

It consists of a super elevation track that enables testing at three different speeds, including a jump section and a noise pad. The testing facility also includes a bump track with 40,832 cobblestones laid to precision, articulation and pot holes, which together simulate the toughest conditions that a truck may have to negotiate on Indian roads.
Daimler India aspires to be as close to its customers as possible. Its prudently planned sales and service network will span the entire length and breadth of the country. Regional offices in major metros, area sales offices in 10 prominent cities and a pan-India network of sales and service centers will cover 83 locations. The second wave of service facilities will cover 27 additional locations.

The sales and service centers will set new benchmarks in the trucking industry, with products and services that clearly reflect Indian market insights, state-of-the-art infrastructure, experienced sales personnel, highly qualified service personnel and much more.

Shriram Transport launches India’s first Automall

Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd. (STFC) has just launched Shriram Automall in Chennai, the country’s first single- window destination for trade of pre-owned trucks. The Union Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. P. Chidambaram, inaugurated the facility at Pukkathurai village, 15 km south of Chengelpet.

Spread across a sprawling 2 lakh sq. feet space, the facility is the first of its kind initiative which will give access to the country’s large community of truck-owners to trade their vehicles in a hassle-free manner. At the Automall, apart from trucks trading, the truck owner will also be able to explore financing and insurance options, as also minor and major repair facilities. Rest rooms for travel fatigued truck drivers and cleaners are also provided as an add-on facility.

The overall plan is to have 50 such facilities strategically located on important highways of the country.

“Road transport today is the lifeline of the country’s growing economy. We are excited with the launch of our Automall which will benefit truckers in prompt replacement of their vehicles leading to modernization of the country’s trucking fleet. The facility will house hundreds of pre-owned vehicles both in as-is-where-is and refurbished condition, and truckers will be able to trade in a transparent manner,” said Mr. R. Sridhar, Managing Director of Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd., on the occasion.The Automall will also house Shriram One Stop, a computerized touch screen kiosk which will be a virtual truck bazaar, providing real time information about used commercial vehicles available for sale and simultaneously facilitates registration of individual buyer’s requirements. One Stop will bring more transparency while buying and selling used commercial vehicles.

The Automall will also include Shriram New Look, wherein refurbished pre-owned commercial vehicles are put on display for buying with in-built financing options.

STFC is the flagship company of the Shriram Group which has significant presence in consumer finance, life insurance, general insurance, stock broking, and distribution business. Incorporated in 1979, Shriram Transport is today the largest asset financing NBFC in the country and a holistic finance provider for the commercial vehicle industry. It seeks to partner small truck owners for every possible need related to their assets.

With 487 branch offices all over the country, the company, based in Mumbai, manages assets of over Rs. 34,000 crores and has a customer base exceeding eight lakhs. In the last 30 years, it has helped replace nearly 20 lakh trucks by providing affordable acquisition credit to small truck operators.

Indian auto aftermarket valued at Rs. 330 billion: Components account for Rs. 248 billion

The Automotive Component Manufacturers’ Association (ACMA) has announced the findings of first of its kind study on the ‘Indian automotive aftermarket’. The aftermarket in India of the ‘on-road’ vehicles is valued at INR 330 billion with 25 per cent on account of servicing (labour charges) and the remaining from components, putting the total components aftermarket at around INR 248 billion. Two-wheelers are the top contributors to the total aftermarket at 46 per cent. Three-wheelers contributed three per cent, while PVs and CVs have comparable contributions at 26 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

ACMA has also unveiled a detailed ‘White Paper on Legislative Improvements to Combat Counterfeit Auto Components’, delineating the quantum of counterfeiting in auto components in India, its adverse impact on the economy and trade and the remedial measures, including strengthening of legislative framework, to combat the menace.

Commenting on the findings of the study, the ACMA President, Mr. Srivats Ram, said: “The primary study of the Indian automotive aftermarket has revealed for the first-time information on the Indian aftermarket on the basis of vehicle parc data as on March 31, 2010. The total parc of all vehicles in India in the ‘on-road’ category stood at over 94.7 million. Two-wheelers constituted 76 per cent, PVs 15 per cent and the remaining nine per cent were contributed by CVs and three-wheelers of all on-road vehicles. Among States, Gujarat with the maximum number of two-wheelers and Maharashtra with the maximum number of on-road vehicles in each of other three categories topped the list. While in the case of cities, Delhi topped in vehicle parc across all segments, except three-wheelers, Mumbai had the highest numbers.”

The study conducted by the leading market research agency – The Nielsen Company – is a timely and meaningful primary research study of the Indian automotive aftermarket undertaken by ACMA. The study also estimates the replacement frequency for key automotive components across various vehicle segments and average maintenance cost during each servicing cycle through extensive interviews and interaction with the distribution channel across the country.

The study also identifies key trends and potential changes in the automotive business landscape. The first part of the study presents the findings, while the latter half provides detailed granular data in the form of tables. ACMA is also publishing the complete data set collected during the field study in an interactive electronic format as well.Enumerating the findings of the study, the Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, ACMA Chairman for Committee on Consumer Affairs & Aftermarket, and Sr. Vice President - Finance & Administration, Bosch Ltd., said: “This is the first time in India that we have had an extensive primary researched database with statistical extrapolation of the vehicle parc, as also replacement market, for over 100 major components, for the Indian automotive aftermarket. The Committee has worked along with our research agency for the last six months to come out with a comprehensive report and a separate drill down electronic database. The Indian aftermarket of on-road vehicles was valued at INR 330 billion in 2010 with 25 per cent on account of servicing (labour charges) and the remaining from components, putting the total components aftermarket at around INR 248 billion. Two-wheelers were the top contributors to the total aftermarket at 46 per cent; three-wheelers contributed 3 per cent, while PVs and CVs had comparable contributions at 26 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.”

“A significantly nuanced input of this study has been provided by its component replacement frequency findings. These findings bring out typical behaviour of an Indian consumer of maximizing use while minimizing preventive maintenance. The survey finds that many components remain in-use well beyond their recommended life and the use of spurious components is high. Though there is some variability across components, only about 60 to 70 per cent of the available components are genuine – OEM spares, OES branded, non-OES branded or imported. It is in this context that our committee has also come out with a White Paper on ‘Legislative Improvements to Combat Counterfeit Auto Components’ ”, added Mr. Bhattacharya.

Some of the salient findings of the study are:

• Forty-four most populous cities of the country (with million-plus population) contributed a little over half of all PVs, 34.8 per cent of two-wheelers, 32.8 per cent of three-wheelers and 34.4 per cent of CVs, clearly indicating that vehicle ownership in India is shifting base from urban to semi-urban and rural areas.

• Tractors at over 3.5 million represent the largest off-road vehicle segment. Uttar Pradesh (including Uttarakhand) was the top State with a parc of over 600,000 tractors. Orissa and Kerala with disproportionately lower tractor parc compared to their populations were notable exceptions.

• The average annual expenses on maintenance of vehicles are INR 2,650 for two-wheelers, INR 3,450 for three-wheelers, INR 7,850 for PVs and INR 22,550 for CVs.

• Spending on vehicle maintenance during the initial two years is at around 35 per cent of the average spend during the peak spending period, which generally spans from the end of warranty till the vehicle is 13 years old. On the other hand, after 13 years of existence the average annual maintenance falls to around 45 per cent of the peak values as most of the interventions are aimed at keeping the vehicle ‘just road worthy’ when the use of non-genuine parts goes up and regular service and maintenance cycles become much longer.

• Two-wheelers contributed 49.66 per cent to the total vehicle components’ aftermarket. Three-wheelers at 2.54 per cent, PVs with 24.68 per cent and CVs with 23.12 per cent share complete the pie for components aftermarket in 2010.

• The top States for two-wheeler components aftermarket were Gujarat at INR 14 billion, closely followed by Maharashtra at INR 13.9 billion and Tamil Nadu at INR 13 billion. Amongst cities, Delhi had the highest market size for two-wheeler components with an aftermarket size of INR 5.5 billion.

• Maharashtra (INR 1.2 billion), Gujarat (INR 0.9 billion) and Kerala (INR 0.85 billion) together constitute 47 per cent of the automotive components aftermarket for three-wheelers. Among the surveyed cities, Mumbai carried the maximum potential market size for aftermarket components at INR 2.5 billion. In PVs, Maharashtra (INR 8.9 billion), Delhi (INR 7.2 billion) and Gujarat (INR 5.7 billion) contribute 36 per cent to the segment total.

• The leading States for components aftermarket of CVs were Maharashtra (INR 7.3 billion), Gujarat (INR 6.1 billion) and Andhra Pradesh (INR 4.3 billion), together making up for 31 per cent of the segment total. Delhi at INR 1.8 billion, Chennai at INR 1.7 billion, followed by Bangalore at INR 1.5 billion, were the leading contributors among surveyed cities.

• In terms of automotive purchase behaviour, semi-urban and rural markets demonstrated that the consumer in these markets followed the urban pattern, except for the fact that a lower percentage of households owned four-wheeler PVs.

• In terms of automotive aftermarket, the replacement frequencies as well as preventive maintenance behaviour was very different in lower tier towns and rural markets as compared to large cities. These consumer segments are extremely cost-sensitive, spends are low, preventive maintenance outside warranty is rare and replacements are often low cost unbranded or even spurious.

The White Paper on “Legislative Improvements to Combat Counterfeit Auto Components” released by ACMA highlights the increasing concern of the industry over the growing menace of counterfeit components estimated at INR 87 billion in 2010. Various factors impact the increased availability of counterfeit components, including ease of manufacturing, packaging and importing such products; higher margins on counterfeits; retailers and mechanics advocacy over genuine; uninformed customers; short replacement cycle of some parts and inadequacy of the existing legislative framework.

Increased proliferation of counterfeits results in a loss to the Government exchequer to the tune of INR 22 billion per annum; employment loss due to counterfeiting is estimated at over 1.15 million jobs, consumption of additional 109 million litres of petrol and 8 million litres of diesel per annum and an estimated 20 per cent of total road accidents in India can be either directly or indirectly attributed to the use of counterfeit automotive parts. The use of counterfeits resulted in 25,400 deaths and more than 93,000 injuries in 2009.

Sharing his thoughts on the future dynamics of the auto component aftermarket, the ACMA Executive Director, Mr. Vinnie Mehta, said: “Going forward, the expansion of OEM authorized service stations and organized multi-brands service chains, implementation of GST and the ongoing campaign against spurious component manufacturers are key developments that will shape the Indian automotive aftermarkets. While GST will bring in substantial changes in the components distribution set-up, servicing is expected to undergo a proliferation of multi-brand organized chains and consolidation by large service providers, mainly on account of sophisticated and capital-intensive advanced diagnostics capabilities. Further, regulatory environment that includes emission norms, steadily advancing safety regulations and noise reduction measures, will also bring in new opportunities and challenges for component manufacturers.”

Commenting on the various recommendations of the White Paper to curb counterfeiting of auto components in the country, Mr. Srivats Ram observed: “Among others, it is essential to re-orient the Motor Vehicles Act as Automotive Components Anti Counterfeit and Product Safety Law with a comprehensive definition of counterfeit or spurious auto components; as well for what constitutes manufacturing, packaging, trading, distributing, warehousing, repacking, remanufacture, transportation, printing of packing material, etc., for/of defective/spurious automotive components. Further, the manufacture, packing, sale, stocking, distribution, etc., of spurious auto components should be considered cognizable and non-bailable offence. The Motor Vehicles Act should be intended not only to regulate completely assembled vehicles but also components used or intended for use in vehicles, including in the aftermarket. Further, States should be permitted to take ‘suo motu action’ to monitor and prosecute offenders engaged in the business of spurious auto components. Lastly, the automotive industry, in collaboration with the Department of Consumer Affairs and other relevant government agencies, should engage in consumer education and public awareness on the danger to life and property due to usage of spurious auto components.”

Apollo Tyres’ Chennai plant inaugurated

The Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. M.K. Stalin, recently inaugurated Apollo Tyres’ ninth global tyre manufacturing unit and the fourth in India on the outskirts of Chennai. Present on the occasion were Mr. Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman, Mr. Neeraj Kanwar, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Tyres, and the company’s Directors and CEOs from India, South Africa and Europe.

The greenfield Chennai facility is a reflection of India’s growth aspirations and manufacturing capabilities, showcasing some of the best practices available across the globe in tyre manufacturing. A highly automated plant with extensive use of robotics and IT-driven systems, it employs young and skilled manpower on the shopfloor.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kanwar observed: “While planning this manufacturing facility, we have ‘questioned’ the existing practices and studied benchmarked systems within Apollo and outside, with a desire to create an iconic tyre manufacturing facility, which is technologically advanced and yet cost competitive. I am happy that this plant mirrors the hopes and aspirations of new India, even as India goes global.”

Built over 128 acres, plant construction began on site in December 2008 at the peak of the global downturn. This is the fourth facility of Apollo Tyres in India, with the existing two facilities in Kerala and one in Gujarat.

“Our journey here began in 2008. When the world was going through a severe economic recession, we undertook the task of investment in an iconic tyre plant in India to meet tomorrow’s needs. It proved to be one of the best decisions we have taken in a while. The Tamil Nadu Government has supported us in every single step that we have taken”, added Mr. Kanwar.

The first tyre was commercially produced by February 2010, in a short span of just 14 months. The projected investment of Rs. 450 crores in 2008 has since been scaled up multi-fold to Rs. 2,100 crores. The Chennai plant currently produces 7,000 passenger vehicle tyres and 1,300 commercial vehicle tyres a day. At its terminal capacity, production is expected to reach 16,000 passenger vehicle and 6,000 commercial vehicle tyres a day.

Commissioned in a record time of 14 months, the Chennai plant received necessary certifications and clearance for supplying to OEMs in just four months. Equipped with the most modern and advanced equipment and technology, the plant will bring into India true economies of scale and know-how. But more than anything else, this unit is a manifestation of what is possible in India today.

Apollo Tyres Ltd., the leading Indian tyre manufacturer, is built around the core principles of creating stakeholder value through reliability in its products and dependability in its relationships. Besides four manufacturing units in India, it has four in Southern Africa and one in the Netherlands. Apollo’s subsidiary companies are Apollo Tyres South Africa Pty Ltd. (previously known as Dunlop Tyres) and Apollo Vredestein BV in the Netherlands.India, South Africa and Europe are the company’s three domestic markets from where products are exported to over 70 countries. In each of the domestic markets the company operates through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets.

“Our business philosophy has always been that if we move ahead in Apollo, we have to take the community we are a part of also forward in whatever manner we can. Therefore, even as this plant was being constructed we joined hands with the Tamil Nadu National State AIDS Society and set up five HIV-AIDS awareness clinics across the State. We picked the busiest trucking halt points and have been doing active work in HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention. In no other State in the country do we have 5 clinics”, said Mr. Kanwar.

Bauma-Conexpo India showcases India’s construction and mining industry competence

The Bauma Conexpo Show in India – bC India – held during February 8 to 11 at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai exceeded all expectations: More than 22,000 visitors from 69 countries attended the first edition of the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construction Vehicles.

The event was a joint venture between Messe München International (MMI) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

Thomas Löffler, Chief Executive Officer of the show organizer bC Expo India and Deputy CEO of MMI India, said: “The result shows clearly that our decision to launch bC India just came at the right time. Furthermore, the number of exhibitors as well as the feedback from all participants proved beyond doubt that bC India added a new dimension to the construction industry.”

The joint venture partners were also highly satisfied with the outcome of the show. “bC India proves to be a premium platform for the construction machinery industry in India by setting new organizational standards,” said Eugen Egetenmeir, Managing Director of MMI.

Dennis Slater, President of AEM, said the overall numbers are outstanding, and “I am convinced that bC India will indeed play a very important role in the Indian market in the days to come”.

In particular, the quality of business visitors and the facilities offered were highly appreciated by the exhibitors. By offering free of cost pre-registration and charging an entrance fee to non-pre-registered visitors, a high professional level of business visitors was achieved.

“The quality of visitors has been extremely good, thanks to the restricted entry policy”, said V. Venkataramana, Vice-President of Puzzolana. Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director and CEO of Wirtgen India. “All the visitors at our booth were 100 per cent quality visitors.”

All the participants in the show were extremely satisfied with the facilities provided both within the exhibition complex and outside. “The way it has been organised is excellent, and I recommend this event to all equipment manufacturers. We will come back”, said José Luis del Prim, CEO of Enarco and President of the Committee for European Construction Equipment CECE.

bC India also turned out to be a perfect platform for doing real business: “bC India is not only an image branding show but also a selling show. Although the show is still running, we have been able to sell 207 units so far”, stated Dr. Thomas Schulz, President Construction at Sandvik.

To meet the growing demand from exhibitors in the run-up to the show, the bC India exhibition space was extended to a total of around 88,000 square metres. All in all, 508 exhibitors from over 30 countries showcased their latest products and innovations in machinery and equipment for construction, mining and building materials. In addition, the show turned out to be the most international in nature within the construction exhibition sector in India, as 70 per cent of the registered exhibitors were from overseas.

The international character of this trade fair was underlined with the participation of nine national pavilions, from Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain and the UK, all showcasing state-of-the-art technology of their respective countries.

Michael Schmid-Lindenmayer, Managing Director of Putzmeister India, said: “India definitely needed an event like bC India.”

An ideal platform

bC India was indeed a platform for decision-makers and industry experts. It was the perfect place to gain a better understanding of the booming construction market in India. The quality, variety and sheer volume of attendees made it the best place to develop new business contacts and take advantage of the strong market demand.

True, the rapid growth of the construction sector is creating enormous sales potential for manufacturers of construction machinery. The increase in sales of earth-moving equipment by 17 per cent and construction vehicles and mining equipment by 53 per cent demonstrates the immense potential for all segments of the construction industry in India.

More than Euros 140 billion is invested in energy and infrastructure sectors, and the construction industry growth rate is higher compared to the overall growth rate in India. With the 10 per cent expected annual growth for commercial and industrial construction (2010-2015), the Indian economy quickly regains the momentum needed.

India, with its population enjoying huge purchasing power, attracts large investors from all over the world. Investments in various infrastructure segments are projected at an impressive Euros 140 billion in 2010 – Euros 100 billion for the energy sector, Euros 17-21 billion for road construction, Euros 5.7-7 billion for ports and Euros 10.7-14.3 billion for airports development.

Even though India is experiencing a slower growth rate due to the current economic downturn, it is expected to rise again within the next three to four years, thanks to the resilience of its economy. The growth rate forecast for the construction industry will exceed the overall GDP growth. Commercial and industrial construction segments are growing at an annual rate of approximately 10 per cent compared to six-seven per cent for residential construction.

AMW sets ambitious target for 2011-12

Asia MotorWorks (AMW) will end the year 2010-11 with sales of 8,000 trucks, and for 2011-12 the company has set an ambitious target of 50,000 units, which is currently its total manufacturing capacity. The company plans to achieve this magical number by entering the mass market haulage segment with the launch of two new platforms in the 16-tonne and 25-tonne categories within the next two months.

Mr. Anirudh Bhuwalka, Managing Director & CEO, AMW, said: “At AMW we believe in challenging the existing norms in the industry and have adopted a two-pronged growth strategy. We have made a mark in specialized segments of mining and construction and are all set to enter the mass market haulage segment to sustain our objectives of growth with profitable partnership with our customers. Our market leadership in our chosen segments has encouraged us to increase our product offerings to the highly demanding mining industry. We will introduce new products in the 31, 25-tonne segment and are poised to enter the competitive 16-tonne haulage market segment.”

He added: “With our special thrust on mining and construction, we are gearing up production and are seeking to penetrate the existing markets with newer products, with improved features and performance parameters”.

AMW first launched its trucks in August 2006. In less than five years, the company has established its presence as a high performance, reliable trucking brand. Today, with more than 20,000 trucks on road, AMW has become the preferred choice, particularly in mining and construction applications, like tippers, tip-trailers and concrete mixers. AMW’s present product portfolio comprises vehicles in 25, 30 and 49-ton segments in haulage and fully built vehicles like tippers, dumpers and transit mixers. The cost of vehicles ranges from Rs. 17 lakhs to Rs. 26 lakhs. The company offers a total of over 25 variants.

AMW has introduced products that are customized to the highly demanding construction segment as well as other road and dam building and other allied infrastructure segments. Built to provide higher efficiency and increased productivity, the products are ideal for a range of applications. A trend-setting “ready-to-use” air-conditioned cabin now comes as a standard fitment in all AMW trucks. These have proven to be highly comfortable and contribute to significant increases in driver productivity.

Mr. Rajesh Mangal, CMO, AMW says: “Business at AMW is booming. We have a very robust order book and are seriously working on ramping up our production. There is a steady increase in demand for trucks from the second half of 2010 which has resulted in a serious slump in availability of good vehicles in the market. With many ongoing infrastructure projects like road, dam construction and power projects, this demand is bound to increase further”.

AMW is now all set to foray into the mass-market segment of haulage vehicles. “We will be launching a 10-wheeler truck for the mass market haulage segment. It will be different in terms of pricing and specifications. We are also looking at launching 4x2 mass market haulage trucks which will be a natural progression for us”, adds Mr. Mangal.
The backbone of AMW’s engineering prowess is its manufacturing facility in Gujarat. The plant has an installed capacity of 50,000 trucks per annum. In addition, AMW has a capacity of 12,000 fully-built vehicles and 4,000 trailers per annum. AMW Auto Component manufactures wheel rims for trucks, cars and tractors. The plant has a capacity to manufacture 15 million wheel rims.

In terms of product expansion, the company has started manufacturing cabs at its Bhuj facility, which was earlier being imported. Aggregates include Cummins engines and ZF and Eaton transmissions.

AMW has also recently soft-launched a product for the mining segment. The 31-tonne 8x4 tipper is ideal for coal transportation. One of its kind in the AMW stable, this product lends itself to high loading capacity and can be used for transportation of coal from crusher sites to railway sidings.
“Over a period of time, customers have realized that they need a reliable product, and even the application builders have realized the same. Application providers in the construction segment, like manufacturers of concrete mixers, boom pumps and cranes, have evaluated our trucks vis-à-vis competition and found our truck far superior and reliable. Customers are getting much better value proposition. We work closely with all application providers but eventually the customer drives the demand”, said Mr. Mangal.

In the initial euphoria, AMW did attempt to enter segments like buses and light trucks, like the Tata Ace. The company showcased some of the future products at the Auto Expo in 2008. After the recession in the same year, the company realized that, instead of spreading thin on too many segments, it is better to concentrate on its core segment of heavy duty trucks for now.

Five years since the launch of its trucks, AMW has already established service centres within every 200 to 300 km across the country. It has dealerships and service teams working at 60 locations.

Mahindra & Mahindra forays into construction equipment business

EarthMaster backhoe loader launched

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India’s leading utility vehicle and tractor manufacturer, has announced its entry into the construction equipment business with the launch of the Mahindra EarthMaster backhoe loader. The Mahindra EarthMaster is available at Rs. 20,98,400 (ex-showroom Maharashtra). The project cost of the construction equipment business is around Rs. 300 crores.

Speaking at the launch of the construction equipment business, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, said: “I am pleased to announce Mahindra’s entry into a large, fast growing and profitable construction equipment industry with the launch of its first product in this category, the EarthMaster backhoe loader. This is an outcome of 36 months of development and is loaded with technology not hitherto seen in this product segment in India. With EarthMaster we are ushering in a new era of performance, comfort and ease of operation in backhoe loaders.”

“The Mahindra EarthMaster has undergone over 20,000 hours of rigorous testing in the harshest of terrains and for the toughest of applications. It has been validated on all performance, safety and reliability parameters. It is backed by Mahindra’s dealer network, which will have unparalleled reach across the country. India is the world’s largest backhoe loader market with over 25,000 units expected to be sold in this fiscal, and we hope to create a mark in this fast growing segment,” said Mr. Kairas Vakharia, Business Head, Construction Equipment, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

The Mahindra EarthMaster will be manufactured at Mahindra’s state-of-the-art facility at Chakan, Pune.

Mahindra’s product development team has utilized extensive consumer insight and feedback to develop this product which is built to withstand India’s rough terrain and heavy usage. In addition, the product offers cutting-edge features using the latest vehicle systems and technologies at prices that are within reach of the mass market.

The Mahindra EarthMaster comes with a two-year unlimited hours warranty which keeps contractors free from anxiety about expensive repairs that are normally associated with earthmoving machinery. The company has put in place a dedicated sales and service network to cater to its construction equipment customers. This will include over 200 dealer sales, service and spare parts outlets, over 200 service vans to reach customers at their sites, 12 area offices, one central parts warehouse and 10 regional parts warehouses to supply dealers and a call center supporting nine languages.
The equipment is powered by Mahindra’s DITEC engine, a compact 3.3 litre engine which delivers best in class 83 hp (Ps) power. The construction of the DITEC engine combining direct injection (DI) with turbo charger & intercooler (TCI) delivers over 10 per cent fuel savings per hour allowing earthmoving contractors to lower their operating cost in a very competitive contracting and hiring business. The engine is packed with the latest technology for minimizing emissions that even meets USA Tier III emission norms.

With the Mahindra EarthMaster, effortless is redefined. Primitive, tough to operate levers are a thing of the past. The machine has a new age digital cluster that helps the operators identify and trouble-shoot problems. Operators in different regions of India can read messages and listen to warnings in six different languages, in addition to the standard warning indicators.

Mahindra Navistar's two new heavy truck models unveiled

Mahindra Navistar has unveiled two new heavy trucks – the 25-tonner tipper (MN25 tipper) and the 40-tonner tractor trailer (MN40).

The launch makes Mahindra Navistar a full range CV player. It plans to set up over 100 dealerships in the next two years. A total of 220 service points have already been commissioned by now. Further, ‘NOW’ is a unique 24-hour expert multilingual call centre available for quick service turnaround mobile service workshop introduced as part of the unique ‘anywhere, anytime’ on-road assistance programme.

After unveiling its entire range of high performance HCV trucks at Auto Expo 2010 and announcing start of production of its first two truck offerings, the 25-tonner MN25 and 31-tonner MN31, last year, Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd. (MNAL) unveiled its two new offerings to expand their commercial vehicle range. The MN25 tipper would cost Rs. 23.26 lakhs and the MN40 Rs. 19.3 lakhs (ex-showroom Pune, BS III variant).

Speaking at the launch of the new vehicles, Mr. Rakesh Kalra, MNAL Managing Director, observed: “With the introduction of MN25 Tipper and MN40 we have entered new segments and further strengthened our range. These high performance offerings are set to redefine the existing parameters of power, fuel efficiency and driver comfort. The high performance MN25 Tipper and MN40 are among the most powerful, fuel-efficient, rugged and comfortable tipper and truck offerings to be launched in India. Designed and developed in India with technological assistance of our partner, Navistar, who has over 175 years of trucking experience, both vehicles come with a world-class cabin which is spacious and ergonomically designed to suit Indian drivers for continuous long hauls. It’s powered by the world-renowned MAXXFORCE engine which is highly fuel efficient and powerful.”

Mr. Nalin Mehta, Chief Operating Officer, MNAL, said: “With the launch of MN25 tipper and MN40 tractor trailer, coupled with the heavy trucks MN25 and MN31 launched earlier and the existing range of LCVs, we are now a full range commercial vehicle player. Our value-for-money pricing strategy along with far superior product performance itself will help the customers to earn higher profits and better return on their investments.”

Mr. Mehta said: “We are focused on the sales and service infrastructure and filling the pipelines with our products. We have already started selling MN25 and MN31 and are receiving very favorable response from customers. On the network front, by March, we would start business from 45 new dealers, which would be scaled up to 100 in the next 18 months to two years. Also, 220 service points have already been dedicated in the service of our customers”.
Extensive sales & service network

The company has rolled out its mobile service workshop, yet another first in the Indian trucking industry, with the objective of providing ‘anywhere, anytime’, on-road assistance to customers. Coupled with the multi-lingual, 24x7 call centre branded ‘NOW’, which is manned by trained service experts, Mahindra Navistar is all set to unleash a new paradigm in customer service in Indian trucking. To add to this, nearly 430 roadside assistance centers are also in place to provide service.

Besides, MNAL will also draw on the vast pool of the M&M auto and tractor channel partners to use as an extended network for servicing customer needs. As of now, 220 service points are already in place.

The company aims to create a channel which will be passionate about surpassing customer expectations and willing to go that extra mile. The dealer network aims to set new benchmarks in delivering requisite services and spares to customers in the HCV segment in India.

Kamaz bags big orders

Kamaz Vectra Motors Ltd. (KVML) which had a fine display of its products at Bauma Conexpo (BC) bagged a major contract for a total of 100 tippers from two leading customers.

“We are delighted to be working with Mr. Vikram Singh from Kolkata and Mr. Pukhraj Jain from Mumbai as leading infrastructure contractors and transporters. We are committed to support not only our customer fleet but also our customers with excellent parts and after-sales service”, said Mr. Hanuman Sharma, Dy CEO of Kamaz Vectra Motors Ltd.

Mr. Hemanth Kumar, General Manager (Sales & Marketing), was also present at the ceremony to hand over keys by Mr. Denis Trifonov, KVML CEO, to customers Mr. Sekhar Reddy of KSSR Infratech from Hyderabad and Mr. Ashutosh Daga of A K Construction of Solapur.

“I am happy to have signed this contract with Kamaz, as we are very optimistic about the continued success and growth of our business. We are considering Kamaz as our strategic and long-term partner”, said Mr. Vikram Singh.

KVML is a joint venture between Kamaz OJSC and the Vectra Group (51:49). The company offers its 31-tonner dump truck Kamaz-6540 (8x4) with 19-t legal payload. The Kamaz-6540 is equipped with Kamaz V8, 260 hp Euro 2 engine with the option of Cummins 285 hp Euro 3 engine. The truck is fitted with two fuel tanks of 210 litres displacement each, which will allow lengthy truck operations without refuelling. It can carry up to 18 m3 cargo and its tipping angle during the unloading can reach 55°. A fully loaded Kamaz-6540 can easily accelerate its speed up to 85 kmh. KVML is offering four different variants of the 6540 model - 16 cum box and Rock body, 18cum box body and 20 cum box body.KVML has set up a plant at Hosur with an annual capacity to produce 5,000 trucks. Currently the company is assembling the Kamaz-6540 tipper, and it will shortly start production of tractors Kamaz-5460 (4X2) and Kamaz-6460 (6X4), as well as Kamaz-6520 dump trucks. The company has localized most of the key aggregates achieving over 70 per cent indigenisation.

Mr. Denis Trifonov says: “Our major customers are mining and construction companies. Our trucks are operated in extremely severe conditions in coal and iron ore mines. We are also negotiating with the sea ports which are extending their territories”.

KVML is in the process of establishing a dealership, sales and service network across India. It has also appointed one overseas dealer, Lhachhen Mineral Industry, Timphu, Bhutan, to reach customers.

Meritor remains committed to global off-high market

In January 2011 ArvinMeritor announced a name change from ArvinMeritor Inc. to Meritor Inc. “The company is taking the action because the Meritor name is recognized by our commercial vehicle and industrial customers around the world,” said Mr. Chip McClure, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President, ArvinMeritor, Inc. “We are now organized to focus entirely on innovative products and technologies that offer superior performance, energy efficiency and reliability.”

Mr. McClure continued, “Changing the name back to Meritor gives us the opportunity to leverage the strong reputation we’ve developed, and to build on it as we continue to define ourselves as the recognized leader in drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions in commercial vehicle and industrial markets.”

Meritor has put in place a well-defined strategy to grow its off-highway business to meet the expected growth in demand in the coming years. The company is investing in product design and development, as well as in manufacturing capacity, while simultaneously executing successful production launches for its growing customer base.

In 2009, ArvinMeritor announced its intention to re-enter the off-highway market in North America and Europe. Since then, the company has developed an initial product portfolio and signed contracts to supply North American customers. It is now working to re-establish its off-highway market share in North America and Europe and expects to grow this business in South America and expand its leadership position in Asia Pacific. Additionally, the company is looking to leverage adjacent off-highway products to better serve its customers with a complete off-highway drive systems solution.

With its long history of expertise in designing and manufacturing heavy-duty axles for commercial vehicle customers, and the strong off-highway capabilities developed in China, Meritor is prepared to grow this business and seize global market opportunities.

The company manufactures its off-highway drivetrain components in Xuzhou, China, in a joint venture with its long-term partner, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), and at its manufacturing facility in Newark, Ohio. Meritor is a leading producer of off-highway axles in China with a strategic priority to expand in all major regions of the world.The joint venture, Xuzhou Meritor Axle Co. Ltd. (XMAL), plans to invest an additional $17.3 million to expand its manufacturing capability with an additional 26,000 sq. metres of capacity. These investments will facilitate expansion of the on-highway business in China, as well as the growth of the off-highway capabilities in the largest commercial vehicle market in the world. Off-highway construction equipment production is expected to remain strong as China embarks on its latest Five-Year Plan to invest $1-2 billion on rural urbanization and transportation construction from 2011 to 2015.

Fuelling the expansion is a customer-focused strategy that provides unmatched speed-to-market, unique customization capabilities and superior quality and durability – supported by global engineering and manufacturing resources, in addition to a well-known and trusted aftermarket parts and service network.

Using a modular design approach for carriers, wheel-ends and braking systems, the company is engineering products that offer customized solutions – and doing so with lead times the company believes to be approximately 50 per cent less than its competitors.

Beginning with design flexibility and modularity for off-highway customization, Meritor now fabricates, instead of casting, its axle housing components allowing size variations without retooling – a major contributor to lower cost production and significantly reduced lead times.

The company also uses its advanced gear manufacturing technology to meet its customers’ needs for planetary wheel-ends and differentials in cranes, terminal tractors, loaders, mining trucks and fork lifts.

ZF solutions for construction and off-road equipments

ZF, a leading worldwide automotive supplier for driveline and chassis technology with 123 production units in 27 countries, and with a workforce of 64,000 employees, achieved sales of 12.9 billion euros in 2010. In order to continue to be successful with innovative products, ZF annually invests more than five per cent of its sales in research and development.

Within the ZF Group, ZF Passau is responsible for the Corporate Division off-road driveline technology and axle systems and specializes in transmissions and axles for agricultural and construction machines, lift truck drive systems and axle systems for buses and trucks.

ZF’s presence in India spans over three decades through joint ventures and licence agreements. In 2007 it started its wholly-owned subsidiary in India, ZF India Private Ltd. Headquartered in Pune it represents ZF’s varied product divisions for sales, localisation and product support activities. The group’s off-road drive-line business unit has already started local production in Pune for axle and transmission aggregates for the construction equipment sector.

Since early this year axles and power-shift transmissions for backhoe loaders are produced at this location for key OEMs in India and overseas. Recently the group’s commercial & special drive-line technology division inaugurated its plant in Pune for production of truck gearboxes.

Furthermore, ZF is steadily increasing its service presence in India. Currently there are ZF-owned service centers in Pune, Raipur, Bangalore and a dealer location in Delhi. The idea is to quicken response time to field requirements.

It is quite evident that India is one of the key strategic markets for ZF, and the group has ambitious plans for the country. The company’s product program includes tractor transmissions, differentials, planetary rigid axles, planetary steering axles, hydrostatic powershift transmissions, hydrodynamic powershift transmissions, elevator drives, mixer drives, electric drives, portal axles, single-drive axles and systems, independent front axle suspensions, axle inserts, bevel gear sets, tie rods, drag links, torque rods and test systems.

The group’s product divisions enjoy a high degree of specialization. This competence linked with the experience in project management is the basis for ZF-system projects. As a competent supplier of components, units, systems and system modules, it meets the requirements of the car and mechanical engineering industry.

Today ZF takes the responsibility right from the project phase over planning, product development, testing, production development, quality assurance and logistics up to serial production. The ready-to-install modules or system modules are delivered just-in-time or just-in-sequence. In this way the vehicle manufacturers co-operating with ZF reduce their interfaces to the minimum.

Today ZF delivers complete driveline systems (axles, transmissions, electronics) for off-road equipment as well as complete front-and rear axle systems for on-road vehicles. For system solutions the synergy of the innovation capacities as well as the testing and development potential of all ZF company divisions are used and applied specifically.

Together with ZF as system partner customers benefit from numerous cost saving potentials such as reduced development, logistics, installation and handling expenditure. The stronger and more comprehensive the co-operation, the better and larger are the resulting synergies.

In its position as global player, ZF has a worldwide service network of 700 after-sales centers, thus providing optimum customer support on site.


Interview with Piyush Munot, Director, ZF India

In early 2010, ZF established an assembly plant in Pune to manufacture 10,000 axles and transmissions annually for construction and off-highway equipments.

Mr. Piyush Munot, Director, ZF India, says: “We initially started with supplying axles for backhoe loaders and we have now launched our second product, powershift transmission, which is the first of its kind in India. This product will significantly improve fuel efficiency and driver productivity”.

In India, currently most backhoe loaders are fitted with synchro-shuttle transmission. ZF is the first in India to introduce powershift transmission.

The new WG 90/94 off-highway powershift transmission is targeted at construction machinery, such as backhoe loaders, telehandlers and rough terrain forklifts. The new generation transmissions maintain quick reversing and high road speed characteristics and further improve quality and serviceability as well as reduce noise emission.

Globally, ZF’s powershift WG 90/94 has been in the market for over 3-1/2 years, and the first global customer was John Deere in the US. “We are talking to several equipment manufacturers in India for powershift transmissions and axles. We are also talking to Korean manufacturers who are setting up base in India and some Chinese manufacturers who have established manufacturing facility in India for construction equipment applications. Currently, axles are being assembled at the Pune facility with higher levels of localization”, Mr. Munot says.

The third product which the company plans to launch for off-highway segment by the mid of this year is axle for wheel loaders, which will be supplied to JCB for its new wheel loader to be launched in the market shortly. ZF will supply both the transmissions and axle for this model.

This year the company has projected sales of Euro 35 million. “We are working with Telcon on the wheel loader program, the grader program, soil compactor and mixer”, adds Mr. Munot.

ZF is also a major supplier of gear boxes for use in transit mixers. The company supplies its products to manufacturers like Schwing Stetter, Greaves, Lieberr and others. It has mapped India into key market segments – backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, transit mixers and soil compactors – on which it has its special focus.

Palfinger develops truck mounted cranes for Indian market

At this year’s BC (Bauma Conexpo) India, Palfinger made its presence felt with its motto “Efficiency and Reliability”, which is all about innovative and attractively-priced lifting, loading and handling solutions that make day-to-day work easier for the user.

As a leader in technology and after-sales service, the Palfinger brand is considered the epitome of quality and reliability all over the world. A clear strategy based on the three pillars of innovation, internationalization and diversification, with committed employees and an affirmed philosophy of “making customers more successful” in their jobs are the ingredients of this recipe for success. A competitive edge gained through technological innovation and a high level of product quality have always been central to the company.

The PS 8000 4.0 among the presentations took the centre-stage. Palfinger is launching this 3-tonne telescopic truck-mounted crane, specifically tailored to the Asian market, for mounting on small and medium-sized trucks.

Palfinger also exhibited PK 38502 and a PK 1000 Performance from its extensive range of knuckle boom cranes. These cranes are the perfect workhorses on any construction site due to their lightweight design, power and manoeuvrability.
The combination of the PK 10000 truck-mounted crane with a T 13 Palift Telescopic hookloader, mounted on a 16-tonne truck, including the waste container, demonstrated the interesting and powerful range of applications that Palfinger system solutions can handle in the construction and waste management industry.

An Epsilon M110L97 recycling crane mounted on a MAN truck with a gross vehicle weight of 25 tonnes demonstrated just how much power and efficiency is packed into these Palfinger cranes that have been specially designed to deal with huge dynamic loads. Additional truck-mounted crane attachments and equipment for every eventuality completed the exhibition programme.

Konvekta-Excel joint venture to offer transport A/C, refrigeration solutions

Konvekta AG is setting up a joint venture company in India with Excel Industry Co. LLC of the Excel Group of Ajman, UAE, its long-time sales agent and service partner. The 75:25 JV between Konvekta and Excel Industry, to be headquartered in Mumbai, will assemble Konvekta roof top air-conditioning units for buses by mid-2011 and localize components over the next few years.

The growing demand for bus air-conditioning and the high market potential, as well as the expanding activities of Konvekta customers in India, have all encouraged the company to venture into the Indian market.

The JV will initially offer air-conditioning solutions for the premium range of city buses and coaches as well as for buses for export from India. The company is also in discussion with potential technical after-sales partners in order to have a nationwide service network by the end of this year.

Konvekta is also planning to establish another joint venture with Excel Industry for assembling refrigerated vehicles. Excel will hold 75 per cent and Konvekta the balance 25 per cent of the equity in this project. In India, the incidence of food wastage is very high, estimated at close to 40 per cent of food production. One of the key reasons for such high wastage is the lack of organized cold chain and refrigerated transportation. This offers a good opportunity for chilling and deep-freezing trucks, the market for which is expected to grow by 15 per cent annually in the coming years.

The Konvekta-Excel JV aims to provide a one-stop solution in air-conditioning and refrigeration for the Indian transport industry.

At the global level, Konvekta AG, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of thermo systems for commercial vehicles and rail cars in Germany and elsewhere. It offers roof-mounted air-conditioning units and climate control systems for mini-buses, midi-buses, city buses, inter-urban buses and coaches, driver and passenger compartment air-conditioning units for rail cars, and air-conditioning and automatic control systems for construction and farm vehicles.

The company also provides transport refrigeration and fresh food units for refrigerated vans, compressor drives and brackets, evaporators and condensers, general heat exchangers and electrical components, as well as components for air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Founded in 1957 Konvekta AG is based in Schwalmstadt, Germany with subsidiary locations in Turkey, Argentina, Indonesia and China.

Jost India’s plans for aggressive business expansion

Jost India, the 100 per cent subsidiary of Jost Werke GmbH, started operations in India in 2005 and production in 2008. This is the first 100 per cent FDI in the eastern region of India. It has slowly but steadily built up a brand image which has a good recall among its prime customers, the truck OEMs and fleet owners.

“We believe in putting mechanisms in place which make our operations very strong. Apart from certifications for business excellence and environment management, we have a 360 degree approach for introspection and continuous improvement”, says the Director and CEO of Jost India, Mr. Amarjeet Singh. “Being a start-up company, we made the most of the recession period to carry out activities like implementation of ERP, quality systems, etc., in a very effective manner which would have otherwise been very difficult to do. The recession also gave us an opportunity to go to end customers and educate them on proper servicing of our products and popularize use of genuine spares for their own benefit. The result is that we have a good aftermarket network and a preference to our brand”, he says.
Said GS Pradeep, Head of Sales & Marketing: “Jost India started supplies of fifth wheel couplings to Tata Motors for their different truck-tractor models. The second OE customer in the form of MAN-Force trucks was added recently. We are in talks with more Indian and European truck OEMs, and soon the customer base would increase. Jost’s product portfolio encompasses truck-tractor and trailer segments. While the truck-tractor segment is well organized, the trailer segment is still to consolidate and move towards standard specifications and models. Unless a trailer code is in place which legislates a homologation process by a statutory agency like ARAI, this segment would not be able to match the standards of truck-tractors”.
This is where the big challenge lies. Jost worldwide has products virtually off-the-shelf that the Indian market wants probably for the next 10 years. However, a good combination of “push and pull” effort is needed to get them on the market. A good example of this is partnering with OEMs to bring new technology like KKS (automatic coupling system) into the market as a push action and being a part of testing and certification bodies like ARAI to contribute to specifications facilitating use of such products as a pull action. Presently, a truck-tractor and trailer are married together forever due to the fact that they cannot be registered separately. This completely defeats the purpose for which an articulated vehicle is built for in the first place.
A tractor (or a horse in Indian parlance) should be able to pull more than one trailer to ensure less down time of vehicle due to unloading and more movement of goods by picking another trailer somewhere else which is waiting for a truck-tractor to be pulled. A homologation process of the trailer (like a truck-tractor) would facilitate standardization and increase the possibility of registration of trailers independent of tractors besides ensuring less damage to roads and loss of precious lives. “With such a situation a plethora of opportunities would open up for us”, says Amarjeet Singh. Here’s how it can happen.
• With truck-tractor and trailer getting separately registered, more trailers would be built. With increased frequency of separation of tractors and trailers, use of landing gear would come into the picture, besides also testing the coupling and uncoupling mechanism of the fifth wheel coupling.

• Once this happens, there would be increased pressure on turnaround time and hence the KKS can come into the picture. A Jost KKS system ensures automatic process of coupling and uncoupling of a truck-tractor and trailer with the driver sitting in his cabin and pressing buttons.

• With the TRIDEC steering systems for trailers from Jost, the combination could negotiate tight corners within the city and drive upto the point of delivery or pick-up reducing the turnaround time further.

The fleet owner will not only be able to reduce the downtime of his vehicles due to the loading and unloading activities, but can also reduce his fleet size of having smaller vehicles to deliver the goods to the point of delivery or pick up. This would indeed put pressure on the popular “hub and spoke” system. “But does that not ensure faster goods movement and optimized operational cost to the fleet owners?”, asks GS Pradeep. “With increase in fuel prices virtually every other month, these equipment would, if not compensate, check the cost increase to a significant extent. We are in the process of qualifying these statements by quantifying the benefits to end customers and looking for willing ones”.

GM to launch sub-1 tonner LCV soon

General Motors India (GMI), the fifth largest automobile manufacturer in the country, is all set to foray into the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment by launching the Indian-made sub-1 tonner pick-up truck soon. The vehicle, to be jointly produced with the Chinese partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), will compete with similar model pick-up vehicles currently produced by Tata Motors, MAN, Piaggio, etc. The LCV from SAIC enjoys good market demand in China.

This was disclosed by Mr. P. Balendran, Vice-President, General Motors India, while addressing the press in Chennai to announce the launch of Chevrolet Beat LPG and introduction of the SMARTECH engine. Since the Chevrolet brand already enjoys a good reputation in India, the LCV will be also branded under Chevrolet.

Asked about its investment proposal, Mr. Balendran told MOTORINDIA that the company has plans to invest $300 million within the next two years on its six new products with 14 fuel variants. This investment would cover the proposed LCV product to be manufactured at the Halol plant. For any new product development under the fully dedicated new platform, the normal investment required is $50 million, and this will most likely be applicable for the company’s LCV project too. Currently, the new product is undergoing trials and is expected to be launched by the end of this year or the first quarter of next year.
Referring to the overall performance of the company, Mr. Balendran said during November 2010, the company achieved a milestone by selling one lakh vehicles per annum for the first time in India. There has also been a substantial increase in the market share of its various models as well as expansion of its sales and service outlets.

LINFOX order for 250 Tata Prima trucks

Tata Motors has won a prestigious order for supplying around 250 Tata Prima trucks to LINFOX Logistics, the largest privately owned supply chain solutions company in the Asia Pacific region with over 50 years of experience in the business. LINFOX will ply these trucks in India.

Said Mr. Ben Sullivan, Country Manager, LINFOX Logistics (India) Pvt. Ltd.: “We find the Tata Prima to be of a standard comparable to the global brands which we use in our other markets. With the Tata Prima, we are confident of reducing our trip time and hence transporting more goods with lesser number of vehicles in our fleet. Besides, the vehicle, with a host of innovative features, will also help us in our safety and productivity objectives.”

After extensive product testing and evaluation, LINFOX has placed a bulk order for 250 Tata Prima 4928.S tractors and will gradually change its complete fleet to the Tata Prima range of vehicles. Since October 2010, Tata Motors has started deliveries, and by March it will add 50 Tata Prima 4928.S tractors to LINFOX’s fleet. Tata Motors plans to complete deliveries in the next two years.

The Tata Prima range of vehicles comprises about 10 major variants of two-axle trucks, multi-axle trucks, tractor-trailers, the recently added Construck range, mixers and special application vehicles. The first product, the Tata Prima 4028.S tractor-trailer, was launched in November 2009. This was followed by the Tata Prima 4928.S tractor trailer in May 2010. The range has been jointly developed by Tata Motors and its two subsidiaries, Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company in South Korea and the Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc in the UK.

The company has harnessed the best of inputs and technologies – in styling, engines, transmission, suspension, chassis frames, fabrication and dies – from partners based in countries like Italy, Germany, Sweden, the US, Japan and South Korea.