Ashok Leyland-Nissan LCV with advanced features unveiled

A right blend of quality and rugged reliabilityThe new LCV, to be launched in the second quarter of 2011, is being produced at AL’s Hosur plant. The 100 per cent indigenised DOST is engineered and developed by the AL team with the design support from Nissan.

Addressing the media on the occasion, Dr. V. Sumantran, Executive Vice Chairman, Hinduja Automotive Ltd., and Chairman, Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain Ltd., disclosed that the new LCV was originally conceptualised as early as in 2007 at Hannover, and later on an official collaborative agreement was signed between Ashok Leyland and Nissan Motor Co. of Japan after studying the different aspects of the project. During the past three years, a lot of work has been done, including the product development to meet the specific requirements of Indian customers. The ultimate goal is to deliver a product backed by Japanese technology with superior value.

He said the new LCV is more suitable for those who would like to upgrade their business from three-wheelers to four-wheelers and mostly operated by independent owners. As far as LCVs are concerned, there is apparently a tremendous amount of affinity between the products and their owners. AL’s entry into the LCV segment marks a fresh chapter in the company history.

Dr. Sumantran further said that the LCV with an initial capacity of, 150,000 units would be the first of the three products agreed upon by the two companies for joint launch within three years. While DOST will be made at AL’s Hosur plant, the Nissan batch of LCVs will be produced at the Oragadam plant of Nissan from 2012. The third model of LCV is expected to be produced at AL’s existing plant.
Referring to the investments on the LCV project, Dr. Sumantran pointed out that though the company originally proposed an outlay of Rs. 2,300 crores, the cost could be reduced to half, thanks to utilisation of the existing land at the Hosur facility. At the end of the third year of operation, the JV company may go in for a greenfield project. There are plans for export of vehicles as well as components in due course.

In order to have an individual focus on the LCV, Ashok Leyland has appointed 25 new dealers with dedicated dealership facilities. Though the company’s current focus is on the goods segment, the passenger version of the vehicle is expected to be introduced next year.

A new level of experience

Dr. Sumantran also said: “The Indian market is rapidly evolving and customer expectations are growing. We believe that the LCV segment is ready for a substantial upgradation of products that yet offer low cost of ownership. The Ashok Leyland DOST, with its carefully calibrated design and features, attempts to offer a new level of experience to the Indian customer. Its design reflects the philosophy of both partners – blending the long traditions of quality and comfort of Nissan with the proven record of rugged reliability and fuel efficiency of Ashok Leyland.

Dr. Andy Palmer, Senior Vice-President, Nissan Motor Company, and Chairman, Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Ltd., in his address, observed that this star rating joint venture between AL and Nissan would turn out a most reliable product meeting the entire expectations of Indian customers. Though most of Nissan’s overseas operations have been affected by the recent natural disasters that ravaged Japan, the Indian JV won’t be affected because all the components for the vehicle would be fully sourced locally.

“The product blends the best in terms of Japanese engineering from Nissan, with local relevance that Ashok Leyland brings to the table. It represents a very attractive value proposition to the small and medium businesses that it is targeted at, and we are confident that it will find wide acceptance when launched”, he added.

Powered by a specially-developed, 55 hp high-torque, three-cylinder, turbo-charged Common Rail Diesel engine, the vehicle has a payload capacity of 1.25 tonnes. The Delphi-TVS Common Rail System fitted in this AL DOST LCV ensures better performance & high fuel efficiency. Reflecting the growing expectations of the Indian LCV customer, the Ashok Leyland DOST will be available in three versions: a base version with manual steering, a mid version with power steering and a higher version which will have dual tone interiors, power steering and AC. The vehicle will be available in both BS-III and BS-IV versions.Mirroring the evolution of the entire Indian car and light truck market, the small commercial vehicle segment of vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes has been witnessing a perceptible upward shift in terms of features, performance and payload, and the Ashok Leyland DOST has been positioned as a contemporary, powerful yet highly efficient product. With the hub-and-spoke model fast gaining ground, it is well-placed to ride the robust demand for vehicles making last-mile deliveries.

Ashok Leyland opens new dealership outlets in Punjab and HP

Ashok Leyland has significantly expanded its operations in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh with the inauguration of four dealership outlets – CM Automobiles (Mohali), TR Enterprises (Hoshiarpur), Grover Motors (Moga) and CM Associates (Kangra, Himachal Pradesh). With this, the company now has eight dealership outlets in Punjab along with 126 service bays and six dealership outlets in HP. The Mohali dealership outlet also marks the company’s 350th customer touch point across the country.

These represent significant steps by Ashok Leyland towards the development of the Punjab and HP markets with customers now assured of after-sales support all over these States.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Mohali dealership outlet, Mr. R.N. Rao, Special Director - Sales & Marketing, Ashok Leyland, observed: “Punjab and HP have been focus markets for us which must be evident in this marked expansion of our network in these markets. Over the years, we have striven to understand the specific requirements of customers in this region and provide vehicles that are best suited for them. This is reflected in the 5.5 per cent growth in our volumes in Punjab particularly. With these initiatives, we hope to substantially enhance our service levels.”

Another measure of the company service levels is the TatkaAL promise of reaching a customer within four hours anywhere on the Golden Quadrilateral or on the North-South, East-West corridors with restoration in 48 hours, and in case of any delay, the company is ready to pay a penalty of Rs. 1,000 per day. The company has trained and developed over 16,000 mechanics and nearly 5,400 retailers across the country.

Referring to the Punjab market with its large agrarian base, Mr. Rao explained that it is essentially a haulage market for which Ashok Leyland had winner products in the 4x2 and 6x2 segments fitted with the fuel efficient ‘H’ series engines that were BSIII compliant. These models are also offered with inline fuel injection pumps (FIPs) that have inherent mechanic-friendly features resulting in low operating costs.

The company displayed its new product range, and Mr. Rao handed over keys to customers at the function to inaugurate the new dealership outlets.

With the ramping up of the world-class manufacturing facility at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, Ashok Leyland is better placed to promptly and adequately meet the demands from these markets.

Apart from the TatkaAL promise, the company’s comprehensive driver care programme is going a long way in improving the lot of commercial vehicle drivers in the country and thereby addressing the growing industry concern over the dearth of good, trained drivers.

Ashok Leyland is the first auto major to have two driver training institutes, one at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu and the other at Burari near Delhi, with three more on the anvil at Khaital (Haryana), Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) and Jaipur (Rajasthan).

Tata Motors Jamshedpur plant creates history

Tata Motors Ltd., the country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer has recently created an history by producing 1,00,000 vehicles during 2010-11 from its Jamshedpur plant. This is the first time that the annual output at the plant which produces the company’s range of medium and heavy commercial vehicles, including the Prima range of trucks, exceeded one lakh units.

Mr. Ravi Pisharody, President - Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors Ltd., performing a formal puja at the Jamshedpur plant of the company to mark the production of more than 100,000 vehicles at the plant in a year.

Mahindra launches GENIO India's next generation pick-up

Throughout history, big change has always been sparked by big ideas. Ideas that change the way we see the world, change the way we behave and change the face of business. And this is exactly what the newly launched Mahindra Genio is all about.

It’s a world-class pick-up built from the ground up on good ideas. Ideas in modern design, ideas for economy through technology and ideas that bring car-like comfort to commercial transport. That’s why we say it’s ‘Born of Big Ideas’. With so many big ideas in it, it’s sure to revolutionize cargo transportation in India, and change the way the world looks at your business.

The Genio, the 1.2 tonne pick-up, has been developed to cater to the small and medium businesses transportation needs and is expected to change the face of the pick-up industry in India. Equipped with international looks, style, design, technology and offering the ultimate in comfort, the Genio is competitively priced at Rs. 4.99 lakhs (BS3 variant, ex-showroom Navi Mumbai). The BS4-compliant version is also available for BS4 markets.

The second product to roll out of Mahindra’s state-of-the-art Chakan plant, the Genio comes with a build and finish quality unseen amongst commercial vehicles in India. In addition to the world class styling of the vehicle, the appeal and interiors of the Genio are a benchmark within the industry. It offers a power-packed performance with its CRDe engine which is equipped with 75 hp power and 220 Nm torque, allowing it to handle any kind of load and terrain with ease.Packed with several utility, technology and comfort features which are being offered for the first time in commercial pick-ups, the Genio, scores highly over its nearest competitors.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said: “In keeping with our endeavour of offering first of its kind world class products, we have launched the Genio today. It is also a result of extensive consumer insight which captured the latent and expressed needs of the customer. The Genio is an ideal vehicle for businessmen, traders and SMEs. I am confident that it would be nothing less than a Game Changer for the pick-up segment in times to come. The Genio’s vehicle architecture is based on the Ingenio platform which we have used earlier. This platform gives superior cab design, chassis and proven aggregates of engine and transmission and delivers car-like comfort and space”.

Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, observed: “The pick-up industry in India is more than 6500 vehicles per month and growing. With the majority market share that we command, the onus is on us to offer superior products, thereby driving the industry growth. The Genio has been launched keeping this in mind, as we aim to fulfil the desires of the customers as well as offer a world-class product to them”.

The Genio has undergone rigorous test runs and has been validated on all performance, safety and reliability parameters. The vehicle is supported by Mahindra’s service network, which is one of the largest and spread across the country.

The new vehicle model comes with a rare build and finish quality unseen on other commercial vehicles on Indian roads. The styling of the vehicle is world class. Its unique grille design and aggressive bumper give it the stance of a utility vehicle. The metallic silver colour enhances its appeal, while its interiors could be seen as a benchmark in the industry.

The Genio offers a power packed performance as it comes with an mDICRDe engine. Its 75 hp engine and 220 Nm torque with a top speed of 120 km/hr is capable of handling any kind of load and terrain.

Technology & safety

The Genio is far ahead of its contemporaries in terms of technology and safety features. Because of the mDICRDe technology, the oil change interval of the vehicle is 20,000 km. It has LSPV brakes which adjusts the braking pressure depending on the load of the vehicle. For the first time in India, SLR seat belts are offered for the safety of the driver and co-driver. It also has cross members on the doors which save passengers in case of any eventuality of accidents affecting the sides of the vehicle.

The Genio comes fitted with radial tubeless tyres, which is also an industry first in commercial pick-up vehicles. This ensures that the tyres do not burst in case of a puncture, especially on the highway.

It is a complete feature-packed vehicle when it comes to comfort. It has adjustable power steering, 80.5 cubic feet cabin space, semi-bucket seats with front back adjustment and recliner and independent front suspension to absorb all shocks on Indian roads. With a car-like gear shift, ride quality of a UV, wider and bigger windscreen and doors and also split back glass for better ventilation, the Genio’s drive experience is unique.

Convenience features

The Genio offers several utility features, a first in the commercial pick-up segment. It boasts of a floor console with a mobile charging point, a bottle holder, coin holder, etc. The dash board has a wallet case and a mobile case apart from a big glove box. It has the shortest turning radius among pickups of 6.15 meters which helps it negotiate the narrowest of lanes. Measuring the distance and mileage is easy as it has an in built trip meter in the instrument cluster.

The vehicle is available in four attractive colour options – Silver Shine (Metallic), Diamond White, Marvel Granite and Skyline Blue. It is available across 70 dealerships in the country.

SML Isuzu’s strong presence in luxury inter-city bus segment

The next time you see a swanky luxury bus on the highway, take a minute to identify the brand. It could well be the new Isuzu inter-city, top-end luxury bus. With more than 150 buses on roads, SML Isuzu (earlier Swaraj Mazda) has silently made deep in roads into in the luxury bus segment. With over 100 buses sold during 2010-11 alone, SML Isuzu is the second highest selling luxury bus brand in India, next only to Volvo.

SML Isuzu launched its LT 134 luxury bus in 2008, built at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Ropar. The company initially seeded a few vehicles in the market and in 2009-10 sold 50 buses. Initially it offered an 11.4 metre chassis bus with 45 seats as a standard configuration. Based on the market feedback and customer demand it is now offering 12 metre chassis fitted with 230 hp Isuzu powertrain.

True to the style of Swaraj Mazda, SML Isuzu has been working silently but very closely with individual customers, offering them the new vehicle and backing it up with strong service and spares support. Initially, it sold a few vehicles to Kaleswari Travels in Andhra Pradesh, and today the SML Isuzu buses are part of most fleets, including those of VRL, Parveen, Conti, SathyaSai, Panicker and many others.Mr. L.M. Sharma, Chief Manager - Marketing, SML Isuzu Ltd., says: “Our initial focus was on private fleet operators. Having established strong presence in this segment, we are now in advanced stages of discussion with State Transport Corporations. The first major order from an STC is expected shortly”.

SML Isuzu initially launched the LT 134 with seating version. With increasing demand for sleeper buses, particularly in the southern part of India, the company recently launched a second model on the same platform. The sleeper bus model has been designed like a 2-tier coupe with capacity to accommodate 24 passengers. The company has sold 15 buses of its sleeper version so far.

The LT 134 is a rear engine bus fitted with 230 engine and transmission from Isuzu. It comes with factory-fitted air-conditioning system, Denso or Eberspacher, axles sourced locally from Meritor and air suspension systems from Saf Holland. The bus is priced at Rs. 62 lakhs.

One of the important factors that contributed for the success of SML Isuzu has been its strong service network across India and availability of spares. This has helped build customer confidence, according Mr. Sharma.

Having established its presence in the luxury bus segment, the company is now exploring other options like city buses and multi-axle inter-city buses. “We are working on certain other options and the outcome will be known in the next 6 months”, adds Mr. Sharma.
Interestingly, Isuzu has acquired a four per cent stake in SML and the name of the company has also been changed to SML Isuzu Ltd. This clearly shows Isuzu’s interest in the Indian market. The company has already indicated its plans to enter the truck segment, and first vehicle, a 12 tonner truck, is already undergoing field test and trial.

Globally Isuzu is a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines, offering heavy, medium and light-duty trucks, buses, pick-up trucks and sports utility vehicles.

Mr. Sharma further says the company success is also attributed to the low cost of maintenance, better fuel efficiency, easy availability of spares and strong service back-up. Having established a strong presence in the luxury bus segment combined with its traditionally strong light and medium truck and bus segment, SML Isuzu will soon be a formidable player in the Indian commercial vehicle segment.

Tata Motors' aggressive strategy for bus and coach segments

Tata Motors has consistently improved on its market share in the bus segment by expanding its product offering. The company’s JV with Marcopolo and the acquisition of Hispano have helped in expanding the product range and offering more contemporary products to the market.

Mr. Ashish Tandon, Head of Bus Business, Tata Motors, says: “We recognize the fact that the bus market is the most stable. In 2009-10 when recession hit the global market, the bus market remained most stable. With increasing road traffic and the resulting congestion on roads, combined with the improved quality of buses, people will move from personalized vehicles to public transportation. Currently the per passenger travel in India is 7 km. This will double in the next five years. We remain fully conscious that buses will have better future”.Tata Motors’ bus manufacturing centers are primarily at Lucknow, Dharwad and Goa through ACGL. The company today offers the complete range of buses for passenger transportation, starting from the high-end luxury bus Divo to the Winger Vans and Magic, which is for last mile transportation. The company is working on introducing new products to meet market demand.

In the top-end inter-city luxury bus segment, Tata Motors has launched its Divo, which is from the Hispano stable. The vehicle model replaces the Globus and is meant for inter-city passenger transportation and tourist operations with a high level of luxury and comfort. The Divo styling comes from Hispano Carrocera of Spain which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Tata Motors. The bus is BS III compliant, with a 285 hp Cummins engine. The standard variant has seating capacity of 46 and can be customised as per passenger and operator requirement. These buses are currently built at ACGL’s plant at Goa.

Tata Motors recently launched the 42-seater Starbus built on the latest Tata LPO 9.6T/5200 mm wheel base platform. The Tata Starbus has many superior features like 6-speed gearbox with overdrive, cable shift gear box, tubeless tyres and parabolic suspension. It is one of the best dimensioned buses in its category with a length of 1,012 mm, width of 2,340 mm, and floor height of 850 mm offering ease in boarding and alighting, and is spacious in terms of comfort and economics to passengers as well as operators. The bus is equipped with a front overhang of 1,800 mm, one of the best in its class, and a door in the front for the best utilization of internal space. The bus has brand new front Facia from Tata Marcopolo with improved interior and exterior styling and aesthetics.

Another recent launch is the 40-seater school bus which comes with the factory-fitted air-conditioning system. Tata Starbus School is a 40-seater with 25 school safety features. It is a fully built, factory-fitted, engine-driven AC bus wherein the AC variants are available in 36 and 40 seats as standard models. It is BS-III compliant and is also ready for meeting the BS-IV emission norms.

Tata Motors is increasingly moving towards offering fully-built solutions in the bus segment. Mr. Tandon says: “5 years back the LCVs were sold mostly as chassis but now 70% of the LCV and ICV are sold as fully built units. We plan to enhance the range at Dharwad going upto MCV also. As of now MCV is sold as chassis but now we are planning to offer it as fully built buses. We have invested Rs. 800 crores till date in our Tata Marcopolo venture. The JV has been very successful in the last 3 years with the Dharwad plant producing 12,000 buses per annum and going forward we have plans to increase it to 20, 000 buses per annum”.

In the HCV segment, Tata Motors offers the Divo in the top-end inter-city luxury bus segment. In the HCV mass-market segment, the company currently offers the LPO 1616 and 1618, which comes fitted with the retarder. In the next one year, the company will launch a product in the HCV mass market segment. It is already developing a model at Tata Marcopolo, which is a fully built bus in the coach segment with AC and non-AC options.

Some of the other products introduced by Tata Motors recently are Pleazur, a concept coach which showcases a mobile class room / conference room built on Tata LPO 1512, with seating capacity of 20 individuals. The BS III-compliant concept coach comes with AC and LCD screens that complete the ambience for a meeting or training while travelling. It is ideal for offsite trainings, NGOs working in rural areas and field-level awareness and alleviation programmes.

In 2010, coinciding with the CWG Games in New Delhi, Tata showcased its first Hybrid Starbus meant for intra-city transportation. The vehicle is powered with a parellel hybrid engine comprising an internal combustion CNG engine and an electric motor using regenerative energy storage system. Parallel hybrid technology uses power generation simultaneously through both the CNG engine and the electric motor to drive the vehicle. The system reutilises lost braking energy to recharge the battery.The Tata hybrid Starbus offers substantial improvement in fuel economy as compared to a conventional bus. As a result, the usage of this technology leads to lower emissions, thereby contributing to cleaner air and a greener, more environment-friendly commercial passenger transportation application.

The low-floor (floor height: 400 mm) air-conditioned bus can seat 32 passengers, and can also accommodate wheel chairs. Pneumatically-operated in-swing and out-swing flat doors and kneeling facility allow easy entry and exit, reducing halt time and trip lengths. Full air suspension and telescopic double-acting shock absorbers provide excellent ride quality, while an energy-efficient HVAC system enhances comfort. With high starting acceleration, and a maximum speed of 70 km per hour, the Hybrid Starbus is an innovative solution for fast and comfortable intra-city passenger movement in an environment-friendly manner.

Another interesting product developed on the Winger platform is the Tata Interceptor van. The Tata Interceptor is loaded with the Interceptor technology (with camera, speed monitoring laser gun, GSM module, and laptop), developed to catch traffic violation, e.g., signal jumps, over-speeding, rash driving and riding without helmets, and helps in producing documentary evidences of traffic violations.Another product on the Winger platform is the emergency ambulance. The new Winger ambulance is meant for emergency response in critical situations. Equipped with a laptop and V-sat connectivity, it facilitates communication between a hospital and the ambulance for patient management even in transit. The air-conditioned full feature single stretcher ambulance, with fresh-air ventilation and demisting facility, has a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, oxygen delivery system, IV fluid hooks, cctv, intercom, 12-volt DC plug points, 270 deg tail gate opening, 230-volt AC plug points and external charging ports. The ambulance has been specially built with DC design, demonstrating the versatility of the Winger.

Tata Motors has introduced a Starbus 19 CNG. Keeping in mind the increasing availability of CNG across India, the company has launched this 19-seater bus which is ideal for staff and tours and feeder route services within the city and adjoining areas. With sequential gas injection system, this bus meets the BS-IV emission norms.

The company has also launched the Starbus 24, a BS III compliant, ideal for staff and tour operations. Available in school versions, this bus enters the 24-seat category. Meeting AIS 052, the bus has the best body styling and interior comforts.Tata Motors expects bus business to grow at 10-12 per cent CAGR. For the current year the company expects to sell over 34,000 vehicles of all models.

Volvo Buses enhances rider comfort with I-Shift, alloy wheels

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.

First bus in India fitted with Alcoa forged aluminium wheels

It was for the first time in India that Alcoa forged aluminium wheels were featured on an OEM bus at the Bus & Special Vehicles Expo’11. Till now Alcoa wheels were OE fitted on buses manufactured and exported out of India.

Said Mr. Janardhanan Iyer, Regional Sales Manager - India, Alcoa Wheel Products: “It’s a great feeling to see the first bus in India fitted with Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. We’ve been talking to customers in India for long, and the response has been quite good. Customers do understand the advantages of using our wheels in terms of better fuel efficiency, better tire life and improved drive comfort. These Dura-Bright wheels are five times stronger than steel wheels and are capable of maintaining their bright look, day after day, for years, together with minimal maintenance using soap & water. It is the ideal fit for Indian fleet operators who are looking not just for efficiencies but for better aesthetics too to attract the typical Indian passenger.”

The wheels fitted on the bus are Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels with XBR technology for tubeless tyres. These wheels are given a patented surface treatment to keep their shine. Globally this makes it a popular choice with OEMs and fleet owners alike.

The Alcoa forged aluminium wheels come with built-in features like light weight, high strength, excellent heat dissipation and high precision machining, which allow for fuel saving, carbonfoot print reduction, brake & suspension life saving, high safety, tyre durability, etc. These wheels are half the weight of a normal steel wheel. In a multi-axle bus fitted with eight wheels, it could convert into weight reduction of 150 to 175 kg. The wheels ensure three-five per cent fuel saving.

“In addition to Dura-Bright, we also have the standard Mill Finish wheels, Mirror Finish (with reflective looks) wheels, Dura-Flange (for Rim Flange protection) and Super Single options for buses, trucks, tankers, trailers and tractors and thus can cater to the needs of both Indian fleet owners and OEMs”, Mr. Iyer added.

Eberspaecher inaugurates Indian manufacturing facility for bus air-conditioning systems

Eberspaecher Suetrak Bus Climate Control Systems India Pvt. Ltd. inaugurated its manufacturing facility for bus air-conditioning systems in India at Bangalore. The new plant was inaugurated by Dr. Leonhard Vilser, CEO Eberspaecher vehicle heaters, in the presence of Mr. Joachim Tosstorff, General Manager Eberspaecher Suetrak.

Eberspaecher Suetrak’s Indian facility is built for an annual production capacity of a couple of thousand bus air conditioning units. The new plant will manufacture roof AC units as well as split AC units on an area of around 2,800 square metres, offering Indian customers a full range of bus air-conditioning systems. This new facility in Southern India is of strategic importance for the company, India being one of the world’s fasting growing markets for bus AC systems. The company has set a target to sell more than 1000 units during the current year 2011.

“Our products make us leaders in the market for bus climate control systems in India. Our objective is to steadily grow our market share in India over the coming years,” explains Joachim Tosstorff, General Manager of Eberspaecher Suetrak.The new facility will house the administration and production department and will provide a local source of supply to meet the demand for bus climate control systems in the rapidly expanding Indian market. Eberspaecher Suetrak India will also handle the complete service, repairs, technical support and training for customers.

Mr. Tosstorff said: “We are very confident that India will be one of the major markets in the world for bus air conditioning systems. There is a growing middle class and there is going to be much more demand for thermal management. We have a local management team with local customers. We are very confident that this is the road to success for the future”.

The Indian operations will be supported by Eberspaecher Suetrak’s German head quarters in Renningen. The German HQ has worked closely together with its Indian team right from the planning stage, and has supported them in both the process as a whole and in the transfer of knowledge for the new production site.

Currently the company is importing most of the critical components with plans to localize components which adhere to the global quality standards of Eberspaecher. The current localization level is at 25%.In June 2010 the Eberspaecher Group acquired the Indian bus AC business from Carrier Corp. (USA). The move positions Eberspaecher Suetrak as a one-stop shop for heating and cooling in the Indian bus market.

Eberspaecher Suetrak is also planning to use India as a base for exports to other nearby markets. “Our production facility in India is designed to cater not only to the local market but also other nearby countries. Firstly we see the tendency of Indian bus manufacturers starting to export buses to other countries. We would like to supply our products to them and we also see an opportunity for exporting from India to other countries”, Mr. Tosstorff added.

Eberspaecher ranks amongst the leading system developers and suppliers of exhaust technology, vehicle heating and bus air conditioning systems worldwide and is also involved in vehicle electronics and automotive bus systems for electronic networking in the vehicles. Its customers include almost all European and North American, and increasingly more Asian manufacturers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

Trans ACNR offers complete transport A/C & refrigeration solutions

Transport Air-conditioning & Refrigeration (Trans ACNR) is a leading provider of air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions for buses and trucks in India. The company represents two global brands in the Indian market – Hwa Sung Thermo of Korea for truck refrigeration and Jingyi of China for bus air-conditioning systems.

Trans ACNR was started in 2003 by a young group of engineers who have specialised in transport air-conditioning and refrigeration. This young team, with strong service orientation, ventured to start Trans ACNR Solutions with a small investment of Rs. 60,000. Of this amount, Rs. 52,000 was invested in a laptop for the business, recalls Mr. Shatrughan Kumar, Managing Director and founder of the company.

Trans ACNR first started working with Hwa Sung Thermo for truck refrigeration units, and within the next four months, the company started selling Jingyi brand bus air-conditioning units in India. Eight years and thousands of installations across India, Trans ACNR has by now established itself as a reliable partner for bus air-conditioning and truck refrigeration systems. What is more, for the past eight years it continues to work with Hwa Sung Thermo and Jingyi. This has helped strengthen relationships with the principals and, most importantly, with the Indian customers, says Mr. Shatrughan.

Hwa Sung Thermo is a global leader in truck refrigeration and produces over 10,000 units annually for fresh, frozen and deep frozen applications and has the largest range of products for transport refrigeration. Within a short span of time, over 2,000 refrigerated vehicles are equipped with Hwa Sung thermo refrigeration units which are successfully in operation in India. “Our units are specially designed to meet Indian standards and climate conditions. We are extremely competitive with quality, cost and delivery. It’s ably supported with after-sales service and ready availability of genuine spare parts”, Mr. Shatrughan adds.

Jingyi manufactures over 20,000 bus air-conditioners annually. With a vast global customer base, including OEMs. Jingyi has in-house manufacturing and testing facilities, equipped with the world class machineries and equipments. The product range, from 5 KW to 44 KW, are suitable for Indian buses having seating capacity of 8 to 72. It also manufactures cabin air-conditioners for trucks, roof mounting and free flow air-conditioners for ambulances and special-purpose vehicles.

“Initially, we did face resistance from market reason being of Chinese origin brand. To differentiate ourselves, we have had regular orientation on product familiarisation, workshops, training and regular customer visits to witness quality manufacturing of air-conditioning & testing at Jingyi, China. Trans ACNR has spent considerable time and efforts in building both the brands”, says by Mr. Shatrughan.
In the bus air-conditioning business, the company imports complete units as well as critical components from Jingyi, and some of the components are sourced directly from other established manufacturers such as Bitzer, Bock, Valeo, SPAL, Kingbo, Goodyear and Prestolite. Our lead time of imports is 4-6 weeks and in-between we can supply 100-150 units and it can be further improved, he adds.

The transport air-conditioning and refrigeration industry is service driven, to meet customer expectations, Trans ACNR has company-owned sales and service centre in Delhi, Mohali, Bangalore, Cochin and Chennai. Residence sales and service technicians are also located at Patna, Jamshedpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Its dealer network covers Indore, Lucknow, Ahmadabad, Gowahati, Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar and Goa, according to Mr. Prem Sharma, CEO of the company.

“We are strongly working of service networking and in near future, we will deploy service technicians at every 400 km to meet timely service requirement of customers. Not only that, the service & repair down shall be improved enabling customers to generate maximum revenue from optimum utilisation of vehicles operation”, says Mr. Prem Sharma.

In the recent past, considerable demand is witnessed in smaller segment coaches, ambulances and luxury mobile homes. With this; the company has established manufacturing facility at Manesar, Haryana, for roof mounting bus air-conditioners. Trans ACNR is also engaged in the manufacture of pulleys, mounting brackets for compressors & alternators, auxiliary power pack units and hose assemblies, he adds.

Trans ACNR supplies Jingyi bus ACs to SML Isuzu for its 5m, 7m and 9m executive coaches. Tata Motors is also conducting extensive testing of Jingyi bus ACs and expecting its official approval too. The company is also exploring business possibilities with other OEMs like Ashok Leyland and Eicher. In fact in the after-market, most of the Eicher chassis are fitted with Jingyi bus ACs and/or Hwa Sung thermo, refrigeration units.
Asked about emerging competition from global brands and other Indian manufacturers, Mr. Shatrughan said that the current volumes and market spread are not favourable for big players. The operational cost will be extremely high for such players, which will make their product unviable in comparisons to established brands like Jingyi and Hwa Sung thermo.

Trans ACNR has witnessed steady growth since inception beginning. The company will end the year with sales of Rs. 28 crores, which is a 100 per cent growth over the last year. Jingyi is all set to form a JV company with Trans ACNR enabling it to secure market leadership through quality products and service network. The breakeven point for a JV company is 2,000 units, which will be achieved by 2012, according to Mr. Shatrughan.

The company is debt-free and has established its presence in the transport air-conditioning and refrigeration segment and is looking forward to expanding into cold storage applications.

Dürr builds paint shop for truck cabs in India

Dürr is building a paint shop for Eicher Trucks and Buses – a business area of VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (VECV) – at Pithampur. VECV is a joint venture of the Volvo Truck Group with Eicher. A large part of the order is for the local subsidiary, Dürr India Private Ltd., floated in Chennai in 1997 and is now able to draw on the efforts of around 180 employees.

The scope of services from Dürr includes the complete paint shop for light to heavy truck cabs. The RoDip E flexible rotational dip process is used for pre-treatment and electro dip coating. This process is quite persuasive with its fewer runs and sags, less carry-over and almost total rinsing out of dirt particles, even in hard to reach cavities. This leads to less rework and a uniform coating. Optimized immersion and retrieval phases result in reduction of the dip tank saving space, material and energy.

Two type EcoRP 6F painting robots provide fully automatic exterior painting. Interior painting takes place at manual workstations which are delivered by Dürr along with the entire paint supply system. The robots are visualized and monitored by the Dürr EcoEMOS supervisory control technology as are the skid conveyors and the decentralized electrical engineering.

Eicher relies on Dürr’s proven technology, and with it they reduce their unit costs. At the start, 12 units per hour are to be painted. The extremely space-saving layout allows for an easy plant expansion to about 18 units per hour at any time. This allows the customer to quickly and easily respond to changing market demands.

The plant will go into operation in June 2012. This order benefits Dürr in terms of its international network and its local presence in India. Almost 75 per cent of the order volume will be taken care of by the local Dürr subsidiary.

Along with Dürr India, which is involved in the construction of the paint shop for VECV, Dürr has a second powerful subsidiary in India with Schenck RoTec India. With approximately 200 employees, Schenck RoTec India, based in Noida, specializes in balancing technology.

Dürr is a mechanical and plant engineering group that holds leading positions in the world market in its areas of operation. It generates a good 80 per cent of its sales in business with the automotive industry. It also supplies aircraft, machinery, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries with innovative production and environmental technologies.

The Dürr Group operates in the market with three divisions. The Paint and Assembly Systems Division supplies production and painting technology, especially for car bodies. Machinery and systems from the Measuring and Process Systems Division are used in engine and transmission manufacturing and in final vehicle assembly, among other areas.

The third division, Clean Technology Systems, is focused on processes to improve energy efficiency and exhaust air purification.

Dürr has 48 business locations in 21 countries worldwide. The group achieved sales of Euro 1.26 billion with approximately 5,900 employees in 2010.

Jamna Auto to invest Rs. 120 crores in Chennai, Hosur plants

Jamna Auto Industries Ltd. has announced plans to invest Rs. 120 crores in its two new manufacturing units, one each in Chennai and Hosur.

The greenfield plant in Chennai will manufacture air suspension, bogie suspension and lift axles. The air suspension will be made in technical collaboration with Ridewell Corporation of the US. The project will entail an outlay of Rs. 20 crores. The company has already acquired land near Chennai, and the prototypes developed are undergoing rigorous trial. Air suspensions are being increasingly used in low-floor buses. Commercial production is expected to commence from July onwards.

Jamna Auto is India’s largest and among the world’s third largest commercial vehicle spring manufacturers. The company produces leaf and parabolic springs for M&HCVs, with an installed capacity of 150,000 mtpa. The manufacturing facilities are located at Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), Chennai, Malanpur (Madhya Pradesh) and Jamshedpur. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jai Suspension Systems LLP, has its plant at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand).

The Hosur facility will produce parabolic springs and entail a total capex of Rs. 100 crores in 18-24 months. The plant, expected to go on stream in December next, will have a capacity of 3,000 MT.

Jamna Auto has gone for major capacity expansion for parabolic springs to meet the demand of Bharat Benz, Renault Nissan, Leyland Nissan and Ashok Leyland. Tata Motors’ requirement of parabolic springs is being met from the company’s Malanpur plant.Mr. Randeep Jauhar, Managing Director, Jamna Auto Industries Ltd., said: “India has firmly established its position among the fastest growing and cost-efficient automobile markets in the world, leading to large global automakers setting up their production units here. Southern India has been a key region for these automakers. As a strategic initiative, we have decided to expand our manufacturing presence in this region. It will not only enable us to gain proximity to our customers but would also enable us to provide cost-effective quality products”.

Jamna Auto, the second largest spring manufacturers in the world, had recorded a consolidated sales turnover of Rs. 661 crores and profit after tax of Rs. 11 crores for 2009-10. In the first nine months of 2010-11, the company recorded a consolidated turnover of Rs. 696 crores and profit after tax of Rs. 25 crores.

BITZER’s world class compressor service centre opened in Delhi

BITZER India Pvt. Ltd. formally opened its state-of-the-art compressor service, parts and training centre in New Delhi on February 23.

The BITZER Managing Director, Mr. Rob de Bruyn, said in his opening address that the centre known as Green Point would be the first of several outlets to meet the customer expectations of excellent after-sales service for BITZER compressors in India. BITZER continues to lead the market with its innovative compressor solutions for its OEM customers and now enters a new era in compressor after-sales service.

Explaning the Green Point development in Asia, he said that from early 2006 it was becoming increasingly clear to the management that an organized after-sales spare parts and repairs integration for BITZER compressors was required as the population base was rapidly expanding throughout Asia. The first step in the development of the Green Point concept was to open a repair centre at the BITZER factory in Indonesia. The test workshop set up in 2007 proved very successful over the following two years, and BITZER has opened service centers in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and Hong Kong. Similar centers would soon come up in Malaysia, Philippines and China.

Green Point workshops have their special focus on quality of compressor repairs, procedures, components, tools and equipment and, of course, of training. The substantial investment that BITZER has made in the New Delhi venture proves its commitment to India, he added.

For BITZER, quality and excellence has always underpinned the brand and the culture within the organization around the globe. Green Point is another example of its pursuit of this culture, now extending into its after-sales services, ushering in a new era in compressor support in India.

The Green Point in Delhi will be managed by Mr. Tarun Malhotra (National Engineering Manager & Transport Business Leader) and will primarily cater to market service, genuine parts and repair requirements. There are already a good number of compressors, including bus HVAC compressors, and a huge demand for professional repairs.The BITZER India team did a lot of research on the spareparts consumption pattern in the last few years before deciding on the inventory of all the required parts. This has resulted in lowering the overall cost of repairs for an end customer and easy availability of BITZER Genuine spares.

To ensure that compressors are repaired and serviced to the highest standard at the Green Point, BITZER keeps low humidity and dust levels by air-conditioning the entire workshop facility. Following sandblasting, cleaning, re-assembly, pressure testing and external painting, the final process is to test-run the compressor. All compressors are tested and a detailed performance report offered to the customer.

VRL to extend passenger transport services to more cities

CRISIL Equities has assigned a CRISIL IPO grade of “3/5” to the proposed initial public offer (IPO) of VRL Logistics Ltd. (VRL) indicating that the fundamentals of the IPO are average relative to other listed equity securities in India. However, the grade reflects VRL’s position as one of the leading players in the domestic freight transportation business and the robust outlook for the logistics sector.

CRISIL Research expects the industry to grow at 11 per cent CAGR in 2013-14. A strong network of 859 self-owned and franchise branches, 44 trans-shipment hubs and a fleet of 2,573 trucks enables VRL to offer logistics solutions to a diversified base of customers across India and also focus on the high-margin less than truck load (LTL) business.

VRL primarily caters to small and mid-sized companies, which reduces the business concentration risk. During the six months ended September 30, 2010, no single customer contributed more than two per cent of revenues and the 10 largest customers accounted for only 5.08 per cent of revenues. VRL has also established a strong presence in passenger transportation services in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, and plans to enter other high-growth metropolitan and Tier-2 cities in western, central and northern India. The grade is further supported by a strong second line of management.

The CRISIL grade is moderated by VRL’s historically aggressive debt-funded expansion program which resulted in high gearing and strained its financials. Taken into account is the inherent cyclicality of the transportation industry where VRL operates an asset-heavy business model. This makes it difficult for the company to adjust its capacity to recession-led reduced freight availability. Further, the company’s management information system has scope for improvement.

VRL will utilise the IPO proceeds to buy vehicles for the passenger and goods transportation business (Rs. 1.4 billion), prepay certain loans availed of by the company (Rs. 1.1 billion) and for general corporate purpose.

VRL is one of the leading providers of transportation and logistics service for goods and passenger transportation services in India. Its promoter, Mr. Vijay Sankeshwar, set up the transportation business in 1976 with one truck. Vijayanand Roadlines Private Ltd. was incorporated in 1983. It was rechristened VRL Logistics Ltd. in 2006. Today it is the largest private sector owner of commercial vehicles with a fleet of 2,573 trucks and 256 buses.

VRL operates goods transportation services across 534 cities in 20 States and six Union Territories in India, supported by a strong network of 436 self-owned branches and 423 exclusive franchise offices. It has established 44 transshipment hubs which facilitate the hub and spoke model, and offer flexibility to transport a broad range of goods and services to multiple destinations.

The company launched passenger transportation services in 1996 and currently offers these services in 93 cities of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, along 188 routes. In 2006, it ventured into the wind energy business and has an installed capacity of 42.5 MW at Kappatgudda in Gadag district of North Karnataka.

VRL has adopted a differentiated consignee-driven business model with its focus on the high-margin LTL business. It primarily caters to the requirement of small and mid-sized customers who are not serviced by large players. VRL’s widespread network of collection and delivery points enables it to service a larger number of customers across different geographies. This reduces its reliance on a few large customers and thereby the business concentration risk.

Within the LTL cargo business, VRL is focusing on expanding its presence in the high-margin express cargo services. At present, the company offers express cargo services to its clients across India. The business accounted for 10.8 per cent of the goods transportation business revenues in FY10. The strategy to expand its express cargo service is positive since these services are priced at a premium compared with general LTL and FTL services.

Further, the company has developed strong indigenous capabilities and has achieved a high level of integration in its operations which support optimum capacity utilisation and increased profitability. It orders customised vehicles with higher horse power and has an in-house body-building facility where it builds lighter vehicles with longer bodies. All this enables it to carry higher payload per vehicle and support increased profitability.

VRL has established a large repair and maintenance facility and six satellite workshops in India to support its operations. It has an arrangement with Ashok Leyland which has set up a dedicated outlet for supply of spare parts at its facility at Varur in Hubli that ensures availability of genuine parts at lower rates and eliminates inventory cost.

VRL is now planning to expand its passenger transport services to high density metropolitan and Tier-2 cities in western, southern and central India which are not adequately serviced by other private transporters. The idea is to leverage the brand name and network in freight transport business to support its passenger transportation business. This business offers significant opportunities given increasing urbanisation and under-penetration of quality and reliable services across the country. Further, passenger transportation is a high-margin business on a cash basis and will strengthen the company’s operational performance.

Experienced top management

VRL’s management is highly experienced in the logistics and transportation sector. The promoter has played an active role in establishing the company as a leading pan-India player in the domestic transportation business. The Managing Director, Mr. Anand Sankeshwar, has over 19 years experience in the transportation business and looks after VRL’s strategic and marketing activities.

VRL has a strong and experienced second line of management in place, with most of them associated with the company since long. Other functional heads have good domain expertise and are well aware of the business opportunities, their strengths and weaknesses. The second line of management is capable and has been given the adequate autonomy to take decisions independently.In the past, the promoters had invested in the media business which led to tight cash flow position and consequently the company delayed payments to its bankers. Post the divestment of the media business, the company, in order to get tax incentives, also ventured into the wind power business using borrowed funds, resulting in high gearing.

However, the management is now keen to focus only on the transportation business and will not venture into unrelated diversification. It plans to enter the media business in the future, but that will be through a separate company which will have no relation with VRL’s operations.

Timken to expand tapered roller bearings production capacity

Timken India Ltd. has announced that it will invest Rs. 360 million to expand tapered roller bearing manufacturing capacity at its Chennai plant. The project, scheduled to commence production in the second quarter of 2011, will enable a capacity increase of 2.4 million units of upto 8-inch tapered roller bearings. This size is used in construction and other off-highway vehicles as well as heavy trucks and other commercial transportation systems. The expansion is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter.

“We are witnessing a steep increase in demand for Timken tapered roller bearings in and outside India, said Mr. Ajay Das, Managing Director of Timken operations in India. “A fast growing economy like India warrants an even faster development of infrastructure and our products are targeted to meet this distinct upward trend in consumption. To match with the increasing demand, we will be continuously looking to ramp up capacity”.

India continues to consolidate its position on the global front being one of the world’s top 10 vehicle producing countries. The seventh largest vehicle producing nation in the world, it now accounts for five per cent of global auto production, up from 1.4 per cent at the beginning of 2000, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

A study by Ernst & Young shows that the Indian market will clock the fastest compound annual growth rate between 2009 and 2020, more than double that of China and the triad of North America, Europe and Japan. India’s CAGR between 2009 and 2020 is expected to be 14 per cent compared with China’s six per cent, other emerging markets’ six per cent (which includes BRIC nations) and the triad’s four per cent.

Mr. Ajay Das observed: “Our many years of experience in supporting automobile manufactures have provided great insight into their specific needs. We provide a complete line of tapered, spherical and cylindrical roller bearings, engineered specifically to increase performance, reduce total costs of ownership and minimize environmental impacts”.

Timken started its Indian operations in 1989, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Jamshedpur. To cater to the growing market, the company subsequently set up a manufacturing facility in Chennai in 2008.

Timken has established a Technology Centre in Bengaluru, which is one of the nine Timken innovation and development centres around the world providing customers a unique opportunity to access the global pool of engineering expertise and latest technological advancements. The capabilities include customer application engineering, manufacturing technology, including tool & detail design, innovation centre for detailed analysis, testing, metallurgy & new product development, and business systems development, including global infrastructure support, IT and ITES.“Over the last two decades, Timken has built world-class engineering, design, manufacturing, sales & services capabilities in India. We are in an excellent position to provide end-to-end solutions (design to aftermarket services) to our discerning customers with the team and capabilities in Bengaluru, Chennai, Jamshedpur and our sales offices across India”, said Mr. Das.

Solution for automotive segment

Timken engineers work collaboratively with automotive and heavy truck original equipment manufacturers to develop custom solutions to design problems. Heavy trucks need heavy duty solutions to maximize performance and fuel efficiency.

Timken provides a range of bearing, steel and power transmission products and design capabilities for heavy truck applications such as axles, wheel ends, engines and transmissions. In the light truck & passenger car segment, Timken designs improve performance, durability and efficiency in cars and light trucks. Automakers around the world integrate Timken bearings, steel and power transmission components throughout the vehicle.

All heavy trucks, off-highway equipment and LVS manufacturers are its customers, and Timken believes in performance and differentiation and its products are used in high performance and rugged applications.

Timken is also the market leader in performance-driven applications like axles, pinions, high-speed transmission systems and high-performance equipments like dumpers and tunnel boring machines.

Timken fuel-efficient tapered roller bearings demonstrate seven times the life of similar products from the competitors in the field in both heavy duty and agriculture applications.

Aftermarket

Automotive aftermarket is a very important wing of Timken in India. It offers a wide range of tapered roller bearings, high performance automotive grease, gasket sealant and related products in the aftermarket. It has been identified as one of the main growth drivers for the company. It offers opportunity to enhance both for bearing and allied products. It has 34 channel partners covering the whole country. These channel partners reach out to more than 6,000 retailers.

In the automotive aftermarket, Timken offers solutions from automotive, heavy duty, agriculture and motorcycle applications to medium duty, construction and marine products. It delivers high-quality products with one of the widest ranges of part numbers in the industry.

For the light truck & passenger car segment, Timken offers replacement bearings, seals, hub assemblies, specialty kits and grease to keep automobiles on the road. For the heavy truck segment, the extreme performance needs of heavy trucks are met with the company’s extensive line of wheel and driveline bearings & kits.

The Indian automotive industry is in a growth phase. The Indian GDP is growing and the focus is on manufacturing and infrastructure development. The mining sector has seen growth with the entry of the global players in the market. This has led to a significant increase in the market for high performance mining equipments.

With new reliable technology, Timken becomes an integral part of it. Truck owners also look for shorter turnaround time which is advantage Timken with its high performance products.