Daimler AG has passed a major milestone in its efforts to open up the Indian truck market with the group’s subsidiary Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) recently starting series production of BharatBenz trucks at Chennai, India.
Between now and 2014, the brand that was specifically created for the Indian market will be progressively rolled out in a total of 17 models, covering the entire weight segment from six to 49 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW).
DICV’s product range has been designed to meet the rising demand for durable and reliable trucks and prepare the subsidiary for the strong growth expected in the modern domestic segment. The brand’s first product is a heavy-duty truck with a 25 tonne GVW and an output of 230 hp.
The start of production is the latest in a series of measures DICV is implementing as it prepares to deal with the increasing demand for state-of-the-art trucks in India’s volume segment. The Chennai manufacturing plant was inaugurated in April this year after a record construction time of only 24 months. Since early May, BharatBenz trucks have been taking part in a more than 8000 km ‘Power Yatra’ trip through India.
The roadshow will stop at 22 major cities to promote people’s interest in the new brand. Following this, BharatBenz trucks will be launched on the market in September 2012, when the first vehicles will be handed over to customers via a nationwide network of approximately 70 dealerships.
On the occasion of the start of production, Marc Llistosella, chief executive and managing director of DICV, referred to the immense performance of both Indian and German employees in turning the company’s engagement into a success.
“The fact that today’s launch of series production sets another milestone only a few weeks after the plant opening underpins that our project is well underway,” Llistosella remarked, before underscoring the company’s ambition of revolutionising India’s roads with its state-of-the-art BharatBenz trucks.
“In addition to cutting-edge technology, we’re also relying on our high ethical standards as we strive to achieve this goal. Suppliers, dealers, and other business partners all appreciate that our activities are both transparent and fair,” he added.
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