Daimler Unveils BharatBenz Trucks for India

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV), the Indian subsidiary of the world's leading truck manufacturer Daimler AG, Germany, unveiled a range of trucks under its brand BharatBenz on Friday, March 2, 2012.

Marc Llistosella, CEO and managing director of DICV, said that three models would be introduced in the market in the third quarter of the current calendar year, followed by the launch of 17 models over the next 20 months.

At the Hyderabad International Trade Exhibition (HITEX), the company began the six-day long showcase of eight models between nine and 49 tonnes, for financiers, dealers and future customers.

The company has set up a state-of-the-art production plant at Orgadam near Chennai with an investment of Rs 4,400 crore, one of the biggest Greenfield investments outside Europe that Daimler has ever made. Equipped with a unique test track to simulate Indian conditions, the plant will produce light, medium and heavy duty commercial trucks for the Indian market.

Marc said the plant had an initial capacity of 36,000 trucks, which can be scaled up to any number depending on the requirements. The company, which plans to double the capacity in the near future, is looking at a double digit market share in India in the next six months.

The company also plans to start exporting the trucks from its India plant from 2013 onwards. Daimler will have 70 dealers in the first phase and by 2014 will have a pan-India presence with 104 locations.