History has it, that some of the world’s old-est-known civilizations and greatest innovations were born here, in Asia. India’s invention of the decimal system that laid the foundation to today’s digital world as we know it, and the Japanese bullet trains that safely on-board and carry millions, have become the lifeblood of Asia’s economy. Progress and cultural wealth has always been the food for any civilization to flourish and Daimler Trucks Asia has been central to carry this legacy. Daimler Trucks Asia has been doing a remarkable job in connecting Asia with the help of its global engineering prowess, of which India is an integral part.
Daimler Trucks Asia combines the strengths of two distinct legal entities, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), collaborating on topics ranging from product development, production and R&D to sales and market development activities. From inventors, traders, transporters and entrepreneurs, Chennai based Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has essentially kept the entire nation moving on wheels of growth and success.
Although the pandemic got the better of the automotive industry, after two years on skid row, the medium and heavy commercial vehicle market in India is witnessing a turn-around demand on the back of infrastructure build up push by the government. The announcement of Infrastructure for roadways has also paved the way to increased demands for DICV’s BharatBenz products in the construction tipper segment.
Furthermore, the push towards increasing national highway corridors will help improve inter-state connectivity; thereby creating a stimulus for fresh demand in urban transportation. The premiere name in the country’s commercial vehicle segment is Daimler India. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has demonstrated exceptional range of product offerings that has placed India’s medium & heavy trucking industry at the forefront.
However, Commercial Vehicle industry is primarily facing three challenges – cyclic storm, structural storm, transformational storm, with COVID on top. DICV has overcome these challenges with utmost dexterity and is working towards making DICV products even more resilient. DICV has come forth as the role model for several manufacturers in the industry.
DICV customizes its products and solutions basis various client organizations from across sectors. The organization continuously monitors the market and introduces products to fill gaps in the line-up on a priority basis. “Our constant endeavour is to provide only the best in Truck-o-nomics,” says Rajaram K, Vice-President - Marketing & Sales and Customer Services, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.
Testified and evident in the market, DICV has always stood for value-led globally proven technology. As a technology leader, the firm has stood its ground for India’s safest and most reliable trucks and also lived up to those expectations in the pandemic crisis.
Redefining Trucking
Rajaram further explains, “Customers will be looking for the best ‘bang for their buck’. The knee-jerk reaction will be to demand discounts and buy the cheapest vehicle they can find, but smart customers will instead look at TCO, total cost of ownership. They’ll want vehicles that can offer provide a better return on investment in the long term.
Which truck offers the highest fuel efficiency, the best uptime, good resale value? Which vehicle has high-tech features like connectivity to improve the efficiency of the f leet as a whole? This is where BharatBenz vehicles have a strong advantage, because we offer the best TCO. Customers that thrive in this crisis will be the ones who understand that the best way to survive short term is to have a plan for being successful in the long term”.
The key differentiator that BharatBenz offers is a higher payload, better fuel efficiency, and lower maintenance costs. DICV often deconstructs a truck to ensure the best TCO is delivered to the customers. “It is important that we balance our quality with value for money and give the best offerings to our customers,” adds Rajaram. Earlier in Jan 2021, DICV unveiled six new trucks named as BSafe Express (reefer truck for transportation of vaccines), 1917R, 4228R Tanker, 1015R+, 42T M-Cab, and 2828 Construction vehicle. Each one of them is built to address the demands of customers from various segments.
Attending to Country’s Greatest Needs Right Now
In line with the Government’s on-going efforts to ensure seamless vaccine distribution, BharatBenz offers the ‘BSafe Express’ for the fight against COVID-19. BSafe Express is a range of 10t to 42t, fully built reefer trucks, custom-built for pharma and vaccine logistics. The currently showcased solution is built on the sturdy 2823R platform known for its reliability, quick turn-around time, and low maintenance.
BharatBenz Trucks:
• The 1917R is available in 20, 22, 24, and 31-foot load span options, which are ideal for a wide range of on-highway applications and great for freight movement for sectors like FMCG and e-commerce.
• The 4228R features an innovative M cab, granting it one of the longest loading spans for fully built trucks in its class. The M Cab retains all the safety and comfort features of BharatBenz’s proven factory-fitted cabin. Making an additional room for the load span to grow, this allows an overall loading span of 31 ft., suitable for parcel and container applications.
• Additionally, a special variant of 4228R with a fully-built 34-kiloliter tanker has been designed with a wide range of safety features, making the vehicle a preferred choice for POL applications.
• The 1015R+ stands as a classic example of BharatBenz's technological prowess. The earlier 1015R has received an upgrade in its powertrain with a stronger G85 gearbox that strengthens its reliability and gradeability.
• Meanwhile, BharatBenz’s iconic 2828C is now avail-able with 22 cubic meter loading capacity refreshed with COVID-protection features to cater to coal transportation. It comes with the longest wheelbase in its class, making it the most stable coal carrier in the market.
BharatBenz Buses
• To address the concerns of the public regarding social distancing during travel, BharatBenz is offering an all-new 1017 bus with a 50-seating capacity that is ideal for staff, school, and college. The additional capacity allows customers to maintain social distancing and delivers a secured bus journey experience.
• The next new category is the 1624 chassis that comes with a parabolic suspension, a high-demand product from the mofussil bus customers, and also popular for staff and short intercity applications. BharatBenz bridges the demand gap by introducing air suspension and parabolic suspension offerings in the intercity segment.
DICV is the only facility across Daimler Trucks that pro-duces all four brands – BharatBenz, FUSO, Mercedes-Benz, and Freightliner. In 2020, the organization reached another significant milestone in exports with over 35,000 commercial vehicles and 150 million parts exported. DICV also added Malaysia as a new CKD market in its export portfolio. As to its export strategy, international business is one of DICV’s key strategic pillars for long-term growth. DICV will continue to make more products and parts here in India with the strong partnership our 400 local suppliers, and then proudly export them to the world with one global quality standard. Past year, DICV achieved a 95 % localization mark, will continue to raise those percentages. Clearly, DICV is exemplifying ‘Make for the World’, building India’s export footprint around the globe.
Our constant endeavour is to provide only the best in truck-o-nomics
Daimler’s Commitment to the Indian market
DICV has also signed a second Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Tamil Nadu last year covering INR 2,277 crore of investments. This investment is direct-ed towards expanding DICV’s product portfolio, investment in technology, digitalization and represents approximately 400 jobs. It demonstrates DICV’s unshakeable confidence in the long-term potential of India as a market for commercial vehicles and the ongoing commitment to the country as a whole.
Digitalization is the Way Forward
DICV’s entire package of BharatBenz ‘ProfitTechnology+’ has set the organization on a steep growth trajectory. It has also becomes one of the USP’s of the firm. ProfitTechnology+ is a package of technologies and features ensuring industry-leading fuel efficiency, safety, comfort and reliability.
On its endeavor to further embrace the digital front, DICV is working to digitally transform its business in the coming years. The organization made a great start in two major interfaces with the customers. The first is ‘Proserv’. It allows the complete customer service business to be man-aged with a single app. The customers can do more than 60 transactions on their smartphones. The second is that with BSVI, wherein DICV has launched Truckonnect and Bus Connect which is a state-of-the-art connectivity platform. This will help its customers to improve the efficiency of their f leets on many fronts. India lags behind many western economies when it comes to logistics costs and COVID would accelerate customer expectations on improving the efficiency of their fleets.
“The key differentiator that Bharatbenz offers is a higher payload, better fuel efficiency, and lower maintenance costs. DICV often deconstructs a truck to ensure the best TCO is delivered to the customers”
A Future Dedicated to Keep India Moving
For the year 2021, DICV’s new CV portfolio is focused on providing solutions to address challenges posed by COVID thereby enabling them to excel in their businesses and benefit society.
Earlier in Jan 2021, DICV unveiled six new trucks named as BSafe Express (reefer truck for transportation of vaccines), 1917R, 4228R Tanker, 1015R+, 42T M-Cab, and 2828 Construction vehicle. The two new BharatBenz buses to hit the road soon are the wide-body 1017 variant with a seating capacity of up to 50, and the 1624 chassis available with a parabolic suspension.
More so, BharatBenz new range is characterized by top-most safety, high performance, fuel efficiency, excellent reliability, and low maintenance cost. With the new generation of the BharatBenz portfolio, DICV is looking to move away from the traditional tonnage classification. Instead, the firm intends to focus on creating the best truck for every need, customizing vehicles for use applications, and targeting specific sectors such as e-commerce.
And finally, to further redefine transportation in the future, DICV will be rolling out its ‘Future Mobility’ strategy in the latter half of 2021, showing the roadmap for innovation and technology in the commercial vehicle industry.
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