Production milestone at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles: 20,000 trucks produced at Oragadam plant
- Milestone achieved only two and a half years after start of production
- Erich Nesselhauf: “With crossing the production mark of 20,000 trucks, we achieved the next milestone of our DICV success story.”
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV) the 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG today crossed the milestone of the 20,000th locally produced trucks from its plant at Oragadam.
Only two and a half years after start of production of the first BharatBenz heavy-duty truck, the 20,000th locally produced truck, a BharatBenz 2523C tipper, has rolled off the production lines at DICVs plant in Oragadam. About half of these 20,000 trucks have been manufactured just within 2014, highlighting the rapid growth that the production site has recently experienced.
“By crossing the production mark of 20,000 trucks, we achieved the next milestone of our DICV success story”, stated Erich Nesselhauf, CEO and Managing Director, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. “We have transformed the Indian truck industry with our modern trucks. That’s confirmed by our customers and proven by a high acceptance in the market due to excellent Quality of our products as well as best Sales and After Sales experiences.”
“20,000 trucks made at the Oragadam plant according to our Daimler top quality standards is something that our production team can rightly be proud of”, added Sven Graeble, Head of Operations and Manufacturing Engineering, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.
About DICV production in Oragadam
The DICV plant in Oragadam produces trucks and engines of the three brands BharatBenz, FUSO and Mercedes-Benz. Since the start of production of heavy-duty trucks in June 2012, DICV raised the production volume monthly. The product portfolio grew by several variants of heavy-duty trucks followed by medium-duty trucks in the last months. Along with the trucks presented in January 2014, three tractor trailers and one truck for construction-mining purposes, BharatBenz now offers vehicles in the range from 9t to 49t. In addition DICV assembles the Mercedes-Benz Actros from CKD (completely knocked down) kits in Oragadam.
Since May 2013, DICV has also added FUSO trucks to its production portfolio in Oragadam. They are determined for the Asian and African growth markets; with Indonesia and Uganda being recently launched. Under the umbrella of Daimler Trucks Asia, the company works closely together with the Japanese subsidiary of Daimler, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC).
Next to trucks, BharatBenz- and Mercedes-Benz Buses will roll off at the new bus manufacturing plant which is constructed within the existing premises of DICV. The bus plant is spread across an area of 27.91 acres and will be completed by the second quarter of 2015. An investment of INR 425 Cr has been earmarked for the bus project for an installed capacity of 1500 units in the initial phase. The capacity can be further expanded to 4000 units subsequently. The DICV plant will thus be the only Daimler Truck plant worldwide, that manufactures three brands of trucks and buses under one roof.
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) is a 100% subsidiary of Daimler AG, Stuttgart, Germany. DICV produces medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles for the Indian volume market, under the brand name – BharatBenz. BharatBenz stands for Indian engineering with German DNA. The products have been engineered to serve all major customer segments, from owner-drivers up to large fleet operators. The efficiency of BharatBenz trucks is an optimal fit for customers keen on efficiency, a low Total Cost of Ownership over the life-cycle and highest profit potential for their businesses. The state-of-the-art production plant at Oragadam, near Chennai, spreads over 400 acres (160 hectares). It includes a modern test track designed to simulate Indian conditions – making it one of its kind in Asia. DICV has a total dedicated investment of over INR 4400 crs. (approximately €700 million).
The Company also handles Production, Marketing, Sales and After Sales of Mercedes-Benz Actros Trucks in India. Mercedes-Benz Trucks with the Brand Promise “Trucks you can Trust” are renowned world-wide for their reliability and efficiency under most extreme operating conditions, as well. These trucks also offer the best that Truck Technology has to offer. The Daimler Bus division in India was merged with DICV in April 2013. In May 2013, a new range of FUSO trucks were launched as part of Daimler’s ‘Trucks Asia’ strategy. In March 2014, DICV laid the foundation stone for its upcoming Bus plant. This plant whence in completed in 2nd quarter 2015 will roll-out buses under the brands Mercedes-Benz and BharatBenz. Sustainability being a core of Daimler’s corporate culture, DICV will focus on creating efficient, reliable and ecologically friendly products.
BharatBenz
BharatBenz is the Indian truck brand of Daimler AG, the world’s largest Commercial Vehicle manufacturer and inventor of the truck. Backed by over a century of global trucking experience and an in-depth understanding of the Indian terrain, BharatBenz is here to transform the country’s trucking industry. BharatBenz offers Indian customers an entire truck portfolio in the 9 to 49 tonne range across various applications. The name – BharatBenz – brings out the two most defining qualities of a brand that is being built exclusively for India. ‘Bharat’ carries the values, ideologies and spirit of the nation, and reinforces the brand’s commitment to serve the Indian market. ‘Benz’ upholds the lineage of innovation, technological brilliance and engineering excellence that have given unparalleled performance and great value for generations. Powered by the synergy between global leadership in technology and local deep rooted customer knowledge, BharatBenz builds robust, reliable, performance-oriented trucks to drive maximum productivity and deliver maximum value to customers across the country. With BharatBenz, a new era in Indian trucking has arrived.