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Eicher Motors set to launch HCV vehicle

Our Bureau

HYDERABAD, July 12

BUCKING the slowdown trend, Eicher Motors Ltd, a major manufacturer of LCVs, has garnered over 50 per cent share in the southern markets encompassing four States.

It has targeted a sale of over 10,000 vehicles this fiscal, including export of 1,000 LCVs and is set to launch a vehicle in HCV segment.

The Managing Director of Eicher Motors Ltd, Mr Rakesh Kalra, said despite the general economic slowdown impacting the commercial vehicles segment, the company had managed to register about 21 per cent growth in LCVs last year. ``We expect about 4-5 per c ent growth this fiscal and plan to sell abut 10,000 vehicles,'' he said.

``We are investing about Rs 100 crore in the phase-1 of the heavy commercial vehicle manufacturing project located at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh. The manufacturing facility and the assembly line will be ready by third quarter and first batch of vehicles will roll out in the Q4 this year,'' he said.

The Director-Marketing of Eicher, Mr A.K. Birla, said that the company had already registered buoyant export sales which had grown to 140 per cent this quarter. ``We expect to reach out our variants to the SAARC countries, the GCC and the South African markets. For GCC countries Eicher had rolled out a left-hand drive version.''

In 2000-2001, Eicher Motors has reached an all-time high volume of 8,400 vehicles which accounted for about 26 per cent market share of commercial vehicles. The company plans to market over 10,000 vehicles this fiscal which includes its recently launched 11.10-tonne GVW model.

The company is aggressively expanding its marketing network from its already-existing 133 authorised dealers, spare parts distributors, 300 parts outlets and 4000 company trained mechanics. It plans to increase the number to 250 points.

In order to enhance the service infrastructure, Eicher has inaugurated three more facilities in Hyderabad, including a modern workshop -- Talwar Auto Garages along with a round-the-clock mobile service facility covering a radius of 300 km.

The company had introduced Eicher 11.10-tonne GVW model targetting the lower end of the HCV operations where the volume is large and the payload is relatively lower. This is based on the concept that HCVs remain underutilised, according to Mr Kalra.

Pic.:Mr Rakesh Kalra, Managing Director, Eicher Motors Ltd, addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury