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Daimler India Commercial Vehicles is a key component in the export growth of Daimler Truck Asia, according to Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India.
The depreciation of the rupee against the dollar helps exports but it is only a “windfall profit” and cannot build the business. Daimler’s export plans had been formulated previously on currency rates fixed three years back, he said.
Addressing media persons at Daimler India’s factory at Oragadam, near Chennai, to mark the completion of one year of BharatBenz trucks on Indian roads, he said the company is targeting markets in over 15 countries in South-East Asia, West Asia and Africa. The exports are under the Fuso badge of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation.
“The truck is being launched in Zambia tomorrow,” he said.
The subsidiary of the German automobile manufacturer Daimler AG, will underpin the export target of Daimler Truck’s Asia business model, which hopes to nearly double its exports to 290,000 units a year in 2020 from 148,000 units in 2011.
The company will first target the Right-Hand-Drive market, and subsequently, the Left-Hand-Drive market indicating the developed markets.
Over the last one year, 5,000 medium and heavy duty BharatBenz trucks have hit the roads making Daimler India the fourth largest truck manufacturer in the domestic market – “Good but not enough; but a good entrance,” he said.
The factory has a capacity to manufacture 36,000 units a year on one shift.
There are nine models of BharatBenz in the 9-tonne to 31-tonne category on Indian roads and three more in the 40-49 tonne segment in the offing in the coming months.
It has 52 dealerships and this will grow to 120 in the next one year.
Daimler India has invested over Rs 4,400-crore in the factory, achieved over 85 per cent localisation and has a supplier base of over 200.
It has also become a training hub for its employees, he said.
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