Bonjour, new guests from small-town India
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
BYD has made big strides with its lithium ion batteries: some of its latest cars in the Tang range are capable of running 600 km/ charge
BYD Co Limited, the diversified business conglomerate based in Shenzhen, China, is on expansion mode in India through the ‘Make in India’ drive.
It is in the process of stepping up its engagement in India in the entire electric mobility chain and electronics, while also seeking to transform it as a hub for the region.
The company is evaluating the possibility of introducing pure electric passenger vehicles and exploring business prospect for rail transit.
Build Your Dreams, set up in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 1995, has made its India entry with a tie up with Olectra Greentech (Goldstone) for supply of electric buses. It is now looking at expanding its manufacturing base in Chennai, where it manufacturers electric buses. During this correspondent’s recent visit to BYD headquarters in Shenzhen, and its facilities, Zhang Jie Ketsu, Executive Director of BYD India, said the company has made India a strategic market by not only offering its products and solutions, including offerings in the electric mobility space, but also wants to turn it into a hub for the region.
The company, which is into electric mobility spanning various applications, electric buses, cars, elevated rail, trucks, cargo vehicles, forklifts and lithium ion battery packs, is looking at offering its electric mobility in a solutions form for not only transport and logistics businesses but also for energy back up management.
During a tour of the company research and development centres; and manufacturing units for cars, forklifts and lithium ion battery packs for electric vehicles, new energy solutions and various other applications, company executives explained how it has grown to be a leading cutting-edge solutions provider for the entire electric mobility business. In the Chennai manufacturing facility, located on a 35 acre site, the company plans to expand to manufacture electric buses by almost tripling the capacity and stepping up its battery assembly line.
BYD, which has grown over the years with a combination of organic growth and some strategic acquisitions, including the acquisition of an automotive manufacturer, now is a major player in China offering its electric mobility solutions. It has grown to be a $20-billion company, employing over 2,20,000 people with facilities in several countries, including the US and Europe.
It has more than 214 of its made-in-India electric buses deployed across at least six cities, including the hilly tracts of Manali in Himachal, the busy roads of Mumbai and in Hyderabad (as part of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation fleet, providing connectivity to the airport). It is betting big on the upcoming opportunities under the Indian government’s FAME II policy.
Zhang said the company was engaged in talks with several players and believes that the best way to expand its business is by collaborating and entering into strategic engagements. “These days, while businesses compete with one another, they also engage with competitors sharing knowhow and technologies. We work closely with Daimler,” he said.
Over the years, the company has made big strides with its lithium ion batteries: some of its latest cars in the Tang range are capable of running 600 km per charge.
It has launched a four-seater electric vehicle in India as also electric forklifts. It is evaluating bringing in other models as well to India. Having introduced T3 MPV and T3 Mini Van series in India, it is conducting feasibility studies for other models as well.
(The author was in Shenzhen at the invitation of BYD.)
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
Citroen’s first vehicle sports a novel design and European interiors. It is also meant to be as comfortable as ...
The pandemic is only the tip of the iceberg that the country’s cash-poor airlines — both regional and national ...
The government is yet to specify the framework of its recently announced old vehicle scrappage policy
Here is a checklist that equips you to discern the market nuances
Sensex, Nifty 50 have witnessed sharp decline
The fund has consistently outperformed S&P BSE 100 TRI over one, three and five years
Returns are superior to immediate annuity plans, but SCSS can secure better rates for new investors sooner if ...
With the public looking beyond mainstream media for reports from the ground, independent digital platforms are ...
While Supreme Court has cleared the way for women seeking longer tenures and senior roles in the Indian Army, ...
Mughal Gardens in the Capital open to visitors — albeit with Covid-19 protocol — for the annual Udyanotsav
Salty, buttery, cheese coated or with maple syrup and bacon — popcorn is lending its adaptable self to gourmet ...
Its name is the starting point of a brand’s journey and can make a big difference in the success sweepstakes
Sober spirits are the in thing
A peek into where ad spends went last year and where they are headed tomorrow
Can Swiggy Instamart disrupt the ecommerce groceries space, currently ruled by the Amazons and Big Baskets? ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor