Daimler is set to rev up its India bus business while stepping into its second year of operations in the country. This will involve keeping increasingly in line with market needs to be able to increase its presence.

As part of this objective, Daimler will now sell chassis solutions while honing its focus on the school bus segment. “We will use opportunities across categories to further expand our business,” says Markus Villinger, Managing Director, Daimler Buses India and Vice President – Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.

The decision to sell chassis comes on the back of demand from the huge 16-tonne segment that prefers this option over buying factory-made buses. “We entered this space with fully-built buses, but the pie was way too small. Hence, we have decided to offer chassis solutions which will begin by the end of this year,” he added.

Yet, this will not extend to other segments like the nine-tonne where fully-built buses are in great demand. Villinger believes that this move to sell chassis will bring more customers into the Daimler fold who can be wooed with complete buses in the not-so-distant future.

From the company’s point of view, the Indian bus market will evolve and see a growth in demand for factory-made products, especially after the new bus body code becomes a reality. This will involve far more stringent safety and quality features, which unorganised players will find difficult to incorporate in their offerings. Daimler is therefore hopeful that all this will result in a shift to fully-built buses.

The school bus slot is another attractive proposition for the company, which till recently has focused on staff, tourist and intercity segments. BharatBenz school buses come with individual seatbelts and a stop switch for children to alert the driver when necessary.

Anti-lock braking system has also been incorporated as a standard fitment in all vehicles. The body structure adds to the safety quotient, which is critical given that children are the occupants. “We have been getting some orders and are also participating in major exhibitions to showcase our school buses,” says Villinger.

Daimler plans to build its brand based on safety and comfort with BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz being the twin focus points. While the former’s front-engine buses will target short distance travel segments such as school, staff and tourism, Mercedes will cater to intercity transport.

“Our buses come at a premium and we will focus on the modern and semi-premium segments. BharatBenz buses will assure the best in safety, comfort and customer value,” says Villinger. Beyond this, Daimler is keen to lead customer preferences for air-conditioned buses, especially with the advent of smart cities and need for better transport alternatives.

So far, the company’s India plans are on schedule with sales of over 1,000 units both in the domestic and export markets since the start of operations in November 2015. It is not as if rivals are sitting pretty with the likes of Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Volvo also getting more aggressive in the market.

It was Volvo that truly created a luxury experience for bus travellers and made a trip from Mumbai to Pune a fashion statement. In the process, people were ready to shift from trains to buses and it was Volvo which led the way in this new thought process.

With road building activity across the country getting top priority, demand for bus transport will also follow. The young Indian today likes to have a comfortable ride and when safety is also assured, it is even more welcome. This is where a host of bus makers are keen on pushing the envelope to deliver top-class products.

Operators are also realising that there is money to be made and are more than willing to invest in expensive buses, which was perhaps not the case some years ago. While Volvo was clearly the trendsetter, the likes of Daimler and many others are aware that the pie is large enough for more participants.

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