Trucks complete one year of launch in India
Daimler came to India with the BharatBenz promise, and after a year in the domestic market the global numero uno in trucking seems to have delivered what it ‘claimed’. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV) had unleashed the BharatBenz range of heavy-duty trucks in September 2012, a period when the industry was going through one of its worst downturns in history. Twelve months on, the BharatBenz brand has made quick inroads into the Indian market, with over 5,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks on road, delivering superior value and performance, much to the delight of its customers.
Daimler’s every step since it charted out its strategy for the Indian market, right from the test track inauguration in 2010, the ‘BharatBenz’ brand unveil in 2011, the product unveil, plant inauguration, start of production and market launch in 2012, till the recent first anniversary celebration in September this year, has been executed to perfection, backed by meticulous planning and foresight, while, most importantly, the product has delivered as claimed as well.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of BharatBenz’ market launch, Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director & CEO, said: “When we launched our brand and our trucks we stated clearly that we will deliver superior value to our customers and will also transform the Indian trucking industry. We are proud that we have already begun achieving this in such a short time, especially when the industry has been through one of its worst phases. We will continue to deliver more value to our customers. We are also confident that the change that we have triggered in the industry will ensure that the Indian trucker will realize the potential in his hands which he had been missing in the past”.
Being a new entrant, the alarming market scenario has had little impact on DICV’s plans as it has been able to stick to projected timelines, in its endeavour of delivering a whole new trucking experience to its growing customer base in India. “BharatBenz trucks are not sold by discounts, they are sold by the product, the service and what it should bring to the customer. The initial pricing is only a third of the story, the second part is the running cost and the third one is the resale. So, we are very clear – No Discount”, added Mr. Llistosella on the high levels of discounts prevalent in the market at present.
By understanding customer pain points and needs, the company has introduced several new features in its products and differentiated sales and aftersales services. The Indian trucker being the end beneficiary of this evolution, DICV is proud to have triggered such a positive change in the industry.
“The biggest change we are seeing in the market is that people are able to understand and appreciate the benefits of technology and have started demanding better quality products with advanced features. We have demystified certain myths, including the common one that fuel efficiency decreases with increased horse power, which has been proved wrong by our trucks”, stated Mr. VRV Sriprasad, VP-Marketing & Sales, After Sales, DICV.
The BharatBenz strategy, driven by its unswerving focus on the end-consumer expectations and the total cost of ownership (TCO), has transformed the outlook among Indian customers. DICV has been punctilious in its customer approach with its sales team explaining every aspect of the product before taking orders, so that the customer is aware of all the features and technology additions that come with the vehicle. The company has a unique application-based sales strategy which has reaped rich rewards with its trucks gaining healthy market share, especially in the southern State of Kerala where it has close to 18 per cent share already, and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. DICV has started off with its focus on south India and will shift its focus to other parts of the country in due course.
Over 50 BharatBenz dealerships are currently active with the number set to cross 100 next year. The company currently has nine models in the market and will launch more, including the tractor-trailers, in the coming months, to complete its entire range of 17 models.
Besides launching BharatBenz for the Indian market, DICV had also begun export of its trucks under the brand ‘FUSO’ to Asian and African markets earlier this year. In alignment with Daimler Trucks’ ‘Asian Business Model’, the integration of strengths between DICV and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation (MFTBC), Japan, has achieved the goal of making Daimler quality trucks for India under the BharatBenz brand and for other markets under the FUSO brand. The fact that only 26 out of thousands of components were changed from BharatBenz to FUSO reflects the global standard inherent in the former range of vehicles, offered primarily for the Indian market.
The DICV-manufactured FUSO trucks have already been exported and launched in foreign markets, including Sri Lanka, Kenya and Zambia, and will head to other markets as well in future.