Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV), the 100 per cent wholly-owned subsidiary of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler AG, has announced that it has just sold its 10,000th truck since its market launch. Adding to this milestone, the company has also sold 1,000 units in a month, for the first time in March 2014. Sales of BharatBenz trucks grew by over 67 per cent in the first quarter of 2014 at 2,203 units as compared to the same period of 2013 at 1,316 units, with a significant market share of 5.3 per cent in addressable markets above the 9T segment. However, the overall truck market >9T decreased by another 22 per cent in the same period, clearly indicating that BharatBenz is steadily becoming the brand of aspiration for many Indian truckers.
Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), said: “The year 2014 began well for us and it underlines some key developments in the company. The sale of the 10,000th truck is a remarkable achievement for us, given the fact that we have made it in just 18 months of our operations in the country. Another notable aspect is that these trucks were sold with transparent pricing without any discount. This is a clear testimony of the trust we have built in our customers, dealers and supplier partners who have partnered us in this successful journey so far. The current slowdown in the industry has given us an opportunity to feed the market with highly competitive products and services, offering our customers an unbeatable value proposition for their business.”
Mr. VRV Sriprasad, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and After-sales, DICV, observed: “BharatBenz rolled out into the market with a highly systematic planning that focused on a clear understanding of the Indian customer. This achievement of sales of 10,000 trucks in such a short time of 18 months clearly proves that BharatBenz has acquired this understanding. Our future focus will remain to stay close to the Indian trucker to provide him products of the highest quality and reliability matched by a highly efficient service package.”
BharatBenz trucks have been well received by the customer and have been ably supported by state-of-the-art and customer-friendly after-sales service across a robust network of 71 dealer outlets in the country. The customers have also been able to experience industry-first finance and insurance packages that have made owning a BharatBenz a delightful experience.
On the export front, DICV, along with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), has made significant inroads into the African market with the launch of the robust DICV-made FUSO trucks in Tanzania, besides Kenya and Zambia, as part of Daimler’s Asia Business Model.