Brakes India, a pioneer in foundation brakes for the light, medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles, is all set to launch a full range of air disc brakes for the highly demanding domestic market. The company is working in close partnership with Meritor, a dominant global player in the field, for the air disc brake technology and is ready with a globally-proven product that has gone through field trials in over 4,000 buses plying in various parts of India.
The Indian commercial vehicle market is extremely diversified and some of the duty cycles are far more demanding that what is seen in developed markets. Brakes India, with its extensive local R&D capabilities as well as its long-term study of duty cycles in various geographies, weight categories and usage segments, is aptly suited to offer globally-proven products with the customization needed for Indian conditions.
According to Mr. Sriram Viji, Deputy Managing Director, Brakes India: “Our relationship with Meritor goes back for over 50 years. For the air disc brake product, we have been licensed by Meritor for their latest Elsa range of air disc brakes. The Elsa products span the full range of weight classes with products from 17.5” to 25” wheels. The Elsa family is globally approved by most OEMs and has been benchmarked as the most reliable and durable product because of its twin piston technology and robust adjuster assembly. In our experience we have seen the field vehicles push the product to its limit and consider the robustness as an essential factor in the harsh and demanding conditions on Indian roads.”
Brakes India has been a major supplier of foundation brakes to Indian and multinational OEM’s operating in India and this new offering is another extension of its commitment to offer the right technology at the right time to support the rising expectations of domestic manufacturers. The Meritor-licensed Elsa product is already being supplied to major multinational OEM’s operating in India, with Indian customers and fleets seeing the product’s stellar performance. Extensive data has been gathered on the durability, reliability and performance of the air disc brake in the Indian market and with able support from Meritor, Brakes India has been able to establish the product as the preferred choice of customers.
The Elsa 175, the latest air disc brake offering suitable for small commercial vehicles, is a joint development between Meritor and Brakes India to meet global market requirements. The product has undergone rigorous validation and testing over the last year and is ready for launch in Europe and in the domestic market simultaneously. Brakes India, with its world-class engineering, design and testing facility in Chennai, strong manufacturing know-how and a deep understanding of the Indian market conditions and requirements will be able to support Meritor globally as well as in the domestic market.
With a high degree of localization, the Indian firm is striving to offer a superior value proposition in terms of performance, durability, reliability and reasonable cost to the discerning OEMs in the local market. Brakes India has established local manufacturing for pads and rotors with a view of offering the best-in-class solution to its customers. With the launch of the Elsa 175 product, Brakes India will be the first air disc brake manufacturer to offer a full range of localized products to commercial vehicle customers in the country.
“With developments in infrastructure, increased speeds and higher customer requirements for durability, we see the need for differentiated products in the Indian market. With our close connect with large fleets, we see air disc brakes can provide a quick return on investment in certain segments due to the lower total cost of ownership. Brakes India is well positioned to offer a superior value proposition to our customers based on our extensive understanding of driving practices and overall market conditions”, adds Mr. Sriram Viji.