Sharpens focus on Asia
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (a Daimler Trucks Company), have stated that the global Daimler Truck operations which has established itself as the No.1 player has been systematically putting in place a focused strategy to ensure its numero uno position.
As an industry leader over several decades, Daimler understands the needs of the market and continually innovates to provide both path-breaking and optimal trucking solutions. However, in order to remain a leader, it is required to constantly adjust to the new and evolving needs and markets. In line with this it has put in action a strong forward-looking programme named DT#1 (Daimler Trucks No.1), that addresses all the markets it is involved in.
Importantly, it is evident that one of the strong focus regions is Asia, including India. A strong new Asian strategy is part of this programme and involves Daimler Truck entities in Asia – MFTBC (Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation), Japan, and DICV (Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Private Ltd.), India. In fact the focus on Asia evolved very early, and DICV was established to strengthen this. While MFTBC was already well-established and has been serving Japan and other Asian markets over a long time, India emerged as a strong new focus market. India is also clearly set to be a global focus for cost-efficient high quality engineering.
Dr. Albert Kirchmann, President & CEO – MFTBC and Head of Daimler Trucks Asia, said: “Asia will clearly lead our way in the coming years, not just in demand for trucks but also as a hub for our global operations. Daimler has already established a firm presence in Asia by combining a strong 80-year brand “FUSO” and a state-of-the-art green field facility in India. Leading brands, cutting-edge technologies, strong customer-focused product portfolio, strong distributor network and highly inspired people are the ingredients Daimler possesses to remain a leader. We see ourselves in a very advantageous position.”
Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director & CEO, DICV, said: “In 2005 when the first blueprint was being drawn, besides realizing that India would be the 2nd largest Truck market, we realized that India would actually become an important hub for our strength in Asia & Africa. However, our primary focus was to clearly leverage Daimler’s capabilities to suit the needs of Indian trucking. Towards this, we have invested our energies. In the meantime, we have gained the capability to fulfill our Asian & African outlook.”
Mitsubishi Truck and Bus Corporation
Fuso’s performance in 2012, a third-in-a-row growth year, reflects the company’s success, especially in its stronghold in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Sales in Indonesia, the company’s largest export market with increasing competitive attention, reached a third-year-in-a-row record of 67,932 units, up 10.1 per cent, once again achieving leading market share. Sales were also up in other Asian stronghold markets, such as Taiwan, the company’s second largest export market Malaysia, and Thailand. The company continued to prove its growth momentum in the Middle East and in Africa with sales increasing 63.1 per cent to 24,201 units and 88.7 per cent to 8,046 units respectively.
Customers’ response to Fuso’s eco-friendly and fuel-efficient products were key driving factors in this positive sales development. Its renowned Canter light-duty truck celebrating its 50th birthday since 1963 has achieved sales of more than 3.7 million units worldwide, to date. Sales of the all-new Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid light-duty truck in Japan have reached approximately 400 units since its launch in May 2012 with the cumulative 2,000-unit milestone to be reached in the coming weeks.
Moving ahead in 2013, Fuso continues to pave the way. Incoming orders in the first quarter of 2013 show a strong upward trend above the level of 2012. Fuso continues to increase its momentum with a series of product offensive, including entry into new segments and introducing new product variants. A highlight will be the continuing launch of its all-new Canter Eco Hybrid light-duty truck in international markets; Fuso is active in more than 130 markets worldwide.