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MOTORINDIA
l
February 2012
15
validation. Since two years, testing
is being done practically 24x7, that
too in comparison with the existing
products in the market.
A lot of R&D has gone into the
testing process, and the company is
confident that all factors, including
overloading and poor road condi-
tions, have been taken into account
during testing. In addition, single
vehicle owners, who usually over-
load their trucks, were invited to get
first-hand experience of the truck
being tested under severest of con-
ditions. Most of the invitees were
amazed by the performance of the
trucks in such conditions, which
won their confidence in the products
in the offing at DICV.
‘Made in India’
The light, medium and heavy duty
range of commercial vehicles by
BharatBenz will be manufactured
at its new plant at Oragadam, near
Chennai. Since the financial crisis in
2008, when the company had to rea-
lign its plans, every single step has
gone as per plan in terms of time,
quality and budget. As of today, the
manufacturing plant spreads on 400
acres, build-up is almost complete
and try-out productions for engines
and transmissions have commenced.
DICV has a total dedicated invest-
ment of over Rs. 4,400 crores. The
initial production capacity of the
plant is 36,000 units per year, which
can be ramped up to a technical ca-
pacity of 72.000 units.
DICV has clear and simple plans
to be competitive in a cost-efficient
market like India. The company has
partnered with around 400-450 sup-
pliers in the Indian market, includ-
ing some of the leading auto compo-
nent manufacturers. The localisation
rate achieved will be 85 per cent in
its products, while the target is to
overshoot 90 per cent. An interest-
ing fact to be noted here is that 41
per cent of suppliers come from 50
km around the Oragadam plant and
44 per cent from the rest of India,
including Maharashtra, Gujarat and
Delhi.
Speaking on being cost-competi-
tive, Mr. Llistosella said: “Either lo-
calise or enhance the Indian supplier
landscape significantly, or cost-wise
there is no chance (to sustain). We
have identified 400-450 suppliers,
75% of whom were not known to
Daimler till 2008, not known mean-
ing they were not in relation to
Daimler. Now we have a totally new
landscape of excellent suppliers in
India.”
DICV follows an intensive proc-
ess while identifying potential
partners to ensure that all quality
requirements are met. Due to close
co-operation with its suppliers,
sneak preview
“We have chosen, I think, the
best suppliers, and with these
suppliers we grow. We see them
as partners to grow with us over
the next five to twenty years, a
long term relationship.”
– Mr. Llistosella