Guru Ram Das (GRD) Body Builders, a renowned firm in Delhi offering bus bodies to various travel and tour operators, is all set to commence production at its new facility in Bahalgarh, Sonipat, this year. Once the facility goes on stream in the next six-nine months, it will have the monthly capacity of 60 units which can be ramped up further to 75 units. Nearly 250-350 people will be employed at the plant over a period of time. At present, the company churns out 30 buses per month from its Nangloi unit. Going forward, the existing unit, which is spread over an area of 5,000 sq. metres, will be converted into a full-fledged service centre and will be primarily catering to the local clients.
In an exclusive interaction with MOTORINDIA, Mr. Mayank Kukreja, CEO, GRD Body Builders, revealed: “We have earmarked Rs. 15 crores for the new facility spread over an area of 20,000 square metres. There will be a proper assembly line balancing as in there will be a separate parking for chassis. All the activities like CNC cutting, water testing, painting, bending and shearing will be under one roof. All the sub-assembly will be shifted from our existing units at Nangloi, Delhi. We will also be able to build the parts over there. The new facility will be equipped with a complete range of machines for cutting, bending, welding and grinding operations apart from an in-house paint shop. Quality tooling will also be utilised for working on steel and aluminum inputs. It will also be supported with an in-house design unit with CAD/CAM/FEA facility that will help us in offering state-of-the-art designed range of buses.”
It is to be mentioned that GRD fabricates bus bodies come with various chassis options originally built by leading CV makers like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Eicher in the country. The company has received an overwhelming response to its new product G-Prim, which was launched last year. The company claims that the product has revolutionised the aerodynamics and aesthetics in the bus-making industry in the country. The price range of the model starts from Rs. 9 lakhs to Rs. 13 lakhs, depending on the features demanded by the customers. There are two versions, one based on the front engine and the other on the rear engine.
Mr. Kukreja further observed: “Our endeavour has always been to build next-generation buses and thus moving ahead together with our customers. We will be launching more models per year on a quarterly or half-yearly basis”.
Asked to shed some light on the newly-launched product, he said: “We have improved the model aesthetically and is GPRS-enabled. Its glasses got a chrome lining at the bottom. The front end has also been updated in an elegant fashion. The lights have also been redesigned. As far as its interiors are concerned, it sports a new dashboard. The front two seats are purely business class seats on the lines of what we see in premium airlines. There is more space in the racks too so that the luggage capacity is enhanced.”
Apart from G-Prim, the company is also the selling G-Run model, which is essentially a luxury coach rolled out from its existing facility at Nangloi. The 12-metre bus is based on a rear engine chassis 6200 WB and is equipped with premium features like forty five 2X2 reclining seats, electronic rear side view mirrors, LED front & rear tail lamps, pneumatic driver seat, infotainment system with LED screen, individual AC vents with single touch, rear view camera, etc.
Established in 1982, Guru Ram Dass Body Builders was floated by Mayank’s father, Mr. Jagdish Kukreja. But by dint of hard work and perseverance, the Kukreja senior managed to ramp up its production fivefold. Currently, a team of 125 people is directly and indirectly employed at the Nangloi unit.
The homegrown bus body builder, currently caters to major tour and travel agencies like Rao Travels, Virmani Travels, Paras Travels, Aman Tours and Travels, Bindra Travels, Satkar Travels, Chetan Travels, Dayal Travels, Sehgal Transport Service, in addition to Maxfort School. Its current range consists of body building of school buses, ordinary buses, semi luxury buses and luxury buses and has sold close to 6,000 buses since inception. Even though it has not held discussions with OEMs, it is exploring options once new players come into the market.
“As our new plant goes on stream, we will be able to address the market in a better manner. Once the plant gets ready we can have two separate lines for tour operators and OEMs. In two years’ time, we can think about showcasing our products at Auto Expo or even Busworld. Going forward, we may look at allying with various State Transport Undertakings,” Mr. Kukreja shared.
When asked whether existing roadside outfits are posing any challenges to them, he ironically stated: “Their presence is actually a boon for us rather than a bane. Any customer who walks into their shop ultimately switches away to our facility because we use high-grade material which ensures the product’s durability. And we are pretty happy that ARAI accredition will be implemented for fabricators which ensures our credibility.”
Talking about the interesting trends among its end customers, he said: “All of the customers look for A/C buses as a primary requisite. People are switching over from the 3X2 to the 2X2 seating configurations. Another interesting trend that is coming up is 1X1 recliners and 2X1 configurations. Buses with air-suspensions has become a trend now, and furthermore, luxury interiors are also demanded by our customers. They also look for heating systems during winters. All these validate the point that the demand patterns of Indian tourists and travellers are catching up fast and is almost similar to foreigners.”
GRD Body Builders, which sold 140 buses during the last financial year, is looking to post a 50 per cent growth in revenue and nearly double its sales to 250 units during FY15. The incremental growth is on the back of a huge upturn in demand for business in the domestic market owing to the formation of a stable Government at the Centre. It has earmarked an investment of Rs. 20 crores since inception and plans to pump in a similar amount during the next 7 to 8 years for scaling up its operations, including its greenfield plant and revamping its existing facility. Even though the company has no plans to go for any organic or inorganic growth in the domestic market, it has plans to set up shop abroad to serve customers in overseas markets.