MAN Trucks India Pvt. Ltd. (MTIPL) started operations in India in 2006 as a joint venture (JV). However, in 2012, with the takeover of the JV, MTIPL became a 100 per cent subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus AG (Germany). The company manufactures heavy MAN CLA (Cargo Line Asia) trucks for the Indian market and exports vehicles to Asia, Africa, CIS and the SAARC countries. Till date, the company has sold more than 20,000 vehicles in Indian and overseas markets. The CLA range of vehicles are manufactured at the Pithampur facility which has an annual installed capacity of 8,000 vehicles. “With a little effort, this installed capacity can be expanded to 24,000 vehicles per year,” says Jagadish Bhat, MTIPL Managing Director.
The range of products manufactured covers mining and construction tippers in the range of 16 to 31 tonne and 8-18 cum tipper body. The cargo range on offer is from 16 tonne rigid trucks to 49 tonne tractors along with trucks for various applications like transit concrete mixer, fire tender, mobile batching plants, tip trailers, bulkers, etc., with 220 hp and 280 hp MAN engine.
The MAN advantage
Today, MTIPL is in the process of adding new products with its 280 hp engine in the haulage segment, which was so far not experienced in the Indian market. “The advantages the customers realize from this product will influence more and more customers to upgrade, thereby influencing the operational efficiency and bottomline of their business”, explained Somasundaram S., Vice President, Sales and Marketing at MTIPL.
The tractor-trailer is normally a long haulage vehicle in the industry. It is the multi-axle and haulage segment operators who have to start experiencing the speed of travel and better gradeability without compromising on fuel efficiency. “The combination of aggregates helps to increase the life of the vehicle”, adds Somasundaram.
The company is therefore in a position to propagate the total cost of ownership (TCO); high initial cost but higher returns over a period of 5-7 years. “Our machine contributes to parameters like operational efficiency, speed of travel and overall turnaround time. The average monthly run of a vehicle reported by most of the transporters is 8,000-10,000 km, whereas customers could experience and achieve around 20,000 km with our trucks,” reveals Somasundaram.
With the reliable MAN D-0836 engine powering its 31.280 8×2 haulage truck, MTIPL is optimistic to offer best-in-class fuel efficiency, higher payload and supreme power-to-weight ratio which enables higher productivity.
Concerted efforts
From the time MTIPL started operations in India, it has been offering superior comfortable cabins, adhering to the premium global standards that MAN Truck & Bus AG (Germany) has set. “Considering the safety and comfort of the driver, MAN introduced the products with cabins. This also makes the vehicle available for customers for use from day one,” avers Bhat.
The company has its truck in box (TIB) concept similar to completely knocked down (CKD) or semi-knocked down (SKD) vehicles to cater to export markets. All major aggregates are of MAN design made in-house at the Pithampur plant. The aggregate shop also houses an advanced engine testing lab where each and every engine is tested for critical parameters like power, emissions and fuel efficiency.
“We shall introduce a deep mining tipper with 440 hp engine”
Mr. Jagadish Bhat, Managing Director, MAN Trucks India Pvt. Ltd., gives us an update on his company’s plans for the Indian market.
Brief us on the major developments in products for both the truck and bus segments. Do you plan to enter any new segment in India?
For the Indian market, our 25 and 31-tonne GVW tippers as well as 40 and 49-tonne GVW tractors are powered by MAN 220 and 280 hp D08 engines. On the bus front, we offer a 220 hp front engine inter-city bus chassis with full air suspension. With ever-growing demand for efficient high-capacity passenger transport in the emerging markets like ours, we are also planning to introduce 280 hp buses that meet the needs of both the mass and the class. We also look forward to introducing a rear-engine bus in the first quarter of 2017. On the tipper front, we shall introduce a deep mining tipper with 440 hp engine.
On the truck side, do you plan to revamp your cabins to give car-like comfort and design?
Our cabins offer the best of comfort to the drivers. They are spacious enough with air-suspended seats. In the past, most of the trucks were without AC, and we see a shift to AC cabins by many more customers. This helps improve the driver comfort level and in turn enhance productivity.
What role MAN Truck plays in offering its vehicle for integration of superstructure like bulkers, mixers, boom pumps and firefighting devices?
We have techno-commercial collaboration with super structure manufacturers/body builders that help us meet all the customized needs for different applications. We also offer the Euro IV range with 300 hp engines and factory-fitted automatic transmission on customer requirements. The Mumbai Fire Brigade is highly appreciative of such MAN vehicles.
How prepared is MAN with the BS VI emission norms coming into force from 2020?
We are prepared for the BSVI-compliant engine with our parent company. I feel 4-5 years is a long time enough to effect the changes. Even with BSIV we were far ahead of the time and we have already sold BSIV vehicles both in the domestic and overseas markets. We have an R&D center in India and have around 100 people working in synergy with MAN Germany. Engineering solutions are derived here locally, with the support from the engineering department of MAN, Germany.
What is your vision for MAN India? Apart from honing your product portfolio, what are you doing to boost volumes and improve engagement with the market?
We have more than 20,000 CLA MAN vehicles on the road. We plan to double the number in the next 4-5 years. We strongly believe that the market will appreciate and adapt to better value delivery products, which MAN is known for. And we will continue to offer higher productive vehicles for different segments. Maintaining competitive pricing and increasing the number of service touch-points and regional spareparts warehouses in India which will reduce the lead time for delivery of spareparts to customers will help us enhance our volumes too.
How is your reach when it comes to the 3S facilities (Sales, Service and Spares) in India?
We have a PAN-India network of 43 dealers with 63 workshops across the country. We also want to increase the number to another 10 to 15 dealers. Most of our dealers have been with us from the beginning. All our service locations are equipped with mobile service vans to reach and service the customer’s vehicle. We have also improved our proximity to customers to a great extent.
What are your equations with Volkswagen India and its data management and purchasing arm?
We have an in-house financing arm – MAN Finance – operated by Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS). It finances close to 30 per cent of our sales. We also have close working relationship with all banks and NBFCs, to provide competitive financing facility to our customers.
We work in tandem with VW in improving and adapting to the best operational practices.
Story by Rajesh Rajgor | Pictures by Ganesh Kalidas