An exclusive feature from MOTORINDIA
Tranztar CV applications has emerged one of the fastest growing brands of trailers and truck bodies in India. The company is driving growth in the organised fully-built vehicle (FBV) market in India by offering a wide range of solutions for the industry. Mr. Nitin Chamaria, Tranztar CEO, explains to Motorindia how the company has established its presence in the industry over the last few years and also what Tranztar has to offer in the coming years.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: Tranztar is increasingly becoming a name to reckon with in the commercial vehicle application industry. Can you take us through the journey so far?
Answer: We have been working very hard over the last five years to become the leading manufacturer of world class commercial vehicle applications, such as tippers, trailers, etc., in India. I am happy that we have become a leading brand and a market maker in the Indian CV applications industry. However, we are also aware that our journey has just begun and we have a long way to go.
It all started with a basic need since the quality of CV applications that were available in the country was simply not up to the mark and far from global standards. We found that this industry was completely fragmented and dominated by unorganized players. There was little regulation and no standardization, whether in design, components or manufacturing practices. Customers were forced to accept sub-standard products, since innovation and quality standards were low. Tranztar has sought to change all that with its focus on state of the art applications for the commercial vehicle industry.
Q: What is the application range offered by Tranztar?
A: Tranztar offers all kinds of tippers and trailers and has recently launched transit mixers and bulkers. We manufacture customized products that help to provide specific solutions to customer problems.
Q: Tranztar has a manufacturing facility in Bhuj. Can you update us on the manufacturing infrastructure created for various applications? What is the total investment made at the manufacturing facility till date?
A: We have one of the largest, state-of-the-art manufacturing plants at Bhuj, which is spread over 25 acres with a built-up area of more than 40,000 sq. metres. It uses the latest machinery and manufacturing practices, including India’s only robotic welding system for tippers. We have automatic SAW welding system for trailers as well as automatic shot blasting & painting systems. We are particularly proud of our high precision jigs and fixtures that help us manufacture products according to exact specifications and tolerances. In fact we have spared no expense in matching global standards and are planning to introduce more automation and robotic systems in future.
Q: What is the annual production capacity created at the plant for various products segments – trailers, tippers, etc.?
A: Currently, Tranztar has the capacity to manufacture 24,000 tippers and 4,000 trailers and other applications. We are planning to increase our capacity for transit mixers, bulkers and tankers during the next year. Thanks to our flexible and lean manufacturing system, we can adjust production according to market requirements.
Q: How many Tranztar trailers and tippers are on road till date? Which are the applications in which Tranztar has its strong presence?
A: At the moment there are close to 18,000 Tranztar tippers and 3,000 Tranztar trailers on the road. Primarily, we are very strong in these two segments and have established ourselves as leaders in these segments. We are now working towards increasing our presence in other new applications such as mixers and bulkers.
Q: As an AMW group company, what percentage of AMW’s application requirement is catered by Tranztar?
A: In fact, 100% of AMW’s current requirements of tippers and trailers are supplied by Tranztar and they are very happy with our products and services.
Q: What are the significant advantages offered by Tranztar when compared to other application builders? How strong is your design team?
A: Our products are manufactured by highly trained manpower, using advanced components to the highest quality standards. They are made using advanced manufacturing practices on the latest machinery, jigs and fixtures. Our fully integrated manufacturing approach ensures that we maintain the highest quality throughout the entire process.
In fact we meet ISO-TS 16949:2009 standards and are able to offer a high degree of customization to our customers. This is thanks to our strong and highly experienced design team which is focused on applications development.
Tranztar offers end-to-end design to delivery capability, including testing and validation services. Our products are sold through a pan-India service and sales network. However our biggest advantage is that we offer the lowest total cost of ownership and therefore the highest value to our customers.
To sum up, I would say that our advantages include the product itself, our sales & service network, high quality standards and advanced manufacturing practices.
Q: Apart from tippers and trailers, are you also looking at other segments like car carriers and reefer boxes? What are the new applications that you have developed?
A: Our new applications include tipping trailers from 22 to 45 cu. m. which are customized to suit specific requirements and particular geographies. Other applications include low bed trailers, semi low bed trailers and draw bar trailers.
Recently we have also introduced new transit mixers and bulkers that are suited to Indian conditions. In addition, we have developed various curtain sider trailers that can carry pallets or steel coils.
Moving up the market we also offer a 100-ton heavy duty flat bed trailer. In the future we are also working on introducing fire fighting vehicles, garbage compactors and new design chassis carriers for CVs. We would also be developing reefers and hydraulic axle trailers in the future.
Q: As most of your manufacturing happens out of Bhuj, is there a plan to establish another facility down south to cater to other OEMs?
A: We have opened a satellite manufacturing plant for trailers in Bangalore to cater to our Southern customers. We have plans to open four such plants across the country over the next 8-12 months and would look at expanding capacity in these centres as market needs evolve.
Q: A very important aspect which differentiates the organized and unorganized segment is after sales service support. What is the service infrastructure established by Tranztar across India?
A: We are the only CV applications company to have a pan-India service set-up, called ‘Tranztar Seva’. This includes an independent network of Tranztar authorized service centres in major tractor trailer hubs spread across the country.
We also have a separate team of trained service personnel available in these areas. Tranztar also offer its customers a 24×7 toll free helpline, which is a first in the CV applications industry in India.
Q: Have you introduced any specific technologies in the tipper and trailer segment, which are very new to the Indian market, such as air suspension systems, ABS, etc.?
A: Yes, we have pioneered several new technologies in Tippers including new designs, very low tare weight, light bodies with higher strength, higher payloads, specific design applications and quality comparable to global standards.
Similarly for trailers, we have also worked with air suspensions and ABS. The market is slowly moving towards advanced technology trailers but the pace is still quite slow. Our trailers are designed to offer low tare weight, high payload capacity and the lowest TCO.
Q: As a fast growing player in truck applications, how do you see the future of trucking in India, particularly the growth of applications and related technologies?
A: The CV applications industry is clearly in a transformational phase. Earlier people had neglected this very important part of trucking but things are changing and we firmly believe that demand for modern applications will grow strongly in the future. Tranztar will continue to follow the best global practices to offer our customers latest and high quality solutions to their specific problems.
Also with increasing regulation the CV industry will require better applications that offer greater value for money, while confirming to new legal and safety requirements. The implementation of GST will also be a very important step in the development of this industry.
As a market leader we would be offering several new technologies many of which are already available globally. I can assure you that Tranztar would be at the forefront in developing this industry in India and strive to move it up to global standards.