G Saravana Sekar, Director, Vijai Trucking gives the lowdown to N. Balasubramanian on the whys and wherefores of taking up Tata Motors dealership to serve 3 different regions in and around Chennai. The bold move of starting the dealership bang in the middle of COVID pandemic speaks of the owners’ guts and faith in the full range of Tata vehicles!
This 2nd generation scion of Chennai-based Vijai Trucking, sister concern of Vijai Earthmoving Equipment company, beams with positivity having taken up a dealership of Tata Motors’ full range of vehicles only a few months ago in April 2021.
G Saravana Sekar, Director, Vijai Trucking shares: “Vijai Trucking is known for its dealerships of popular earth moving machinery for over 3 decades. Based on our credibility in the market, Tata Motors approached us with an offer for us to take up dealership. We feel privileged to have become Tata Motors dealers, serving 3 regions in and around Chennai.”
The Vijai Trucking dealership venture has been started with the full backing and support of the renowned Triway Group, a pioneer in the field of logistics where Saravana Sekar currently serves as one of the Directors.
While Saravana Sekar oversees the day-to-day operations of the dealership, he derives motivation and work ethic from his father K. Gomathinayagam, Managing Director, Vijai Trucking, a highly respected and down-to-earth personality with over four decades of experience in the trade.
Building Strong Reputation
The broad criteria that Tata Motors officials followed was that Vijai Trucking showed sustained business performance in the last few decades besides their financial strength.
He agrees: “Our reliability and performance with previous OEMs has proved our track record and the Tata Motors officials were impressed. For us, customer satisfaction is always on top priority since my father founded the company in 1991.”
He continues: “I have learnt from my father that only honest efforts get us the desired results. More than the knowledge and money it is the intent and the commitment that will help our business succeed. As a company, we believe in building relationship with our customers even if there is no transaction.”
COVID No Threat
It is a bold move on part of the top management of Vijai Trucking to start the business during the pandemic because ‘we firmly believe that where there is crisis, there lies opportunity too’.
Saravana Sekar recounts the initial days: “We never had even an iota of doubt regarding opening our company or our business prospects even though it was during the pandemic period. We merely saw an opportunity, and presented our credentials to Tata Motors officials. We have started well. And post lockdown, everything is slowly falling into place. Our team is set and our main marketing strategy is to service our existing customers because we believe in word-of-mouth publicity and that is why we are not too hung up on sales targets as of now.”
Complete Range of Vehicles
Vijai Trucking offers the full range of Tata Motors vehicles – from the small commercial vehicle (SCV) segment to the heavy 55-ton tippers. And that was the exact reason why Saravana Sekar chose Tata Motors dealership.
He explains: “Their complete range gives us the full potential of business which is huge. Though the investment is big, we can see the returns already. We expect that in the near future, the market will open up further and along with the scrappage policy coming in, our business will get a big boost.”
The dealership will serve 3 regions – Chennai, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur. And currently, they have 2 fully functional outlets with 3 more coming up. It is interesting to note that the company’s main showroom in Chennai was designed by Saravana Sekar’s wife architect Dhivya Ravishankar and constructed in a record time of 60 days.
Saravana Sekar shares: “The 3 outlets will be ready in one year’s time but we will also be having multiple customer touchpoints. One great advantage with Tata Motors is that everyone can become an entrepreneur by owning a Tata Ace. For us, customer connect is the biggest draw. As dealers, we get to meet both the first-time users and customers who already own 1000 trucks for example, and everybody in between. The customer has much to teach us because he would have done a thorough research before buying a vehicle. We learn a lot by interacting with them and every sale contains some learning for us.”
Winning Spirit
Since, the company previously represented OEMs for their heavier vehicles and construction tippers, the small commercial vehicle space may be new for them. Yet, Saravana Sekar is confident that their prior experience with other brands will help them in expanding their business at a faster pace.
He says: “We know that Tata vehicles are a huge hit with customers. Their full range of vehicles enables us to cater to every segment in the CV space.”
It helps that Vijai Trucking employs only the best of the experienced workforce that can handle practically all the segments – be they ICV, HCV and SCV or buses. Saravana Sekar knows that his team has complete understanding of what the customer expects from the product.
He shares: “We know from experience that for a dealership one of the biggest challenges is to have the right kind of manpower. Fortunately for us, we have a great, hardworking team. For us, it is the interest and the intent of our workforce that matters, not the educational qualification.”
Target 2022
By 2022, Vijai Trucking should touch 2000-2500 vehicles translating into 200 vehicle sales per month, according to Saravana Sekar.
He feels: “Since the market is steadily opening up, we hope that the customer interest goes beyond checking out the vehicles to actually clinching the deal. As pandemic impact is still hovers, most customers are undergoing financial issues. We know that it may take some time for them to settle down and grow. We firmly believe that 2022 will be the best year after 2007-8. We also believe that the construction segment will get further boost from the government and that will help fortify the market as well. And, we are here for the long-term.”
The young director is convinced that the markers are well placed and the business is bound to grow with market sentiment brightening. As the negative impact of the pandemic dwindles, and market suffocates under pent-up demand, business prospects will be robust, sooner rather than later.
And when that happens, Vijai Trucking is poised to serve the discerning Tata Motors customer with an arsenal full of market-proven vehicles.
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Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX launched
In an event held recently, Vijai Trucking officially launched the Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX model which offers a compelling value proposition for customers in the small commercial vehicle (SCV) segment. The Tata Ace Gold CNG model was also launched on the occasion.
The launch function was graced by K.G. Prasad, Senior General Manager, and Regional Manager – South (Sales & Customer Care), Tata Motors and his team. A number of customers were also present on the occasion, eager to experience the new vehicles.
The Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX is available in two variants – the flat bed variant attractively priced at Rs. 3.99 lakh while the half deck load body variant will cost Rs. 4.10 lakh. Its new price point, coupled with easy financing options, make it a great option for first-time commercial vehicle users, in both rural and urban areas.
The Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX Variant is the only four-wheel SCV powered by a 2-cylinder engine and a gross vehicle weight of more than 1.5 tonne in India, to be available below the Rs. 4 lakh price point. It is powered by the same fuel-efficient and reliable Ace Gold Petrol 694cc engine, mated to a four-speed transmission; the new variant is engineered for maximum profitability. Developed on the back of enhanced customer-focused strategies and introduction of path-breaking technologies and innovations by Tata Motors, the Ace Gold Petrol CX variant will prove to be a gamechanger in the SCV segment.
The new Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX promises to be at the forefront of last-mile delivery because of its versatility across applications, which include market logistics, distribution of fruits, vegetables, and agri products, beverages & bottles, FMCG and FMCD goods, e-commerce, parcel & courier, furniture, packed LPG cylinders, dairy, pharma and food products, refrigerated transport, as well as waste management applications. The Tata Ace Gold Petrol CX is poised to ensure a sustainable and profitable last-mile distribution, in the Indian trucking space and generate millions of success stories for years to come.
Like all other Tata Motors commercial vehicles, the latest models will be backed by the Sampoorna Seva 2.0 initiative, offering various vehicle care and service promise programs, annual maintenance packages and resale opportunities. It additionally comes with a promise of 24×7 roadside assistance – Tata Alert, a time-bound complaint resolution promise at workshops – Tata Zippy and a 15-day accident repair guarantee – Tata Kavach to ensure quick service turnaround time.