Addressing the gathering that included members of the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association and the Southern Lorry Owners Welfare Association, Mr. Anirban Dutta, National Sales Manager, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., (formerly Eicher Motors Ltd.), said the operations of Volvo in India, run entirely by Indians, have considerably expanded after its acquisition of Eicher. The company has always had its focus on three important criteria, namely, quality, safety and environment. Worldwide, Volvo is one of the most popular automotive firms with leading brands like Mack, Renault-Nissan trucks, etc. Its global sales in 2008 were $40 billion, of which 67 per cent comes from trucks.
Though Volvo trucks are 10 per cent more expensive than those from others, they have proved a preferred choice among buyers mainly because of the product quality and safety. As many as 1,000 engineers at the Bangalore plant, mostly on the software application side, are busy developing newer technologies.
The Volvo edge
Mr. Dutta said Volvo trucks, with a special focus on premium customers, also targets the mining industry. Its JV with Eicher, a prominent manufacturer of medium and heavy commercial vehicles in India, has narrowed the gap in Volvo product range. It has a 400-strong countrywide distribution network, and with the support of Eicher, the company is able to have better access to local customers.
According to Mr. Dutta, Volvo offers its expertise and global market presence to the JV with Eicher. With the initial investment of Rs. 300 crores, more than 5,500 units that rolled out of the plant are already in operation all over the country. Currently, the company has five regional warehouses, 80 bus and truck support points and over 100 service points.
Success through driver training
Volvo is one among the few companies in India that have taken driver training to higher levels. It has trained over 14,000 drivers over the last 10 years. “We not only build trucks but also work with the customers’ lifetime profitability. For instance, 20 per cent of Coal India’s overall production takes place through Volvo trucks – proving its ready acceptability in the mining sector”, Mr. Dutta added.
Mr. R. Senthil Kumar, Deputy Manager – Application Engineering, Marketing, Volvo India Private Ltd., made a complete presentation on Volvo’s range of trucks available in India.
Earlier, Mr. V. Kumar, Area Manager – Kar & TN, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., in his welcome address, said Volvo India, established in 1997 at Hoskote near Bangalore, has completed its successful decade-long service two years back.
Mr. Mohammed Khaleemula of Trans Infra & Logistics, Chennai, who received the key of the first Volvo FM 400 tipper, in his brief address, said he entered the tractor trailer business in 1997 and is now owning more than 11 Volvo tractor trailers. This expansion in business is attributed mainly to the performance of the Volvo truck. Though the initial cost is high, the vehicle productivity is much higher. Also it is the service-with-smile concept and the driver training focus of Volvo that has made him what he is today.
“The Volvo team is the best part of my life today”, Mr. Kalim added.
