Truck manufacturer Daimler, 100 per cent subsidiary of Stuttgart-based Daimler AG, will produce “FUSO” trucks at its Chennai facility along with BharatBenz range of trucks, a top official said today.
Daimler India from the second quarter of 2013 will be ready to make trucks in India under the established FUSO brand for sales in price-intensive export markets in Asia and Africa, the firm said in a statement.
“In our state-of-the-art plant in Chennai, we have begun production of BharatBenz and are ready to produce FUSO trucks under one roof,” Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV) Managing Director and CEO Marc Llistosella said.
Noting that DICV would continue focus on the Indian market with BharatBenz range of products, he said: “Mitsubishi FUSO Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) will service the rising demand in the Asian and African regions with its portfolio of FUSO trucks from Chennai.”
“The extended commercial vehicles portfolio (under FUSO brand) will be presented shortly.”
Under the Asia Business Model, Daimler would make a “decisive contribution” to the sales target of over five lakh units by 2015 and more than seven lakh trucks by 2020 and aims to increase sales in Indonesia, Taiwan and Malaysian markets.
Daimler India said its manufacturing facility in Chennai and the MFTBC plant in Kawasaki, Japan were positioned as important truck production locations in Asia. The company said new products under the FUSO brand that would be locally produced is expected to be unveiled this month, it said.
At present, DICV has a 400 acre manufacturing facility at Oragadam near Chennai set up at a cost of Rs 4,400 crore.
Besides retailing BharatBenz range of trucks, Daimler handles production, marketing and sales of Mercedes-Benz Actros Trucks in India. Japan-headquartered MFTBC is part of the Daimler Trucks division of Daimler AG.
“With the united forces of MFTBC and DICV, we are effectively moving ahead of our competitors in terms of bringing concepts into reality”, MFTBC President and CEO and Daimler Trucks Asia-Head Albert Kirchmann said.