Industry Talk

up ScalinG The elecTric BuS and coach oFFerinGS

JBM wants to meet the requirements of its customers. In an industry talk session, Nishant Arya, Vice Chairman at the JBM Group shared with Prateek Pardeshi the road map to upscale the business.

Q. What makes the JBM fleet of buses and coaches stand out?

A. We are showcasing the JBM E-Verse, which comprises of JBM E-mobility ecosystem platform. Here we have launched four new products that have India’s first indigenously developed electric coach. In terms of customer comfort, we have the best legroom on offer, luxurious interiors, and best-in-class and nextgeneration batteries on offer. Most recently we have also launched a 500 kW ultra-fast charging the first in the history of India. Through the Eco-life city bus, we are catering to intracity requirements. The e-BizLife caters to staff applications. The school bus application is ultra-safe, comfortable and affordable too. As part of the ecosystem, we have displayed Li-ion batteries and our BMS systems with high-performance chargers.

Q. How does your fleet customer stand to benefit?

A. This year we have added an indisputable luxury element where we have addressed utilities and the need for a low TCO. We want to ensure every single customer should enhance his profitability backed by our 24x7 after sales network.

Q. How does the order book for buses and coaches look like?

A. Currently, we have more than 50 per cent market share in a nonSTU segment which is meant for the private segment. More than 23 per cent in the STU market. Going forward, in my opinion, at a base consideration of ~ 80-90 thousand buses per annum, in a steady state excluding the Covid-period, we expect electric to account for over 50 per cent by FY27.

Q. Has the school bus segment reached the pre-Covid levels?

A. Yes the market has recovered. We launched the school bus on day one of the Auto Expo 2023 - The Motor Show, and we could align our launch timing where it is becoming imperative for educational institutions to buy such kind of bus. Moreover, we have equipped the bus with fire detection systems, and all the material used for bodybuilding is fire retardant where we also ensure best-in-class performance from our batteries. The seats are luxurious and comfortable, reducing fatigue too.

Q. Are you looking at alternative drivetrains apart from BEVs?

A. So we have been producing CNG products for the last eight years, and we are definitely working on other alternate drivetrains about which you will hear on from us soon.

Q. What are the growth drivers?

A. We have a strong order book and delivery plans for more than 5000 buses in the next Financial Year (FY23-24). If the government pilots trial lending and mandates the transition, we have the facility to scale up and are also in discussions for exports and currently evaluating the demand in emerging markets.