Commercial Vehicle Dec. 2009 Issue

Black Diamond sparkles

Rs. 100

Patel Integrated Logistics - smart operator • Delphi TVS starts new plant

At the heart of the indian trucks & bus industry Volume 4 Issue 3 • December 2009

DIGS IN

09 CV_December_cover.indd 1

12/6/2009 3:56:43 PM

front inside_tata ace.indd 1

10/7/2009 2:24:36 PM

09 CV_December_Editorial.indd 7

12/7/2009 3:49:33 PM

09 CV_December_Editorial.indd 4

12/7/2009 3:48:25 PM

Straightdrive AS WE SPEAK, INDIA IS ACTIVELY mulling a non-binding, albeit serious commitment to reduce emissions by 20-25 percent by 2020. This represents interesting possibilities for the CV industry. While mandating more eco-friendly homes and power plants, the government will inevitably favour more environmentally-friendly cars, buses and trucks. Therefore, fuel-efficient products may receive an incentive, while offending ones may be taken off the roads. This will encourage a new generation of CVs. But, that said, it will be unrealistic to expect any hastening of stringency in emission norms. Lack of low impurity fuel and the ability of customers to pay more for such products is still an issue. Do expect drama on the roads if the government tries to enforce scrappage of time-worn trucks and buses.

But, these are matters for the near to medium term future. What we have on the cover of this issue is Excon 2009. With more than 1,00,000 square metres of area and 450 exhibitors, the biennial construction equipment show has given us ample food for thought.

Things surely seem to be back on track, with quite a few launches and orders in the bag.

And this was the venue for the AMW 3123 8x4 truck’s launched. The brand new construction has served as a platform for Putzmeister’s new 42-metre boom pump.

Meanwhile, Patel Integrated Logistics Limited plans to add 350-400 trucks to its owned fleet of 150 trucks. The company which favours Eicher trucks invests heavily in telematics solutions. Its fleet is assigned to sundry, retail and full truck load applications to cater to various classes of cargo. In all this, the fleet operator counts upon 19 logistics super hubs.

Bilaspur-based Black Diamond lies at the other end of the scale. Less than three years old, this company has been developing 28 cum metre tip trailers and banana shaped bulkers. As orders from at least a couple of companies are in the pipeline, the application builder also seeks to get into the manufacture of reefers and ambulances through a JV. Nasik’s Automakers is another promising application builder. Graduating from building ambulances, the firm has rapidly made a mark in Lack of low impurity mobile clinics and even trailer-based mini hospitals.

Chennai-based Delphi TVS is also making news fuel and the ability of because of a new facility in Oragadam that will make customers to pay more common rail high pressure pumps, injectors, rails and for such products is filters. This facility entailing a budgeted investment of still an issue.

Rs 350 crore, meets Class 10000 cleanliness standards.

This issue also contains coverage of Standard Corporation India Limited’s plans to get into backhoe loaders – and indeed this product was showcased at Excon 2009. The company’s market outlook is improving and a new plant in Himachal Pradesh is in the works.

Meanwhile, the trademark tractor mounted combine harvesters are going great guns.

Finally, we bring you a column from engineering, marketing and consulting firm Western Auto RACE. The topic for this month is the Over Dimensional Cargo. The market is promising, but, there is a need for greater numbers of specialised tractor trailers. Standardisation of government norms as well as speedier clearances will help matters further.

Sridhar Chari s.chari@nextgenpublishing.net

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE 401B, Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411 040. India Tel +91-20-32930291 / 2 Fax +91-20-26830465 Email us at cv@nextgenpublishing.net Editor Test Editor European Editor Senior Correspondent Staff Writers

Sridhar Chari Aspi Bhathena Michael Smith Ahfaaz Khan Amit Panday, Ram Kumar Ramaswamy, Kiran Bajad, Bunny Punia, Adhish Alwani

Group Art Director and Production-in-Charge Atul Bandekar Art Director Ramnath S Chodankar Senior Designers Praveen B Nambiar Ravi Parmar Assistant Designer Varun Kulkarni Photographer Sawan Sekhar Hembram Production Executive Dinesh Bhajnik Administrative Executive Roshni Bulsara Publisher Khushroo Bhadha Associate Publisher Marzban Jasoomani Regional Marketing Manager (North & East) Ellora Dasgupta Regional Manager (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) A. Mageshwar Assistant Manager Advertising (Delhi) Chanchal Arora Area Advertising Managers Niladri S Majumdar (Mumbai), Pramod Udupa (Bangalore), Y. Lingeswaran (Chennai) Response Executive Minocher Parakh (Mumbai) Sr. Response Executive Sachi Kumar (Delhi) National Manager — Circulation & Subscription K Srikanth Assistant Circulation Managers Kapil Kaushik (Delhi) Sanjeev Roy (West) Subscription Supervisor Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 22 67525220 Fax +91 22 24448289 REGIONAL MARKETING OFFICES Next Gen Publishing Ltd. 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai – 400016, India Tel +91 22 43525252 Fax +91 22 24448289 24 & 30 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, Okhla, New Delhi - 110020, India Tel +91 11 42345678 Fax +91 11 42345679 #903, 9th Floor, ‘B’ wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001, India Tel +91 080 66110116 Unit No. 30, 3rd Floor, Modern Towers, No. 35/23 West Cott Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014, India Tel +91 44 39149889/90/91 Fax +91 11 39149892 Chandan House, 3rd Floor, Mithakhali Six Roads, Ahmedabad - 380006, India Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent.

No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. Published by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Copyright 2006 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Commercial Vehicle does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor Sridhar Chari

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 5

09 CV_December_Editorial.indd 5

12/7/2009 3:48:53 PM

WHAT’S INSIDE Straight Drive

Black Diamond sparkles

Sridhar Chari

5

Letters

8

CV News

38

A foray is being planned in bulkers and reefers.

The application builder has already done well in putting out tip trailer bodies.

10

Columns: Research Desk

Consulting firm RACE offers us a snapshot of the ODC market.

30

Not the ‘Standard’ Formula

To add to its combine harvesters, tractors and mobile cranes Standard Corporation is all set to introduce a backhoe loader.

Siam data

44 82

Delphi TVS gets ‘pumped’ up Besides boosting capacity, the company’s new factory in Oragadam promises to be model of efficiency

YOUR VOICE

We welcome suggestions, feedback, comments, bouquets and brickbats on how the magazine is shaping up and what you would like to see and read more about.

Write in to: cvindia@nextgenpublishing.net

To Subscribe turn to page

34

47

6 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

Contents _ Reg.indd 6

12/7/2009 4:05:47 PM

WHAT’S INSIDE

56

Cover Story Excon 2009 digs in The biennial construction equipment show attracted almost 450 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors. By all appearances, the CE industry is back on track.

48

52

Patel Integrated Logistics - considered moves

Automakers offers mobile healthcare solutions

Even as the fleet operator proposes to acquire another 350-400 trucks, the nature of operations is being continually fine-tuned.

Besides ambulances, the Nasik-based company is also developing trailer-based hospitals.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 7

Contents _ Reg.indd 7

12/7/2009 4:06:23 PM

LETTERS TO CV

Rs. 100

Special Report

Busworld Kortrijk 2009

M&M launches ‘Gio’ compact truck • VRL - on its own steam

r of h Old DTC buses need to go e t t Le mont I am an MBA student based out of Delhi floor non-ac bus. Already overthe

and I am not extremely happy with public transport in the city. Despite the new Tata and Ashok Leyland buses becoming a common sight, DTC’s old noisy buses are still around. They pollute with obvious overloading. The engine generates bruising noise. Commuting during the peak hours has become virtually impossible. Let me narrate a recent experience. A long wait at the IIT gate bus stop generated just too many people for Gurgaon. An old torn noisy bus routed for Safdarjung to Gurgaon arrived finally. Trying to step in with the mob, I experienced an unstoppable force behind my neck. In no time, my face got rammed against the door of the bus. Ignoring what happened, I stepped inside. But by now, I could not resist figuring out that I was hurt as it was paining. It didn’t bleed on the spot but there was a proper three line scratch on my left cheek. The metal door had dangerous sharp metallic edges jutting out.

All along, the bus was just about moving. A cycle passed us.

In no time, the bus stood right in the middle of the road. With alarming traffic behind and no space to move, the driver shouted at passengers to alight from the bus. We were directed to board the immediate next bus approaching on the same route. The bus had ground to a standstill under the heavy load.

Within sometime, another bus approached. This was a low-

At the heart of the indian trucks & bus industry Volume 4 Issue 2 • November 2009

loaded, it could only take in so many more. Others including me had no choice but to wait.

For many people, this is an everyday story. Be it the issue of overloading, dangerous broken window panes, sharp and rooted out metal handles, dirty torn seats, rude conductors, random roadside parking; DTC buses continue to pile on the misery. And this is true of a city that has a metro service and wide roads. Upon visits to Mumbai, I have found the misery amplified many times over. It is one thing to call ourselves an emerging superpower and another to become one.

The problem lies in our collective mindsets – we simply cannot see the big picture –selfish survival – against self-imposed odds is the priority. Just as much as the civic authorities are to blame for the poor infrastructure are we commuters in deciding to put up with it. The irony is that once we are inside these buses, we think nothing of pushing and jabbing at another one getting in. In other words, we are part of the problem too.

09 CV_November_cover.indd 1

11/3/2009 7:01:38 PM

■ Arijit Ghoshal, Delhi

Insensitive truckers Travelling on the two lane Pune-Aurangabad highway, I came across a heart shattering scene. An overloaded truck sped past on a fragile narrow lane with other-way traffic almost stopping by to let it go.

The truck had crushed a bitch on the road. Alongside lay the newly born pup. Only the truck driver would know the cause of this fatal haste. But, two lives had been lost in a space of seconds. And, surely this was not the first animal lost to a senseless truck driver.

Take what happens abroad as a contrast. A friend based in Perth told me that once he was driving down to North Beach. Somewhere midway, he noticed people stopping their four-wheelers to let a snake crawl away to the other side of the road.

Even while we cry hoarse about traffic jams and overloading, hardly any thought is given to road safety. When even human accident victims are treated in

a casual fashion, how does one expect consideration for meek animals? It should not require a Maneka Gandhi to step in.

I propose that the whole practice of driver training must be re-examined. A month spent at a ‘driver’ training school would be fruitless, unless the truck/ bus driver understands the ecosystem on the road.

There must be respect for ‘smaller’ things. Perhaps, if we inculcated a sense of timeliness in driving times and delivery/passenger pick up schedules, the driver would be motivated to be saner on the road.

The urge to ‘make up for last time’ coupled with the feeling that you can get away is the chief culprit.

In addition to competence behind the wheels, license issuance must be an important factor in evaluating driver traits.

■ Mukund Dube, Pune

Pen down your views and queries to COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, NextGen Automotive, 401 B Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411040, INDIA. or Fax +91 20 26830465 or Email cv@nextgenpublishing.net

8 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Letters_Reg1.indd 8

12/7/2009 3:52:21 PM

Powerful. Robust. Strong. Reliable.  

Better fit



Better durability 

Better fuel economy 



Better air consumption

Better weight 



Better reliability 

Better protection

Better brake feel

Better choose it

Visit us

at

. . Hall 6D 2 h t o o B o

p Auto Ex 0 Jan 201



09 CV_Letters_Reg1.indd 9

Brakes



Axles



Aftermarket



Bus and Coach



Off-Highway



Trailer products

12/7/2009 3:52:53 PM

CV MONITOR

NEWS

VW to hike stake in MAN to 50 percent

T

he drama concerning VWMAN-Scania may be drawing to a close. Volkswagen is believed to be interested in increasing its current stake of 30 percent in MAN SE to above 50 percent. The ides is to house MAN SE at the centre of a new truck group within VW. It may be recalled that earlier VW had sold its Brazilian truck making unit to MAN in an apparent move to create a larger truck arm. Also part of this trucking conglomerate will be Swedish truck maker Scania in which VW currently holds 71 percent voting rights.

The new VW-helmed truck group is expected to come up before 2011. The EU may investigate this new entity for antitrust (unfair monopoly) issues, but once it comes through, it will be a huge challenger to Daimler and Volvo. This merger is interesting concerning that VW itself was subject to takeover by fellow German company Porsche. But, now the tables have turned and VW is all set to snare Porsche as well, albeit into its car making operations.

Moving back to trucks, MAN has been going through tough times in the wake of the global turmoil. It is reported that the company’s truck division utilised only 50 percent of its capacity during first half of the ongoing financial year. The European market for heavy trucks has plunged 57 percent in October 09, the 18 consecutive month to witness a fall.

It is known that Porsche and Piech clans control 90 percent of Porsche SE while the company currently holds 51 percent of voting rights in VW. Similarly, at present, the German state of Lower Saxony owns more than 20 percent of voting rights with VW while Emirates of Qatar owns 6.8 percent of voting rights.

It is speculated that the future ownership is going to witness some changes in the current equation. It is contemplated that in the combined VW Porsche SE entity, Porsche and Piech families will hold a 30 percent of stake between them; Lower Saxony would hold 20% plus one share while Qatar would hold 20 percent minus one share.

SENIOR EXECUTIVES QUIT In a major move, Hakan Samuelsson, Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO) of MAN SE has resigned from his post.

Also joining him in the exit is Anton Weinmann, the chief executive of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG unit and Chief Financial Officer of MAN SE Karlheinz Hornung. It is unclear as to what exactly sparked this exodus. It is known that MAN SE has been undergoing investigations for financial irregularities. In fact, the former director of marketing, Peter Erichrieneke had been relieved from his post for the same reason.

MAN SE has appointed Georg PachtaReyhofen (Dr.-Ing.) as the interim successor to Samuelsson.

But, despite these changes, MAN’s Indian partner Force Motors may not have to break too much sweat. MAN first raised its equity in the JV and also collaborated in realigning products for the Indian market.

And even the new truck group can scarcely harbour global ambitions by overlooking India, at a time, when the market has begun to take off again. ■

10 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 10

12/7/2009 3:54:57 PM

NEWS / CV MONITOR

Tata World Trucks hit mass market

T

ata Motors have kicked off the distribution of their Prima range of World Trucks. To start with, the Prima 4028S tractor would be made available at a starting price of Rs 21 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which could go upto Rs 31 lakh with the trailer.

Prima 4028S tractor will have a 266PS Cummins ISBE engine bearing a 9 speed ZF transmission. Equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) as a standard feature, the truck would also have an airconditioned cabin with reclining seats, arm rest and an adjustable steering wheel for enhanced productivity. Apart from this, to aid in the safe transportation of heavy freight, the tractor-trailer combination has special brakes, ABS and dedicated axles.

The Prima range unveiled in May consists of ten major variants. Products are

Fiat plans to make LCVs in India

F

iat India expressed its desire in making light commercial vehicles from its Ranjangaon plant in Pune.

Following the good growth rate of its passenger cars sales, Fiat is exploring options to make LCVs with a capacity ranging from 0.8 tonnes to 1.8 tonnes. Fiat feels this product could garner demands from domestic as well as international markets. The company however feels that it will take a lot of time for them to materialize. The plan was revealed on the sidelines of a 10,000 km drive organized by Fiat to promote its diesel engines and passenger vehicles, named ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’.

Meanwhile, Fiat is now developing a low-cost small car for the Indian market, expected to be in the Rs 3 to 4 lakh price range. ■

spread across truck, tractor and special application platforms. It is expected three other products from the Prima range – the

3138 deep mining tipper, 4928 and 4938 tractors would be made available by the end of 2011. ■

Nine states may forfeit JNNURM bus grant

A

whopping 10 cities in 9 states have not placed fresh orders for buses under JNNURM funding. The Central government, which has already released funds for these purchases under the February 2009 fiscal stimulus is clearly unhappy with this fact. Of the Rs 1,000 crore released to 63 designated cities, Rs 150 crore has been put out to the offending states. If this amount if not utilised for its intended purpose, it may be ‘adjusted’ against existing JNNURM schemes in the

respective states.

The roster of states on this watch list include, Delhi (Rs 115 crore), Bihar (Rs 12.6 crore), Tripura (Rs 7 crore), Jammu & Kashmir (Rs 6 crore), Meghalaya (Rs 4 crore), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 1.95 crore), Mizoram (Rs 1.5 crore), Nagaland (Rs 68 lakh) and Sikkim (Rs 68 lakh).

The delivery dates for their buses has been extended from June 30 to December 31. This will help the likes of Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland in their scramble to meet delivery deadlines. Take Nagpur for example. The city which has placed orders for 300 buses, (240 semi-low floor and 60 mini buses) is now faced with the prospect of foregoing them if buses are not supplied by December 25.

A bus manufacturer has not met the order on time. Therefore, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has been compelled to approach another manufacturer for upto 120 buses at a higher cost. ■ DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 11

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 11

12/7/2009 4:20:10 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Green signal for M&M’s 1,800 crore Chennai project

T

amil Nadu government has given a green signal to M&M to set up an automotive manufacturing facility at Cheyyar near Chennai. M&M will be investing around Rs 1,800 crore in this project. The plant will be equipped with manufacturing facilities for the company’s entire range of offerings, from commercial vehicles to farm tractors, SUVs, cars and also auto components. Out of a total requirement of 450 acres of land, the state government has already allotted 200 acres to the company. The upcoming plant is targeted to manufacture 1.5 lakh vehicles per annum. M&M’s Cheyyar investment will also greet the entry of India’s number one tractor manufacturer back into the State.

Tamil Nadu already has the second largest tractor manufacturer, TAFE and Deutsche-Same.

A dedicated test track is also being planned at the facility for seamless opera-

tions. It is reported that M&M is planning to deploy 100 acres of land at Mahindra world city, Maraimalainagar to construct the world’s largest R&D and vehicle design center. It is expected that M&M will sign a MoU with the Tamil Nadu government very soon.

This project is expected to generate direct employment for 2,500 people. Beyond this, industry experts reckon that several thousand indirect jobs as well as investments to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore will also be made possible.

It is being speculated that, had the Tamil Nadu project not fallen in line,

M&M would have moved to Maharashtra, where the company owns a large chunk of land. This does look like good news for the state as it was suffering from labour unrest and other disputes in the recent past. The state has reportedly signed MoU’s with various players for building up facilities with manufacturing capacity upto 13.5 lakh per annum. ■

M&M pickups set for US foray

R

eports say that M&M is looking forward to seek the US government’s permission to sell its two and four door pickup trucks in America by next year. Depending on the permissions coming through, the Mahindra Scor-

pio Getaway pickup might be available for sale with the Chapman Ford dealership in New Jersey, US. It is expected that pickup trucks from the Indian UV specialist would be available in the whole of US next year.

M&M has tailored these pickups at its Nasik plant to match American emission and safety standards. The vehicles are being reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration These trucks

are expected to sell for around USD 20,000 and would be targeted at small businesses like lawn care companies, contractors, plumbers as well as sportsmen. The prospects are expected to be good for this product, considering that the expected mileage is 30 miles to a gallon of diesel. Besides, the UV’s payload of 2,300 pounds raises its profile above typical compact pickups seen in the US. The added bonus is the ruggedness of the vehicles considering their original compatibility with poor Indian roads.

It is believed that once these UVs are well accepted, M&M would then foray into the US market with the Scorpio SUV. Depending upon performance, M&M is open to set up an assembly unit in the US. Competitor Tata Motors is already present in the US, thanks to the acquisition of the Land Rover brand from Ford. ■

12 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 12

12/7/2009 4:20:26 PM

09 CV_Letters_Reg1.indd 9

11/3/2009 10:49:13 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Safety concerns warrant obesity check for tractor trailers

T

ruck trailers in India are creating high discomfort for road users with almost over 90 percent of them found to be violating legal restrictions. The Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 restricts the maximum dimensions of tractor -trailers to a length of 18 metres, height of 4.75 metres and a maximum width of 2.6 metres. This is hardly seen in reality, as a survey by the government research body, the Central Road Research Institute proves. The survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has established that, more than 50 percent of the 450 truck trailers measured between 19 and 22 meters in length. In fact, about 40 percent of these vehicles’ lengths exceeded 22 metres.

Car-carriers represent another matter of contention. These special vehicles come in two versions: double-decker trailers and double-decked rigid body trucks have enjoyed the ministry’s special exemption from the above stated dimensions. Following the July 2008 strike by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the MoRTH has exempted car carriers and al-

lowed higher dimensions by issuing a notification for a period of six months. This allowed double decker rigid body trailer to go up to 22 meters in length, 4.74 meters in height and a width of 2.85 meters. The double decked rigid body trucks were permitted to go upto 12 meters length, 4.75 metres in height and 2.85 metres by width.

This permission was henceforth extended ad hoc by the ministry, few times after July 18, 2008 till October 20, 2009. Though, there were hints about another extension in the offing, the ministry has not officially done so as yet. The exemption has not been received well by those concerned about the road safety hazards posed by these big vehicles.

These vehicles have been making traffic sluggish with their larger turning radius. In 2007 alone, 1.14 lakh Indians have died of road accidents. The National Crime Records Bureau says, at least 13 people die on our roads every passing hour.

reported that besides endangering road safety, tucks carrying 50 percent more weight dent the road 16 times more than normally loaded trucks.

Yet this situation can continue, due to inefficient application of legislation. The Central Motor Vehicle Act sets out that the state detecting an overloaded truck must give notice to the driver and the offence must be endorsed on the vehicle permit.

The state which has issued the permit must also be informed of this procedure.

Similarly, the Carriage by Road Act carries a provision to book transport agents for overloading. In the same context, The Motor Vehicle Act also mentions that a driver’s licence can be revoked if he commits nuisance on roads. More importantly, the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill has now omitted the provision to allow extra load after levying a nominal charge. This means that the driver of a truck overloading above the permissible limit will surely have to endure a black mark on his permit.

The government has not been very proactive in introducing of the bill in Parliament.

Therefore, the new provisions have not yet been notified as rules under the Act. ■

LAX IMPLEMENTATION OF OVERLOADING LEGISLATION It is estimated that 70 percent of India’s 4.4 million trucks are overloaded. It is

14 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 14

12/7/2009 4:21:00 PM

09 CV November_News_Reg.indd 17

11/3/2009 10:17:22 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

VECV to unveil semi-low floor city bus

V

ECV, A JV between Eicher Motors and the Volvo Group will start rolling out lowfloor buses for urban transportation within the next 6-7 months. This strategic announcement was made during the three day India Economic Summit 2009 in New Delhi.

These buses are expected to be rear-engined with a floor height of 650mm. They are a tier below the

400mm ultra-low floor buses seen in Delhi. But the former can still be expected to rake in the volumes from STUs acquiring buses under the JNNURM programme.

VECV has already initiated discussions with such prospective customers. It is expected that the company will start with selling 100 buses a month in certain cities. A progressive ramp up is expected to occur thereafter ■

M&M’s net profit up 242 percent

M

ahindra & Mahindra has reported an extraordinary growth in its net profits for the quarter ended September 30. The net profits jumped to 242% and stood at Rs 703 crore by the end of 2nd quarter 2009.

The company had recorded a net profit of Rs 206 crore during the corresponding period a year before. Notable is the fact that M&M’s gross revenues as well as other income for the quarter ending September 09 climbed 40 percent to Rs 5,189 crore as compared to Rs 3,935 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.

During this quarter, the company’s UV sales have risen over 44 percent in the utility vehicle (UV) segment, when industry growth has

been only 21.4 percent. M&M has sold 55,280 UVs during July-September 2009 as compared to 38,462 UVs during the corresponding period of the previous year.

The farm equipment sector has also contributed to the impressive numbers.

Despite the poor monsoon, M&M domestic tractor sales lay at 93,105 units during the July-September 09 quarter as against 73,227 during the same period last year. ■

JCB’s Encore Program focuses on used equipment

J

CB has launched a programme to suit the refurbishing requirements of used equipments. The Encore programme enables dealers to avail any important replacement part at a discount of 50 percent to their original list prices.

Once the repairs are done, a JCB representative would inspect the equipment to ensure that they match up with the standards of Encore programme for refurbishment. Passed machines would receive a 90 day powertrain warranty from JCB too. This programme could increase the resale value of all JCB machines. Even the dealer response in the US has been very encouraging.

Currently, the programme is only servicing JCB Backhoe Loaders and Loadall Telescopic Handlers. By the end of 2009, the company plans to expand to all JCB machines. ■

Hindujas eye infrastructure biz

T

he Hindujas are all set to enter the infrastructure sector in India. The launch pad for the prospective foray will consist of the buyout of a company as well as the sewing up of strategic alliance(s) with others.

It is understood that the company is looking forward to major infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, ports and airports in alliance with an established company. Once they kick off proceedings, the

Hindujas may lease world class equipment available in Dubai at low rates in order to optimise the cost-technology equation.

Besides controlling CV major Ashok Leyland, the Hindujas have a presence in sectors such as banking and financial services, energy, chemicals, IT, media and real estate. It is widely expected that the central government would invest an estimated USD $500 billion in the infrastructure space over the next few years. ■

16 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 16

12/7/2009 4:21:21 PM

09 CV November_News_Reg.indd 15

11/3/2009 10:16:13 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

STUs order for 11,185 buses under JNNURM

Modine bags Daimler’s mandate

nder the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), state governments have now ordered for a total of 11,185 buses to deck up their respective transport systems. Such orders would include AC & non-AC low-floor buses, semi low-floor buses and mini buses.

Leading the tally is Maharashtra with orders for 2,230 buses. While Delhi and Tamil Nadu has ordered 1,600 buses each, Andhra Pradesh has called for 1,540 buses primarily for four cities namely Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaywada and Tirupati. Following these states is UP which has ordered 1,350 buses. West Bengal and Rajasthan have asked for 1,300 and 400 buses respectively.

Further, Jharkhand has asked for 240 buses, Madhya Pradesh for 175 buses, Kerala for 320 buses, Uttarakhand for 145 buses, Chhattisgarh for 100 buses and Manipur for 25 buses.

All states making these purchases are entitled to JNNURM funding from the central government under the second stimulus plan. ■

he Indian arm of Modine Manufacturing Company, a global player in thermal management technology, has bagged a contract from Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. Under the contract, Modine’s new production plant which is based at Sriperembudur, Chennai would provide cooling solutions for the entire range of light to heavy trucks that will be manufactured by Daimler in Chennai.

‘The key to our success with Daimler India is our intelligent globalization strategy to have local production capabilities. This strategy puts us in a position to address application-specific customer needs, while at the same time offering truly globally standardized products within the very competitive commercial environment in India.’ said Thomas F. Marry, Modine Regional Vice President – Asia.

“The USD 1.4 billion Modine Manufacturing Company operates in 15 countries and has 13 facilities around the world.

‘Modine clearly understands Daimler India’s quality expectations and our commitment to execute this important program,’ said Jerry Kapoor, Managing-Director - Modine India. ■

U

T

Setco to invest Rs 200 crore in Kalol plant

S

etco will be investing Rs 200 crore in its new Kalol plant over the next three years. The company is the biggest supplier of clutches for medium and heavy commercial vehicles. The fresh investments will result in an expansion of Setco’s product range for the MHCV market, as also a prospective foray into the LCV clutches segment. The company has its eyes set on global markets too.

It is in discussions with various African governments to invest around Rs 30 crore to set up a facility in that continent.

Recently, Setco had announced a JV with Germany’s FTE automotive GmbH to manufacture and supply clutch actuation systems in India. This JV would make Setco the only manufacturer capable of supplying a complete clutch actuation system. Further, fresh reports indicate that the company has acquired another 6 acres land close to the Kalol plant

in order to set up manufacturing operations for FTE Setco Automotive. The firm has planed to invest around Rs 40 crore in this JV. Setco targets to surpass a turnover of Rs 270 crore in the current financial year. ■

18 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 18

12/7/2009 4:21:50 PM

Worlds No.1 pick-n-carry crane manufacturer offers world class Truck Crane & All- Terrain Truck Cranes from Zoomlion Escorts Construction Equipment Limited (ECEL) offers world's most preferred brand of Truck Cranes from Zoomlion, China. The range includes 12T-150T for Truck Cranes and 180T -350T for All- Terrain Truck Cranes. The crane product portfolio also includes a wide range of Pick-n-Carry Cranes from 5T - 23T, Yard/Rough Terrain Slew Cranes 17T - 40T and Articulated Boom Cranes 1.1Tm-150Tm .

With 4 decades of presence ECEL has a strong network of 7 zonal office 17 business centres and 88 network locations providing unmatched after sales support across country.

WS.ECEL-ZL-1/09

www.ecel.com

ESCORTS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT LIMITED, PLOT NO.219, SECTOR 58, BALLABGARH-121 004, HARYANA, INDIA TEL: +91-129-2306566, 2306576 • FAX: +91-129-2306566, 2306463 • Email: marketing@escorts-ecel.com

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 19

12/7/2009 4:29:31 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Government plans cashless cover for road accident victims

T

aking note of the growing number of road accidents, the government plans to come up with cashless cover for victims. Under this planned concept, all the expenses incurred by an accident victim in the first 48 hours would be taken care of by the authorities. The government has understood that the first hour after the accident is critical to save lives. Hospitals providing such timely attention to the victims will be re-imbursed by the government through an escrow account. To this end, the government plans to reserve 1 percent of its earnings from fuel cess for road safety.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report on road safety, released in August remarked that India accounts for the most number of road accident fatalities in the world. Readings from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) state that road accidents account for 33 percent of all accidental deaths. According to NCRB, 2007 witnessed 1,14,590 deaths from road accidents. It is believed that these figures have motivated the government to draft a bill for the formation of a National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board. It

is expected that experts from the fields of road engineering, automobile engineering, traffic laws and medical care would be part of the board which will recommend safety standards.

According to sources from the ministry of shipping, road, transport and highways, the government has proposed that a National Road Safety Fund be created to make the board financially independent.

Hence, reserves accumulated by earmarking 1 percent of government earnings from fuel cess would be utilised in its functions.

It is also reported that the proposed board would work along with the Indian Road Congress in designing, constructing and operating national highways. The board would also be required to record and analyse accidents apart from maintaining a database of road safety standards. ■

Bosch India struggles to meet growing demand for pumps

I

n recent times, Bosch India’s Jaipur facility has been importing distribution pumps to the tune of 25 percent of its supplies in India. The imports are occurring from the company’s manufacturing and engineering plants in Curitiba, Brazil and Feurbach, Germany.

It is also known that Bosch enjoys a monopoly when it comes to the distributor pumps for heavy commercial

vehicles in India. With the CV industry making a rapid recovery from the slowdown, the demand for distributor pumps has taken off.

It is estimated that the company receives a monthly order of around 50,000 distributor pumps. The current market conditions have also motivated the company to re-

absorb all 250 employees who were laid off during recession hit November-2008.

The Jaipur plant contributes 20 percent to Bosch India’s total turnover. Bosch has invested Rs 300 crore in the facility which is spread over an area of 2,000 sq meters.

This factory is struggling to return to full capacity.

But all may not be hunky-dory for Bosch in the near future. With Euro IV norms being imminent, the demand for the distributor pumps is expected to plateau.

Bosch India may need to bring in new generation products. ■

20 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 20

12/7/2009 4:29:56 PM

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 21

12/7/2009 4:30:12 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Caterpillar to invest USD 200 million in India

C

limbing demand in India ensures an investment of USD $200 million from the world’s largest maker of bulldozers and excavators, Caterpillar. The construction equipment manufacturer has planned this investment over a stretch of next five years.

The company has stated that it is looking forward to teaming up with local players to start-off manufacturing operations in the country. In the environment where the government is pushing for 20 km of roads to be built everyday, Caterpillar has become increasingly bullish on India as an important part of its Asia Pacific strategy.

The company also revealed that it is close to enter into an engine making partnership in India. The company is also exploring options to extend loans to buyers of construction equipment in India. Thus far, Caterpillar has not fared too well in India especially in relation to China. Caterpillar currently ranks fourth in the construction equipment market in India. Only 7 percent of the 34,500 units of construction equipments sold in India belonged to Caterpillar. In contrast, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 17.5 per cent of the company’s sales of USD 51.3 billion during 2008.

Caterpillar reported a drop in Q3 profits to USD $404 million from USD $868 million earned in the corresponding period last year. Owing to the recession, the company had to go slow in its production and inventories. ■

BMTC evaluates intelligent information system

T

he Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (Keonics) has teamed up with Siemens Information Systems (SIS) to run a project for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). Around 200 buses and 20 bus shelters would be part of the project while a global positioning system (GPS) device would be used in its fleet.

The windshield of the bus will have an attachment in the form of GPS device with a speaker, effective receiver, memory chip and a GSM phone which would also be equipped with GPRS technology. As the bus moves to different places, the telecom tower closest to the bus at a point in time would locate the GPS device attached in the bus. This will enable the data centre, situated at BMTC’s premises, to register time and other important details for further rendering. Automatically generated algorithms help derive information like bus arrival timings at bus shelters. Such information would be sent to the GSM-based display panels at various bus shelters.

Information like route number, vehicle number, expected time of arrival, destination and other information would be flashed on digital panels at bus shelters for commuter’s convenience.

Such a system can enable the traffic controller present at the BMTC office to monitor the fleet of buses. Hence, two or more buses running on the same route at the same time can be managed by instructing one of them to stop and facilitate proper spacing of services.

It is believed that the BMTC is working on bringing a Bus Information Display System, for buses running between the airport and important destinations in the city. ■

22 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 22

12/7/2009 4:30:29 PM

NEWS / CV MONITOR

PMPML looks away from AC buses

A

ccording to some reports, 40 AC buses are lying idle in a yard in Pune. When queried about this, sources close to Pune’s public transport operator Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) said that delivery of the buses has as yet not been accepted. The reason being that PMPML has failed to pay the initial 50 percent amount required to procure AC buses. This has resulted in a delivery of over seven months.

It may be recalled that in February, the Urban Development Ministry had given a nod for 650 buses to be acquired in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad under the JNNURM project. The Pune and PimpriChinchwad municipal corporations had agreed to contribute in order to cover up costs. And, an order for 200 AC buses was placed in April.

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 23

Now that the non-payment for the buses has come to light, the PMPML has been citing opposition from political parties and various citizen groups as the reason for its disinterest in AC buses.

According to the reports, PMC has released Rs 15.69 crore for a total of 150 nonAC buses. Out of this number, 81 have been received by the PMPML. Funds for the remaining buses will be released as and when subsequent deliveries occur. Moving from JNNURMfunded large city buses, the PMPML has also invested Rs 7.3 crore to procure 45 mid-sized buses. Considering Pune’s narrow roads and hilly terrain, such buses are thought to be more appropriate on certain routes. ■

12/7/2009 4:30:46 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Michelin to invest Rs 4,000 crore in TBR plant

Bus Code implementation may be delayed

T

he world’s largest tyre manufacturer, Michelin Group and the Tamil Nadu government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this November.

Michelin plans to set up a tyre manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu. The plant with an area of 290 acres would be located at Thervoy Kandigai in Thiruvallur district, 50 km north of Chennai. The group has committed an investment of Rs 4,000 crore for the manufacturing footprint that will employ 1,500 workers locally.

The manufacturing facility will focus on the range of radial truck and bus tyres. The operations are targeted to start by 2012.

Michelin is bullish about India owing to its accelerating infrastructural developments. ■

Bajaj Finserv eyes construction equipment finance market

T

he infrastructure-boom fuelled Rs 10,000 crore construction equipment market is exciting Bajaj Finserv’s attention. The company plans to get into this space by next fiscal. It has been growing at 30 to 35 percent in the last 18 months, with its loan book standing at Rs 3,000 crore. Proportionately, 30 to 40 percent of the loans are from the financing of Bajaj vehicles, with the rest coming from consumer durables and other financial verticals. About 25 to 30 percent of Bajaj Auto’s vehicle sales have been finance by Bajaj Finserv. However, the company clearly does not intend to raise further capital, nor finance other vehicle brands competing with Bajaj Auto.

The MORTH has set up a system to enforce implementation of the Bus Code.

The recently set up National Accreditation Board will have the mandate to oversee four other zonal accreditation boards. Each board has been empowered to enlist assessors who will undertake visits to the bus body fabrication workshops to confirm compliance with the norms. Only compliant body builders will be accredited by the Board. ■

A

ccording to some reports, the ministry of road transport & highways (MORTH) is expected to extend the implementation deadline of the Bus Code beyond November 2009. This will inevitably push back the standardisation of bus manufacturing process in India.

This delay is speculated to be on account of a request of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The industry body representing OEMs has an important say in the implementation of the Bus Code.

Irrespective of whether or not the government postpones the implementation deadline, a delay has already occurred. Notified four years ago, the bus code was expected to be implemented by April 2009. This protracted implementation is not good news considering that there are upto 334 active bus manufacturers in the country who do not follow any norms for body building and passenger safety standards It is widely known that large manufacturers only sell bus chassis while the entire process of designing and building the body is done by the small time body builders and fabricators.

The bus body code (specified under AIS-052) is used to categorise buses depending up on factors like seating capacity and operational efficiency. The code outlines norms for aspects as basic as dimensions to specific areas like floor level heights. The locations of the entry and exit doors, emergency exits and basic layout and size of the seats also occupy considerable importance in the code. Ergonomics in the shape of the right amount of illumination and comfortable space for the driver have not been neglected either. ■

24 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 24

12/7/2009 4:31:09 PM

Ashok Leyland net profit up 31 percent

A

shok Leyland posted a growth of 31.8 percent in the Q2 ending September 2009. Owing to the growth, the net profit stands at Rs 88.60 crore whereas it stood Rs 67.24 crore in the corresponding period last year. The company has reported that the net profit in the Q2 of last financial year (2008-09) included other income of Rs 23.79 crore. What is notable is that this number has dropped to Rs 5.55 crore in Q2 this year.

It is believed that the surge in the net profit was made possible as the management put into effect certain cost control measures. ALL has been keeping a close watch on the working capital and operating costs and reduced the number of working days.

Relatively low commodity prices also helped keep expenses under check. While other expenses were down 21.7 percent from Rs 173.96 crore in Q1, financial expenses also declined to Rs 17 crore (Rs 24.57 crore) due to similar reasons.

The efficacy of the cost control measures can be gauged from the fact that profits have risen even as sales have fallen.

A drop of 15.7 percent to Rs 1,577.68 crore (Rs 1,870.47 crore) has been recorded during the period. The vehicle volume has also dropped by 16.9 percent.

The first half of the fiscal (Q1 plus Q2) witnessed an 18 percent fall in the net profit at Rs 96.37 crore as against Rs 117.81 crore in the corresponding period last year. This has happened despite the other income doubling up to Rs 66.18 crore (Rs 31.20 crore).

First half (Q1 and Q2) also saw the financial expenses increasing to Rs 42.80 crore (Rs 35.26 crore) and the declining net sales by 34% to Rs 2490.13 crore (Rs 3758.45 crore).

Ashok Leyland considers the last two quarters of the current fiscal to be crucial for recovery in volumes resulting in double digit growth. An improvement in market prospects and firming up of freight rates have helped raise optimism. ■

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 25

12/7/2009 4:31:25 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

JK Tyres expands Mysore TBR plant

J

K Tyre has completed the ongoing expansion of its truck and bus radials’ (TBR) plant in Mysore. The capacity augmentation to 8 lakh TBR per annum is more than double the current capacity of 3.67 lakh tyres per annum. This expansion effort has entailed investments of Rs 315 crore for the company. Post expansion, the plant would manufacture radial as well as tubeless radials meant for trucks and buses. Further expansion is planned within next 18 months which would demand another Rs 200 crore but would fur-

ther add on the production capacity by two lakh such tyres.

The company is anticipating to record more than the turnover target of Rs 4,000

crore this year. It posted a turnover of Rs 3,200 crore last year.

JK Tyre has marked a profit after tax of Rs 59.51 crore for Q2 ended September 2009. The company posted a loss of Rs 32.37 crore during the corresponding period last year. It is believed that profit in the second quarter was a result of optimised cost management and operational efficiencies by the company.

On the other hand, the net sales during the Q2 also increased by 11.8 percent at Rs 973.70 crore as against Rs 870.76 crore in the corresponding period last year. ■

TN-magnet for tyre makers T amil Nadu has been the cynosure of all eyes when it comes to the manufacture of automotive tyres.

To name a few, MRF, Dunlop, TVS Srichakra, Apollo Tyres, ATC Tyres have invested huge sums in the state. While Michellin has already made its entry into the state public, Bridgestone and JK Tyres are also waiting to make an entry into the state.

Going by the reports, an investment of Rs 4,400 crore is either already or would be invested in the coming times. Owing to the prospective entry of new companies, the government is looking at Rs 5,600 crore to be invested over the next 3-4 years.

The state has been proactive in facilitating investments. It gave an instant nod to Michelin’s Rs 4,000 crore green field project near Chennai. Likewise, Apollo Tyres has encountered no problems in its decision to scale up investments by Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,100 crore at its Oragadam facility.

Besides catering to the growing demand for truck and bus radials, the tyre makers are banking upon a slew of car projects coming up in the state. Chennai will have an installed capacity of 1.28 million cars by end2010.

As is widely known, OEMs prefer to have multiple suppliers of tyres close to their plants. Besides the demand factor, tyre makers are also bullish on Chennai’s port

facilities that will facilitate both imports and exports. Besides, Tamil Nadu is also proximate to Kerala, which produces rubber, the main raw material for tyres.

Reports say that Bridgestone is also gearing up to formalise a pact with the TN government and has chosen a 100 acre site in Kanchipuram district to set up a factory. The location is close to Michelin’s upcoming facility spread over 290 acres of land.

Also learnt is that JK Tyres is exploring acquisition of 100 acres of land in Sriperumbudur to stay close to OEM’s. This would entail investments of Rs 1,000 crore. ■

26 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 26

12/7/2009 4:32:28 PM

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 27

12/7/2009 4:37:35 PM

CV MONITOR / NEWS

Bajaj Auto to up Bridgestone India to three-wheeler output focus on TBR

B

ajaj Auto is looking to step-up the production of threewheelers at its Aurangabad factory. The company which makes 30,000 units per month at its Aurangabad plant, plans to increase the number to 35,000 a month by March 2010.

This development has taken planned as the company anticipates domestic demand to go up by 10-15 percent within the next two years.

Bajaj Auto’s domestic sales have risen by 26 percent for the period of April-October 2009 to 1,01,989 units as compared to the corresponding period last year. Exports during the same period rose by a marginal 2 percent to 76,980 units.

Egypt, Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are amongst the countries where Bajaj Auto exports its three-wheelers. It is believed that the company is exploring export options in the African continent too.

According to sources in Bajaj Auto, though the demand for goods carriers has witnessed a slowdown, demand for threewheeled passenger carriers is consistently increasing. The reason is the availability of cheaper alternate fuels like CNG and LPG. Company sources stated that three-wheelers running on alternate fuels contribute nearly 80 percent to Bajaj Auto’s passenger three-wheeler sales. The company anticipates sales to rise further.

B

ridgestone Corporation will heighten attention towards the Indian truck and bus radial tyre segment through an expansion requiring an investment of Rs 259 crores at its Pithampur facility. The company is bullish about India and considers it to be an important market in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to industry experts, there is considerable scope for radialisation. The passenger car segment is radialised to the extent of 95 percent, LCV segment at 35 percent while MCV/ HCV segment’s count is only 10 percent. However, this scenario may not prevail for too long. It is expected that within the next five years, radialisation in the MCV/HCV segment would touch at least 25 percent.

Bridgestone was one of the first manufacturers to launch radial tyres in the domestic passenger car market. The company holds close to 30 percent market share in the passenger car radial tyre segment. ■

Goodyear India unveils ‘Vajra Super’ farm tyres

G

Bajaj Auto is also expected to launch its light truck within the next six months. Planned for a launch in 2008, Bajaj’s light truck got delayed owing to some last minute changes in its prototype. It is expected to compete with Tata Motors’ Ace and M&M’s recently launched Gio, though with a distinct positioning within the last mile segment. ■

oodyear has launched the Vajra Super farm tyres. The Vajra Super has specially designed abrasion resistant qualities to counter on-field wear and tear and punctures.

Though the construction of the tyre is fundamentally addressed at Southern and Western India, it will address the basic needs of the entire agricultural sector.

A special hard compound has been used in the tyres which would reduce the risks of cuts of the hard soil fields and give a better life to these tyres. According to some experts, Vajra Super happens to be a combination of technological advancements, study of market requirements and engineering efforts. The special tread compound used in the built of such tyres enables them to withstand punctures which commonly happen on the hard soil of Southern and Western India.

It is believed that several engineers, chemical experts, physicists and tyre evaluation specialists have contributed to the making of Vajra Super. In the Vajra’s creation, Goodyear has used the same custom construction and compounding that are so far only seen in mining tyres. ■

28 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 28

12/7/2009 4:38:01 PM

NEWS / CV MONITOR

Exide to boost rural India dealer base

E

xide is on an expansion spree when it comes to rural India. It is reported that the company is aiming at a bigger market share and hence has increased is dealer network by 30 percent. According to reports, Exide is planning to add another 800-900 dealers to the present base of 2,800 dealers in rural areas.

India’s largest lead acid storage battery manufacturer, Exide is believed to have a 14 percent share in the organised Portablemarket Bottle Chiller Portable Refrigerator tractor battery segment. With considerable For Cars, Vans, SUVs, Chill a personal bottle of wine, juice, beer, water or market vested unorganised Homes, Offices, soda atshare your still dining table with , bedside, TV couch , Studies, Hostels, sector players, a 25 office table and Exide even ineyes your car ! percent Nursing Homes, Site Office market share within the next two years.

Any Place You Wish !

— Fully portable Exide sold 1.7 lakh batteries for the EXCELLENT FEATURES! — Works on 230V AC mains/ 12V DC car battery thru the cigarette lighter socket.

— Fully portable- Carry easily between home, work and car financial year 2008-2009. Reportedly, the — Cools /warms from 5 to 45 deg C by a CPU. Maximum cooling — 14 liters total volume- To fit 19 cans/bottles11 x 500 ml or 2 x 1.5 litre company sales to go upto 2.5 — Runs on 230 V AC mains and 12 V DC car battery 20 degreeisCanticipating below outside temperature.

Cools100 to 20 deg C below outside access temperature. lakh batteries in the financial year. of tractor batteries is around— Rs crore enables to farmers via dealers who — Max bottle diameter 90 current mm — Warms to 65 deg C in warm mode with thermostat cutoff The company’s per annum. The company’s Project Kissan also take care of — Power Consumption 40 turnover to 65 Watts from the sales — Very low power consumption, 56 W maximum. servicing. ■ — No Compressor, no gas, maintenance free, noiseless

— No compressor, no gas, maintenance free, noiseless.

For home delivery of a personal piece or for delivery to a friend Call Pragati Plastics at 011-24671402 or Fax 011-26110361 or E- mail to: portable.fridges@pragatiplastics.com LOOKING FOR FREELANCE AGENTS IN ALL INDIAN CITIES

Automart_Aug08.indd 233 09 CV December_News_Reg.indd 29

7/31/2008 4:19:01 PM 12/7/2009 4:38:25 PM

RESEARCH DESK

RACE

Snapshot of ODC movement in India Starting this month, we bring you a monthly column from engineering, marketing and consulting firm RACE. This column will explore key areas and issues in the CV world. The authors of this piece are Dushyant Mehra, Head, Research and Business Development and Rajesh Khanna, Head, Marketing and International Business.

Length 18 meters Width 2.6 meters Height 3.8 meters Payload 49 T Note: The term ODC is with reference to the present Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) of 2.6 meters width, 18 metre length and 3.8 metre height and the best possible loading methodology

Dushyant Mehra

INTRODUCTION Over dimensional cargo (ODC) generally consists of bridge sections (pre-cast beams), Transformers, heavy machineries, boilers, gas turbines, storage tanks, heavy structure and the most important one is windmill components (blades, tower section and motor head). Like in most other parts of the world, India has good ODC movement due to an enormous growth in infrastructure development, telecom and process industries, power projects as well as road and highways. ‘Wind mill transportation is expected to hold huge potential for ODC movement in India’, says Kamal Khosla - M.D, Tratec Engineers (P) Ltd. Being a niche segment, the ODC mar-

Rajesh Khanna

ket is characterised by high profit margin for all stakeholders like truck OEMs, trailer manufacturers, transporters, insurance companies and industry verticals.

DEFINITION ODC is cargo which is indivisible in configuration with respect to length, width, height or weight also necessarily to be transported from Point-A to point-B in one piece generally within legally specified limits. However ODC transportation in India is still not regulated in terms of vehicles configuration/aggregates, approval process and guidelines for road transportation.

The below table illustrates the general characteristics of ODC

CURRENT SCENARIO Although there is huge growth potential there is a need to have suitable transportation methodology/technology compared to developed countries. Very few truck manufacturers are designing trucks to suit ODC movement. Further, there is a growing need to provide efficient and safe transportation. Regulating authorities like ARAI and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways are also evaluating the need to standardise ODC movement.

MARKET PROJECTIONS Number of axle modules Year manufactured 2008-09 600 2009-10* 700 2010-11* 825 2011-12* 950 2012-13* 1200 *Projected

30 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

Western auto race_column.indd 30

12/7/2009 4:44:01 PM

RACE / RESEARCH DESK

forced to use existing flats and low loaders or custom built vehicles. This in turn will lead to accidents, bridge collapse, time delay and therefore greater freight cost.

Lack of standardisation in ODC carriers is a major concern

The ODC market currently contributes around 5 percent of the tractor market India with an expected CAGR of around 34 percent over the next 3 years.

MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR ODC MOVEMENT Vehicles: Transportation for ODC is not feasible with standard range of vehicles as the dimensions and weight of cargo are much higher than normal load specifications. Currently due to non availability of suitable technology to carry ODC, we are

Roads and bridges: Although most of these movements are made on national/ state highways, crossing bridges, culverts, junctions from major ports in India. These roads/bridges including turnings need to be checked for suitability. Another issue plaguing the sector is numerous check posts and tolling points which causes delays.

Regulations: Currently, these vehicles need notifications mentioning the need for building these vehicles and also specific approval for each load and route. Although, we have a procedure, there are no specific regulations in place for handling ODC movement in India. ‘The approval and registration process is very cumbersome. The concerned government authorities should incorporate appropriate measures and standards to streamline the entire

India needs new ODC carriers rather than second hand imports.

process,’ asserts Gurwindher Singh, M.D, Vishkarma Machine Tools Route survey: Apart from payload specification there is need for technical route survey as well, which is currently not carried out by most companies. Route and road survey need to be conducted more technically to assess probable barriers and difficulties and ways to resolve them before transportation. ‘This is a one time investment that is needed to avoid problems The power, steel, telecom and road building sectors fuel demand for ODC carriers.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 31

Western auto race_column.indd 31

12/7/2009 4:44:20 PM

RESEARCH DESK / RACE

during transportation,’ says Ravi, Head Logistics, GE-Energy.

Need for skilled drivers: For smooth movement ODC, ‘it is very important to have a talent pool of skilled drivers who should be well trained on vehicle features and mechanism, educated, developed moral values, sensitivity to society as they are involved in a number of en-route interactions,’ offers Chandra Mohan-M.D, Namakkal Transportation Corporation.

Internationally in developed nations like Europe, Australia, US, the ODC movement is highly regulated and organised. In terms of trailer manufacturing, approvals there is clearly defined process, norms laid (each axle module is being registered individually complying with motor vehicle norms, specifying the appropriate combination). Some of the leading manufacturers of these Trailers for over dimensional cargo movement are Goldhoffer, Cometto, Shourelie, Nicolas, Nooteboom Trailers.

In the Indian context, generally any over load cargo like construction equipments, machineries of 30T-50T payload is usually transported on a conventional 8/16 wheeler in-line oscillating trailer, It is generally becomes challenging and difficult when cargo load crosses the 50 tonne mark and dimensions exceed specified norms.

However it is recommended that ODC be carried on hydraulic suspension / hydro

Training drivers is very essential if ODC transport is to become safe and reliable.

mechanical steering trailers, combination of forced steer, self steering, hydro mechanical forced steering with air suspension for better reliability and efficiency.

EXPECTED CHANGES FOR ODC MOVEMENT • Highly engineered vehicles designed to carry specific ODC movement • Regulatory authorities partnering with industry experts to lay down regulations

VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION Parameters

Vehicle

Suspension Type

Example of Applications

Overload

Universal/in-line oscillating axle trailer

16 wheeler trailer/8 wheeler

Tower section/ construction equipment, etc…

Over dimensional and overweight

Steered semitrailer and modular trailers

Hydraulic suspension and hydro mechanical steering

Transformers, gensets, etc…

Over dimensional

Extendable trailer

Air suspension/air suspension with self steering and hydro mechanical forced steering

Wind mill blades, precast beams, bolsters, etc…

Please note: Overload is classified based on the per axle weight in India, each axle should be 10T per axle or 18T per axle line. This is as per IRC classifications.

and streamlining approvals process • Proper en-route survey would enable road/bridge safety. In this regards the following activities are carried out: 1. RACE can carry out specific route surveys in configuring the best possible route from point A to Point B, further analysing through a survey on the feasibility of the movement of specific cargo on trailers.

• Walk in survey-field survey which will provide real time data on the physical condition of important structures like bridges, flyovers, railway bridges and signboards.

• Use of handheld GPS devices to map the entire route which covers all possible bridges, culverts, junctions, petrol pumps with names, check posts and workshops.

• Use of infrared-enabled distometre to obtain the height of objects.

• Use of V-box technology to video record the entire route 2. Evaluation of suitable transporters for ODC/normal cargo movement.

3. Building guidelines/training on handling cargo The data is then collated and documented into a report which enables the smooth movement of ODC cargo. ■

32 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

Western auto race_column.indd 32

12/7/2009 4:44:36 PM

09 CV August_News_Reg.indd 27

7/31/2009 4:35:16 PM

ADDING MUSCLE

DELPHI TVS

Delphi TVS gets ‘pumped’ up The TVS Group company has set up a new manufacturing facility.

And, by all appearances, the technology bar has been raised.

Story Ahfaaz Khan and Ram Kumar Ramaswamy

D

elphi TVS is reputed for its Common Rail –MDCR, LDCR and UPCR systems for light, medium and heavy duty engines with capacities ranging from 200cc to eight litres.

The company now has three manufacturing plants in India. A spanking new plant has come up at Oragadam. The plant is dedicated to the manufacture of common rail high pressure pumps, injectors, rail and filters. The company’s other plants at Uttarakhand and Mannur are dedicated to the manufacture of rotary fuel injection systems.

For the Oragadam facility alone, the company has allocated an investment of Rs 350 crore, out of which Rs 250 crore has already been pumped in. Most of the equipments and machines in this plant have been imported from Europe, Japan and USA. The tolerance of these fuel injection components is in the sub-micron levels, which calls for superior precision in their manufacture. ‘When you have such high levels of precision in manufacturing areas, you also need technology to match up to that level. Consequently Rs 35 crore of our total investments are intended at procuring the world’s best inspection and measuring equipments,’ informs J S Chopra, President Delphi, TVS. 34 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Delphi TVS.indd 34

12/7/2009 4:46:54 PM

DELPHI TVS / ADDING MUSCLE

JS Chopra believes that his company’s bottom up approach to product development is key to its success.

To cater to the high precision products, the work environment in all of Delphi TVS’ plants is completely dust-free. To banish dust in a cost-effective manner, Delphi TVS uses pressurised air conditioning process in the soft stage manufacturing area. Under this process, pressurised air is filtered a couple of times while simultaneously being moisturised before it enters the manufacturing area The high precision machining area is maintained at Class 10000 cleanliness level to match Global Standards.

‘Floating dust particles are enemies

of such precision components and therefore we make sure that no pollutant sneaks into the manufacturing area,’ adds Chopra.

Delphi TVS has setup a technology centre with an investment of Rs 50 crore.

The aim is to support domestic customers on the development and application work from India itself. Delphi TVS expects the local technology base to speed up its lead times in the

domestic market. ‘All automotive projects which were put on backburners are now getting implemented and we will get a majority of these projects’ says Chopra.

There is a reason for this confidence.

SMART STRATEGY In the medium duty segment, the company claims to able to offer products at substantially lower prices as compared to competitors. The secret behind this competitive pricing lies in the company’s product platform. ‘There are two approaches to offer Common Rail to the medium duty segment. One is to take a light duty system and beef it up, while the other is to take a heavy duty system and scale it down.

As opposed to competition, we follow the first approach. The market for light duty engines in India is huge. Therefore, we get better economies of scale as compared to the heavy duty segment. Consequently we are able to price our products better relative to competition,’ remarks Chopra.

Apart from the cost, Delphi TVS’ branded Unit Pump Common Rail offers significant value in terms of fuel efficiency. The UPCR is offered with an inlet metering valve (IMV) which regulates the pumping of only required quantity of the fuel in the combustion chamber. Therefore, unnecessary mechanical losses are avoided and the Specific

A spanking technical centre has come up at an investment of Rs 50 crore.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 35

09 CV_Delphi TVS.indd 35

12/7/2009 4:59:03 PM

ADDING MUSCLE / DELPHI TVS The manufacturing facilities have zero tolerance for dust.

Delphi TVS uses a unique ‘low pressure carburising’ heat treatment system to enable the common rail to take on high pressures.

Fuel Consumption (SFC) of a vehicle increases upto the extent of 5 percent. ‘We are the only company to offer a UPCRIMV combination in India,’ says Chopra.

The combination of UPCR and IMV also reduces emissions as precise control on the movement of fuel results in complete combustion of fuel and therefore no unburnt fuel enters the exhaust.

On the LDCR front, Delphi TVS supplies its Common Rail to Tata Motors in the passenger car, SUV, MUV and CV segment. Talks are also on with other vehicle manufacturers like M&M, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan and Force Motors for superior technology products of the future.

Delphi TVS has also been manufacturing Rotary Fuel Injection equipment for the last two decades. Rotary Fuel Injection Equipment is supplied in 25 to 90 HP variants for tractors and various off-road equipments like JCB, Mahindra, TAFE and Escorts.

Delphi TVS also boasts of a specially developed Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to assist in the emission reduction process.

‘Our existing products can meet Euro IV requirements. We also have the expertise and capability to offer Euro V and Euro VI compliant products whenever required,’ adds Chopra.

In order to optimise the performance of these pumps, Delphi TVS offers filters that have been designed keeping Indian conditions in mind. ‘In India, fuel is highly

adulterated. As such, we have developed a three layer filter to screen various impurities,’ says Chopra. Apart from removing suspended impurities, this three layer filter separates traces of water present in the fuel. The filter is offered with an extended life of 60,000 km. Delphi TVS has also developed a throw away cartridge for this three-layer filter. The throw away approach enables a customer to replace a particular component instead of changing the complete product. ‘In case of filters built on European design, during normal change

The use of robotics enhances precision in the development of the complex common rail

intervals, one needs to change the entire filter if there is a problem in any of its components. With a throw away element one can simply replace the cartridge. This result is substantial cost benefits for customers. Therefore, going forward, we will try to integrate more and more replaceable cartridge filters in our products,’ remarks Chopra.

Delphi TVS’ unique manufacturing approach is evident in its injectors. We use a heat treatment process that is different to ones used normally. The process is known as low pressure carburising. ‘The common rail system, when used in Euro IV and above applications, works under 1600-1800 bar pressure. Therefore, the product has to be tailored to take on such pressures,’ explains Chopra. The company claims that these injectors have a faster response time relative to competition This is achieved because of a direct acting piezo as against the indirect acting piezo used by other quarters of the industry.

‘Instead of an indirect piezo, we use a simple solenoid to actuate the whole system.

The solenoid is in the form of a crystal and when the voltage is applied, the solenoid crystal expands and opens the injectors in its vicinity. As a result there is a direct communication between the crystal and the injector nozzle and therefore the response time is relatively faster,’ explains Chopra.

Delphi-TVS surely injects confidence! ■

36 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Delphi TVS.indd 36

12/7/2009 4:59:28 PM

09 CV_Delphi TVS.indd 37

12/7/2009 4:59:50 PM

EXPANDING HORIZON

BLACK DIAMOND

Black B Diamond sparkles Having made the leap of faith to tip trailers, the application builder looks to diversify into newer horizons.

lack Diamond Motors Private Limited is keen to expand its product basket. To add to its existing range of trailers and tip trailers, the Bilaspur-based company has recently introduced a range of bulkers. Over the next 12 months dumper placers, garbage compactors and two-way tippers will also be added to the roster. ‘We will roll out 3-4 new products every year over the next couple of years,’ remarks P.S. Bhatia, director Black Diamond Motors. The bulkers are being offered in 23-32 cubic metre capacities in rigid 6x4 configuration as well as in 43-54 cubic metre capacities so far as tractor-trailer combinations are concerned.

‘A number of cement manufacturers like Gujarat Ambuja Cements and Emami Cements are setting up shop in Chattisgarh. In addition to this, the existing players are also expanding their capacities. As a result, we expect a gradual

Story Ahfaaz Khan Photography Black Diamond Motors

38 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_black diamond.indd 38

12/7/2009 5:00:47 PM

BLACK DIAMOND / EXPANDING HORIZON

Black Diamond Motors has sold more than 350 tip trialers in just 18 months.

Black Diamond expects its bulkers to offer 20-30 percent increase in the number of trips made per month.

increase in demand for bulkers,’ believes R.S. Bhatia, the other director at the helm of Black Diamond Motors.

In the first year, Black Diamond targets to sell around 35 bulkers in Chattisgarh alone. And, this number is expected to increase manifold in the near future. ‘Currently cement manufacturers source bulkers from Gujarat or even from places as distant as Pondicherry. This leads to considerable time and monetary cost overruns.

We can therefore expect to bag a significant share in the largely unaddressed central Indian market,’ explains P.S. Bhatia.

Though the company did not reveal the

specific pricing of bulkers, it did indicate that the bulkers will be priced either slightly lower or at par with products put out by competitors. The reduced logistics costs will further enhance the price advantage.

Another inducement for customers will be the lower transit times afforded by the bulkers. ‘The banana-shaped design of our bulkers coupled with improvement on various other fronts will reduce filling and emptying time by 50 percent, in turn crashing transit times. We expect our customers to register a 20-30 percent increase in the number of trips per month,’ believes R.S Bhatia. Black Diamond Motors has tapped Chennai-based consultant Western Auto Race to design these bulkers.

Starting from early next year, Black Diamond Motors will roll out the other three products. The 7.5 cubic metre capacity dumper placers will be first off the blocks. Tata Motors’ 1109 or 2513 models would be used as a base vehicle for these dumper placers. By April next year, Black Diamond Motors will also roll out 12 and

14 cubic metre capacity garbage compactors. These applications will then be followed by two way tippers.

The two-way tippers will initially be

P S Bhatia is eying tie ups with overseas companies to launch special application products like reefers.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 39

09 CV_black diamond.indd 39

12/7/2009 5:01:07 PM

EXPANDING HORIZON / BLACK DIAMOND

The 16 cubic meter tipper for Ural’s export market is testimony to Black Diamond’s superior manufacturing capability.

offered in 4 cubic metre capacities on vehicles like the Tata 407 and 709 as well as M&M’s Loadstar and Sherpa LCVs. ‘For projects such as road construction, customers use tipping trolleys mated with a farm tractor. Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government has banned the use of this combination. The Chattisgarh government is also to set to enforce a similar

Black Diamond manufactures tipping trailers of 22-40 cubic meter capacities.

ban. Naturally, our two-way tippers will fill this void,’ narrates P.S. Bhatia.

DIVERSIFICATION MANTRA Going further, Black Diamond Motors also plans to venture into special application vehicles like reefers, pick-up vans and ambulances. ‘These segments hold a lot of potential. The products will

be introduced as and when we find a partner,’ says P.S. Bhatia.

Black Diamond Motors currently manufactures tipping trailers of 22-40 cubic metre capacities. As yet, rigid tippers which are sold in substantial volumes in India do not occupy a significant chunk of Black Diamond’s product portfolio.

Now, the company is in discussions with a number of OEMs to forge an arrangement to supply fully built tippers. The company has already developed tipper designs for OEMs such as MAN FORCE, Volvo Trucks, Ural, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. Last year, Black Diamond manufactured 100 units of 16 cubic metre rock body tippers for Ural trucks that were exported to Indonesia.

The company has supplied a 28 cubic metre tip-trailer to M&M for homologation. ‘The trailer has been running with M&M’s tractor for almost 7-8 months now. Having visited M&M’s Pune plant,

40 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_black diamond.indd 40

12/7/2009 5:01:25 PM

BLACK DIAMOND / EXPANDING HORIZON

I was pleased to hear that M&M has not encountered any problem with the product,’ states P.S. Bhatia. One would wait to see if M&M’s satisfaction with the trailer translates into the auto major inking a fully built vehicle agreement with Black Diamond. But, it will undoubtedly be a shot in the arm for a company that has been faced with an onslaught from unorganised body builders. ‘As against a potential demand of 30 tipper trailers a month, we register an average order of just 15 to 20 units. The rest of this demand is met by unorganised sector players who price their products lower thanks to evasion of duties and taxes,’ laments R.S. Bhatia.

THE 24-CUBIC METRE TIP TRAILER ‘We were the first company to develop a 24-cubic metre three axle tip-trailer. This tip trailer eventually replaced the 28-cubic metre tip trailer as a preferred option for coal transport,’ claims R.S. Bhatia. The 24-cubic metre tip trailer accounts for 80 percent of the company’s overall trailer sales.

Initially Black Diamond used to manufacture 28-cubic metre coal carrying tipper trailers in combination with a 40- tonne tractor. The dead weight of this tip trailer along with the tractor was around 14,700 kg which consequently meant that a legal payload of only 25,500 kg was available.

Since the majority of coal mines in Chattisgarh are owned by the government, legal loads are strictly enforced. In this scenario, the 24 cubic metre tipper trailer enhances legal payload. With the weight of the trailer being reduced by 1 tonne, the legal payload is increased correspondingly.

In an interesting side-light, strict enforcement of loading regulations has resulted in 49-tonne tractors losing out.

Black Diamond also manufactures products for ODC transport.

With a built up area of 60,000 square feet, the Bilaspur plant is big enough to accomodate new product lines.

‘After accounting for the increased kerb weight, a 49-tonne tractor offers only 6-7 tonne legal payload over that offered by 40-tonners. This may not justify paying Rs 6-7 lakh more. Hence in our experience, a 40 tonne tractor and a 24 tonne tipper is a good combination,’ reasons P.S. Bhatia.

But Black Diamond is not writing off the utility of 49 tonne tractors. Apart from those of 24 and 28 cubic metre capacity, the company manufactures tipper trailers in 34, 36 and 40 cubic metre capacity variants. Powered by a 49-tonne tractor, these larger products are used for transporting aggregates. The other products put out by this company include 40 feet flat bed trailers and 28 cubic metre box type trailers.

SHORT BUT IMPRESSIVE JOURNEY Black Diamond started operations in Chattisgarh slightly more than two years ago.

Chattisgarh is one of the largest sources of coal in India.

Therefore, the state registers a strong demand for tippers and tip trailers.

Instead of getting into the mass-market rigid tipper segment, Black Diamond Motors leapfrogged directly into tip trailers. ‘Because of the strict enforcement of loading restrictions, the maximum coal which one can transport in a tipper is 15 tonnes. A tip trailer on the other hand can carry around nine tonnes extra with only slightly higher diesel consumption. That is why, the first trailer to come out from our plant was a 28 cubic metre tipper,’ recounts P.S. Bhatia.

The company now boasts of 350 tip trailers plying in Chattisgarh and adjacent states. ‘The numbers would have been even better, had the recession not set in,’ says R.S. Bhatia. But with the market emerging from the recession, sunny days seem to be just round the corner. The company is also bracing for a pan-India introduction of its tip trailers. While marketing agents have been appointed for south, east and central India, those for the northern region will be appointed soon.

Black Diamond Motors’s Chattisgarh plant has a built-up area of 60,000 square feet and operates with a 180 strong workforce. To manufacture new products, this plant will see the installation of a couple of welding and CNC machines. Black Diamond relies on reputed suppliers. It sources steel from Ispat or Essar, axles from York, Tata and Fuwa, tipping kits from Hyva and tyres from CEAT and Apollo. ■ DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 41

09 CV_black diamond.indd 41

12/7/2009 5:01:39 PM

DIFFERENT STROKES

STANDARD CORPORATION

Not the ‘Standard’ formula

T

he beautifully rustic environs of Barnala in the heart of Punjab are an unlikely showcase for Standard Corporation India Limited’s (SCIL) industrial enterprise. The company which has made a name for itself in tractor-mounted combine harvesters and farm tractors is now looking at hydraulic mobile cranes and backhoe loaders. ‘We have been working on a backhoe loader for the last 18 months or so. This product is currently in the test marketing stage,’ states PA Prashar, Director, SCIL. This offering, will most likely feature a 75HP Kirloskar engine. Production is expected to happen out of SCIL’s new plant in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.

The launch of the backhoe could occur this fiscal. Thus far, the company has held back on the backhoe project – not because of an economic slowdown driven resource

Nachhatar Singh, founder and MD, Standard Corporation

crunch – but on account of commercial considerations. ‘We have enough resources to make the project work, considering that finance can easily be obtained against

Tractors, combine harvesters, cranes, engines, backhoe loaders, e-bikes, three-wheelers – may represent a truly eclectic product mix. But SCIL knows how to make the best of it. Story and Photography Sridhar Chari

This year, Standard targets to sell 500 of these 9-15 tonne pick and carry cranes

the 75 acres of prime land owned by the company. What we are looking at closely is expected demand patterns for the product. Only with significant volumes can we achieve economies of scale in sourcing,’ reveals Prashar.

Part of the cost savings will be achieved by the decision to locate production in Himachal Pradesh. The state offers excise duty concessions to attract investments. It was the same consideration that had almost prompted SCIL to kick off proceedings in Baddi with the manufacture of hydraulic mobile cranes. That rationale is no longer valid. Earlier this year, as part of its economic stimulus efforts, the central government had halved excise duties on cranes to 8 percent. Nevertheless, some of SCIL’s 9-15 tonne cranes have already begun to be assembled at Baddi. After all, the company has invested in setting up a shed and manufacturing facilities at the 30-acre site.

44 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Standard.indd 44

12/7/2009 5:02:44 PM

STANDARD CORPORATION / DIFFERENT STROKES

SCIL targets to sell about 500 cranes this year, through its 25 dealers. The cranes are characterised by a fly jib, magnet attachment, slotted boom, AC cabins, fire extinguishers and spark arrester areas.

Interestingly, a 50-tonne truck mounted crane may soon be added to the family of mobile cranes. ‘We had been talking to some Chinese companies in this regard.

But, when there was no progress in these negotiations, we decided to go ahead with this project on our own. There are not many companies offering quality solutions in this space. And, we have our own strong capabilities in manufacturing cranes,’ says Prashar. SCIL deploys its own engines and transmissions for both tractors and cranes.

Capitalising on a technical relationship with a Czech company, Motokov, SCIL mastered the art of developing tractor engines. Today, it has capabilities to make engines ranging from a single-cylinder 25HP offering to a four-cylinder 70HP

power plant. Besides powering the tractors and cranes, SCIL also plans to offer these high torque engines for genset applications, as also for non-competing construction equipment applications.

TRACTORS AND COMBINE HARVESTERS Standard has recently boosted its range of 30-75HP tractors with two new offerings, a single cylinder 25HP and a twin-cylinder 35HP offering. ‘These new tractors will help raise our sales from 250-300 units a month to 400 units a month. We are confident of a good show, since the engines, hydraulics and transmissions of the products have been refined,’ offers Prashar. Because of poor monsoons and a depressed lending environment, Standard’s tractor market share had dropped to a small fraction of India’s 3,00,000 units market. Banks in Punjab demand land as security for tractor loans. But, with land being prohibitively

PA Prashar, Director SCIL states that Standard has been working on the backhoe for the last 18 months.

expensive in the state, not too many farmers can muster the security. Standard’s efforts to break through this stalemate is expected to be helped by signs of economic recovery as well as by strong efforts of its own 375-strong dealer network

Standard offers a range of 25-70 tonne tractors

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 45

09 CV_Standard.indd 45

12/7/2009 5:03:25 PM

DIFFERENT STROKES / STANDARD CORPORATION

Due to permit issues, sales of these three-wheelers has been restricted to Punjab and adjoining states.

And, the good news is that sales of the more profitable higher horse power tractors are growing. Increasingly, tractors are now expected to combine both the first and second tillages at one go. Secondly, the increasing use of farm implements necessitates more powerful tractors with stronger PTO capabilities. That is an area right up, SCIL’s sleeve. Since 1975, Standard has pioneered the concept of tractor-mounted combine harvesters that can be mated with any 50HP and above tractor. Driven by the flagship ‘TSC-513’ model, Standard has been making 12 combine harvesters a day. Though this capacity is an improvement on the earlier level of 5 combine harvesters a day, Standard still feels the need to nudge up production. ‘There has been a booming demand for tractor –mounted combine harvesters, especially in Punjab, but also in states like UP and Bihar. Migrant workers from the latter two states see how these harvesters are making a difference to the agricultural scene in Punjab,’ beams Prashar. In conventional harvesting

A tractor mounted combine harvester attachment

Standard makes the engines for most of its tractors. These engines can also power gensets.

operations, a tractor merely segregates the ripe crop, in advance of threshing operations. But, a tractor-mounted combine harvester can not only segregate the crop but also collect the grain, thereby saving time.

The timeliness also protects the crop from the vagaries of the weather – an important consideration considering that 40 percent of food grains produced in India is wasted before they reach the market place.

Besides the tractor-mounted offerings priced at Rs 6.5-7 lakh, Standard also puts out self-propelled and track-type harvesters in the price bracket of Rs 14-15 lakh apiece. Almost 200 self-propelled harvesters were sold last year. The track-type harvesters are needed in water-ridden conditions.

This is typical of paddy cultivation in South India and the Gangetic plains.

IN SUM Besides the focus on tractors, harvesters, cranes and backhoes, Standard has also undertaken a limited launch of threewheelers. The mass proliferation of these vehicles has been restricted on account of a paucity of permits. And, the company’s plans to introduce a sub 1-tonner four-wheeler have been put on the backburner. But, the e-bikes venture is still going strong. In sum, it may be a really assorted package of products and plans, but if turnover figures are any ‘Standard’, this company has got the mix right. ‘We target to achieve a turnover of Rs 450 crore this fiscal as against Rs 305 crore last year,’ asserts Prashar. ■

Standard also makes self propelled combine harvesters

46 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Standard.indd 46

12/7/2009 5:04:18 PM

Subscribe to:

Save Rs. 1300/on 3 year subscription

India’s only

Commercial Vehicle

magazine

I would like to sign up for

3 years • Pay Rs. 2300 • Save Rs. 1300 2 years • Pay Rs. 1800 • Save Rs. 600 1 year • Pay Rs. 999 • Save Rs. 201 Personnal Details: (IN CAPITAL LETTERS) Name: Mr./Ms. ........................................................................ ................................................................................................

Occupation ............................................................................. ................................................................................................

Date of birth ...........................................................................

Address ................................................................................... ................................................................................................

City .........................................................................................

State ...................................... Pin ..........................................

Tel. (O) ....................................................................................

Tel. (R) ....................................................................................

Mobile ....................................................................................

Email ......................................................................................

Payment details: (IN CAPITAL LETTERS) Kindly draw the cheque/DD/PO in favour of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. (please add 20/- extra for outstation cheque) Dated ................................ Drawn on ....................................

Bank ........................................................................................

Branch ....................................................................................

Through Credit card Visa

MasterCard

Amex

Card no. ........................ ........................ ........................ .....................

Expiry on card ........................................................................

Name on card ........................................................................

Date ............................... Signature

You can also subscribe using mobile Simply type ‘Subs CV <name>, <city>, <email id>’ and SMS to 56161 For example: Subs CV Ajit Manjrekar, Mumbai, ajitm@myworld.com

To subscribe online: Log on to www.nextgenpublishing.in\subs

CV subscription 2009.indd 3

Please fill the form and post it to, Sachin Kelkar, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Khatau House, 2nd Floor, Mogul Lane, Mahim (West), Mumbai 400016, India. (OR) Fax the order for credit card purchases to +91 22 24448289. For clarifications, email: subscriptions@nextgenpublishing.net or call +91 22 43525252.

Terms and conditions: It may take 3-4 weeks for processing the request.

Copies will be sent by ordinary post only. Next Gen Publishing Ltd. will not be responsible for postal delay, transit losses or mutilation of copies. No cancellation of subscriptions will be entertained after commencement of subscription. Please mention you name, address and contact no. on the reverse of the DD/cheque. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Mumbai only.

5/26/2009 11:31:21 AM

PRIME MOVER

PATEL INTEGRATED LOGISTICS

FLEET TRAC

Seasoned Operator: Patel Integrated Logistics Efficiency is the name of the game. An apt delineation of services supported by technology is the key reason.

P

Story Ahfaaz Khan atel Integrated Road Logistics (PILL) boasts of accomplishing 96 percent of its deliveries on time. The company wants to increase this figure to 99 percent in a couple of years. According to Areef Patel, executive vice chairman,

PILL, ‘Continuous and enhanced value delivery is very important for any logistics provider. And that is something on which we focus very extensively’.

One of the critical factors behind this impressive service delivery is the continuous monitoring of the entire fleet of vehi-

cles through GPS/GPRS enabled solutions.

‘The vehicles are tracked at intervals of 30 minutes and the drivers are accordingly advised to alter their speeds so that they reach their destination on time. If a driver speeds unnecessarily, we ask him to slow down.

This helps us to prevent accidents, while

48 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Patel roadways.indd 48

12/7/2009 4:57:42 PM

FLEET TRAC Besides the 150 trucks that it owns, Patel Logistics has a dedicated outsourced fleet of 700 trucks.

Areef Patel, Executive Vice Chairman PILL wants to up the company’s on-time delivery record to 99 percent from the current 96 percent.

also assuring optimum fuel-efficiency.

GPS/GPRS enables us to send pre-alerts to drivers about possible traffic jams or obstructions on the prescribed route along with alternate options. These measures help ensure 100 percent run time,’ informs informs Paniraj Murthy, Head, fleet and vendor operations, PILL. As per standard practice, whenever a vehicle embarks on a particular destination, an email is sent to all concerned branches that fall on the route. As a result, all concerned branches are also kept in the loop to ensure that the driver takes only the prescribed route without deviation. PILL has set up a 24x7 call centre in Bangalore to carry out such operations.

AGREEMENT WITH EICHER PILL wants to increase its fleet by 350-400 vehicles over the next two years. Currently, it owns 150 trucks, with another 700 sourced from vendors and some 250-300 trucks being readily available in the open market. Most of these trucks carry payloads upto 16 tonne. By all accounts, a significant amount of trucks will be sourced from Eicher Trucks, part of VECV. In January last year, PILL signed an agreement with Eicher Motors to purchase around 225 trucks with payloads ranging between 3 and 16 tonnes in a phased manner. The agreement also entailed PILL recommending its vendors to purchase Eicher branded trucks. ‘Eicher has offered us two years

of mileage warranty for vehicles that will help reduce operating costs and thereby enhance our bottom line,’ remarks Patel.

According to PILL, the mileage of Eicher Trucks is around 5 to 10 percent more as compared to trucks sourced from other manufacturers. The company believes that Eicher branded trucks clock higher speed on highways, even while delivering superior fuel-economy. Therefore the turnaround time of an Eicher truck on such routes is always the least. Consequently, PILL has decided that any 3-4 year old truck operating on such routes will be replaced with an Eicher Truck.

The agreement with Eicher will also help PILL in the maintenance of its vehicles. ‘For a truck owner, reduction in down time is a key differentiator. A truck carrying important consignment breaking down on the road needs immediate help. The agreement with Eicher assures us of timely assistance. Should one of our Eicher trucks suffer a breakdown, it will be attended to within 7-12 hours. Our trucks will be given special priority at their workshops,’ informs Patel. In addition to Eicher’s workshops, PILL also has its own workshops at Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi.

Trucks with minor issues are serviced at these workshops. Only in the case of major problems, do trucks find their way to an OE’s workshop.

Though Eicher trucks are the preferred option, PILL does own some trucks of Tata

Motors and Ashok Leyland make. ‘There are certain routes where OEs do not have a strong service network and road side mechanics are the only help available in case of a breakdown. A roadside mechanic can comfortably service a Tata Motors or an Ashok Leyland truck. Therefore, while purchasing a vehicle that is to be deployed on such a route, we opt for Tata Motors or Ashok Leyland trucks,’ explains Murthy.

In any case, PILL procures sub 1-tonne vehicles from Tata Motors and Piaggio for last mile distribution.

TRACKING OPERATIONS Established in 1959, Patel Roadways, PILL’s flagship division, is one of the leading surface logistics and transportation providers in the country with an extensive network of over 500 stations Workshops across Patel’s super hubs take care of regular maintenance.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 49

09 CV_Patel roadways.indd 49

12/7/2009 4:58:05 PM

PRIME MOVER / PATEL INTEGRATED LOGISTICS

FLEET TRAC The company operates 19 super hubs-cum warehouses across the country.

Paniraj Murthy attributes the high efficiency to the use of telematics to truck movements.

across the country and employees totalling over 1,000. Patel Integrated Logistics Ltd (PILL) was formed in 2006 with the amalgamation of the Patel Roadways and Patel On-Board Couriers. The purpose of the amalgamation has been effected to provide a one stop logistics solution.

PILL caters to the logistics sector through three different solutions, Patel Retail, Patel FTL (Full Truck Load) and Patel Sundry. Patel Retail offers door-todoor express cargo service through more than 200 branches and 400 delivery stations spread across the country. Retail customers for this particular solution include manufacturers of engineering products, textile, computer hardware, auto parts and pharmaceuticals. Under Patel Retail, the deliveries are either directly made to the end customer or from the point production to the warehouse and from there to end customers. The latter works on the hub and spoke approach, where the sub one and two tonners like the Tata Ace and Piaggio Ape play a very important role. PILL boasts of 19 super hub warehouses in the country, each with an area ranging between 10,000 to 45,000 sq feet.

Patel FTL caters to complete truckloads at the national level with payloads going up from 3 tonnes. ‘FTL is useful for customers who need to transport bulk cargo as booking under LTL on a per kg basis may be expensive,’ remarks Murthy.

Unlike Patel Retail, Patel FTL relies on point to point deliveries, therefore, deliveries are faster. The reduced handling of

cargo also helps minimise damage to cargo. Operating under FTL also offers PILL a space devoid of small scale operators, who, according to various reports control three-fourths of the logistics industry. ‘To operate under FTL, one needs to have a nation wide network, something that small scale truck operators find difficult to manage,’ remarks Patel.

Patel Sundry, the third solution, specialises in hard freight sundry shipments at long, medium as well as short distance routes across India. A basket of customised solutions based on client requirements, online tracking and reliable service with professional assistance provides PILL a distinct advantage in freight sundry logistics operations.

One characteristic commonality with all these three solutions is PILL’s primary

focus on transporting 16 tonne and below loads. ‘We do transport over dimensional cargo (ODCs) but the proportion is extremely low. This is because a trailer is required to transport ODC consignments.

To cover a Bangalore-Delhi route, a 9 and 15 tonne payload vehicle takes 65-68 and 70-72 hours respectively, whereas a trailer takes 90-120 hours. Time is very critical when a cargo is transported on a longer route and therefore despite better cost per tonne associated with trailers; they are generally not preferred for long distance operations,’ says Murthy. That said, PILL has on occasions outsourced trailers from the market to meet customer requests.

This logistics provider targets to nearly double its turnover to Rs 500 crore over the next two years. It promises to be an interesting road trip. ■ Drivers pose next to their prized trucks

50 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Patel roadways.indd 50

12/7/2009 4:58:32 PM

09 CV_Patel roadways.indd 51

12/7/2009 4:54:03 PM

FOCUSSED PLAYER

AUTOMAKERS

Automakers bets big on mobile healthcare solutions The thinking is clearly strategic. Trailer-based, GRP-panelled medical vans anyone?

Story Ahfaaz Khan and Kiran Bajad Photography ABPL

N

ashik-based Automakers Body Private Limited (ABPL) might not be as familiar a name as some other application builders. But whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a name? The manufacturer of ambulances, dental vans, blood

collection vans and mobile eye clinics is planning an aggressive foray in both domestic as well as international markets.

In the pipeline is a manufacturing plant in Kenya to tap into the African continent (JV and export plans). Talks are also un-

derway with companies based out of UK and Spain to fashion joint manufacturing arrangements for ambulances and medical vans in India. Besides this, the company is also setting up a plant dedicated to the manufacture of reefers in Aurangabad.

52 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Automakers.indd 52

12/7/2009 4:54:50 PM

AUTOMAKERS / FOCUSSED PLAYER

(Read ‘Cool Quotient’).

Currently, ABPL manufactures ambulances in three variants. The Type I variant comes with no medical instrument onboard and is simply meant to transport patients to hospitals. The Type II variant on the other hand, has provisions to install emergency devices like defibrillators and ventilators. It is supplied to customers like hospitals and charitable trusts who then purchase the necessary equipment and install it in the vehicle. The Type III ambulance is almost similar to the Type II ambulance, except for the fact that all necessary equipments have already been provided. Naturally, such vehicles draw well-heeled customers like Reliance and Tata Motors who are required to station ambulances in their manufacturing plants.

A type II ambulance is priced in the region of Rs 12 lakh whereas the Type III variant is offered at a price of Rs 20 lakh. Vehicles like the Force Tempo Traveller or a Tata 407 (with added air suspensions) are preferred platforms for the Type II and III

variants. Type I ambulances can be constructed on any van.

‘Earlier, an ambulance was seen as a means to transport a patient to a hospital.

But now, this view has changed. Today an ambulance is seen as a means to provide emergency medical treatment to a patient.

Consequently we have seen the demand for Type I ambulance going down drastically during the last couple of years. Today there is hardly anyone who asks for a Type I ambulance,’ remarks Jagjeet Singh Marwah, MD, ABPL. In addition to ambulances, medical vans like dental vans, blood collection vans and mobile eye clinic along with mobile education units round up ABPL’s product portfolio. Dental vans consist of the chair and necessary equipment to carry out various dental procedures. Dental colleges across the country are major customers for such vans. ‘We have more than 70 percent market share in this small but promising market. Recently we have bagged orders from states as far-flung as Assam and JamThe Type III ambulance is actually a mobile hospital.

Jagjeet Singh Marwah has segmented the ambulance market with products in three distinct categories.

mu and Kashmir. The target is to increase our market share to 90 percent over the next couple of years,’ remarks Marwah.

Blood collection vans are fabricated for blood banks whereas mobile eye clinics Note the comfortable seating and patient space.

This Rs 20 lakh ambulance is mainly targeted at corporates as well as major hospitals.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 53

09 CV_Automakers.indd 53

12/7/2009 4:55:07 PM

FOCUSSED PLAYER / AUTOMAKERS A mobile dental clinic. Automakers has a 70 percent market share in this small but growing market.

aaa

Inside a mobile dental clinic.

are developed for various charitable trusts, NGOs and government agencies. A dental van as well as a mobile eye clinic costs approximately Rs 20-22 lakh.

Mobile education units are also manufactured for roughly the same profile of customers as mobile eye clinics. ‘Schemes like the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan are creating demand for mobile education units. Three years ago, we supplied 21 units to the Delhi Government,’ narrates Marwah.

These products are manufactured at ABPL’s Nashik plant. This plant has a capacity to manufacture 25 to 30 bodies a month. ABPL has an extensive vendor base in India to source different components. And, if a customer so demands, some components like defibrillators for type III ambulances are sourced from Europe.

JV AND EXPORT PLANS As mentioned earlier, within the next six

months ABPL expects to finalise a JV with either a British or Spanish company to manufacture ambulances and medical vans. The aim is to get access to better designs and technologies to fabricate the above mentioned products. ‘At present, we use steel to fabricate a majority of our products. But a JV, will provide us with the wherewithal to use aluminium or glass reinforced plastic (GRP) for body panelling,’ says Marwah. Both aluminium and GRP offer longer life over mild steel. Bodies made of GRP last for as many as 20 years as against 7 to 8 years with mild steel.

With new technology and designs, ABPL also wants to take its products into the developed market. ‘The cost of manufacturing an ambulance in Europe is 150 percent more than that in India.’ adds Marwah.

ABPL’s soon to be introduced offering, a trailer-based medical van, has also been conceived keeping in mind the company’s export plans. ‘There is no

54 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Automakers.indd 54

12/7/2009 4:55:25 PM

AUTOMAKERS / FOCUSSED PLAYER

uniformity with regard to emission standards in different countries. Besides, there are also differences with respect to right hand and left hand drives. As a result, developing a chassis-based medical van for each and every country is difficult, especially where the volumes are small. But in terms of trailers, there are no such restrictions. Therefore, one can conveniently cater to countries across the globe,’ remarks Marwah. Besides export markets, the trailer medical van can also be used to access remote areas in India without needing to modify an existing vehicle. This product, currently being piloted with select customers will receive a mass-market launch by April 2010.

The trailer-based medical vans will be offered in 3 to 15 metre variants. The base vehicles for towing the smaller trailers are SUVs like the Tata Safari and the Toyota Innova, while the larger ones may need a truck tractor. The 3 m trailer (excluding the prime mover) will be priced in the region of USD 30,000 whereas the 15m ??? variant will be offered in the region of USD 2,00,000. Currently this trailer-based medical van is in the design stage. ABPL will soon forward the design to ARAI for necessary approvals. The concept of a SUV-trailer combination is extremely popular in the western world and ABPL is confident that the concept will catch on in India as well.

It is on account of this development that ABPL is planning to set up a manufacturing plant in Kenya. ‘We have identified a

Automakers is setting up a dedicated plant for reefers in Aurangabad.

couple of location in Nairobi. Initially, we will lease land to set up a plant. Depending upon the response, we may well decide to purchase land,’ remarks Marwah. ABPL plans to invest Rs 60 to 80 crore to set up this plant.

COOL QUOTIENT ABPL is also coming out with a range of reefers by the middle of next year. The company is setting up a plant dedicated to reefer manufacturing in Aurangabad at an investment of Rs 40 to 60 crore. Talks are underway with a European company to ink a joint venture to manufacture reefers. In all likelihood, this plant will start Automakers’ wellappointed Nasik plant.

operations before the middle of next year.

The plant will have a capacity to manufacture 25 to 30 reefer bodies per month. The reefers will be rolled out is 7 to 8 variants, with the smallest one, ‘Sipahi’ being built on sub-one tonners. The biggest one, built on a 40 feet trailer has an equally colourful name - ‘Brigadier’. While the former will be priced in the region of Rs 3 lakh, the latter will be offered at a price of Rs 14 lakh.

ABPL expects a substantial demand for reefers in India with target customers being fleet owners involved in transporting perishable goods like animal and dairy products as well as vegetables. ‘Around 150 trucks transport vegetables from Nashik to Mumbai every day. Almost 16 to 17 percent of the produce is damaged because of high temperatures. In order to prevent vegetables from being exposed to high temperatures, many truckers start in the evening and try to complete the journey by night. This results in a number of accidents. Use of reefers on the other hand will not only prevent damage to vegetables but also enable truck drivers to start their journey at any time during the day,’ explains Marwah.

Apart from fleet operators, ABPL expects a substantial demand for reefers to come out of retail segment. ‘As more and more retail outlets are set up across the country, the demand for refers will increase considerably,’ expects Marwah. ■ DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 55

09 CV_Automakers.indd 55

12/7/2009 4:55:42 PM

COVER STORY

EXCON 2009

EXCON 2009

lives up to expectations Well-laid out and attended, this busy showcase of ECE equipment has sounded just the right note of cheer. By all accounts, the industry can make the most of a promising market if a few fundamental issues are addressed.

Story Sridhar Chari and Amit Panday Photography Amit Panday and Kiran Bajad

By all appearances, the largest construction equipment exhibition in South Asia has added a few feathers to its cap in its 5th edition.

Excon 2009 was inaugurated by Kamal Nath, Minister of Road Transport and Highway. He said that ‘with its strong fundamentals, India is very well on the growth trajectory – the economy is set to achieve a 6.5 percent growth this year and aims to achieve 8 percent growth in 2010 and 9 percent in 2011…’ He emphasised on the government’s target to construct 7,000 kilometres of road per annum, which amounts to 20 kms per day.

56 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 56

12/7/2009 4:36:07 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

An ACE forklift proudly suspended from a pick and carry crane.

Vipin Sondhi, Chairman Excon 2009 says that there is a need to smoothen land acquisition and make infrastructure contracts more appealing.

Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, Excon 2009 said that ‘The Indian earthmoving and construction equipment industry will be a USD 15 billion industry by 2015.’ Comparing the last edition of Excon with the latest one, he said that the display area has grown from 1,00,000 square metres in 2007 to 1,60,000 square metres this year, marking about 60 percent growth. The number of exhibitors has also increased by 55 percent from about 290 in 2007 to over 450 in 2009. Over 42 overseas companies have directly put up stalls while there are country pavilions for China, Germany,

Italy and UK as well.

Thanking the government for the infrastructure push, Ranaveer Sinha, Chairman, Indian Earthmoving & Construction Industry Association (IECIAL), said that ‘India’s CE space is growing rapidly and it is expected that the size of the industry will double in 4 to 5 years.’ According to him, the foremost challenge confronting the industry is a lack of safety standards.

It is said that there are 10 unreported accidents for every reported accident. He emphasised that it was time to take care and watch out for dumping of unsafe used

Telcon- the JV between Tata Motors and Hitachi showcased its entire range of CE.

equipments from foreign countries.

Giving away some statistics, C R Swaminathan, Chairman, CII-Southern Region, said that ‘The Indian construction industry employs 31 million people, next only to agriculture. It consumes 40-50 percent of national plan outlay and accounts for 20 percent of GDP.’ The global construction equipment market stands at a whopping USD 60-65 billion. Industry experts believe that the Indian pie constitutes just 3 – 4 percent of this basket. The government of India seems to be bullish about infrastructure projects wherein private-public partnership (PPP) is playing an important tool. The 11th Five Year plan (2007-2012) includes massive construction projects which include building roads, airports, sea-ports, electricity, telecom, railways, urban and rural development at a collective investment of almost USD 500 billion.

But, there is no magic wand to dramatic growth. ‘We need a host of policy directives to boost the CE industry. These include easing land acquisition norms, monitoring infrastructure projects, speeding up project implementation, encouraging PPP programmes, structuring contracts with a view to enhance appeal for contractors and a greater drive on skill development,’ said Sondhi. He added ‘If such measures are implemented, the infrastructure sector alone can create 30-35 million jobs with immediate effect. The corollary to this is a 5 to 6 percent reduction in unemployment DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 57

09 CV_Excon.indd 57

12/7/2009 4:36:25 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

figures underscore the strong potential demand for CEs. Off-Highway Research, an international management consultancy firm, believes that the demand for Indian equipment will double by 2013. The research firm foresees India as the hub of all the construction activity expected to take place in the Asiapacific region. It also estimates that atleast 10 new manufacturers (OEMs) would enter the country by 2013.

CURRENT PREMISE OF CE FINANCING Organised financial institutions operating in the CE space are bifurcated into Non-

Banking Financing Companies (NBFCs) and banks (refer to the following table): S NO NBFCS

BANKS

1

Tata Capital

ICICI Bank

2

SREI

HDFC Bank

3

Sundaram Finance Kotak Mahindra

4

Magma Leasing

Axis Bank

5

L&T Finance

State Bank of India

According to Sunil Kanoria, Vice Chairman, SREI Infrastructure Finance, ‘Around 30 percent of CE finance is catered to by commercial banks. NBFCs

Mrityunjaya Singh, MD Volvo India, speaking at the conference

and 3 to 4 percent arrest in poverty.’

DEMAND AND FINANCE Underlining the huge market for construction equipment, A K Mathur, Chief General Manager (Projects), National Highway Authority of India, during his presentation said that ‘…construction of every 100 kilometers of length of a national highway would deploy atleast 150 dumpers / tippers and 25 excavators...’ Refer to the table for further details S NO. PARTICULARS OF EQUIPMENT(S)

NUMBERS REQUIRED

1.

EXCAVATORS

25

2.

GRADERS

12

3.

VIBRATORY ROLLERS

4.

TANDEM ROLLER

5.

DUMPERS / TIPPERS

6.

FE LOADERS

10

7.

WATER TANKER

10

8.

TRANSIT MIXER

9.

EARTH COMPACTOR

15

10.

CONCRETE MILLER

10

11.

GENERATOR

6 6 150

8

6

Source: NHDP, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

As on October 31 2009, under NHDP’s phase-V, only 148 kms of six-laning work was completed while a further 886 km was under implementation. The total length of six-laning activity earmarked for completion by December 2012 is 6,500 km. These

The Tata Motors 3138K World Truck made an eye catching debut.

58 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 58

12/7/2009 4:36:48 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

Seated (L-R) Jehangir Ardeshir of Terex Corporation India as well as Ranveer Sinha, Chairman, IECIAL

finance almost 55 percent of CEs in this space, thus becoming a premier channel of finance. Micro, medium and small enterprises (MSEMs) outnumber other classes of customers. They lack the ready funds required to make down payments required for high priced construction equipment.

Hence, they may opt to lease equipment as opposed to seeking a loan to buy outright.’

With commercial banks entering the space and OEMs showing interest in setting up financing arms, NBFCs are expected to face enhanced competition.

DIFFICULTIES IN CE FINANCING Notwithstanding the big figures being thrown up, finance can only be as fast and as consistent as the pace of infrastructure development itself. ‘On an average, a government project with target deadlines of December 2012 is expected to get delayed by 2 to 3 years,’ said Pradeep Bandivadekar, CEO, Tata Capital.

This slow pace of infrastructure development stems from many obstructions which need to be resolved jointly by the government as well as manufacturers. To start with, there are no registration guidelines for heavy construction equipment.

Absence of an all-India permit for such equipment creates problems in smooth interstate movement. On the same lines, there are no consistent rules regarding the rate of depreciation to be charged across equipments in a given category, no offi-

cially decided prime life term and valuation guidelines. For NBFCs, repossession of leased out CEs is another concern. Sunil Kanoria, Vice Chairman, SREI Infrastructure Finance, says ‘With most owners/users of CEs working in government / quasi government projects, re-possession of CEs is not very easy.’

Quite a few remedies were thrown up to improve this muddled state of affairs.

Bandivadekar suggested ‘Order Funding’.

By that he meant that finance should be made available to customers based upon their order books.

Kanoria suggested that the rate of de-

preciation on CEs should be doubled from the current 15 percent to 30 percent. This move is targeted to help financers write off asset values more aggressively, thereby boosting fresh lending. Voices from the industry also opined that the insurance companies should cover the loans. This cover would allow risk to be shared more equitably and further motivate finance companies to increase lending.

For those who own or have leased out CE(s), after sales service or refurbishment is another imperative. Manufacturers tend to accord more importance to sales rather than services. The segment also lacks provisions for refurbishment of high priced CEs as well as customer value chains. ‘If manufacturers back their dealers by providing assistance in providing refurbishment to customers, the latter would be able to retain customers. The finance companies too would be able to provide finance and earn income over the full life of the product. But OEMs may be a bit wary since resale of CEs might occur at the expense of fresh sales,’ explains Bandivadekar. But there are indications that some OEMs may be more open to the resale option rather than have their market consumed by poor quality imports from China.

Other suggestions like promotion of leasing benefits to contractors, setting up of customer value chains, collaboration of manufacturers and financers for better support services were also acknowledged. ■

A transit mixer application mounted on a MAN FORCE chassis.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 59

09 CV_Excon.indd 59

12/7/2009 4:33:05 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

JCB India registers strong presence

J

CB India Ltd, India’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment has showcased four of its latest entrants in the Indian market– Liftall 1253, tracked excavator JS81 (Standard) and JS80 with short boom/arm and 3DX Extra.

On display were machines ranging from market leader backhoe loaders to excavators, compactors, wheel loaders, pick and carry cranes, skid steers and telehandlers.

At 3,000 sq. mts, JCB had the largest pavilion at the exhibition.

Mr. Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, JCB India said that ‘We have set up world’s biggest backhoe loader manufacturing plant with an investment of Rs 300 crores doubling the capacity of its Ballabgarh plant, and advanced manufacturing and designing plants at Pune, which manufactures excavators, compactors and wheel loaders.

Today, one out of every two construction equipment sold in India is a JCB.’ JCB has also made India its base for exporting its equipment assembled in Indian plants to APAC region. It is also considering exporting to European countries as well. JCB also runs Operator Training Centers (OTC) throughout India and is thus helping generate employment opportunities. Currently over 3000 operators are being trained in India annually and this number is likely to increase substantially

Having taken up the largest stall at the event, JCB put out the Dieselmax car, skid steers, excavators, backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, compactors and cranes.

in years to come. The company has already trained over 10,000 operators in the last 4 years.

Also on display was the wow-inducing JCB Dieselmax car. On 22 August 2006, after being re-fitted with 750bhp ‘LSR’ versions of the JCB444 engines, the JCB Dieselmax car broke the official FIA diesel engine land speed record, attaining a speed of 328.767 mph (529 km/h).

Almost 24 hours later the JCB Dieselmax car broke its own record, having been

driven to a speed of 350.092 mph (563.418 km/h) over a distance of 1 mile on 23 August 2006 in Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah by Wing Commander Andy Green (The driver also holds the absolute land speed record in ThrustSSC – Super Sonic Car). Before attaining these speeds, the Dieselmax was pushed from behind, by a JCB Fastrac, until it hit 30mph where it engaged first gear. Before the JCB Dieselmax records, the diesel land speed record was 236 mph (380 km/h), set in August 1973. ■

BEML to bring in electric dump trucks

P

M. Poongavanam, Director Mining and Construction, (extreme left) and PR Naik, Executive Director, Marketing.

SU construction equipment major, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) is looking at bringing in high-end electric dump trucks into India.

Discussions are underway with Terex Corporation USA to import 120-360 tonne models. At the moment, the company manufactures a range of 35-100 tonne mechanical dump trucks using technology derived from an earlier alliance with Komatsu. ‘We find that as the scope and scale of mining activity scales up, customers are demanding larger and more specific dump truck models. By next fiscal, the first of these imported dump trucks will be

brought into India for Coal India Limited,’ states M. Poongavanam, Director (Mining and Construction). For a start, these new dump trucks will have 60 percent import content, which will gradually come down.

In order to make customers more comfortable with purchases of such expensive equipment, BEML has initiated a buyback scheme. ‘The duration of a typical contract is 3-4 years, while the life of a dump truck is 7-9 years. We will give the customer an option to resell the trucks to BEML at a mutually agreeable price. Post this, BEML will have the option to refurbish the trucks and release them back into the Indian

60 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 60

12/7/2009 4:33:33 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

market. This way, customers will not be tempted to put tippers instead of dump trucks onsite,’ explains P.R. Naik, Executive Director, Marketing.

BEML has also showcased the BE700 hydraulic excavator. The 70 tonne machine may be powered by any one of the two 6 cylinder 415 FHP BEML or Cummins engines. Equipped with a 4.5 cum bucket, the excavator comes with two variable capacity tandem pumps. The company which registered a turnover of Rs 3,015 crore last year, makes a range of 7-160HP excavators.

While, the sub-30HP machines are meant for the civil construction sector, the bigger ones are meant for the mining sector.

BEML has been registering a CAGR of 12-13 percent over the last 5-6 years.

Even as of last year, it was relatively insulated from the slowdown. This is because it has a diversified portfolio of businessesconstruction, railways and defence. The mining and construction group accounts for about 62 percent of turnover. Even out of this, the slowdown-proof mining sector constitutes 80 - 85 percent. The added plus is a robust export business. ‘We now export to about 55 countries across the globe.

While last year, exports climbed by 52 percent, the growth is expected to be 20-25

BEML’s wheel loaders, dump trucks and excavators have done well in the wake of a resurgent mining segment.

percent this year,’ adds Naik. The company’s dumpers and dozers are in great demand in export markets.

It has an assembly plant in Brazil, where a 22 tonne excavator and 165 HP dozer are being put together. BEML also has a presence in China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesia is being supplied with a 60 tonne dumper and 100 tonne excavator. ‘We are sitting on 270 crore worth of orders from Indonesia and we may con-

sider assembling some of our products in that country,’ reveals Poongavanam. The company is in the process of hiring more engineers in that country.

BEML, which makes its own hydraulics, engines and axles along with the earthmoving and construction equipment targets to achieve a turnover of Rs 3,500 crore this year. ‘Internally, we will not be surprised with an Rs 4,000 crore turnover either,’ states Poongavanam. ■

Liugong displays bulldozer and backhoe

L

Sunil Sapru, Director Sales, Marketing and Product Support, Liugong India

iugong India Pvt Limited (LIPL) displayed the Liugong B 230 (Cummins NT 855-C280 engine) crawler bulldozer. The machine, independently developed by Liugong, adopts advanced technologies such as power shift transmissions, hydraulic control, electric monitoring, and high capacity bulldozer blade.

The extended products on the B230 bulldozer include wetland type and sanitation type to meet demands under various working conditions. This bulldozer can be optionally equipped with various types of working devices, such as the dumping blasé, U-share blade, single-tooth scarifier, three-tooth scarifier, with towing bracket and scraper. The Roll over Protection System (ROPS) and the air conditioner are optional. ‘The market for bulldozers DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 61

09 CV_Excon.indd 61

12/7/2009 4:33:48 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

is estimated to be at 100 units per annum in India. But, with the growing demand in the power and telecom sectors, we see it going up to 150 units in the near future.

Therefore, we are pricing this machine very competitively at Rs 95-96 lakh,’ says Sunil Sapru, Director Sales, Marketing and Product Support (LIPL).

Another key display was the 777 backhoe loader model. Currently fitted with a 94 HP Deutz engine, the versatile machine will have a 75 HP Kirloskar or Cummins engine, by the time of its launch. ‘We are

looking to put out the backhoe loader with a local engine by the third quarter of 2010,’ adds Sapru.

In the same breath, he showcases, the 906 C, a 6 tonne excavator, that is priced approximately the same as the backhoes.

‘For this price, the mini-excavators will do a better job than backhoes. In relation to its performance, the fuel-efficiency will be better to the backhoe loaders too,’ claims Sapru.

Liugong currently has 8 and 21 tonne excavators in India. But, it is for wheel

loaders that the company is most well known for. While, globally the range encompasses, 1.5-8 cu metres, India has seen deployment of 3,4,5,8 cubic metre loaders.

Liugong also puts out motorgraders, compactors and forklifts in the Indian market.

With some outstanding issues at the company’s newly set up Pithampur plant being resolved, production of wheel loaders and excavators is back on track. ‘We will ship out the first 30 machines out of the plant by the end of December,’ informs Sapru. ■

AMW unveils 3123–8x4 rigid

A

sia MotorWorks(AMW) had on display at Excon 2009 a range of commercial vehicles for the construction and mining sectors. This included fully Built tippers and transit mixers, and a concrete pump chassis (3123) that is a unique introduction to the industry. The 8x4 truck is powered by the 6BTAA 235 HP Cummins Engine with a peak torque of 800 Nm. It has a 9 Speed gear box to match the torque rating of the Engine. Also provided with a crawler gear – to take care of high gradients. The gear ratios also are matched to engine torque to provide optimal fuel efficiency. So far as the architecture of the 8x4 drive is concerned, the rear axles are powered axle connected with the inter axle shaft and differential lock. The optimal crown to pinion ratio ensures max.

Torque on wheels and reduces the power loss thru the drive line. The differential lock ensures traction even at no road conditions and ensures that the vehicle is moving. Predominantly the drive has been designed considering off road / off highway scenario only.

While the front suspension consists of conventional multi leaf elliptical springs, the rear has fully articulated semi elliptical bogie suspension. Another salient feature in the truck is the twin steering front axles that help reduce drag on the vehicles.

The fully furnished cabin is suspended on reverse multi leaf springs. It has a collapsible and adjustable steering wheel.

At the exhibition, the company boasted of having as many as six concrete equip-

The 3123’s gear ratios are well-matched with the engine torque rating to help it perform off-road and special application duties efficiently.

ment fitted with its machines. These include: a) Putzmeister Concrete Machines Pvt Ltd AMW 4923 TR with 46M Boom Pump AMW 3123 with 42M Boom Pump b)Putzmeister (India) Pvt Ltd AMW 2518CP with 36M Boom Pump c) Maxmech (India) Pvt Ltd AMW 2518TM with 7 CuM Mixer AMW 2518CP with Batching Plant

d)Apollo Infracore AMW 4018 with Batching Plant. e) Hiab Cranes AMW 2518HL with Crane mounted on it. f) Schwing Stetter AMW 2518TM with 7 CuM Mixer.

‘Things are looking good and we are on track to sell more than 5,000 vehicles this year,’ says RC Mangal, Senior Vice President (Marketing), AMW. ■

62 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 62

12/7/2009 4:34:03 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

ECEL ventures into new territories

E

scorts Construction Equipment Limited (ECEL) has come out with the Escorts Manitou Rough Terrain Multipurpose Telehandlers in partnership with French company Manitou. Such machines can perform material handling duties very competently in forbidding terrain.

This 22.8 tonne (unladen) machine has a lift capacity of 5 tonnes. The 4WD nimble animal can vertically extend itself to 29.7 metres as also 25.5 metres in forward direction. Manitou which is exporting these machines as CBUs into India is the world leader, with a range of 1.5-21 tonne telehandlers. The telehandlers can also come with forklift and crane attachments. ‘Despite the 22 percent import duties on the CBU product, we have managed to price it very competently. Already, we have orders for 10 machines from HCC,’ explains Rajesh Sharma, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing ECEL. Also put out was the Escorts XG958 5-tonne wheel loader, in alliance with Chinese company XGMA. Equipped with a 3 cubic metre bucket, the machine can also be mated with rock buckets, coal buckets, woodchip buckets, light material bucket and a log grappler. On the power delivery front, there are the ZF 4WG200/WG180 transmissions as well as torque converter.

So far as hydraulics is concerned, there is an Eaton Redirector and a Parker hose.

A desert type three stage air filter and luxurious interiors round off the package.

‘XGMA is amongst the biggest manufacturers of wheel loaders in China and indeed the world. The top three wheel loader makers in China account for 90,000 units in the

Rajesh Sharma, VP, Sales and Marketing with some customers.

Escorts has already received orders for 10 of these rough terrain telehandlers sourced from Manitou.

roughly 1,20,000-1,30,000 units market in that country,’ sets out Sharma.

XGMA also weighed in with the Escorts XG31651 Motor Grader that will be increasingly useful in road construction projects. Equipped with a 175HP Cummins turbocharged, intercooled diesel engine, the machine comes with a hydrodynamic torque converter as opposed to conventionally seen hydrostatic torque converters. The ZF transmission gearbox is electro hydraulically controlled for easy operations. The rear axle is a three-

section drive axle especially-designed for graders, and equipped with the imported no-spin differential. The reliable hydraulic system features the double-pump, dualcircuit open system. The front blade, scarifier, rear ripper, circle and automatic leveling device can be selected according to the customer’s needs.

Things look to be back on track for ECEL. ‘We have a huge order backlog for the delivery of Pick and Carry cranes, our bread and butter product. And the new products have kicked in well for us. We are revising targeted sales of wheel loaders for this year from 20-30 to 60-70,’ beams Sharma.

The long in the works backhoe loader is also coming soon. ‘It will be launched in January 2010,’ states Sharma. ■ DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 63

09 CV_Excon.indd 63

12/7/2009 4:34:20 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

expensive truck chassis has not been homologated in India. Sources inform us that there are certain ‘centre of gravity’ issues with the application.

Line Pump Model – LP1400 The LP1400 is mounted on the Ashok Leyland chassis model E-Comet. The highlight of this model is the elimination of the slave engine. The pump is powered by the truck engine directly and is fitted with user-friendly pipe racking system. The product is specifically designed for ready mix companies and road contractors.

The S41 truck mounted pump has been mounted on an imported Mercedes Benz 410 HP, 25 tonne 6x4 chassis.

SCHWING Stetter launches seven new construction equipment

S

CHWING Stetter (India) Pvt Ltd. (SSIPL) has launched seven new products in the construction equipment category. These include the CP 18, M 1.25, M 2.25 (mobile batching plants), LP 1400, S 41 (concrete pumps), Spraycon 20.1 (shotcreting machine) and a truck mixer with pump.

Announcing the launch of the new products, Anand Sundaresan, Managing Director, SCHWING Stetter (India) Pvt. Ltd., said, ‘This year has been extremely significant for us in terms of expansion of our product portfolio. The construction sector is receiving tremendous impetus from the Government, with a strong focus on infrastructure projects. We firmly believe that the Indian economy will bounce back faster than other economies, and we believe that the year 2010 will most definitely see a significant increase in demand for construction equipment.’ Here is a brief on a few interesting products

the largest boom fitted onto a 3-axle truck was of 39 meter. To this end, the company has imported a 25 tonne 6x4, 410 HP Mercedes Benz chassis from Brazil.

The advantage to this platform is that the powerful engine negates the need to have a slave engine for the pump. But, the issue for Schwing Stetter is that this relatively

Truck mixer with pump The new truck mixer with pump is primarily targeted at ready mix companies in small towns and companies involved in the construction of residential villas.

This machine is suitable for independently bringing and delivering concrete up to 6 cubic meters, thereby eliminating the need for transporting a fleet for smaller jobs.

Incorporated in June 1998, and commencing its manufacturing operations in 1999, SCHWING Stetter India is a 100 percent subsidiary of SCHWING Group of companies, an 850-million Euro German Concrete machinery manufacturer.

SCHWING Stetter (India) Private Limited manufactures concrete batching plants, transit mixers for transporting readymade concrete to construction sites, pumps and concrete placing booms and recycling plants. ■

The 6 cum truck mixer and pump is meant for construction sites in small towns.

SCHWING Stetter Concrete Pump Model – S41 SCHWING Stetter is launching a 41-meter 3-axle truck for the first time. Previously, 64 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 64

12/7/2009 4:34:37 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

Hyundai India launches 80 tonne excavator

H

yundai construction Equipment India has received orders for more than 150 units of its Robex excavators during EXCON 2009. Hyundai has also unveiled its new indigenised 11T excavator, R110-7. In Jan 2010, Hyundai will be launching their R140LC-7 (14T). The company also exhibited the R800LC-7, R500LC-7, R300LC-7, R210-7, R110-7, R80-7, HL760 (Wheel Loaders) and various attachments including rock breaker, clamshell bucket.

Hyundai is starting production of Hyundai Excavator Model R110-7 (11T) from its Pune Plant from Jan 2010 onward, which is the second highest growing seg-

With the addition of this 80 tonne excavator, Hyundai can now aggressively go after the mining segment.

ment in Excavator in India. Hyundai, also launched in Excon its biggest Excavator Model R800LC-7 with 82T operating weight to cater Indian Mining Industry.

Within one year of operation in India, Hyundai already captured a reasonable market share of 8 percent market share.

The company is well-equipped to take a leading role in the 8,000 -10,000 units Indian excavator market. Its Rs 300 crore Pune factory can crank up 2,500 machines in a single shift. At three shifts, production can be boosted to 10,000 units.

‘When we have performed so strongly in markets like China and Russia, there is no reason, why we cannot replicate the

same feat in India,’ says the affable Ki Young Kong, Director, HCEIPL. In line with this thinking, the company has targets to sell 600 heavy machines this year. The tally will also include 1.5 -6 cum wheel loaders. Incidentally, the 3 cum wheel loader has already been localised.

Going forward, there are plans to introduce ‘innovations’ in excavators as well as a backhoe loader by next year. ‘Though, we believe that the general trend is shifting away from backhoe loaders in favour of excavators, backhoe loaders are in order considering the profile of the Indian market,’ adds Kong. But, road construction equipment and material handling equipment are some distance away from launch in India.

Irrespective, the country is important for Hyundai. ‘We want India to become a hub for the entire region. We are in this market for the long term,’ concludes Kong. ■

KY Kong, Director Hyundai Construction Equipment India says that a backhoe loader will debut next year.

Kobelco working on manufacturing footprint

K

obelco Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd (KCEI), plans to set up a plant to manufacture hydraulic excavators close to Chennai. Having acquired 17 acres of land at an investment of Rs 45-50 crore, the company is gear-

ing up to localise a 21 tonne machine. ‘At the moment, our machines have 90 percent Japanese content. This is not viable given the 7.5 percent import duty and the enormous ocean freight cost,’ explains Tadahiro Akihara, Director, Kobelco Con-

struction Machinery Co. Construction of the factory, which will commence in February 2010, will be completed by early 2011. The initial capacity of the plant will be 1,200 units. Kobelco targets a steady increase in sales in the lead up to the DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 65

09 CV_Excon.indd 65

12/7/2009 4:34:55 PM

APOLLO - CV AWARDS 2010

The race has begun!!

Commercial Vehicle magazine, the voice of the Indian CV industry, announces the first ever dedicated awards for the industry. We are delighted to partner with Apollo Tyres for this unique event.

These awards will not stop at recognising superlative efforts of CV and ancillary makers. Fleet operators will be accorded their due too â&#x20AC;&#x201C; since they are very basis for the CV industry to exist.

CV Awards.indd 14

THE BACKGROUND Until a few months ago, it would have been blasphemy to talk about awards dedicated to the CV industry. OEMs, suppliers and other stake holders could think no further than cutting losses for a month in question. Even

means to survive the slowdown. It is only a blip in the radar for most of them. Strong economic fundamentals have given them huge headroom to grow in the recent past.

as that scenario has been steadily changing, we have been pleasantly surprised by a slew of launches in the latter half of this year. While new players aspire to join the fray, the current pack of CV makers are all set to unveil a new generation of vehicles starting this year.

This only leads us to believe that we are reaching an inflection point, where technology will fashion new paradigms in efficiency, ergonomics and safety. And, hopefully, the burst of infrastructure creation should support a new boom phase in the notoriously cyclical CV industry. If things pan out as expected, ancillaries associated with the CV industry will also come to the party. So the recovery should be wholesome in about 12-18 months from now.

Fleet operators, whether truckers or STUs plying buses will be more than happy to take in the change in the air. They would also have quite a story to narrate of deploying innovative

A jury made up of experts internal and external to CV magazine will evaluate products and companies and arrive at winners for all categories except those involving fleet operators.

To determine the fleet operator category award winners, we have enlisted the services of Metric Consultancy, an organisation reputed for delivering quality solutions in the areas of research, mentoring, consultancy and strategic sourcing. We invite both truck and bus fleet operators to apply for category/categories that they think appropriate. Metric will then evaluate the self-assessment forms.

NUTS AND BOLTS

THE RENDEZVOUS We expect to host a galaxy of CV OEMs, ancillary makers and fleet operators for the awards to be held in early 2010. Watch this space for more information!!

11/3/2009 6:36:51 PM

Methodology The evaluation process comprises of the following steps.

1. All the prospective candidates or their sponsors will fill in the ‘Nomination / Application Form’ 2. All the applicants will be given a self assessment form with the required guidelines. They will carry out selfassessment and submit it to CV / Metric.

3. Metric will study and compile all the selfassessment forms.

4. Metric will visit the top 10 applicants in each category of applicants to understand the merits of the self evaluation done by the applicants 5. Top performers will then be decided based on their self-assessment and independent assessment carried out by Metric using the BQF model for Journey of Excellence.

British Quality Foundation (BQF) has been established by the

The BQF model for Journey of Excellence

British Government and large industrial and service organisations in private sector.

BQF has had a long and successful record of grooming over 20,000 organisations on a Journey of Excellence. The entire process will be under active participation of experts trained by BQF.

To be successful, organisations need to establish appropriate management systems.

The Excellence Model is a practical tool to help organisations do this by measuring where they are on the path to excellence; helping them understand the gaps; and then stimulating solutions.

The Excellence Model is a nonMetric Consultancy Ltd. prescriptive framework that recognises that (Metric) is the exclusive national partner there are many approaches to achieving of BQF in India. sustainable excellence.

Metric is not new to the automotive The core part of the assessment sector, having become known as a premier framework will be the famous RADAR research, training and consultancy firm. approach which examines applicants During its own journey of excellence Results, soundness of Approach taken to spanning two decades, Metric has pioneered achieve the results, the rigour with which a number of initiatives starting with first the approach is Deployed and if systematic time formal training of automotive dealers’ Assessment and Review is an integral part staff, monitoring individual dealers’ service of management process to capture and delivery using CSI methodology, initial institutionalise leanings on a continuous quality survey for two-wheelers in India, basis. direct marketing of mopeds and scooters and professionalising the automotive aftermarket.

Organisations are evaluated, based on seven criteria. The marks allocated for each criterion is indicated in brackets against it.

Business Excellence is a non-prescriptive philosophy that recognizes there are many approaches to achieving sustainable excellence. Hence the assessment framework will endeavor to ascertain if the applicant organisation holds the following fundamental beliefs which underpin all the Excellence Models. These core beliefs are: • Result orientation • Customer Focus • Management by processes and facts • People development and involvement • Continuous learning, Innovation and improvement • Leadership and constancy of purpose • Partnership development • Societal responsibility

CV Awards.indd 15

SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Criteria Marks Leadership 120 Strategic Planning 85 Customer Focus 85 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 90 Workforce Focus 85 Process Management 85 Results 450

Total marks in this evaluation are 1,000. The level of the organisation as indicated by the scores is as follows: 1. 0 – 250 Early Development 2. 251 – 350 Early Results 3. 351 – 450 Early Improvements 4. 451 – 550 Good Performance 5. 551-- 650 Emerging Sector Leader 6. 651 -- 750 Sector Leader 7. 751 – 850 Benchmark Leader 8. 851 – 1000 World Class Leader

11/3/2009 6:37:23 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

Tadahiro Akihara, Director, Kobelco Construction Equipment says that the new plant will kick off production by early 2011.

manufacturing facility. It targets to sell 300 of its 14, 21, 35 and 50 tonne excavators this year. ‘The target for next year will be 500 units and 1,000 units in the following year. That is when; we will look at phase II for this plant, involving a doubling of capacity,’ adds Akihara.

Kobelco is a niche player, considering that it offers tier III CRDi engine powered machines in a market that does not even mandate tier II machines. But Akihara is undeterred. ‘We have been making excavators for 50 years now. And, our machines are 25 percent more fuel-efficient than competition at only a 15 percent cost increment,’ he states.

Kobelco is concentrating on equipping its 14 dealer network with proper servicing tools as well as training on how to handle these high-spec excavators. ■

Wipro Infracore mulls China facility

W

ipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) is preparing to set up a new plant in China. ‘We are considering setting up a plant in China, within 12-18 months. We already source certain components from that country and would have set up manufacturing operations earlier, had it not been for the slowdown. We will make double acting telescopic cylinders in that country,’ reveals VN Padmanabha, VP, global truck hydraulics business. With supplies of 8,25,000 hydraulic cylinders in 2007-08, the company has emerged as the second largest hydraulic cylinder supplier in the world.

Moving on to cylinders for the construction equipment industry, WIN is gearing up to supply its underbody cylinders to new players like Kobelco and Liugong.

‘We have a 70 percent market share in the construction equipment industry, with supplies going to companies like Terex, JCB and Telcon. These new orders will be a bonus to the recovery that we have seen since July,’ states Sudhindra Sabnis, product manager, global truck hydraulics business.

But, WIN is no longer just about underbody cylinders. By far the biggest piece of news is the piloting of the company’s new ‘D’ Series Front End Tipping cylinders

The Wipro team posing with the ‘D’ Series FETs that can take on 16-70 tonne GVW duties.

for tippers. News of this project was first broken by this magazine in the May issue.

The 16-70 tonne range is based on WIN’s Finnish arm Hydroauto’s Diamond series platform over the past 15-18 months. ‘Each tonnage bracket encompasses 2-3 variants to account for differing usage patterns

and overloading. So in all, we are looking at a family of 12-15 products,’ explains Sabnis. These products have been almost completely localised with only some bearings and seals being imported. As such, the price will be ‘competitive’. Constructed, after seeking global inputs, the ‘D’ Series

72 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 72

12/7/2009 4:17:51 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

Underbody cylinders that are deployed in construction equipment.

is a world platform that may be exported to both developed and developing markets.

Already, 800 cylinders have been tested in the market and the feedback has been

encouraging. Ashok Leyland has already picked up 145 kits and now WIN is looking towards Tata Motors too, despite the company’s engagement with WIN’s competitor Hyva India. ‘We are in discussions with Tata Motors. They may need a second source supplier too,’ reveals Padmanabha.

Staying with trucks, WIN’s hydraulics may be deployed in cabin tilting operations. ‘Negotiations are underway with both Ashok Leyland and Mahindra Navistar for their upcoming range of trucks,’ explains Sabnis.

Besides hydraulics, WIN also has interests in water purification, environment friendly energy as well as defence and aerospace. ■

Volvo upgrades product portfolio

N

eatly ensconced in its1,440m2 exhibition area, Volvo Construction Equipment unveiled for the first time to an Indian spectator a granite version of Volvo’s 21 tonne EC210 BP crawler excavator. The 21.6 tonne excavator designed with rugged and superior protection features on the undercarriage, frames, tracks, rollers and the attachment ensures strong performance in granite and quarry application while retaining its impressive fuel efficiency.

Then, there is also a 47 tonne EC460BLC prime excavator – the EC460B was already leading in productivity in its class in the Indian mass excavation application and now the new EC460BLC Prime further enhances productivity with higher hydraulic horse power and higher swing torque thereby ensuring that the user is able to extract that extra output for his rupee.

A new SD110 single drum soil compactor features best-in-class leading compaction forces and excellent gradeability.

Adding to this are the new and vital features including better operator visibility, higher reliability and more safety.

In addition to these machines, the other representatives from the Volvo family, included a Volvo approved refurbished L90E wheel loader, G930 motor grader, ABG 7820 asphalt paver finisher – and an engine from Volvo Penta and a FM400

unit from Volvo Trucks.

Eberhard Wedekind, head of Volvo Construction Equipment in Asia says ‘India has shown great resilience in recovering from the global crisis.’

‘The Indian market has accepted the Volvo brand extremely well,’ agrees Mrityunjaya (Jay) Singh, Managing Director of Volvo India and head of Volvo Construction Equipment in India. ‘The timing of EXCON gives us a great opportunity to launch exciting new products in the excavator and road machinery segments as well

as complementing soft products in area of performance monitoring, skills development, Rentals & Remarketing, parts and service.’ ■

Mrityunjaya Singh talks about the Volvo 460BLC excavator

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 73

09 CV_Excon.indd 73

12/7/2009 4:18:11 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

Doosan Infracore sees revival at hand

D

oosan Infracore India Pvt. Ltd (DIIPL) has displayed the Doosan Moxy dump truck. Powered by a 400 HP Scania DC12, 6 in Line/11.7 litre engine, this monster truck produces 1854 Nm of torque@2200Rpm. What is more, with a Gross weight of 32,700 Kg, the Moxy can handle 32.7 tonnes of cargo.

Also put on view was a new Montebert rock breaker deployed on the excavators.

But such big ticket offerings apart, Doosan has seen its operations growing in size in India, so much so that supplies are becoming an issue. ‘We are facing an issue in meeting the needs of the Indian market.

Supplies coming in from our Korean plants need prior notice of 4-5 weeks,’ admits HE Ahn, MD and CEO, DIIPL. This year, the company is on track to do 150-160 units of its 8, 15, 21, 34 and 50 tonne excavators.

That figure will be ramped up to 350 units next year. At the moment, these excavators are completed imported. Doosan has acquired land close to Chennai, but so far, no decision has been made on whether a facility will be set up in that location. ‘Localisation will begin in a couple of years.

The Doosan Moxy dump truck can take on 32.7 tonnes of payload.

We are still waiting for inputs from other state governments as regards concessions, if we set shop in their respective states. If there emerges a favourable view, we may well move out of Chennai. In that case, this land would be used by our sister concern Hyundai Constructions,’ reveals Ahn. HE Ahn, MD and CEO, Doosan India (R ) with AV Ramana, GM Sales

Doosan makes a premium range of excavators that are on an average 15 percent more expensive than corresponding products.

Besides excavators, even the benchmark Bobcat skid steers are performing well for Doosan. ‘We have seen numbers climb to 225 units this year. The next year should see us scaling 300 units. This is on the back of a revival in the construction segment,’ explains AV Ramana, General Manager, Sales. Even Doosan’s 9 tonne wheel loaders have been receiving a good response from the market. This is despite the onslaught of Chinese products. ‘Chinese products survive on subsidies. China is a market of some 1,20,000-1,30,000 wheel loaders and most of them use the same engine subsidized by the government. The excavator market is ‘just’ 65,000-70,000 units and the wheel loaders end up being used almost everywhere,’ states Ramana.

At the moment, there is no thought on bringing in road construction equipment into India. But as Ahn says, ‘We may import them for our Hyundai Constructions, should they require some for their projects.’

The USD 9 billion Doosan Group encompasses everything from construction equipment to engines, machine tools and even infrastructure development. It has 2 plants in Korea, 3 in China and 1 in Belgium. ■

74 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 74

12/7/2009 4:18:31 PM

09 CV_Excon.indd 75

12/7/2009 4:08:04 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

Putzmeister puts out big truck mounted concrete pumps

P

utzmeister Concrete Machines Pvt Ltd (PCMPL) has launched 42 and 46 metre truck mounted concrete boom pumps.

BSF 42 The boom pump is equipped with 5 arms for better reach and maneuverability even in areas with space and operating restrictions. It has a maximum vertical reach of 41.6m (136ft) and horizontal reach of 37.6m (123ft), it is also equipped with 136 cum/hr core pump and is mounted on a homologated chassis which is allowed to run on Indian roads. Putzmeister BSF 42 is equipped with free flow hydraulics for better performance and low hydraulic oil consumption, cross outrigger for better stability with lesser ground space, highly wear resistant steel components similar to those used in the 36m boom pump. The platform for this the pump is the AMW 3123 8x4 chassis, impressive, since earlier no Indian chassis was sought to be fit for such a

Schmid-Lindenmayer, MD, Putzmeister India (L), with Dr. Ralf von Baer, CEO of Putzmeister Concrete Pumps GmbH (R)

truck. ‘We are lucky that we got an Indian chassis for Euro 30,000-35000. The same for an European chassis would have Euro 90,000-95,000,’ adds Schmid-Lindenmayer. On its part, Putzmeister has used aluminium plates to lower the pump’s weight.

But the catch is still that the 3123’s 235 HP cummins engine is not powerful enough to support such a large pump. Hence Putzmeister has had to deploy a slave engine in the shape of a 6.5 litre powerhouse sourced from Volvo Penta.

BSS 46 With trailer configuration, it has opened the era of higher reach Boom Pumps in India which till now were restricted because of non-availability of bigger truck chassis. The pump is equipped with 5 arms for better reach and maneuverability. It has a maximum vertical reach of 45.1 m (148 ft) and horizontal reach of 41.1 m (134 ft) it is also equipped with a 140 cum/hr core pump and is mounted on a homologated trailer (AMW 4923) which is allowed to run on Indian roads. This pump is derived from the largest one in the world, a 70 m pump built by Putzmeister.

PCMPL has a 60 percent share in 90100 units Indian market for concrete boom pumps.

It is a fully owned Indian subsidiary of Putzmeister Concrete Pumps GmbH, Germany is the world leader for concrete pumps, tunnel machines, industrial pumps and mortar machines. With the incorporation of a new 1,00,000 square metre plant

The BSF 42 concrete pump is mounted on an AMW 3123 chassis.

in Goa in 2007, the company now has a footprint in 12 countries across the globe.

The Goa facility started assembly of 32m boom pumps in October 2008. In March this year, it introduced 36m boom pumps- making them the first such truck mounted products, approved as per weight norms for Indian roads.

‘All our pumps, stationary or boom, are equipped with the latest S-valve technology, which is much superior to other contemporary technologies. It prevents frequent breakdown and ensures uninterrupted of work, unlike pumps using any other technologies,’ says Schmid-Lindenmayer, the MD. The company claims that, while traditionally used gate valves cause wear and tear to both ends of the pump where concrete is dispensed, the S-valve restricts it to just one location. Therefore, the pump has a life of 70,000-90,000 cum of concrete, before refurbishment is due.

PCMPL also exports its products to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South East Asia. ■

Beiben seeks to offer mining trucks in India

B

aotou Beiben Heavy Duty Truck CO. Ltd a Chinese state-owned truck maker is looking to set shop in India. Set up in Inner Mongolia in the

late 80s, the company makes a range of 2860 tonne GVW trucks. These include both rigids as well as tractors. ‘We are seeking out a distributor to sell and maintain our

trucks priced in the range of USD 14,000 – 67,000. We understand that quality mining trucks in India can be priced USD 1,25,000. We can offer our products for

76 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 76

12/7/2009 4:18:51 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

USD 80,000,’ claims Cai Haichen, International Regional Sales Manager. The company is open to local assembly as well.

The company which has had an association with Merecedes-Benz and a similar logo as well sources engines from a variety of sources.

These include offerings of Steyr, Hino, Weichai and Deutz makes.

Baotou Bei Ben Heavy-Duty Truck Co. Ltd has invested RMB 4 billion to build the first-class domestic truck assembly, axle processing, transfer case processing, large-scale cab cov-

Beiben makes a range of 28-60 tonne GVW trucks.

ering parts, axle molding pressing, truck check and large-scale production lines. Now, Bei Ben Corporation’s important trucks include A, B and C series, 40 basic trucks types and 400 categories including heavyduty trucks, dump trucks, semi-trailer towing trucks, modified trucks, special trucks and al-wheel drive trucks.

The design and production capacity of the assembly company is 6,000 trucks.

In 2008, Bei Ben Held the No. 25000 truck delivery ceremony of 2008 in Penglai Branch Company. ■

ACE banks on sound product portfolio

A

ction Construction Equipment Limited has showcased a range of 3.5-9 tonne soil compactors as well as a tandem roller. By March 2010, a new motor grader will hit the market to give company to the recently launched pneumatic tyred roller. The company’s rough terrain 4WD telehandler has also taken off well. ‘This product has been developed completely in house, based on our pick and carry crane platform. This makes the products much more inexpensive compared to imported products.

In fact, we are awaiting a huge order from the Indian army,’ states Sorab Agarwal, Director, ACE. The company expects its backhoe loader sales to reach 1,2001,400 units. CKD kits of some of the backhoe loaders are sent out to ACE’s Romanian facility, where they are assembled for the local market. Likewise the pick and carry cranes business is also expected to flourish. ‘From an industry dip of 45-50 percent, we are now witnessing a 25-30 percent dip. Next year should be much better, especially if the real estate sector improves,’ states Agarwal. ■

Terex Vectra will roll out a 10 tonne compactor by early next year.

Terex-Vectra Terex-Vectra Equipment Pvt Limited’s new 10 tonne compactor will be launched by early next year. ■

Sorab Agarwal, Director ACE with Vimal Arora, Head Marketing and Sales.

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 77

09 CV_Excon.indd 77

12/7/2009 4:19:12 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

Magma: disciplined approach

K

olkata-based Magma Fincorp Limited (MFL) has seen recovery in the construction equipment sector. ‘From being down 35-40 percent last year, we can now talk about 5-7 percent growth this year,’ says Kaushik Sinha, AVP, Corporate Communications, MFL. The company claims a 21 percent market share in JCB CE purchases, followed by 14 percent with Telcon.

Last year, the company issued loans

worth Rs 1,153 crore and Rs 1,200 crore to the CE and CV sectors respectively.

‘Both segments are expected to grow by 15-20 percent this year. It should be noted that we did not stop disbursements during last year’s credit crunch. Through prudent financing by a consortium of 20 banks, we have been able to achieve net interest margins of 5 percent,’ adds Sinha.

Magma prides itself on its low NPA levels of only 0.6 percent for the CE and

Magma Finance sees 15-20 percent increase in disbursements to the CE and CV sectors.

CV sectors. ‘This is because, we have a comprehensive credit screening mechanism that does away with defaulters. Secondly, about half of our 4,300 employees are engaged in door to door credit recovery from customers who do not have access to normal banking channels. Thirdly, we write off our bad loans every six months,’ affirms Ravi Todi, JMD, MFL. In recent times, the company has accorded greater focus to its ‘Suvidha’ second hand truck finance business. It has also reduced interest rates on key CV products.

‘The interest rate for Tata Ace financing is 15-16 percent, while that for some other CVs is below 10 percent for credit worthy customers,’ says Todi.

We ask MFL, if truck leasing or hire purchase models can be worthwhile streams to explore, considering that most manufacturers will introduce new generation and more expensive trucks. ‘While leasing is no longer viable because of changes in taxation and depreciation laws, even hire purchase is fraught with uncertainty. The finance company does not want to keep holding to an asset. Secondly, maintenance of the truck to keep it in circulation is not a core competence of a financer,’ states Todi. ■

Two new offerings from MANN+HUMMEL

M

ANN+HUMMEL has presented ENTARON, the new air cleaner series for construction machines, agriculture machines and compressors. The product range has nominal flow rates from 2 to 60 cubic metres per minute.

The series stands for high performance for the most important parameters for air cleaners such as installation space, separation efficiency, service life, flexibility, serviceability and economy.

The filter series combines and improves the performance characteristics of two proven MANN+HUMMEL air cleaner

Mann + Hummel’s filters are characterised by robust housing and element design

78 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 78

12/7/2009 4:19:31 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

families, the Europiclon and NLG. The ENTARON is characterised by a robust housing and element design. The housing is made of plastic reinforced with fibre-glass. The clean air port and thread inserts are also reinforced. The patented ENTARON main filter element is designed for maximum dust loads, a long service life and extreme mechanical influences.

Therefore the main element is equipped with a reinforced plastic middle tube and a spiral wound glue strip. The glue strip fixes the pleat ends of the element in a defined position. It prevents the pleats sticking together and enables a high and uniform dust load wound glue strip serves as protection against improper handling. The secondary element is screwed into the housing and therefore sits firmly in its positions.

The ENTARON achieves a pre-separation efficiency of over 85 percent. As a general rule, comparable products on the market only realise 74 percent.

The new IQORON compact air cleaner series for-highway applications is equipped with a cyclone pre-separator and therefore achieves a pre- separation efficiency of 95 percent and above.

MANN+HUMMUEL, development partner and series supplier to the international automotive and mechanical engineering industries launches the IQORON two-stage air cleaner. The complete series

The glue strip fixes the pleat ends of the element in a defined position

covers nominal flow rates from 4.5 to 14 cubic meters per minute (m3.min). The name IQORON stands for an air cleaner with an especially efficient core- the CompacPleat filter element. In the important areas of installation space and filter service life the new air cleaner system is superior to conventional two stage filters by up to 40 percent.

The core of the IQORON is the CompacPleat filter element developed by MANN+HUMMEL. The design of the CompacPleat element consists of a double filter bellows. It therefore offers a larger

filter surface area and longer service life in a more compact installation space. In additions, the element is metal-free and therefore fully incinerable. The multi-cyclone pre-separator of IQORON achieves an efficiency of over 95%. Conventional air cleaner only partly realise a pre-separation efficiency of around 85%. IQORON therefore separates three times more dust than a conventional air cleaner for industrial diesel application. As a result, the filter element has a lower workload so that the IQORON offers up to 40% higher dust intake capacity and a longer service life. ■

Simpsons This 16 HP twin cylinder engine will power a sub 1-tonne LCV within the next six months. ■

Standard Corporation The first shots of the 75 HP backhoe loader made

by Barnala-based Standard Tractors ■ DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 79

09 CV_Excon.indd 79

12/7/2009 4:10:09 PM

COVER STORY / EXCON 2009

Allison Transmission showcases off-road transmissions T

he automatic transmissions that have made daily commutes so much comfortable for passengers in Delhi and a few other cities have been Allison Transmission India Private Ltd’s (ATIPL) calling card in India. And indeed according to MD Ram Amarnath, ‘We are proud to state that the 1,000th Tata Marcopolo bus featuring our transmissions has rolled out’. But, the company’s products for the off-road sector have been the unsung heroes. Through the course of a 40 year presence in India, the company has put out more than 7,000 transmissions to off-road applications such as oil & gas as well as mining. And, the going is only likely to be better. ‘The mining segment typically does well during a slowdown and that is what we have been witness to in India as well. And, the activity is getting more specialised as we speak. The job of overburden shifting is being done with conventional trucks. But, the core mining activity is being accomplished with rigid

Allison has earmarked the 3000 and 4000 series for the off-road sector

The top guns at Excon 2009, including Ram Amarnath, MD, Allison Transmission India (extreme left), Salil Gupta, Head - Market Development & Sales Promotion(second from left) and Michael Headly (VP International Marketing, Allison Transmission Inc (extreme right)

dump trucks,’ explains Michael Headly, Vice President of International Marketing, Sales, and Service for Allison Transmission Inc. All rigid mining dump trucks use automatic transmissions in the interest of better productivity. But, the same cannot

be said of on-road trucks that also ply in the mines.

Allison Transmission has been pleasantly surprised by the interest in its 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 series transmissions – with the later two being the most popular choices for the off-road segment.

‘We have had potential customers who want to convert their manual transmissions to automatics. They have seen what the automatic transmissions do for the rigid dump trucks,’ expresses Amarnath. (see ‘Case for automatics?’)

Allison has partnered with GP-CK Birla Group Company, Avtec to contract manufacture off-road transmissions since 1981.

That year, the power products division of Avtec started manufacturing transmissions for the off-highway market at Hosur under a technical license agreement from Allison Transmission. In 2000, AVTEC also started supplying transmission systems to domestic OEMs in the on-highway market. By 2006, the two partners inked a

80 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_Excon.indd 80

12/7/2009 4:10:35 PM

EXCON 2009 / COVER STORY

memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand their business alliance. Avtec also inaugurated a transmission assembly and component manufacturing facility at the Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in Chennai with an estimated investment of Rs 30 crore.

Allison Transmission’s new plant will have the advantage of having access to both of Avtec’s manufacturing facilities.

And, components localised in the former’s plant can be synergised with ones put out by the latter.

Allison has also been working with channel partners Premnath Diesels Private Limited (PDPL) and Bharat Power Corporation Limited (BPC). PDPL performs sale and service activities for on-highway, oil field and off-highway transmissions.

BPC on the other hand, provides transmissions and spares to Coal India Limited (CIL). That said, the OEM segment is not off the table for Allison. ‘We are talking to a few OEMs. Our transmissions may be seen in some trucks by next year,’ reveals Amarnath.

CASE FOR AUTOMATICS Robustness and maximum vehicle uptime are vital in construction and off-road business, and it is in these difficult conditions where Allison automatic transmissions excel. The wide range of torque converter models furnishes a perfect match for any engine power and torque rating, allowing the most efficient power to- the-wheel possible. Allison torque converter and preselect function makes the best use of engine braking during deceleration to reduce brake wear and fuel consumption.

Additionally, the latest electronic features, such as RELS (reduced engine load at stop) and LBSS (Load based shift sched-

A

Allison has thus far sold more than 7,000 transmissions to the off road sector.

uling), interpret topography and vehicle load conditions to ensure powerful yet efficient shift strategies without any driver intervention required. These features work around the clock using advanced adaptive controls.

The integrated torsional damper protects the driveline and engine from roadinduced shocks, hence reducing wear, not only on the transmission, but on the whole vehicle driveline. State-of-the-art fully synthetic transmission fluid provides optimal transmission operations with extremely long oil change intervals. And built-in Allison Prognostics informs automatically on oil life, oil filter and transmission status. This notification means less downtime, lower life-cycle cost and, best of all, greater productivity for fleets A strong advocate of automatic transmissions is Coal India Limited. CIL is responsible for 88 percent of coal output in India. In Nagpur, CIL has a total fleet of

B

216 dump trucks (BH50 and BH 35) fitted with Allison automatic transmission, CIL Nagpur has been using these automatic transmission for over 22 years.

‘With a manual gearbox you have to frequently use the clutch change gears, every time you go forward or reverse.

With the Allison automatic, I just go to the ‘Drive or ‘Reverse’ Positions and the truck moves easily. The torque converter also minimizes shift-shocks on the entire drivetrain,’ explains a driver for the company. ‘Thanks to the torque converter in the gearbox, whatever the ground might be like, the truck pulls away really gently and easily without getting stuck or splattering mud,’ he adds.

Testing has demonstrated that trucks fitted with Allison automatic transmission are typically able to complete the journey up to 15 percent quicker than similar vehicles with manual or automated manual transmission. ■

C

(A and B) Off road vehicles put out by the likes of Caterpillar, Komatsu and BEML are big candidates for Allison’s Transmissions (C) Allison’s Transmissions have now been a part of 1,000 Tata Marcopolo buses that have hit the roads

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 81

09 CV_Excon.indd 81

12/7/2009 4:11:25 PM

THE NUMBERS GAME

SIAM DATA

Tata Motors’ 3.5 tonners’ sales take off PRODUCTION

MANUFACTURERS

For the month of October 2008

2009

DOMESTIC SALES

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

For the month of October 2008

2009

EXPORTS

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

For the month of October 2008

2009

M1 CATEGORY : UPTO 8+1 SEATS (PASSENGER CARRIER) B: MAX.MASS UPTO 3.5 TONNES B1: NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER NOT EXCEEDING 7 BMW India Pvt Ltd 0 0 0 0 19 20 164 340 0 0 Force Motors Ltd 2 5 22 13 3 5 25 13 0 0 Ford India Pvt Ltd 219 316 1,892 1,200 229 184 1,879 1,045 0 0 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 553 540 4,263 3,205 487 656 5,896 4,105 0 0 Hindustan Motors Ltd 295 136 1,396 897 300 124 1,486 907 0 0 Honda Siel Cars India Ltd 0 0 0 0 103 47 1,530 155 0 0 Hyundai Motor India Ltd 0 0 0 0 8 0 37 12 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 5,051 6,692 41,148 50,689 5,921 7,738 39,485 49,619 76 172 Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 0 0 0 0 28 0 222 59 0 0 Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd 0 0 0 0 6 7 60 57 0 0 Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd 0 0 0 0 8 25 18 61 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 1,300 1,368 13,016 10,817 1,487 1,631 12,868 10,720 47 0 Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd 1,182 2,574 12,029 13,426 1,161 2,519 11,688 13,542 0 0 Total B1 8,602 11,631 73,766 80,247 9,760 12,956 75,358 80,635 123 172 B2: NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 7 BUT NOT EXCEEDING 9 (7+1 & 8+1) Force Motors Ltd 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 54 88 980 989 92 96 988 1,538 0 0 International Cars & Motors Ltd 601 50 2,545 513 484 100 2,360 695 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 1,556 4,360 15,274 30,528 2,254 4,944 15,078 29,957 35 33 Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 545 185 4,431 1,537 584 168 4,134 2,264 16 10 Tata Motors Ltd 131 753 4,792 2,569 458 289 4,713 2,039 15 17 Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd 1,461 2,341 16,240 14,221 1,482 2,260 15,783 14,122 0 0 Total B2 4,348 7,777 44,262 50,367 5,354 7,857 43,056 50,615 66 60 Total B (B1+B2) 12,950 19,408 118,028 130,614 15,114 20,813 118,414 131,250 189 232 C: MULTI PURPOSE VEHICLES (MPVS) - VAN TYPE VEHICLES & MAX. MASS NOT EXCEEDING 3.5 TONNES VAN TYPE (M1) Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 8,329 8,209 46,637 53,269 6,362 8,018 47,332 52,451 169 88 Tata Motors Ltd 1,990 3,981 15,751 27,215 2,736 4,453 16,628 26,898 0 49 Total C 10,319 12,190 62,388 80,484 9,098 12,471 63,960 79,349 169 137 Total of all M1 Category (B+C) 23,269 31,598 180,416 211,098 24,212 33,284 182,374 210,599 358 369 N1 CATEGORY : MAX. MASS UPTO 3.5 TONNES (GOODS CARRIER) MAX MASS NOT EXCEEDING 3.5 TONNES Force Motors Ltd 190 264 1,017 1,454 212 265 1,295 1,366 0 0 Hindustan Motors Ltd 0 18 0 150 0 8 5 135 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 4,312 5,921 32,836 39,629 4,529 6,051 28,807 36,622 262 569 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 1,110 988 6,281 6,160 1,000 997 6,141 6,160 0 6 Tata Motors Ltd 9,647 10,897 64,780 73,168 6,836 10,262 52,608 65,877 763 948 Total of all N1 Category 15,259 18,088 104,914 120,561 12,577 17,583 88,856 110,160 1,025 1,523 M2 CATEGORY: MORE THAN 8+1 SEATS & MAX. MASS UPTO 5 TONNES (PASSENGER CARRIER) A: MAX. MASS UPTO 5 TONNES A1: NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER NOT EXCEEDING 13 Force Motors Ltd 342 316 3,382 3,129 265 342 3,429 3,160 14 0 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 503 545 4,697 3,158 409 519 4,441 2,835 0 0

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

0 6 0 0 0 0 0 1,201 0 0 0 285 0 1,492

0 0 0 2 0 0 0 436 0 0 0 58 0 496

0 0 6 621 53 68 0 748 2,240

0 0 38 240 40 107 0 425 921

669 42 711 2,951

725 95 820 1,741

10 0 4,191 42 5,997 10,240

2 0 2,328 34 3,921 6,285

25 0

4 5

82 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_December_Siam Data.indd 82

12/7/2009 4:14:09 PM

SIAM DATA / THE NUMBERS GAME

Swaraj Mazda’s LMCVs recover PRODUCTION

MANUFACTURERS

For the month of October 2008

Hindustan Motors Ltd Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Tata Motors Ltd Total A1

2009

DOMESTIC SALES

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

For the month of October 2008

2009

EXPORTS

Cumulative

For the month of

April-October 08-09

09-10

October 2008

0 0 1 0 0 2 4 0 130 6,933 6,889 1,231 432 6,946 6,968 0 92 7,548 5,514 1,107 851 8,511 6,641 13 1,083 22,560 18,691 3,012 2,144 23,329 19,608 27 A2: NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 13 Force Motors Ltd 500 235 2,524 2,881 446 248 2,550 2,851 24 Hindustan Motors Ltd 0 0 0 2 4 0 9 10 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 148 286 2,142 1,960 99 213 1,929 1,702 0 Tata Motors Ltd 228 225 2,199 2,643 217 364 2,305 3,231 4 Total A2 876 746 6,865 7,486 766 825 6,793 7,794 28 Total of all M2 Category (A1+A2) 3,890 1,829 29,425 26,177 3,778 2,969 30,122 27,402 55 N2 CATEGORY : MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 3.5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 12 TONNES (GOODS CARRIER) A: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 3.5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 12 TONNES A1: MAX MASS EXCEEDING 3.5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 5 TONNES Force Motors Ltd 184 195 1,182 981 122 220 1,149 1,020 8 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 187 158 761 658 117 140 758 652 0 Tata Motors Ltd 37 496 214 2,168 0 0 0 0 3 Total A1 408 849 2,157 3,807 239 360 1,907 1,672 11 A2: MAX MASS EXCEEDING 5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 7.5 TONNES Force Motors Ltd 15 13 44 85 2 14 25 70 18 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 439 485 1,888 2,052 329 418 1,584 1,582 10 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 115 121 1,170 1,043 42 122 1,049 963 21 Tata Motors Ltd 1,852 2,077 13,969 12,906 1,352 2,394 9,952 13,660 626 VE CVs - Eicher 307 386 2,549 2,468 218 306 1,716 1,863 75 Total A2 2,728 3,082 19,620 18,554 1,943 3,254 14,326 18,138 750 A3: MAX MASS EXCEEDING 7.5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 12 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 84 115 1,338 815 114 165 924 697 30 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 308 311 1,728 1,966 126 250 1,510 1,812 0 Tata Motors Ltd 1,320 1,775 8,977 10,755 912 1,734 8,599 10,044 67 VE CVs - Eicher 1,041 1,349 7,802 8,447 726 1,374 7,206 8,155 25 Total A3 2,753 3,550 19,845 21,983 1,878 3,523 18,239 20,708 122 Total of all N2 Category (A1+A2+A3) 5,889 7,481 41,622 44,344 4,060 7,137 34,472 40,518 883 M3 CATEGORY: MORE THAN 8+1 SEATS & MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 5 TONNES (PASSENGER CARRIER) A: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 7.5 TONNES NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 168 76 543 523 28 83 318 403 23 Force Motors Ltd 3 0 58 103 3 5 111 103 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 26 30 1,801 1,803 70 70 1,986 1,774 0 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 175 116 1,716 1,166 12 103 1,337 994 0 Tata Motors Ltd 684 866 8,573 8,747 554 835 5,790 7,993 453 VE CVs - Eicher 41 120 1,113 1,340 41 102 975 1,095 32 Total A 1,097 1,208 13,804 13,682 708 1,198 10,517 12,362 508 B: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 7.5 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 12 TONNES NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 73 132 616 849 37 77 440 687 21 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 215 216 1,591 1,292 0 177 1,349 1,056 0

afpmi^v

April-October

2009

0 1,072 1,097 3,014

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip

Cumulative

08-09

09-10

0 5 4 9

0 57 170 252

0 58 127 194

13 0 1 5 19 28

91 0 40 70 201 453

71 0 112 25 208 402

0 0 12 12

18 0 83 101

9 0 48 57

0 70 11 168 50 299

37 261 222 4,654 529 5,703

2 471 298 1,206 404 2,381

39 52 137 32 260 571

159 147 435 218 959 6,763

221 120 776 317 1,434 3,872

10 0 24 0 98 56 188

218 0 80 33 3,228 223 3,782

175 0 108 21 900 292 1,496

25 0

107 4

143 0

Amlr_ar8 @S J^ohbqfkd Lccf`b Ksk`_g8 )7/ 00 45303030 Bcjfg8 )7/ // 20123456 @_le_jmpc8 )7/ 6. 44//.//4-5 Afcll_g8 )7/ 22 17/27667

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 83

09 CV_December_Siam Data.indd 83

12/7/2009 4:14:27 PM

THE NUMBERS GAME / SIAM DATA

Ashok Leyland hits sweet spot in buses PRODUCTION

MANUFACTURERS

For the month of October 2008

Tata Motors Ltd VE CVs - Eicher Total B

2009

DOMESTIC SALES

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

For the month of October 2008

2009

EXPORTS

Cumulative April-October 08-09

09-10

For the month of

Cumulative

October 2008

296 253 2,253 2,868 137 314 2,065 2,885 0 69 63 1,243 1,137 76 86 989 1,128 20 653 664 5,703 6,146 250 654 4,843 5,756 41 C: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 12 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 1,511 1,710 13,533 8,480 961 1,374 9,951 6,622 245 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 9 0 Tata Motors Ltd 1,146 1,284 8,091 8,451 724 1,193 6,692 7,275 381 VE CVs - Eicher 43 28 183 130 18 30 112 128 0 Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd. 44 57 308 336 44 41 295 304 0 Total C 2,744 3,079 22,115 17,410 1,747 2,638 17,050 14,338 626 D: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 13 (PASSENGER CARRIER) Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd. 12 3 12 37 12 2 12 29 0 Total D 12 3 12 37 12 2 12 29 0 Total of all M3 Category (A+B+C+D) 4,506 4,954 41,634 37,275 2,717 4,492 32,422 32,485 1,175 N3 CATEGORY: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 12 TONNES (GOODS CARRIER) A: MAX. MASS NOT EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 12 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 632 1,241 8,054 7,100 607 883 6,388 5,667 102 Tata Motors Ltd 3,136 3,325 24,606 17,935 2,503 3,065 22,144 16,433 275 VE CVs - Eicher 59 193 984 1,020 75 86 779 451 27 Total A 3,827 4,759 33,644 26,055 3,185 4,034 29,311 22,551 404 B1: MAX MASS EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES - RIGID VEHICLES (A) MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 16.2 BUT NOT EXCEEDING 25 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 950 1,778 16,035 7,341 930 1,518 13,467 7,261 0 Asia Motor Works Ltd 260 324 1,727 1,153 284 349 2,091 1,322 0 Force Motors Ltd 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 3,886 4,343 32,051 28,589 2,705 4,079 29,370 26,952 193 VE CVs - Eicher 17 33 356 172 6 29 345 185 5 VE CVs - Volvo 14 4 238 4 14 4 18 4 16 Total (A) 5,127 6,482 50,407 37,260 3,939 5,979 45,291 35,724 214 (B) MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 25 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 30 33 1,171 400 116 27 1,150 636 0 Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd 25 20 218 41 20 27 136 110 0 Tata Motors Ltd 273 958 2,266 4,988 136 724 2,185 4,403 0 Tatra Vectra Motors Ltd 0 0 10 0 0 0 6 0 0 VE CVs - Eicher 60 21 106 128 14 11 119 143 0 VE CVs - Volvo 68 51 617 335 55 51 507 424 0 Total (B) 456 1,083 4,388 5,892 341 840 4,103 5,716 0 Total B1 ((A)+(B)) 5,583 7,565 54,795 43,152 4,280 6,819 49,394 41,440 214 B2: MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES- HAULAGE TRACTOR (TRACTOR-SEMI TRAILER/TRAILER) (B) MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 16.2 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 26.4 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (B) MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 26.4 TONNES BUT NOT EXCEEDING 35.2 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 145 703 1,668 1,464 58 605 1,260 1,372 0

April-October

2009

08-09

09-10

2 5 32

14 102 227

43 7 193

91 0 327 0 0 418

2,178 0 2,286 32 0 4,496

792 0 1,829 38 0 2,659

0 0 638

0 0 8,505

0 0 4,348

202 386 80 668

1,060 2,479 193 3,732

1,210 2,478 579 4,267

0 0 0 311 10 0 321

5 0 0 990 36 226 1,257

124 0 0 1,613 63 0 1,800

0 0 43 0 0 0 43 364

0 0 0 0 0 45 45 1,302

95 0 147 0 12 0 254 2,054

27

0

157

5

0

31

84 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / DECEMBER 2009

09 CV_December_Siam Data.indd 84

12/7/2009 4:14:42 PM

SIAM DATA / THE NUMBERS GAME

Bajaj Auto makes headway in both pass and cargo 3-wheelers PRODUCTION

MANUFACTURERS

For the month of October 2008

Tata Motors Ltd Total (B)

30 175

DOMESTIC SALES

Cumulative April-October

2009

08-09

09-10

For the month of October 2008

2009

EXPORTS

Cumulative

For the month of

April-October 08-09

09-10

Cumulative

October 2008

2009

April-October 08-09

0 703

1,627 1 104 343 2,495 2,435 2 0 3,295 1,465 162 948 3,755 3,807 2 5 (C) MAX. MASS EXCEEDING 35.2 TONNES Ashok Leyland Ltd 16 223 1,884 566 125 202 1,404 985 0 0 Asia Motor Works Ltd 44 78 405 346 32 54 650 377 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 243 0 2,817 0 100 464 2,567 2,911 0 0 VE CVs - Eicher 2 2 23 2 9 0 35 32 0 0 VE CVs - Volvo 20 0 148 0 6 4 45 31 12 0 Total (C) 325 303 5,277 914 272 724 4,701 4,336 12 0 Total B2 ((A)+(B)+(C)) 500 1,006 8,572 2,379 434 1,672 8,456 8,143 14 32 Total of all N3 Category (A+B1+B2) 9,910 13,330 97,011 71,586 7,899 12,525 87,161 72,134 632 1,064 TH CATEGORY: THREE WHEELERS A: PASSENGER CARRIER A1:NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER NOT EXCEEDING 4 & MAX.MASS NOT EXCEEDING 1 TONNE Atul Auto Limited 1,148 510 4,604 2,110 335 514 1,735 2,113 722 0 Bajaj Auto Ltd 25,101 29,732 151,935 172,661 12,052 16,083 73,683 96,372 13,276 13,442 Force Motors Ltd 5 54 49 108 5 24 81 72 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 3,488 3,173 18,056 16,740 2,880 3,044 18,040 16,725 0 0 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 9,828 11,766 65,188 75,624 9,401 11,387 63,362 73,961 230 392 Scooters India Ltd 279 210 1,737 1,487 289 202 1,818 1,492 0 0 TVS Motor Company Ltd 511 1,125 2,975 6,520 500 890 2,491 6,094 0 22 Total A1 40,360 46,570 244,544 275,250 25,462 32,144 161,210 196,829 14,228 13,856 A2:NO. OF SEATS INCLUDING DRIVER EXCEEDING 4 BUT NOT EXCEEDING 7 & MAX.MASS NOT EXCEEDING 1.5 TONNES Force Motors Ltd 38 96 592 483 41 21 347 179 0 42 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 95 3 1,322 23 88 0 678 153 0 0 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scooters India Ltd 240 194 1,466 1,489 243 185 1,894 1,466 0 0 Total A2 373 293 3,399 1,995 372 206 2,919 1,798 0 42 Total A (A1+A2) 40,733 46,863 247,943 277,245 25,834 32,350 164,129 198,627 14,228 13,898 B: GOODS CARRIER B1: MAX. MASS NOT EXCEEDING 1 TONNE Atul Auto Limited 435 741 2,597 3,841 443 738 2,601 3,859 0 0 Bajaj Auto Ltd 1,091 1,166 6,911 5,777 1,035 956 7,342 5,617 0 0 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 3,825 4,155 28,369 27,516 3,706 4,274 27,779 27,799 111 21 Scooters India Ltd 311 215 1,978 1,668 326 206 2,044 1,673 0 0 Total B1 5,662 6,277 39,855 38,802 5,510 6,174 39,766 38,948 111 21 B2: OTHERS Force Motors Ltd 237 118 1,248 723 143 106 1,489 714 3 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 1,471 1,316 9,653 7,847 1,314 1,087 11,295 8,004 0 8 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 30 0 152 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 Scooters India Ltd 231 218 1,137 1,458 225 209 1,281 1,442 0 0 Total B2 1,969 1,652 12,190 10,028 1,682 1,402 14,065 10,160 33 8 Total B (B1+B2) 7,631 7,929 52,045 48,830 7,192 7,576 53,831 49,108 144 29 Total of all TH Category (A+B) 48,364 54,792 299,988 326,075 33,026 39,926 217,960 247,735 14,372 13,927

afpmi^v

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip

09-10

21 21

0 31

0 0 40 0 85 125 146 5,180

49 0 10 0 0 59 247 6,568

2,776 78,400 0 2 1,862 0 0 83,040

11 76,980 0 108 2,294 0 322 79,715

332 0 18 6 356 83,396

308 0 0 0 308 80,023

9 0 612 0 621

16 0 188 0 204

12 58 156 0 226 847 84,243

9 96 0 0 105 309 80,332

Amlr_ar8 @S J^ohbqfkd Lccf`b Ksk`_g8 )7/ 00 45303030 Bcjfg8 )7/ // 20123456 @_le_jmpc8 )7/ 6. 44//.//4-5 Afcll_g8 )7/ 22 17/27667

DECEMBER 2009 / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE / 85

09 CV_December_Siam Data.indd 85

12/7/2009 4:15:00 PM

09 CV_December_Siam Data.indd 86

12/7/2009 4:15:19 PM

Mahindra CRX range is available across 8 variants in 2500 - 5000 kgs payload capacity, and 2920 - 4250 mm cargo body sizes to suit various commercial transportation needs.

Leave the competition behind, Mahindra CRX range is here. Fully loaded with greater Comfort, higher Reliability and Xtra economy, Mahindra CRX is now ready to leave others in dust. The powerful range is engineered to provide solutions for all your application needs. So get set to rule the roads with all new Mahindra CRX. Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd. Marketing Department : 3rd floor, Mahindra Towers, Worli, Mumbai - 400 018 Tel: 022-2490 1441 Fax: 022-2495 1702 E-mail: crx@mahindranavistar.com Visit us at www.crxishere.com

09 CV_December_cover.indd 3

12/7/2009 3:21:17 PM

RNI NO. MAHENG / 2006 / 20842

09 CV_December_cover.indd 4

12/7/2009 3:25:06 PM