Daimler’s Indian subsidiary Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) launched their first light to heavy duty BharatBenz trucks weighing 9-49 tonnes in India. The German company declared that it will launch 17 trucks in India by 2014. The BharatBenz lineup includes light-, medium-, and heavy-duty commercial vehicles based on Axor or Fuso Canter platforms. The dealership network will include around 70 locations by the end of the year, while the retail network will be expanded to more than 100 dealerships by 2014.

Commenting on the product premiere, Andreas Renschler, the Daimler Board of Management Member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses, said: “India’s volume segment promises considerable growth accompanied by a rise in customer expectations,” Renschler added. “Our Global Excellence Strategy is bearing fruit here. Using existing truck platforms as a basis, we developed new products specifically for the Indian market, which are also manufactured and sold here in India. Like all Daimler commercial vehicles, BharatBenz trucks will fulfill customers’ expectations with regard to quality, reliability, and efficiency.”

Marc Llistosella, CEO and Managing Director of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, emphasized the following at the product presentation: “Today’s presentation of BharatBenz products is a significant moment for us. Following a long development phase and over 4.5 million kilometers of testing at our Oragadam proving grounds, we are more than ready to conquer the Indian market. The fact that Daimler is offering a brand for the Indian market shows how important this region is for us. We are investing 44 billion rupees (around €700 million) into highly modern development and production facilities, thus demonstrating our commitment to this fascinating country.”

The Bharat Benz trucks will be manufactured at the new plant in Oragadam near Chennai in Southern India which has a initiall capacity of 36,000 units per year, but it can be ramped up to 70,000 units.