BharatBenz

History

In 2008, Daimler AG planned to enter the Indian market in a joint venture with Hero MotoCorp to build medium and heavy commercial vehicles. A joint venture named Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles (DHCV) was formed under Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July 2008 with 60% holding of Daimler AG and 40% holding of Hero Group.

Daimler AG and Hero Group announced they would dissolve the Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles Ltd. joint venture on April 15, 2009 because of an economic downturn in India. Hero group decided to focus on core operation and return the 40% stake in DHCV joint venture to Daimler AG. With 100% stake Daimler AG renamed DHCV as Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV).

The launch of the BharatBenz brand was announced on February 17, 2011 at Chennai by Daimler AG Chairman Dieter Zetsche and the first BharatBenz truck was unveiled on January 4, 2012 at the Delhi Auto Expo. The decision to launch the brand was prompted by Daimler's determination to compete in the fast-growing Indian truck market against existing Indian brands such as Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Indian ventures of other leading global truck manufacturers like VE Commercial Vehicles (Volvo-Eicher Motors-Joint Venture). The entire proposed truck line-up in the 9 to 49-tonne range was unveiled on March 2, 2012.

Early 2014 BharatBenz launched the tractor trailer models and a construction model making itself a full range player in the segment above 9T category spanning across Medium and Heavy duty truck segments. Product range: 914, 1214, 2523, 3123, 3128, 2523 (6x4), 1217, 2528(6x4), 3128 CM, 4023 and 4928.

In May 2015, BharatBenz inaugurated its new bus manufacturing facility in Oragadam, Chennai and unveiled its second wave of products – BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz buses as well as a new range of new BharatBenz high-power engine trucks and BharatBenz heavy duty tractors.

Bus

BharatBenz Bus is an Indian bus manufacturer.

Daimler buses will serve the domestic market in India with a range of luxury service (Mercedes-Benz) coaches with a best in class operational efficiency, space and passenger comfort and a new range of buses is also being launched by the brand "Bharat-Benz" which has been designed for best in class fuel efficiency, strong build body to tackle the variety of road infrastructure in India and powerful low maintenance power terrain.

Truck

The BharatBenz heavy-duty trucks are built on the Mercedes-Benz Axor platform, and the medium-duty trucks on the Fuso Canter and Fuso Fighter series. The entire product line meets BSIII standards (comparable to Euro III). All BharatBenz (17 models) trucks are slated to be up to 9% more expensive but be 10% more fuel efficient than the competition. The FUSO medium and heavy duty trucks produced in Chennai are also being exported to markets of Africa and Asia, under Daimler's Asia Business Model. BharatBenz crossed 30,000 units sale mark in January 2016.

From November 2015, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles started delivery of its first set of made-in-India made-for-India buses. The front engine buses are branded as BharatBenz and are based on the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter platform. These are available in school, staff and tourist variants. The rear engine buses are branded as Mercedes-Benz and are based on the Mercedes-Benz O-500 series. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles have tied-up with Ireland-based organisation WrightBus for bus body building. WrightBus is known for their unique patented aluminique alloy structure, which is lighter and stronger than conventional steel, increasing fuel efficiency and making the buses safer.

Daimler is also exporting these buses under the brand of Mercedes-Benz to African and South-Asian markets

Medium-Duty Trucks

914R MD (9.6t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
914R MD Inpower (10.6t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214R MD (11.9t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214R MD Inpower (11.9t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214RE MD (12.8t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214RE MD Inpower (13.0t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1217C MD (13.0t GVW Tipper, 170 hp)

Heavy-Duty Trucks

1617R (16t GVW Truck, 170 hp)
1623R (16t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
1623C (16t GVW Tipper, 230 hp)
2523R (25t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
2523C (25t GVW Tipper, 230 hp)
2528C (25t GVW Tipper, 280 hp)
2528CM (25t GVW Mining Tipper, 280 hp)
3123R (31t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
3128C (31t GVW Tipper, 280 hp)
3128CM (31t GVW Mining Tipper, 280 hp)
3143CM (31t GVW Mining Tipper, 430 hp)
3723R (37t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
4023T (40t GVW Tractor, 230 hp)
4028T (40t GVW Tractor, 280 hp)
4928T (49t GVW Tractor, 280 hp)
4940T (49t GVW Tractor, 400 hp)

Production facility

DICV set up a manufacturing plant for the BharatBenz trucks in Oragadam, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu at an investment of over €700 million (₹44 billion). Its biggest investment outside Europe. Construction area for plant is 400 acres, out of which 47 acres are dedicated to 3-lane 1.55 kilometer test track. Test track include a bump track, pothole testing and articulation sections, a water trough, an inspection ramp and a control tower. Initial production capacity at the plant is 36000 units per year for 2012 and will be expanded to 70,000 units per year by start of 2013 with additional investment of ₹3.5 billion. Series production started in June 2012 with the 2523R truck; sales began in September 2012.

Currently BharatBenz has over 3500 employees including both Indian and German staff. Localization rate for BharatBenz truck is 85% with more than 450 local suppliers out of which 41 per cent are based in Tamil Nadu and 44 per cent are in rest of the country, with an aim to exceed 90%.

Daimler has test driven its trucks a distance of 4.5 million km in various conditions at its test track in Oragadam.

Research & Development facility

DICV set up a fine research and development facility at Oragadam manufacturing plant with initial investment of ₹12 billion.

Bus Manufacturing Plant

On May 27, 2015, DICV inaugurated its new bus manufacturing facility in Oragadam, Chennai. The new state-of-the-art bus manufacturing plant, constructed within the existing premises of DICV spread across an area of 27.91 acres, will manufacture and assemble buses under two brands: Mercedes-Benz and BharatBenz. With an investment of Rs 425 crore, the bus plant is set up for an initial capacity of 1,500 units which can be further expanded to 4,000 units subsequently.

Milestones