Few days back, we had reported about Daimler coming to India and thinking of selling its trucks here. In this scenario, how could the world renowned truck maker, Mahindra Navistar be left behind? The good news is that the company is planning to enter the Indian market and establish their presence here. It is said that for the Indian market, the company is keen to have an all new multipurpose platform. This platform would however be ready by only 2011-2012. It is going to be a 16 tonne truck and would be available in CNG as well as diesel options.
Mahindra Navistar Automotives, MD, Rakesh Kalra mentioned that the company would also have their buses here soon. He elaborated that this range would include the likes of intra as well as inter city buses. They would also have the semi low floor as also the low floor variants. He also said that they are eyeing the prospect of exports and since the trucks would be built in the company’s Chakan plant in Pune, they would mostly make up for the right hand drive markets like South Africa where the company has a big presence. Moreover, the emission norms of India as well as South Africa seem to be at par. New engines are in the offing with talks of a 3 liter and 4.8 liter powerplant coming up in the future. Currently the company has to make do with a heavy 7.2 liter engine (diesel) for its heavy duty trucks.
Optimism is high in the air for the company since they believe that in the burgeoning Indian truck market, they would be able to sell about 50,000 units in about 3-4 years. Moreover a dealership number of 200 is also been floated around and these dealerships would be set in about 2 years time frame, all over India. Mahindra heavy duty truck range dealers would sell Navistar branded vehicles for the time been.