The company's vice-president (marketing) Anton Freiesleben noted at a presentation of its FM7 tractor-trailer series that the company was aiming for a 30 to 35 per cent market share in the multi-axle heavy vehicle segment in 10-15 years.

The market share of the multi-axle heavy commercial vehicles is restricted between 5 and 10 per cent in market where over 70,000 heavy commercial vehicles re-sold annually. It is as high as 85 per cent in the north American market and fairly high elsewhere also.

Volvo which set up a Rs 300 crore manufacturing base in Bangalore in 1998, is sourcing 40 per cent from local vendors.

The company's tipper models is expected to grab a substantial share of the HCV market in the east. Freiesleben noted: ``The eastern region represents a very important market for our products because of the presence of core industries such as steel and mining.''

In its bid to gain a edge over its competitors and get more mileage from its products, Volvo is training drivers on behalf of their customers. Already, in addition to the 200 HCVs which rolled out last year from its Bangalore unit, there are 450 Volvo vehicles plying on the Indian roads.

Freiesleben pointed out that Volvo models reduces pollution by 85 per cent and its fuel consumption is 50 per cent less.

The company has kept on hold its plans for launching its buses. There are no immediate plans, according to the vice president, but he felt that in another two years Volvo should be in a position to launch its buses.