German truck major Daimler on Thursday said its Rs 4,400-crore manufacturing facility in Oragadam near Chennai would go on stream in the middle of 2012. The 400-acre unit will initially roll out 25-49 tonne trucks, to be followed by the 9-12 tonne vehicles. The plant will make the complete range in phases.
To take on domestic truck majors such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Mahindra Navistar, Daimler said it would create a unique market for its products in India and would see that its products raise the bar of unique driving experience, safety and cabin comforts. “We don’t bother whether the Indian market is crowded or not. We are here to develop (push) the market to a new growth path as we see huge opportunity here. We have understood the Indian market conditions and have done our homework thoroughly before getting into manufacturing,” Marc Llistosella, CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd, said. ?We are here to change the market dynamics.?
He said, ?We have spent Rs 1,200 crore on R&D alone and have feedbacks from drivers, dealers, parts suppliers and common people on the Indian market conditions. We are here to stay on long-term basis.?