Terming India as the growth market, Japanese commercial vehicle maker, Nissan Diesel, has said that it will soon launch its trucks in India, which will be produced at parent Volvo’s plant near Bangalore.
?Just as we are launching some of our products in the Chinese market, we would like to do the same in India. India is the future growth market,? Nissan Diesel president Satoru Takeuchi told FE. Takeuchi said Nissan Diesel will not go in for a new manufacturing plant in India, but would like to produce small to heavy-duty trucks from Volvo?s plant in India. ?We would like to efficiently utilise the existing production facility of Volvo in India,? he said.
Even as Takeuchi refused to specify a timeframe for the launch of Nissan Diesel vehicles in India, it is expected that they may come to India in 2008, with Volvo assembling knockdown parts. Asked about the investments the company is trying to make in India, he refused to specify the money being proposed. On possible Nissan products that may be launched in India, he said the company was currently discussing this with Volvo.
?We are in discussions with Volvo on this matter, and hope to conclude them very quickly,? Takeuchi said.
Nissan Diesel is a group company of Swedish commercial vehicle major Volvo, which also has Mack Trucks and Renault. Earlier Volvo India managing director Eric Leblanc had told FE that the company was reworking its India strategy and was looking at developing specific low horsepower trucks for the market. Volvo India that manufactures trucks with 16-tonne and above capacity at its factory near Bangalore, sold 660 units last fiscal in a segment that accounted for sale of over 1,00,000 units.
Domestic players Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland, which account for major sales due to their low-cost products, dominate Indian commercial vehicle market.