Daimler India to set up bus manufacturing facility near Chennai

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will invest Rs 450 crore to set up a dedicated bus manufacturing facility. The facility which will span across 27.91 acre inside its existing truck manufacturing facility at Oragadam near Chennai will employ 300 people. It will commence production in the second quarter of 2015 and will manufacture 1,500 buses annually under both Mercedes-Benz and BharatBenz brands.
The DICV plant at Oragadam will be the only Daimler plant worldwide to manufacture three brands -- Daimler trucks, Mercedes-Benz buses and BharatBenz buses and engines under one roof.
"After launching the truck business in India, we are now pressing ahead on the Indian bus market," announced Wolfgang Bernhardt, Member of the Daimler AG Board responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses.
"We will be using existing suppliers and sales network." He laid the foundation stone for the bus plant.
The company has tied with Wrightbus, a global player in the bus body building for its front-engined buses. "Our two-fold strategy BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz buses allows us to cater to the different needs of Indian customers in a perfect way. In terms of safety, fuel efficiency, quality and comfort, both the brands will set a new standard," Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses said.
Mark Llistosella, MD and CEO at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles said BharatBenz has become the fourth-largest truck manufacturer in the country on the strength of its high performance backed by best-in-class service. "I am confident the bus project will deliver the same level of promise and experience to the customer," he added.