Daimler Set to Begin Indian Truck Production This Year

Daimler AG plans to start production at a truck plant in south India by the third quarter of this year, the head of its Indian commercial truck unit said Wednesday.

Daimler has already begin trial production and will to roll out a range of trucks later this year, said Marc Llistosella, CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., the Wall Street Journal reported on its website.

Daimler said early last year that it was targeting making trucks in India under the Bharat Benz brand. Daimler makes Freightliner and Western Star brand trucks in North America.

Daimler will sell trucks from plant under the Bharat Benz brand, its fifth globally, as it attempts to get a bigger foothold in a market that it expects to double by 2020, the Journal reported on its website Wednesday.

Bharat Benz will offer trucks from six to 49 tons under the, produced a factory near Chennai, India, which will have an initial production capacity of 36,000 vehicles a year and will later target expansion to 70,000 units, Llistosella said.

“Our trucks target the modern domestic segment in India, which is showing high growth potential,” he said, India Infoline reported on is website.

“We are confident that the introduction of modern trucks with improved fuel efficiency, safety features and competitive pricing will make us the game changer in the Indian trucking industry,” Llistosella said.