・DICV celebrates the completion of 10 successful years of operations in India
・Around 50,000 vehicles, including 35,000 FUSO trucks and buses, have been exported from the DICV manufacturing plant in Oragadam, Chennai (India)
・Medium-duty and heavy-duty FUSO trucks are exported to 60 countries from DICV
・DICV is targeting 100% carbon free* operations at the plant by 2025
Chennai, India/Kawasaki, Japan — Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC; headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Karl Deppen), is pleased to announce that partner company Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV; headquarters: Chennai, India; Managing Director and CEO: Satyakam Arya) is celebrating 10 years of operation. Since its start in 2012, DICV has expanded the market presence of its “made in India, for India” brand of commercial vehicles, BharatBenz, while exporting approximately 35,000 trucks and buses under the FUSO brand.
DICV’s headquarters and production base is in Oragadam, Chennai, a city on the eastern coast of India and a key hub for global manufacturers and software development. Now with over 4000 employees, DICV has rapidly ramped up its capabilities during the past decade. MFTBC and DICV together form Daimler Truck Asia, an organizational unit under Daimler Truck AG that allows the two entities to collaborate on product development, production, exports, sourcing, and research activity. For example, some BharatBenz vehicles, such as the 9-tonne 914R or the 13-tonne 1217C, include much of the same architecture as FUSO medium and heavy-duty models, as further evidence of the rich collaboration between DICV and MFTBC.
In fact, in addition to producing BharatBenz vehicles for the Indian market, the plant in Oragadam also exports FUSO vehicles to 60 countries around the world, from South America to the Middle East. By volume, the largest export market for DICV-produced FUSO vehicles is Saudi Arabia. KD packages are also part of the export business, and are sent to assemby plants in South Africa, Kenya, Vietnam, Malaysia under the FUSO brand and Indonesia under Mercedes-Benz branding. FUSO models produced by DICV range in GVW/GCW from 9 to 40 tons, to match various customer needs and applications. Until now, over 50,000 vehicles have been shipped overseas from DICV, 35,000 units of which have been for FUSO. Additionally, DICV supports the Daimler Truck network of companies with parts procurement and with the production of important components such as transmissions. The organization is therefore not only a key partner for MFTBC, but plays an important role within the largers Daimler Truck family.
In 2021, despite the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, DICV achieved a record in exports at 125% above the previous year. Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO of DICV, commented, “Despite supply chain headwinds, rising input costs, rising fuel prices and the impact of the pandemic, we closed the year with a 48% increase in domestic wholesales and achieved highest-ever growth in exports of trucks, buses and parts.”
DICV’s remarkable growth has also been accompanied by a strong commitment to sustainability. The plant’s state-of-the-art facilities only rely on 100% recycled water, and are on course to achieve carbon free* operations by 2025. Solar panels located across the vast 430 acre plot are already contributing to this goal, with their 3.3 megawatt capacity. As with MFTBC’s Kawasaki Plant, carbon neutrality across the value chain is also a strategic focus at the Oragadam location. Together with DICV, MFTBC will continue to strive towards the Daimler Truck Asia vision “to develop mobility solutions to embrace a better life for people and the planet,” in the years to come.
The 50,000th export vehicle rolling off the production line
A birds-eye view of the Oragadam plant
*powered by energy that generates no carbon emissions in its production
Daimler Truck Asia at a Glance
Daimler Truck Asia (DTA), under Daimler Truck AG, is an organizational unit that jointly operates Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) – an icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with 90 years of history with its FUSO brand – and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), an up and rising challenger in the Indian market. DTA adopts a strategic business model that allows its group entities to collaborate on product development, production, exports, sourcing and research activity to provide innovative, cutting-edge and best value products to customers. DTA’s vision is “to develop mobility solutions to embrace a better life for people and the planet,” and is aligned with Daimler Truck’s purpose, “For all who keep the world moving.”
MFTBC at a Glance
Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, with 89.29% of its shares owned by Daimler Truck AG and 10.71% by various Mitsubishi group companies. An icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with a longstanding history of 90 years with its FUSO brand, MFTBC manufactures a range of commercial vehicles including light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, and industrial engines for over 170 markets worldwide. In 2017, MFTBC introduced the eCanter, the first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production and in 2019, the Super Great – Japan’s first heavy-duty truck fitted with Level 2 Automated Driving Support Technology, a benchmark in the Japanese commercial vehicle market. MFTBC operates under the umbrella of Daimler Truck Asia, together with its partner organization Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India. This strategic unit allows the entities to collaborate on areas such as product development, parts sourcing and production to provide the best value to customers.
FUSO at a Glance
FUSO is a Daimler Truck brand, offering a range of commercial vehicles from light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, to industrial engines and connectivity solutions for over 170 markets worldwide. A longstanding landmark in Japan’s commercial vehicle landscape, the brand has leveraged Japanese quality and craftsmanship over the decades. FUSO is particularly renowned for its offerings in the light-duty segment. The Canter light-duty truck claims the top market share in various markets around the world. In 2017 the eCanter became the first series produced all-electric light-duty truck in Japan, establishing FUSO as a pioneer in eMobility. FUSO promises customers a “Future Together,” a bold claim that continues to drive the brand’s contributions to safe and sustainable transport. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the FUSO brand, another milestone in its continuing legacy of setting benchmarks in efficiency, safety, and comfort.
