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directinjection · 19th October 2006, 15:17

With the entry of Maruti in 1983, the car industry and market in India underwent a sea change. A few years later, the entry of 100 CC Japanese-origin bikes transformed India's two-wheeler industry. However, unfortunately, the Indian auto revolution completely bypassed the truck and bus sector, notwithstanding the Indo-Jap LCVs which entered Indian market around the same time and had raised some hope. True, Tata and Ashok Leyland did upgrade their range (mainly by fitting more fuel-efficient and less polluting engines in their World War II design chassis, with designs sourced from Cummins and Hino respectively) but no revolutionary changes took place. What they produce is not the complete vehicle but just a chassis fitted with the bare essentials which then goes to a typical, road-side body builder who does a miserable job of body building using the most primitive construction methods.

Today, while Indian made cars and two wheelers compare favourably with their counterparts abroad (at least in their respective segments) the same can't be said about Indian trucks and buses which, in terms of design, safety features, ergonomics, styling and looks continue to be decadent even today. True, we have some Volvos, but what are their numbers? Have they displaced the old-generation vehicles the way Maruti (and others) displaced the Ambassadors and Premier Padminis? Unfortunately not.

One sincerely hopes that the entry of MAN would be on a scale much bigger than that of Volvo. In this connection, it is pertinent to note that the truck models chosen for India are not from MAN's top-of-the-line range but are actually older generation models no longer produced in Germany that are much more relevant for the Indian market.

For years one has been hearing about ARAI Pune having framed elaborate rules and standards that must be followed by all bus and truck body manufacturers but for reasons best known to Govt., they haven't been announced yet. One wonders which lobby is at work here?

Best of luck to you MAN and Force! May your numbers multiply!

Cheers!

19th October 2006, 15:17	#6 (permalink)
directinjection BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Delhi/Faridabad Posts: 886	With the entry of Maruti in 1983, the car industry and market in India underwent a sea change. A few years later, the entry of 100 CC Japanese-origin bikes transformed India's two-wheeler industry. However, unfortunately, the Indian auto revolution completely bypassed the truck and bus sector, notwithstanding the Indo-Jap LCVs which entered Indian market around the same time and had raised some hope. True, Tata and Ashok Leyland did upgrade their range (mainly by fitting more fuel-efficient and less polluting engines in their World War II design chassis, with designs sourced from Cummins and Hino respectively) but no revolutionary changes took place. What they produce is not the complete vehicle but just a chassis fitted with the bare essentials which then goes to a typical, road-side body builder who does a miserable job of body building using the most primitive construction methods. Today, while Indian made cars and two wheelers compare favourably with their counterparts abroad (at least in their respective segments) the same can't be said about Indian trucks and buses which, in terms of design, safety features, ergonomics, styling and looks continue to be decadent even today. True, we have some Volvos, but what are their numbers? Have they displaced the old-generation vehicles the way Maruti (and others) displaced the Ambassadors and Premier Padminis? Unfortunately not. One sincerely hopes that the entry of MAN would be on a scale much bigger than that of Volvo. In this connection, it is pertinent to note that the truck models chosen for India are not from MAN's top-of-the-line range but are actually older generation models no longer produced in Germany that are much more relevant for the Indian market. For years one has been hearing about ARAI Pune having framed elaborate rules and standards that must be followed by all bus and truck body manufacturers but for reasons best known to Govt., they haven't been announced yet. One wonders which lobby is at work here? Best of luck to you MAN and Force! May your numbers multiply! Cheers! Last edited by directinjection : 19th October 2006 at 15:33.