Team-BHP - Mahindra Truck & Bus division rolls out 15,000th HCV from Chakan plant

Mahindra Truck and Bus Division has rolled out the 15,000th heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) from its plant in Chakan, Maharashtra. In addition, the company also reached a sales milestone of 125,000 light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in India.

Mahindra Truck & Bus division rolls out 15,000th HCV from Chakan plant-photograph.jpg

Mahindra Truck and Bus Division claims to have over 6,000 customers using its trucks in various applications across the country. Additionally, it also claims to have over 1.25 lakh LCVs on Indian roads. In the LCV segment, Mahindra has a market share of 8.9%.

Mahindra's medium and heavy commercial vehicles are manufactured at the Chakan facility. The plant, which spans over 700 acres, has been set up with an investment of over Rs. 4,000 crore and is producing other Mahindra products as well. LCVs and buses are manufactured at the facility in Zaheerabad.

Mahindra has also announced that it is investing Rs. 700 crore in the development of new intermediate commercial vehicles (ICV) and LCVs. The company plans to have a full range of commercial vehicles ranging from 3.5 tonnes to 49 tonnes in the next two years.

Mahindra is offering a 5 year or 5 lakh km transferable warranty as well as an annual maintenance contract. The company has 66 3S dealerships, 90 authorized service centres and 2,514 roadside assistance points. It has a spares network of 1,322 retail outlets. The company also has a multi-lingual helpline - Now.

Way to go Mahindra in the HCV space. Lot of product gaps to be filled still with the base yet to be established. Its now almost 7 years they are into HCV business and still the numbers are far less. They are trying to touch too many segments without establishing the former. Take AMW for instance, they entered a segment where there were less competition and they established their presence. At one point they were challenging both AL and TML in a big way in multi axle tipper segment. Almost they were like a threat to them. But now due to too much focus only on one segment they have lost control but still their strategy was good. Only this big downturn turned their company upside down.
But Mahindra has now touched all segments including the newest segment like 37T rigid hauls. With so much work to be done in product variants in other segments why should they keep moving to new segments? Nothing to speak about their interest to develop rear engine buses. With the entire TIV is concentrated in FE buses, its one of the worst decision to touch a segment having very low volumes that too for a segment where it needs so much creditability before customer makes a buying a decision. Thank God that it was shelved. But I dont know why this was approved to atleast kick start. This shows the team is not getting tuned inline with the market need rather interested to just bring fancy products.
Mahindra is yet an another example that AL and TML are not that easy to be defeated only with financial strength. Currently only BB is the only company that can challenge them in coming years but from the news coming around even that is not going to be so easy especially in the rigid segments.
With entry of BB, life of Mahindra is going to be still tough as even the customers who want a change have another option unlike earlier. My sincere wishes to Mahindra to come out successfully but with a planned strategical approach.