Volvo Trucks has pipped all
its European competitors to deliver its 10,000th truck in India on June 18.
2015. Volvo Trucks, the country’s largest truck manufacturer in premium
European segment, has achieved this landmark with the delivery of the recently
launched technologically advanced Volvo FMX 440 8x4 I-Shift to M/s Mahalaxmi
Infracontracts Pvt Ltd . The latter has over 350 Volvo trucks and a long
standing relationship of over a decade with Volvo Trucks. Pierre Jean Verge
Salamon – President, Volvo Group Truck Sales, India, along with Rama Rao A S –
SVP Sales, Marketing & Aftermarket, Volvo Trucks, VECV, were present at the
ceremony conducted in Bengaluru.
It was in 1998 when India saw
the roll out of the first Volvo truck, at a time when the Indian commercial
vehicle industry was working with age old technology and drivers were not at the forefront of product and service development, Volvo was the first to introduce a fully air-conditioned and crash tested cabin in trucks and pioneered the Driver
Training concept by establishing the Driver training centre even before the first
truck was rolled out.
Over the years, Volvo Trucks
in India have become synonymous with the mining and construction industries
where the 8x4 concept introduced in the mining segment has become the industry
norm in the country and the innovative 10x4 Dump truck concept introduced in
2012 has also established itself. Being the customer’s best business partner
Volvo Trucks innovations were not limited to products. In order to support the
customers’ right through the lifecycle of the products, it pioneered the
concept of container workshop at remote mining locations and on-road assistance
through Volvo Action Service.
Speaking on the development
since 1998, Rama Rao A S, Senior Vice President, Sales Marketing and Aftermarket,
Volvo Trucks, VECV noted, “Our commitment to continuous improvement drives us
forward and inspires us to be focused on driving progress the industry. You can
see our innovative approach at work in all our processes, but we don’t innovate
just to impress ourselves or others. We do it to meet a real life need. Our
long tradition of developing market-leading technology and solutions with
products operational for over 45,000 engine hours in tough and challenging
Indian mines is proof of this. Today Volvo Trucks facilitate around 1/3rd of
coal production in India by moving overburden in the mines and in the process
has been driving progress for the country. The support from the industry has
been encouraging and has helped us deliver what it takes. Yet, for Volvo Trucks
and our customers, our most recent innovation is just the beginning.”
Over the years Volvo Trucks
has built up an elite customer base having over 100 vehicles in their fleet
operating at various mining sites across India. The customers vouch by the high
reliability and productivity and have expanded business operations at a fast
pace with quick return on investments. Being a complete solution provider,
Volvo Trucks considers that their responsibility does not stop with handing
over of the keys and extends support to customers’ right through the products’
life cycle with a wide network of service and parts centers and onsite
assistance.
Pierre Jean Verge Salamon,
President, Volvo Group Truck Sales, India said, “Over the last 17 years Volvo
Trucks has been driving progress in the Indian commercial vehicle industry.
From the first high performance European tractor trailer to the recent launched
technologically advanced truck range, we have personified performance,
productivity and profitability for our customers. We understand what our
customers need and will come to need. That is why we constantly innovate.” He
further added, “Reaching the 10,000 mark is a testimony to the fact that the
new high tech capabilities and the wide range of benefits of our offerings are
suiting the Volvo customer.”
The progress of India is
closely entwined with the progress of the mining, infrastructure &
transport industry. With the recent developments in the Indian economy and with
the boost in mining and infrastructure sector, there are countless
infrastructure developments taking place in India, providing significant
opportunities for commercial vehicles in terms of transportation and logistics.
The ongoing coal block auctions and lifting of the ban on iron ore mining in
several states have created the demand for heavy-duty tipper trucks and
ambition of Volvo Trucks is to capitalize on these development and continue
maintaining its leadership position in the European truck segment and further
improve on it.
“Volvo faces with considerable
confidence a future characterised by major opportunities in the industry, not
least the demands & aspirations placed by the industry. We at Volvo Trucks
want to maximize our operations with the range of technologically advanced transport
solutions, offering total peace of mind to our customers and facilitate their
growth and thereby continue to be the No.1 preferred truck brand in the premium
European segment.” He further mentioned that, “With the gradual turnaround the
economy is witnessing and this milestone of our 10,000th truck delivery is a
reiteration of the need for such technologically advanced solutions in the
market. We are looking at exciting times and I am happy to say we are ready to
meet these opportunities,” added Pierre Jean Verge Salamon
Volvo Trucks is currently
present in India with more than 150 touch points across the country including
state-of-the art workshops and various service support.
Source: Volvo Truck,
VECV