2007-11-14

Scania sales start in India

“We are beginning our venture by entering a segment where there is a growing demand for robust vehicles with high quality and performance – that is, trucks with good load features and handling, good fuel economy and high uptime,” says Martin Lundstedt, Group Vice President and Head of Franchise and Factory Sales, when Scania today is making its debut in India.

At the Excon construction equipment and technology trade fair in Bangalore, Scania exhibits the four-axle tipper that distributor Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) is offering for demanding transport tasks in the mining and construction segment.

In India, as in many other countries, small-scale mining is expanding. As a result, mine operators are increasingly investing in trucks instead of the larger, more capital-intensive transport vehicles that are traditionally used. The market for duty trucks of western European makes in the Indian mining industry currently totals approximately 1,000 vehicles per year but is expected to grow by about 30 per cent annually.

L&T’s Construction & Mining Equipment unit will be in charge of Scania truck sales and service. It is India’s leading distributor of construction equipment. Representing Komatsu products among others, it has a broad-based sales and service network.

“Having L&T as our partner is a great advantage, since the company already has well-established relationships with customers in the mining and construction industry. With Scania in its product portfolio, L&T has a complete range of vehicles and machinery for demanding construction applications. In light of this, we expect to achieve annual sales of 700 trucks within only a few years,” Mr Lundstedt says.

The truck that Scania is now launching in the Indian market is a P380 model four-axle tipper. It is equipped with a tipper body that permits a load volume of more than 18 m3.

Larsen & Toubro Limited is a prominent, technology-focused engineering and construction company and one of India’s largest private enterprises. It also has operations in manufacturing, services and information technology.

Information about the company: Scania AB