Volvo Chief Hints towards New Long Haul Trucks in India
Published On Mar 06, 2017
India may soon see Volvo offering new trucks designed and manufactured for long haul operations in the country. The current generation of trucks offered by the CV manufacturer in India are mostly used for ODC (over dimensional consignment), mining and construction applications. Interestingly, nearing GST implication in India is believed to be one of the top reasons behind the new thought process taken up by Volvo.
Niklas Gustafsson, Volvo Group Chief, Sustainability Officer and Chairman of the Board of Volvo India, in an interview given to PTI, said “With GST coming in and changes in taxation, there will be positive changes in the transport sector and we would like to play a role, for instance in the long haulage transport, which would be more effective now with cross-border traffic between various states”.
GST (Goods and Services Tax) which was scheduled to be implemented from April 01, 2017 was postponed as a result of differences between the central and state governments. It may now get implemented before July 01, 2017.
The GST bill, once implemented, may lead to smooth movement of trucks along different state borders in the country. Volvo, currently sells, only a handful range of trucks in India.
Mr. Kamal Bali, Volvo India Managing Director, said, "In mining sector, value proposition of Volvo trucks is very strong. Our efficiency and productivity was 30 per cent more than competition but when it came to long haul transportation due to interstate borders, the advantage disappeared because of the long wait at the borders.”
Volvo trucks in India include FMX tipper, FH and FM tractor range. However, Volvo is also a part of VECV (Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles) collaboration in the country.
