When the Indian CV market leader Tata Motors and the globally-acclaimed Brazilian bus body builder Marcopolo S.A. came together in the Indian market in 2006, it signalled the arrival of a new powerhouse in the country’s bus industry. Having delivered over 70,000 buses both in India and globally since the start of production in 2008, Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd. (TMML) has turned out to be a trend-setter in the country, becoming the bus supplier of choice for many STUs and private fleet operators. We spoke to Mr. Benedito Andre Almeida Violante, Chief Operating Officer, TMML, on the synergies both partners have achieved through the JV and what it means to the Indian market.
Excerpts:
Having been in India for a few years now, what are your views on the market? How do you see the future of the country’s bus industry?
India is a fantastic market and no company can afford to be out of it. Before I came here, I was of the opinion that the quality requirements are not as high as in Brazil, but I was surprised to see that the market is quite demanding. This is good for us, and with all the knowledge Marcopolo has in different countries globally, we will help improve the quality of buses in the Indian market and deliver the quality it deserves.
We expect the coach business to be an important one for the future and also projects like the JnNurm for city buses. It’s not just transportation but the complete transport system that’s important, and we see plenty of opportunities here. We have been working hard to deliver good products, and we expect the market to grow well in the coming years.
What do you think India should do for safety and quality levels to go up?
In terms of quality, I think the market is heading in the right direction. When it comes to safety, we need proper and stringent regulations to come into play, because it is one of the main concerns in India and also for us as a company.
Could you share details on new developments at your end?
The Magna inter-city luxury coach is the newest development at our end and is slated for launch later this year. The coach can be compared to the products we have in the Brazilian market with new features, be it quality, comfort and safety, in line with global standards. We are also planning to introduce a new generation of products in the near future as part of our plans to cope with the market growth, so you can expect some more new products from us soon.
What do you think Marcopolo has brought to the Indian market through this JV?
Through the JV, we mainly support our partner company in engineering, design, testing and validation of products. We are continuously working on the feasibility of using new materials in bus body construction, while our streamlined processes and unique techniques make the entire bus body construction a lot easier. We have 67 years of experience in the field, so we have developed some smart techniques in building buses. In addition, some of our experts from Brazil come to India to provide training to our team here.
How has your experience been in partnering a company like Tata Motors, and what have your key takeaways been?
It is fantastic to have a partner like Tata Motors. We have gained a lot of knowledge from their management. They have a very nice system in production. Hence the synergy of Marcopolo and Tata Motors has resulted in a lot of good techniques overall. It is very easy to work with them, and we have a lot of commonalities most beneficial for the JV. We have also started exporting some products and materials from India for our global requirements through our global sourcing team, and this has also been an important takeaway for Marcopolo.