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HM hopes to sell 3200 RTVs this fiscal

Our Bureau

KOLKATA, July 11

HINDUSTAN Motors Ltd (HM) is hopeful of selling a total of 3,200 multi-utility All-Road Trusted Vehicles (RTVs) during the current fiscal. While 3,000 of these vehicles - earlier christened Rural Transport Vehicles - are expected to be sold in the domest ic market, the balance will be exported to neighbouring countries.

Stating this at the launch of the RTVs in West Bengal, the HM Vice-President, Mr B.S. Khargonkar, said the sales of 3,200 RTVs would translate to around Rs 100 crore in revenue terms. Of this, domestic sales would account for Rs 92 crore while Rs 8 crore would be realised from exports.

He said the RTV variants have been developed in association with OKA Motors of Australia. Power options include one with Isuzu diesel engine of 2,000 cc capacity, one Simpson diesel engine of 3,300 cc capacity and one fitted with Isuzu CNG engine.

The modular-designed vehicles were ideal for use as school buses, passenger vehicles, ambulances and cargo carriers. Already, 1,400 units of the RTV - including 800 in Delhi alone - have been sold since its launch in September last year. Of these, 40 uni ts have been exported to Bangladesh. Talks were underway for export of the vehicle to Nepal as well.

Mr Khargonkar said the vehicle was initially targeted at rural markets. However, since sales in rural markets failed to pick up as expected, the RTV has now been positioned in urban markets as well. The idea was to penetrate rural markets through ``link roads'' from the urban segment. -- Our Bureau