Date:17/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/17/stories/2004081701390200.htm

Back Daewoo trucks in India by end of this fiscal: Tata Motors

Our Bureau

Mr Prem Kumar Verma, Head, Sales & Marketing Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, with the newly-introduced Tata SFC 407EX turbo light commercial vehicle, in Kolkata on Monday. - Parth Sanyal

Kolkata , Aug. 16

TATA Motors is contemplating launching the heavy commercial vehicle models of the Korean auto major, Daewoo, in India by the end of 2004-05.

This was announced by Mr Prem Kumar Verma, head, sales & marketing, commercial vehicle business unit of Tata Motors, while addressing a press conference after launching the Tata SFC 407 EX BSII model in the city.

According to him, the top brass of Tata Motors was already engaged in talks with its Korean counterpart on the matter. He said the Daewoo models would add to the portfolio of Tata Motors and would not affect the sale of existing models.

"The Daewoo models are powerful vehicles. In Tata Motors, the upper limit among existing models is 210 horsepower. In Daewoo, it starts from 230 horsepower and goes up to 450 horsepower," Mr Verma told presspersons.

Tata Motors has not decided whether to bring these models either in the CKD (completely knocked down) of SKD (semi-knocked down) version. It has also not decided on the factory, which will process these Korean units.

He said that the Daewoo models would be launched probably by the end of the current financial year.

Regarding the Tata 407 model, he said, it was launched in 1986 and currently held a market share of 75 per cent. "At present there are 300,000 407s plying on Indian roads," he said.

According to him, in the commercial vehicles sector, Tata Motors held a market share of 58 per cent. In the current financial year, this market was expected to grow by 10-15 per cent. "We will like to increase our market share further," he added.