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Vol-7, No.84, December-2016

THE ONLY MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO BUS COACH INDUSTRY & COACH TOURISM

MG Group steals the show at Busworld India 2016

Busworld India 2016: Gateway for global brands

SML Isuzu’s Executive Lx, Ecomax Bus on high standardDaimler India to introduce products that set new benchmark in 2017

Volvo buses creates a new segment in luxury travel Industry

DECEMBER : 2016 BUS COACH INDIA 03

34 46 50

3012 22

DECEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA04

News & Events .............................................................................................................................................................................. 06

Busworld India 2016: Gateway for global brands ................................................................................................................. 1 2

Daimler India to introduce products that set new benchmarks in 2017 ......................................................................... 22

“Our idea is to initiate and present new products from our global facilities ................................................................ 26

Volvo Buses creates a new segment in the luxury travel Industry ................................................................................. 30

MG Group steals the show at Busworld India 2016 .............................................................................................................. 32

We are optimistic about the future of Indian Bus and Coach Industry: Anil M. Kamat ................................................. 33

Improved mileage & comfort Continental launches Premium Contact 6 ........................................................................ 39

A Tourist Destination: Varanasi ................................................................................................................................................ 40

Ashok Leyland targets Sunshine Bus in the school children commute segment .......................................................... 46

SML Isuzu's Executive Lx, Ecomax Bus on high standard ................................................................................................... 50

Tata Motors showcases India's first LNG-powered bus ...................................................................................................... 55

Udaan Express Kickstats its Pan India Journey from Pune ................................................................................................ 57

Mahindra Inaugurates new spare part warehouse in Jaipur ............................................................................................. 62

Allison-Equipped Van Hool Altano TX Coach the length of Italy in absolute comfort ..................................................... 63

Axalta Coating Systems to Support Children's Education in Gujarat .............................................................................. 64

Vol-7, No-83, December-2016

Baldev Singh Bal

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international markets have participated to showcasing their latest products range for the Indian bus market.

This event showcases products like fascinating platform for the bus and coach, bus tracking solutions and technologies, battery buses, bus construction materials, technology-driven buses, bus equipments and tools and all associated with buses, in the Automotive, Logistics & Transportation industries.

The first day of the event witnessed the launch of new products from MG Group and Volvo buses. The top European brands Volvo and Daimler have showcased their latest 'Made-in-India' buses in the expo. The Indian market is growing for various reasons including government policies and expansion of public and private sector bus operating systems.

The export market for the Indian bus industry is expanding. There are several European and Indian players have capacity to export their 'Made-in-India' bus and coach products to international markets.

Bus remains the mode of transport for majority of the people in India and hence, the safety and comfort levels should be increased in the sector. There should be a healthy competition prevailing between private and public sector bus operators that in turn will improve the bus sector.

The loyal exhibitors like MG Automotive, SML Isuzu and other OEM's presented their latest products to the professional visitors. The World Bus & Coach Manufacturing Industry is a comprehensive review of the global bus and coach building industry concentrating on vehicles above 7.5-8.0 tonnes gross.

It provides a clear picture of the industry today. The trend clearly shows that the bus market in India is booming and stakeholders are very much interested in knowing about the new technologies in the bus and coach sector through Busworld India 2016.

The philosophy of Busworld is that every person has right on mobility and this mobility should be offered in comfort, safety and sustainable transport with respect for the environment.

The organisers of Busworld are very pleased that the Indian authorities contributing and supporting the global concern in respect of environment, taking steps to ban outdated and polluting vehicles within reasonable terms.

There are big challenges for the coach and bus industry waiting in the forthcoming years. All market surveys are confirming that the growth of the public and tourism transport in India will become the second largest in the world next only to China.

usworld India, a three days event was held from 10th November to 12th November 2016 in BBangalore, showed splendid response among the

participants, and visitors.

More than 70 participants from India and

401, 4th Floor, Suneja Tower-1,

District Centre, Janak Puri, New Delhi-110058

Resident Editor South

9790971663

Jayashankar Menon

Business Development ManagerDeepika Tripathi9790971663

Nadeem Inamdar9881098036

ASHOK LEYLAND BECOMES 1ST CV MAKER OUTSIDE JAPAN TO WIN DEMING PRIZE

Ashok Leyland has received the 2016 Deming Pr ize for Pantnagar manufacturing facility, and and has become the first truck and bus plant in the world and also the only CV manufacturer outside of Japan to win the award. The Deming Prize is awarded to companies that have established Total Quality Management (TQM) in their business operations.

Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, said “Housing the latest technology and processes, our Pantnagar plant is a fully-integrated plant capable of manufacturing all future-ready products across trucks and buses. Consistent quality, technology, innovation and robust processes are the pillars which have helped us garner international recognition, and customer satisfaction.”

R. Sivanesan, Senior Vice President – Quality, Sourcing and Supply Chain, Ashok Leyland said “With large and strategic investments in technology and quality, and a young and energetic workforce, the establishment of the Pantnagar plant was an important step in our ambition to become a world-leader in the global commercial vehicle industry. Being the youngest plant of Ashok Leyland, it is a great pleasure for us to be recognized with the prestigious Deming Prize 2016 for excellence in TQM.”

The Deming Prize was established in 1951 by Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) to

honor W. Edwards Deming, who contributed greatly to Japan's proliferation of statistical quality control after World War II.

Daimler is preparing to achieve pan-Indian presence for its bus business by the end of this year. Also, the company's vehicle manufacturing factory near Chennai is set to export its first fully-built bus soon. The company said it had sold over 1,000 Oragadam-built buses in both domestic and export markets (only chassis) since the start of its bus sale in November 2015. Now, with expanded reach, the company seeks to enter faster-growth curve.

Daimler will step up its focus on staff, tourist and inter-city segments to boost its bus sales. BharatBenz brand of buses will focus on school, staff and tourist transportation, while Mercedes-Benz brand of luxury buses are sold for inter-city transportation. But its buses come at a premium as the company positions itself slightly above the mass-market segment.

Along with its domestic focus, Daimler has also been exporting bus chassis, built at its Oragadam factory, to many markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, it will soon graduate to next level with the export of full buses. The company will export its first fully-built bus from the Oragadam factory by the end of this year. These buses will be sold under the Mercedes-Benz brand in other markets. Its Oragadam bus factory, which builds buses under the BharatBenz and

DAIMLER BUSES AVAILABLE ACROSS INDIA BY YEAR-END

Mercedes-Benz brands, has a capacity of 1,500 units, but can be scaled up to 4,000 units.

Bangalore will become cleaner with 150 electric buses to be added to its current fleet of vehicles. Local operator Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), after much consideration regarding high costs, has confirmed the inclusion of the new buses. This makes Bangalore the first city in the country to adopt such a huge fleet of electric buses.

The trial run of the first electric bus happened in February 2014 and purchasing cost was estimated to be INR 2.9 crore, almost thrice the price of an air-conditioned bus (INR 90 lakh). However, operational costs were estimated to be a mere seven rupees per kilometer against eighteen rupees spent by a diesel bus per kilometer. Going by these numbers, an electric bus gives a net profit of INR 37 lakh as compared to INR 20 lakh for a diesel bus.

In an interview with Bangalore Mirror, Ekroop Caur, Managing Director of BMTC, said, "The board of the BMTC gave an in-principle clearance to induct the electric buses. Electric buses are the future of mass transit. We are not in a position to rely on fossil fuels in the long run. The electric buses are pollution-free and the maintenance and mechanical costs involved in operating these buses is very less compared to that of petro-diesel vehicles."

B A N G A L O R E A D D S M O R E ELECTRIC BUSES TO ITS FLEET


has, since inception, manufactured over 8000 buses across 25 markets globally for export markets. This year, she is celebrating 20 years of Bus Building in India, cooperating with partners like Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, VECV, Tata Motors and MAN.

The new factory will exclusively build Scania Touring and Scania Higer dual branded high end buses and coaches. Scania and Higer started to cooperate in 2006. Ten years later, the cooperation has grown into a successful project, although it has developed differently from what we first thought it would be. Both parties expected that China would be the main market for this cooperation, but, as it has turned out, most of the joint products have been sold overseas.

“To date, we have sold close to 2,500 premium coaches to over 40 overseas markets and we are the leading exporter of premium coaches out of China,” says Scania's President and CEO Henrik Henriksson. With the financial crisis in 2008, demand for high end coaches vanished in the Chinese market, a trend reinforced by the extensive investment in high speed trains over the following years. But with a growing and increasingly resourceful Chinese middle class, demand for long distance travel by high quality buses and coaches is on the rise again.

In partnership, Scania and Higer are the leading exporter of premium coaches from China, and the new factory will strengthen that position, as well as sales of premium coaches in the Chinese market. The Scania Higer cooperation is purely a

SCANIA AND HIGER INAUGURATE PREMIUM BUS FACILITY

commercial partnership, where Higer provides bodybuilding expertise, while Scania supplies the chassis and the experience of international customer demands. Jointly with Higer, Scania s team of stylists gives the coaches a distinct Scania character.

The 250 factory workers in the new Suzhou facility will be working with the same efficient production processes, integrated quality stations and continuous improvements as there are in Scania s other production units for trucks and buses around the world. The current capacity of the new Chinese factory is 1,000 premium coaches per year, with a potential capacity for as many as 2,000.

Volvo Buses unveiled its new intercity coach range for the Indian market at the Busworld 2016 2916 show in Bengaluru. The New Volvo 9400 range includes the Volvo 9400 12m coach, the best-selling Volvo 9400 13.8m multi-axle coach and the Volvo 9400 14.5m coach where the 11liter engine is upgraded to meet the upcoming BS-IV emission regulations.

The Volvo 9400 12.0 m coach is equipped with a new 8 litre engine, produced in India. The best-selling Volvo 9400 13.8m multi-axle coach gets a boost with the engine being upgraded from 9 to 11 litre In the Volvo 9400, 14.5m coach, the 11liter engine is upgraded to meet the upcoming BS-IV emission regulations which come into effect in April 2017.

NEW VOLVO COACH RANGE FOR INDIA

Mr. Caur also said that the buying cost for electric buses is high, however, as electric buses are being made in India, the vehicles will be sold at a competitive price. She also added that an exclusive bus depot with required infrastructure such as battery rechargeable points and well-equipped workshops for electric buses is under the pipeline.

MG Group, one of India's largest privately owned bus building companies, is celebrating its 20 years of bus building business in India. The group will be launching its flagship premium luxury coach 'Mammoth' for the Indian market on the occasion. A new coach 'Columbus' will also be unveiled during the celebrations slated to be held at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) from 10 to 12 November 2016.

Mammoth has been develo-ped on a chassis from MAN Germany. The chassis is rugged and robust, and caters to the Indian operating conditions with increased driving safety, while significantly reducing body movements for best ride comforts. With a total of eight emergency exits, the bus also includes various safety measures such as no sharp corners, seat belts for every passenger and the EM – Secure rear exit, which is patented as a world first.

MG Group has an annual installed capacity of 16,500 buses and

MG GROUP CELEBRATES 100,000 BUSES PRODUCED IN 20 YEARS


The new coach range unveil coincides with completion of Volvo Buses' 15 years journey in India. Over the years Volvo has established itself as the leader in the Indian bus industry. Volvo has sold more than 6,000 buses in India.

The engines in the new range comply with BS-IV emission norms that come into effect in April 2017. The new range will be manufactured at Volvo Buses' modern facility near Hosakote, Bengaluru. Volvo has sold more than 4,500 coaches in India that are helping connect 100-plus locations across the country. Volvo buses operate on key routes like Mumbai-Pune, Bangalore-Chennai, Bangalore-Hyderabad, Bangalore-Jodhpur and Jaipur-Delhi.

Apollo Tyres has formally inaugurated its Global R&D Centre, Asia just outside the southern Indian city of Chennai. This is company's 2nd Global R&D Centre, after the Global R&D Centre, Europe in the Netherlands, which is operational since 2013.

The two Global R&D Centres of Apollo Tyres, in addition to the core research, service the product development needs of the respective regions. The Global R&D Centre, Europe in Enschede, the Netherlands with a team size of 150+ people, services the Europe and America region. While the Global R&D Centre, Asia having an employee strength of 140-odd people, services the product development needs for the entire Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa region.

APOLLO TYRES OPENS ITS GLOBAL R&D CENTRE, ASIA IN CHENNAI

“Apollo Tyres has been at the forefront of launching breakthrough products over the past four decades suiting the Indian context. The Global R&D Centre, Asia will break new frontiers and accelerate our R&D vision for India and the region. This step also aligns with the honourable Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi's vision for Brand India, and Technology being one of the core sectors for India becoming a global power,” said Onkar S Kanwar, Chairman, Apollo Tyres.

Besides the two Global R&D Centres, Apollo Tyres also has set-up two satellite R&D Centres in Bengaluru and Germany. The Advanced Engineering Centre in Bengaluru is working towards integrating electronics into tyre technology, where as the one in Raunheim (Frankfurt), Germany is working towards establishing ties with leading German OE customers for both Apollo and Vredestein brands.

Nee r a j Kanwa r , V i ce Chairman & Managing Director, Apollo Tyres said, “Apollo Tyres has been furthering the dimension of research and development, to usher in contemporary technology to service its customers in its chosen markets. The setting up of the two Global R&D Centres is a purposeful step towards this vision of the organisation.”

BAE Systems celebrated its 7,000th delivery of a series hybrid-electric system for buses by meeting orders for Canada's Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) in Quebec. Global

BAE DELIVERS 7000TH HYBRID ELECTRIC SYSTEM FOR BUSES

demand for hybrid-electric and fully-electric transit solutions is increasing as more legislation is passed setting clean air regulations and transit agencies continue to establish goals for greener fleets. RTC in Quebec has, for instance, a goal to operate a fully-electric fleet and is using hybrid technology as a bridge to all-electric buses. In order to help RTC reach its goal, the 7,000th system was delivered to manufacturer Nova Bus to meet RTC bus orders.

To date, RTC has received more than 50 40-foot and 60-foot articulated buses powered by BAE Systems' electric power and drive systems, and it is continuing to receive hybrid-electric powered buses to help reach its clean air goals. RTC and many heavily populated cities use the longer, 60-foot articulated bus, which joins an extra 20-foot section to a 40-foot bus, to accommodate more passengers during peak periods.

The company's Series-E system is configured to power buses with hybrid-electric power, and the same system components can also be configured to drive on pure-electric power by adding more batteries and removing the diesel engine. The Series-E system enables transit agencies, as well as maintenance and training staff, to transition to electric systems from their known mechanical systems and diesel power. With 7,000 HybriDrive propulsion systems operating around the world, more than 1 billion passengers are helping to save 15 million gallons of fuel each year while eliminating 160,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Robert Bosch is now moving from being an automotive company to one in the connectivity and mobility space using the Internet of Things (IOT), said a senior company official. Rapid changes are happening in the world of

BOSCH FORAYS INTO AUTO-MOTIVE ELECTRONICS


automobiles and an inter-disciplinary approach is imperative for success, Vice President of Robert Bosch, T V Sriram said at the inauguration of Bosch Centre for Automotive Electronics at Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT) here.

Google and Tesla, who do not have any background in automobiles, have got into making cars and more and more functions in the automobiles are becoming not only electronic but software driven, he said. Stating that 60 to 70 per cent of Bosch revenues today come from automobile products and solutions, Sriram said that the company is now moving from being an automotive company to one in the connectivity and mobility space using the IOT.

"Bosch is increasingly looking at people who are not only technically sound but who can engineer new solutions," he said. The new centre based in the automobile department will be one of 6 such centres in colleges across India, KCT Joint Correspondent Shankar Vanavarayar said.

It will be inter-disciplinary and students from 6 departments will have access to it, and the partnership could bring out significant outcomes not only for the student but for the automobile sector as a whole. The new centre uses the version currently used at Bosch, he said after exchanging an MoU between KCT and Bosch.

Bosch has set up a curriculum in automobile engineering for KCT which is offered both as a core subject and as an elective, Anil Prakash,

General Manager-HR and Head of University Relations, said. This has been followed up by the setting up of the Lab, he said. The controller and the hardware devices in the centre were contemporary and were used in the i8 engine of the BMW. It was ahead of the kits used for training freshers at Bosch.

CUMMINS WORKING ON TWO PHEV PROJECTS FOR BUSES

The first project, in partnership with the Ohio State University, PACCAR, NREL and Argonne National Laboratory and funded with $4.5 million from the DOE, is to develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can reduce fuel consumption by at least 50% over conventional Class 6 vehicles.

Cummins researchers will optimize the powertrain by selecting the engine with the best architecture to use as an electric commercial vehicle range extender, using the engine to manage the charge level of the all-electric drive battery pack. The range extender will be integrated, using advanced vehicle controls, with the electrified powertrain and other applicable technologies.

The second project, in partnership with TM4, STL (Société de transport de Laval, the public transit system in the city of Laval, Québec) and IVI (Innovative Vehicle Institute, a non-profit research center), is developing two different models of a plug-in hybrid bus, using different battery chemistries

and charging schemes.) The plan with this project is to let the two different chemistries - LTO and NMC - compete head to head for more than a year, and see which one wins.

LTO is a power battery, handles high C rates and has good durability. NMC has double the energy capacity and is attractive from a cost point of view, but carries risk in performance and durability. Both chemistries meet the performance targets. One bus will be LTO, the other bus will be NMC. The buses will use an on-board 20 kW charger for off-duty charging; for an external in-route fast-charger, the team will use a 450 kW charger.

For range-extending engines, Cummins looked at the bottom half of its portfolio: engines from 2.8 liters up to the 6.7-liters. For both the DOE project and the Laval bus project, In the North American transit market, the 8.9 litre is the major engine in the space, Cummins claims it is basically cutting the displacement requirement in half with the PHEV configuration.

BYD SELLS FIRST ELECTRIC COACH IN MACAU AND DEVELOPS LIGHT RAIL

BYD's participation at an exhibition in this part of the world coincides with the company's agreement to introduce Macao's first pure electric coach, the C8, through a local tourism operator Ocean View Tour and Travel Agency. The 10.5 metre long C8, a long distance electric coach, has a maximum passenger capacity of 45 and offers a range of more than 200 kilometres.


BYD also recently marked the company's entrance into the mass transit market with the introduction of its new low-cost, light rail train for small and medium-sized cities.

"Mass transit systems are an indispensable solution to alleviate traffic congestion in cities,” said BYD president/cairman Wang Chuanfu at the October 13th launch ceremony. “As a rail transport option with relatively smaller passenger capacity, 'SkyRail' can complement existing public transport systems to create a layered transport system encompassing underground, roadway and elevated elements.” BYD set up an R&D team consisting of more than 1,000 people. As the result of an estimated $757 million investment over the past five years, BYD developed the light rail train, known as SkyRail.

As a mass transit alternative with relatively smaller passenger capacity, the company touted SkyRail's ability to deliver: capital expenditure 80% lower than a regular metro line, and cuts construction period by two-thirds, offers higher climbing ability and smaller turning radius, reduced noise to allow travel through architectural complexes. Additionally, the train allows for capacity between 10,000 to 30,000 passengers an hour (each way) and a high speed of up to 50 mph.

The light rail technology is applicable to small and medium-sized cities, heavy traffic routes, CBD's and routes connecting tourist attractions in large cities, according to the company.

INDIAN BUS TRANSPORT SYSTEM MAY BE ELECTRIFIED BY 2030

ABB has envisaged to make India into a complete electric bus nation by 2030.

ABB India recently confirmed about plans to test flash charging of electric buses in India on a pilot basis.

The intention is converting 1.5 lakh diesel buses into electric buses. India, apart from pollution caused by burning diesel and petrol, also pays around INR 8 lakh crore just to fulfil its crude oil needs. The need of adding flash electric charge points in various bus stations was identified in The National Mission Plan 2020. But as the cost involved was almost five times the cost of normal charging points, the decision to conduct a pilot trial was taken.

The same technology has already been adopted in Geneva. This first and new flash charging technology has the ability of fully charging a bus in less than six minutes of time. The technology takes advantage of the time gap between boarding and de-boarding. A normal two minute stop can help the driver charge the bus for next two kilometres. Once functional the emissions cut will result in saving thousands of tons of carbon footprint caused due to pollution.

F IRST BUSES OF B IGGEST CONTRACT IN SOLARIS HISTORY DELIVERED

At the beginning of the year Solaris reported about winning an order for 300 intercity buses of the Inter Urbino type for Cotral, an intercity transport operator in the central-Italian region of Lazio. Meanwhile the delivery of the first buses has taken place, but the Italian customer also indicated that she may choose to increase the order by 20% using an option for up to 360 additional vehicles.

If Cotral were to use the option, then the order would be record-breaking in the history of Solaris. The bus model ordered by operator Cotral is the Solaris Inter Urbino 12. The first deliveries took place mid-October this

year. By the end of 2016 the company will have handed over 60 Inter Urbinos in total. The remaining 240 vehicles will be supplied over the next two years.

The state-of-the-art 12-metre Inter Urbinos will serve regional lines for the administrative region of Lazio located right in the centre of the Apennine Peninsula. The drive unit is a 240 kW engine DAF MX 11, meeting the highly restrictive Euro 6 emissions standards. The buses will be equipped with a modern CCTV system consisting of 5 cameras that ensures the surveillance of the interior, the second door, as well as the area behind the vehicle. What is more, the Inter Urbino will contain a passenger counting system and a voice announcement system. A total of 53 + 16 (standing) passengers will be able to travel on comfortable seats with integrated headrests.

An efficient air conditioning will ensure relaxing travel conditions even at the hottest of days. Larger luggage will be carried in cargo hatches of 5.2 cubic metres located right under the vehicle floor, whereas hand baggage will be stowed away by passengers on shelves above the seats.

The contract with Cotral is the first order concerning intercity buses of this magnitude landed in Italy. Up until now the Polish bus maker has supplied 60 Inter Urbino intercity buses for the Italian market. All in all, there are currently over 600 buses of Solaris cruising across Italian roads.


he three-day international business-to-business bus and Tcoach exposition, Busworld

India 2016, held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre from November 10-12, 2016 opened up wide vistas for the global brands to enter India, making use of the Government of India's 'Make in India' initiative.

The 7th edition of the exhibition is the country's biggest event for the bus and coach industry, which saw the participation of big brands including Volvo, Daimler, SML Isuzu and MG Automotive and host of other firms, with the dazzling display of their newest offerings. Busworld India has joined hands with the Association of Road Transport Undertakings (IRU) and The Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), the apex body that brings together, all state road transport undertakings on a common platform.

At the inaugural session, Bart De Groof, Consul General of Belgium, Oleg Kamberski, Head - Passenger Transport, IRU; Didier Ramoudt, President, Busworld International; Rajender Kumar Kataria, MD, KSRTC and VP, ASRTU; Prasanna Patwardhan, BOCI President and CMD, Prasanna Purple; Hakan Agnavall, President, Volvo Bus Corporation; Jan Deman, Director, Busworld Academy and Rajan Sharma, MD, Inter Ads Exhibitions and other stakeholders took part.

Congress

A two-day Congress, titled: 'Bus and coach - A smart transportation system for India', Busworld Academy – ASRTU – IRU Congress was held in conjunction with the exposition, exploring current challenges as well as


Busworld India 2016: Ga


teway for global brandsBy: Jayashankar Menon

potential opportunities to enable a framework for efficient, comfortable and safe buses in India. While speaking at the Congress, Ramoudt said that as India had humungous requirement for the replacement of buses, it is pertinent for creating space for sustainable transport.

While airing his views on the Indian bus market and its growth opportunit ies, Ramoudt said: "Globally, by all means, India is one of the most important and fast-growing bus markets. In fact, the market has the potential to grow faster, provided there is organised enforcement of regulations. Besides that, the authorities should spell out clearly on which way they want the industry to head, in terms of emission technology. For instance, China is going the electric way. Russia prefers gas-based fuels and the rest of Europe we see a combination of electric, gas and hybrid. So, India too should have a clear cut direction as to which way to go in terms of improving the standard of public transportation.

So, with a clear vision, by 2030, India can set the standards for an organised public transportation system in place. We at Busworld are fully committed to support such vision.”

Rajan Sharma, MD, Inter Ads Exhibitions Private Limited said that the Government of the day had spelt out many new forward-looking policies and added that there was a complete game change happening in the Indian market place at the contemporary times. As India's tourism industry is witnessing stupendous growth, there were ample investments happening in setting up highways, smart cities, roads and urban development. The Union Government is wooing overseas investments in the automotive horizon, thus allowing 100% foreign direct investment under the automatic route. Thanks to the Government's 'Make in India' initiative, many global brands are making it into the Indian market. "By keeping these factors in mind, we expect the bus sector show phenomenal growth in the coming

years. We also expect many big players to take part in Busworld India, going forward", Sharma added.

Sharma said: "As India produces in excess of 50,000 buses and coaches every year and recognised as the world's second largest market in the world, Indian bus industry has witnessed major transition with highly advanced facilities and services including intelligent transportation system, Global Positioning System, hybridisation and so on to create a sustainable and balanced transporta-tion system in India.”

Stating that in this scenario, Bus World India played an important role in achieving its mission, Sharma expressed confidence stating that the event has generated enormous business opportunities over three days.

Seventh Edition

This is the seventh edition of Busworld India with previous versions held in


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2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Globally, Busworld was held for the first time in 1971 in the Flemish town of Kortrijk in Belgium. After 44 successful years, Busworld has established itself as one of the most recoginsed international exhibitions in the world exclusively for the bus and coach industry. Busworld exhibitions are currently being organised in Belgium, China and Turkey along with India.

The exhibition is providing firms with a level-playing field for trade opportunities and offering them a chance to connect with existing as well as potential clients directly. It is giving a sterling platform for bus and coach manufacturers, auto component suppliers, technology providers and market leaders to showcase their latest products, technology, services and solutions.

"Busworld India is the only exposition in the country exclusively organised for bus and coach manufacturers. The exhibition has been

showing a consistent growth over the past years and its size has increased from 5,700 square meters to 7,500 square meters, which is tremendous for such an event", Sharma pointed out.

The previous edition, which was held in Mumbai, had opened to an overwhelming response with several noteworthy showcases and swanky designs that had impressed visitors. This year, the venue was moved to Bangalore, the city that has made a name for itself in the automotive industry with key players in the sector having their manufacturing bases here. "We conducted a survey of the industry and then decided to choose Bangalore as the venue because it is the capital of Karnakata, which is now the auto hub of India. Also, Bangalore is well connected by air, rail and road transport", Sharma said.

Indian bus market

There is a great demand for buses and coaches in India. If you look at the

financial year from April 2015 to March 2016, an estimated 45,085 registrations of vehicles over 7.5 tonne gross in contrast with the previous financial year's figure of 37,457, but still not as high as the record of 49,932 units in the twelve months from April 2011, thus corroborating a certain level of volatility, which is generally attributed to a slew of reasons. The main reason can be attributed to the periodic introduction of stimulus schemes to subsidise the purchase of new city buses. The Union Government is keen on encouraging the scrapping of older and more polluting buses and to replace them with state of the art vehicles that are both driver and passenger friendly. Industry pundits expect demand to rise in 2017 and to remain strong in the following years.

Urban congestion

The main culprit is the levels of car ownership in the country rising like never before, creating urban congestion. There are now around 22


cars per 1,000 persons which mean that there is great demand for public transport, especially buses.

School buses

There is a growing market for special school buses, mainly medium size vehicles, and for simple buses for employee transport. The Government has introduced the Bus Code which took its inspiration from the European Bus Directive.

It introduced new standards of specifications, making buses safe and more comfortable. It also introduced conformity of production with which all manufacturers must comply. This spelled the end of many small builders who made basic vehicles, frequently hand built in single numbers. Re-bodying of older chassis was rife and

many of those vehicles were simply not safe. Over the last few years, features like lower floors and air suspension have become much more widespread. Power steering is now mandatory.

The Government is continuing to press ahead with further safety features having recently made it mandatory for all buses to be fitted with tracking devices, CCTVs and panic buttons that connect to the nearest police station.

In some cities, premium services are available from suburbs to the main business areas. Passengers can pay a higher fare for vehicles equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi connectivity. The vast majority of buses and coaches in India are powered by diesel engines. The Government has progressively introduced Bharat

Standards which are based on European emission limits. However, for several years, Delhi has required all city buses to be powered by compressed natural gas, even insisting on the retrofitting of gas engines to older buses already in service. Small numbers of hybrid buses have entered service, and that in turn has led to growing interest in all-electric vehicles. Although the capital costs are much higher, the running cost per mile is lower and the price of batteries is coming down steadily.

There are now more competi-tion among manufacturers and that is also helping to drive up standards. Fully automatic gearboxes have become acceptable on city buses. Engines are becoming cleaner and there are significant reductions in noise, vibration and harshness. Electrical and electronic systems are continually being updated,


facilitating electronic destination equipment, GPS, On-Board Diagnostics and Smart Multi-Mode Ticketing.

India has modern highways, linking all the main towns and cities. That has led to rapid expansion in express coach services. At the top end of the market, this has seen the introduction of more powerful engines, full air conditioning, reclining seats and many other features for the comfort and convenience of passengers.

India is also a substantial exporter of buses. In the financial year from April 2014 to March 2015, 49,365 buses and coaches over 7.5 tonnes gross went abroad. That rose to 54,187 in the following twelve months. India is the second largest manufacture of buses and coaches in the world (after China) and that alone made Busworld India well worth a visit.

This year, the visitor footfall has

increased to 40-50% considering that the event is being held in the core of automotive sector. Also, the new venue is responsible for attracting the new vehicle manufacturing exhibitors such as Daimler and Volvo Buses this year.

"The Congress in Bangalore brought together high level mobility experts from India and abroad, public and private bus operators, bus and coach manufacturers and suppliers and authorities and decision makers and they exchanged ideas for further improvement of mobility services on Indian roads", Sharma said.

Pavilions

Other than the big players, other companies which had put up pavilions at the exhibition includes Abhi Bus Services India Private Limited, Actia India Private Limited, Allison Transmission India Private Limited, Alma Motors Private Limited, Bus

Building: MG Automotives Privated Limited, ALP Overseas Private Limited, Alps Industries Limited, Basant Overseas, Bustech Info Systems India Private Limited, Chemito Infotech Private Limited, Dharshana Industries Private Limited, Denso International Asia Pte Ltd, Doga India Private Limited, Epengle Tekstil, European Parts Center, Fasching Salzburg GmbH; Ferrario Auto Products, G. M. Polyplast Private Limited, Hubner Interface Systems India Private Limited, International Centre for Automotive Technology, JSS Steelitalia Private Limited, Jingyi Trans Climate Control System India Private Limited, Lamilux India Private Limited, Maharashtra Polymer Products, Makersan Makina Otomotiv San Tic Ltd, Mansons International Private Limited, Mecolam Engineering Private Limited, Mega International Air Conditioning LLP, Micro Star International Limited, Niemla, Nitin Fire Protection Industries, NRB Bearings Limited, NT (India) Private Limited,



Pacoline Industries Private Limited, Pal & Pal Associates, Pee Aar Exim Private Limited, Pinnacle Industries Limited, PKN Moulders Private Limited, Power Electronics, Prime Auto Systems, Reliance Industries Limited, RG Fibrotech, RMG Poly Vinyl India Limited, Safex Fire Services Limited, Saket Metal Technocraft Private Limited, Shanghai Omni Gear Co Ltd,

Shri Ram Panels; Sika India Pvt Ltd, Smart Drive, SML Isuzu Ltd, Sphere Thermal Systems Pvt Ltd., Spheros Motherson Thermal System Ltd, Sutlej Coach Products Pvt Ltd, Sync R&D, Tenryu Industries Co Ltd, TM Automotive Systems Pvt Ltd, Urrja Bus Décor, Valeo India Private Limited, Vetus Bus Systems and Viswanath Electricals Pvt Ltd.

Conclusion

Overall, the three day exposition not only brought all stakeholders under one roof, but also discussed so many things pertaining to the improvement of transportation services, the growth of buses in the country and many other aspects of bus industry that would help India grow into a developed nation.


FIGURE 1: BYD ELECTRIC BUS IN BANGALORE


Daimler Indiaproducts that set new

verall, the outlook for the Indian bus market continues Oto be promising with high

demand in the nine and 16 tonnes segments. So the addition of 16 tonnes products is the obvious step for us. We will introduce products that set new benchmarks in 2017 and expect news in the first half of the year.

At the same time, we will also broaden our offering in the chassis export business with 16 tonnes chassis. In a free-wheeling chat, Markus Villinger, Managing Director of Daimler Buses India, reveals the game plan to Bus Coach India Resident Editor (South), Jayashankar Menon. Excerpts:

BCI: Daimler has started export of bus chassis (9 tonnes) in mid 2014. At the IAA this year, it had showcased the first Mercedes Benz 9-tonnes school bus, meant for Middle East, can you elaborate on that?

MV: In 2015, we launched our first wave of buses and coaches for the Indian market. So this year, we were focused on the ramp-up of our domestic business to establish our products in the market. In parallel, we have been successfully exporting bus chassis to markets in the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Now the nine tonnes Mercedes-Benz school bus marks our entry into the export of fully-built buses - this marks a milestone for Daimler Buses India since it is for the first time that we export a chassis and body product as an OEM. So it's 'Made in India, For India and for the World'.

INTERVIEW

benchmarks in 2017to introduce

BCI: What is your game plan of expanding Daimler's portfolio on the bus side?

MV: Overall, the outlook for the Indian bus market continues to be promising with high demand in the nine tonnes segment and also in the 16 tonnes segment. So the addition of 16 tonnes products is the obvious step for us. We will introduce products that set new benchmarks in 2017; expect news in the first half of the year. At the same time, we will also broaden our offering in the chassis exports business with 16 tonnes chassis.


BCI: Have any state transport undertakings evinced interest in the 16-tonnes buses?

MV: We have already had good discussions with various STUs on different topics, but we cannot give any further details because of the highly competitive nature of such information.

BCI: Will you be approaching the STUs and government related firms which are in the travel business? If yes, when?

MV: We have already started, and we

will intensify in 2017. We are entering this segment of the domestic market – you may recall that Daimler already had a successful presence some years ago with Mercedes-Benz buses, so we aren't starting from zero. And we are convinced we have the right products to support STUs in offering quality transportation to their customers and hence to operate a profitable business.

MV: With the introduction of our nine tonnes AC school and staff buses we

BCI: What are your observations and learning from Indian market?

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Markus Villinger, Managing Director

Daimler Buses India,


have opened up a new segment for the customers. This proves that Daimler Bus India is already changing the game, in terms of comfort as well as safety. We

have a very clear understanding of customer needs and preferences – what do they expect, which features they would welcome in addition, and

what they would not be willing to spend on. Thanks to our unique Aluminique structure, our buses are equally strong but lighter than competitor products which translates to better fuel economy. By the way, that's also why we have India's longest coach in our portfolio. Corrosion is also a non-issue with aluminum, the body will last an entire vehicle life and repairs are easy.

BCI: There are inimical issues like the Indian bus owners not wanting air-conditioned cabins for the drivers, as it consumes more fuel and they are not bothered about driver safety. So what is the strategy you have adopted in giving drivers the right cabin and right braking systems, rather than providing safety feature like the gun in the AC cabin?

MV: We don't believe in separating the compartments of drivers and passengers and so our buses don't have the driver cabin separated. Our

INTERVIEW


buses come with a powerful AC which creates a homogenous ambient air inside the bus, for the driver and the passengers alike. It is a proven fact that a comfortable driver will ensure a safer and more relaxed journey for the passengers and we fully believe in this.

MV: We offer both – front-engine as well as rear-engine products. Daimler Buses India addresses the market with a two-fold strategy and the BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz bus brands. BharatBenz buses are front-engine vehicles for shorter distance travel targeting school, staff and tourist transportation. And we cater to the premium segment with Mercedes-Benz rear engine coaches for inter-city transportation.

BCI: Unlike in Europe and other regions, there is a clear preference for front-engine bus and a chassis in India. How you are going to cater to the Indian customers?

BCI: Since four years that Daimler is in the truck and bus business in India, it sold around 50,000 vehicles in the market. Out of which, how many trucks and buses the company sold? What is the ratio of sales between

trucks and buses?

BCI: Is Daimler ready with the next product line in bus category?

MV: Yes, our new 16 tonnes vehicles are in the final stage before their planned market introduction in the first half of 2017. We are very excited about these strong new products which we expect to resonate very well with customers.

BCI: What are the typical regulatory issues currently being faced by the bus industry?

MV: We are ready for the upcoming regulatory changes such as the BS-III and BS-IV transition due next April or the implementation of the Bus Body Code. We welcome those changes as opportunities as we are convinced we

MV: Our products are performing successfully in the field, customer feedback is very good. We're already sold out for this year, and our order book for 2017 looks good. Since our start of sales in November 2015, we have sold more than 1,000 buses and chassis already in the domestic market and exports.

have the right products to allow our customers to take care of their business instead of worrying about those topics.

BCI: What is the current production and sales of buses in the domestic as well as overseas markets?

MV: We follow a clear growth trajectory. In India, we're selling complete vehicles whereas our export includes both chassis and is now being expanded with fully-built buses. Both the domestic and exports business are important pillars for us.

BCI: If India is ready with a deep-water harbour, will it benefit Daimler to export trucks in a big way?

MV: Quick progress regarding access to deep port harbours is essential if you want to significantly enhance commercial vehicle exports from India. Only with this you can tap into the transport capacities of large vessels which are the most efficient means to ship large quantities of bulky products like commercial vehicles. It would be beneficial for the entire industry to remove this constraint. We also favour an extension of water transport.

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different aspects of the industry including future growth strategy and roadmap of the company.

Please tell us in detail about the Joint Venture between Treves Group of France and Banswara Group with regards to the nature of collaboration, co-operation and the expected outcomes.

TBPL is a Joint Venture (JV) of Treves SA Group of France and Banswara Syntex Ltd of India. It is a 50:50 venture formed with an objective of synergizing Banswara's extensive expertise in technical textiles as also vast manufacturing capacities with

Treves group's deep knowledge of automotive business as well as global strategy. Today car companies prefer to work more and more with the vendors who are capable of providing them same products and services in all geographies that they operate in. Treves group rises upto the challenge through its global network of which India is a very important and significant part. Our vision is to become an integrated solutions provider to our customers in the businesses that we operate in globally i.e. textiles, seat covers, small seat parts i.e. head rests and arm rests, gear shift covers, handbrake assembles etc. We have already implemented textiles in India

radeep Chhajerh is the Chief Operating Officer at Treves PBanswara Pvt Ltd and is based in

Mumbai. He is currently heading the Joint Venture (JV) of Treves SA of France and Banswara Syntex of India for manufacturing and marketing automotive textiles in India. An MBA from Rajasthan, Chhajerh has extensive knowledge and understanding relating to product development, validations, supply chain management and various key aspects of the business coupled with solid relationships with customers, suppliers and other business partners built on years of consistent performance and conduct. He spoke to Bus Coach India on


new products and localize them in India”

from our global facilities Pradeep Chhajerh

“Our idea is to initiate and present

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Pradeep Chhajerh Chief Operating Officer Treves Banswara Pvt. Ltd.

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and would be taking up other products after carefully assessing and studying the demand vis a vis existing supply chain.

Please detail us about both Treves and Banswara Group.

Banswara Syntex Ltd. is a vertically integrated textile mill manufacturing man-made synthetic blended Yarn, wool and wool mixed yarn, all type of Fabrics, Jacquard Furnishing Fabrics, besides production of Readymade Garments and Made-up's. It's also into production of Technical Fabric. The company is one of the largest single mill setup producing spun fiber-dyed yars in Asia and 90% of the production is fiber dyed. The company produces laminated knitted and woven textiles for internal furnishing of trains, buses and other automobiles.

Details on facilities in India and the investment made. How are these facilities bringing about a change in the business prospects of the company.

Banswara Syntax already possessed excellent infrastructure even before the JV was envisaged. This includes huge weaving and finishing capacities, yarn and fabric dyeing, back coating, raising,

emerising, hot melt lamination and a very well equipped laboratory. Additionally, the JV has invested in all mission critical and innovative technologies of which I cannot divulge the details for strategic reasons. Some of the products have been brought to India for the first time. However, in current business environment, we have to be very efficient and effective with the investments. Our idea is to initiate and present new products from our global facilities and localize them in India based on customer interest. One of our sister company in Europe has a

large presence in wool based FR fabrics used in railway coaches and this is something we could easily do in India as Banswara Syntex spins its own worsted yarns. We have entered the BPS segment last year. There appears to be a significant interest in pile fabrics in this segment. We manufacture such fabrics in Europe. However, we will offer such products only if there is a strategic and long term understanding with customers. In absence of a clear visibility on Return of Investment (ROI), it is tricky to enter this market with new investments.

What are your future plans and what has been achieved by the company in it operation domain till date ?

We will continue to grow and nature the textiles business as the core around which both parent companies have built their business. We are actively studying specialized seat cover market. Since, we already have cut and sew facilities in India in our garment business, it is rather easy for us to extend the line to include seat covers in our offering. However, this would be done based on customer interest in our technology and specialized offerings. While we would certainly be cost competitive, it is not our idea to compete solely on cost. The next logical step would be to bring pour in

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place seat components in India which is a technology Treves specializes in. We are in the initial discussion on the products with some of our global customers who are present in India.

What is your perception of the Indian Textile Market and which is a better market –domestic or exports?

The Indian market will achieve maturity like that of the developed nations at a much faster rate than expected. There is plenty of potential for its fuller growth in the days to come. As far as automotive market is concerned, we are primarily focused on the domestic market as it is in the inherent nature of automotive supply chains to be as short geographically, as economically possible.

What is your USP and the concept of leadership in Design?

Through our customer interactions, we have always felt that this has been an under-served part of customers wish list in India. While Indian companies can be at par with their global peers on manufacturing capabilities and investment in latest technology, design as a discipline does not go back very long and therefore would take its time to mature. Treves on the other hand has

a strong design tradition being one of the first European companies to have an in house textile design studio which is located in Paris, one of the fashion capitals of the world. Our designers deeply study and borrow from global trends in vogue be it apparel, furniture, footwear and other related areas and bring their insights into designing textiles for cars. Every year we present such trend studies to our customers. The response and reception from Indian customers too has been extremely positive. We strive to continuously bring the latest and the best in terms of design and technology trends to India.

By : Nadeem Inamdar

Can you throw some light on the range of products being offered by the company ?

Our offerings cover an entire gamut of technologies and product offerings. Today, we are able to offer our customers, very functional and cost effective jacquard and dobby fabrics or highly valued added products such as deep embossing, patch welded fabrics or fabrics scripted with brand signature using PU or velvet stickers, 3 – D spacers etc. The offerings would be expanded to include differentiated products which would either offer enhanced value at the same cost or same value at lower cost.

Can you give some information on the history, capabilities and knowhow of both the companies?

Treves, founded in 1836, is a recognized and global leader of automotive interiors and acoustics with about 7000 employees and 43 manufacturing facilities in 20 countries. Treves is a partner to major automakers, Peugot-Citroen, Renault, Nissan, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, BMW, Honda, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Suzuki, Maruti, Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover. In an increasingly globalized and competitive market, Treves is a key player in the automotive industry in close relationship with its customers and offering product innovation, cost optimization and environmental leadership.

NEW LAUNCH

usworld India, 2016 in Bangalore, saw two new Bstunning models from Volvo

Buses India getting displayed. One was the Volvo 9400 12 Meter Single axle and the second one was Volvo 9400 14.5 Meter MultiAxle.

Coming to the Volvo 9400 Single axle, it comes with a brand new

Made in India 7.7 Liter Diesel 333BHP Engine with 6 speed manual gearbox. The new engine comes from Pitampura plant in Madhya Pradesh. The new engine which is BS4 is certainly going to be a game changer for Volvo , the new engine will bring down the cost which will also mean the new engine parts would be priced lower which will surely give Volvo an edge over its

competitors. The New Volvo 9400 Single axle also comes with a new seating option from Prakash seating and looks comfortable. However leg space didn't seem that great due to calf support. It would be idle to come up with 2+1 seating without calf support for this model. This would surely make people go back to single axle. Also a lot of operational cost for owners will also come down leading to higher profits. Single axle makes more sense due to decreasing passenger occupancy rate as well as investment costs. The painting looks amazing and the new chrome wheels looks magnificent.

Most of the cosmetic aspects remain same in the single axle Volvo 9400. These buses are expected to hit the road next year. Volvo 9400 14.5 Meter Multi Axle is surely going to


a new segment in the luxury travel IndustryBy: Yeshwanth Kadri

NEW LAUNCH


create a new segment in the luxury travel industry. Unlike the earlier Volvo Models, this model apples to business class and four wheeler passengers with its 2+1 VIP seats. The bus looks absolutely spacious and has the latest state of art safety and security features some of which are coming for the first time in Indian market.

Now what has real ly impressed and is the biggest game changer for Volvo is the Driver Blinking sensors. If a driver sleeps off or is feeling drowsy the sensors gives beeping sound and alerts the driver and passengers. A lot of accidents in India happen due to over worked and stressed drivers. Now with a system in place, this would surely prevent a lot of accidents. I would personally recommend this system to be mandatory for all new vehicles. We can save a lot of lives. One more note making new feature is the drunken driver sensor. This is also a life saving technology which will ensure passenger and vehicle safety. Not sure whether Volvo will make these mandatory or would provide as additional accessories.

For operators Volvo has a new driving pattern sensor where harsh braking, driving speed, etc are getting monitored. Now owners can ensure a

control on the crew and also save passengers from risky driving. Volvo has also added fire safety system with foam extinguishers and fire alarm's for fire safety. Strangely an Oxygen sensor has been added in the new bus. Don't know whether it is a much needed device for India.

For passengers the new 2+1 VIP seats provides better seating comfort. Volvo has also tried providing again a emergency washroom and cooler for keeping water and soft drinks. Emergency washrooms have been tried in many buses including the Volvo's but none of them in India has

succeed well. Frankly speaking it's a essential must have need but the technology and cost are not worth it. It stinks. Not advisable for operators.

Passengers are for a delight in the Volvo 9400, there are USB chargers for the first time in seats like cars. And also seat belts. Many in India are really not aware that a seat belt is one of the biggest saving equipment during a roll over. Was happy to see this getting added as a safety feature. The cooling was chilled and lighting's were looking cozy. It's definitely going to impress passengers for sure and will make many cars stay at home.

Volvo 9400 Multi Axle has also been upgraded with a new 11 Liter engine which provides 410 BHP power. Volvo 9400 multi axle is a i-Shit again and comes with 12 Speed Gearbox with AMT transmission. Surely giving an edge over its competitors. Volvo has done some small changes to the headlights and rear view mirrors which are a kind of 'Ok" , didn't impress that much. But paint quality is awesome and built quality is what is giving Volvo the supreme edge among its competitors. A Volvo is a Volvo for sure. That's how we bus fans see it. In one sentence to summarize it's Volvo's big come back and are surely going to regain their lost markets.

G Group, the largest pr ivately owned bus Mbuilding firm in India has

attracted droves of visitors at its pavilion right from the start of the Busworld India 2016 exhibition, held at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) from November 10-12. Taking part for the first time in 2011, the group's participation in the previous edition in Mumbai was a real show stopper. Following suit, at the Busworld 2016, the group displayed its new products.

The Group celebrated its 20 years of Bus Building at the Busworld India 2016. As part of celebrating two decades of its existence, the company also achieved a major milestone of manufacturing 100,000 buses, with the unveiling of its newest brand Columbus, a special application coach, fully designed, developed and engineered by the Bangalore-based company. MG Group also launched its flagship premium luxury coach Mammoth for the domestic market. RV Deshpande, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka, along with Mohan V Kamat, Founder and Chairman of MG Group and Anil M Kamat, Managing Director, MG Group who were present at the inauguration.

MG Group made a foray into bus building in 1996 with MG Automotives Pvt. Ltd. in Zaheerabad, Telangana, spread over 21,000 sq. metres with an annual installed capacity of 12,000 buses. The company employs over 1100 people and its clients are Mahindra & Mahindra (Truck and Bus Division) Ltd., Ashok Leyland Ltd., Tata Motors, APSRTC, TSRTC and other institutional clients and today are one of the leading privately owned Bus Building group of companies in India.

Ruediger Schroeder, MD Karcher India

DECEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA32 DECEMBER : 2016 BUS COACH INDIA 33

MG Group steals the show at Busworld India 2016BUSWORLD BUSWORLD

INTERVIEW

At about 90,000 buses a year, India is one of the biggest markets “for Coach and Bus Sales,

worldwide. We are very optimistic about the future of the Indian bus and coach industry. We also see humongous potential in the next 3-5 years. We are proud to be among the leading bus building firms in India with an annual installed capacity of 16,500 buses and have, since inception, manufactured over 8000 buses across 25 markets globally for export markets”, says Anil M. Kamat, Managing Director, MG Group, while speaking to Bus Coach India Resident Editor (South) Jayashankar Menon. Excerpts:

BCI: What are the newest things you are bringing in at this Busworld 2016?

AMK: We are celebrating record milestone of having produced 100,000 buses in two decades of bus building. Besides that, we are also launching our flagship premium luxury coach, 'Mammoth' in India. Also, we have unveiled our first special application coach (tarmac coach), Columbus.

BCI: Can you talk about MG Group's role in the Indian Bus Building horizon?

AMK: Over the last 20 years, the MG Group has played a significant role in the Indian Bus Building landscape, recognising customer needs and introducing game-changing and innovative products and solutions for the bus and coach industry. The 'Columbus', currently diesel powered, is envisioned to be offered with CNG as well as Electric Drive lines in the short term. In India, the air passenger traffic has been increasing at approximately 20% year-on-year and hence the demand for Tarmac Coaches is also

increasing. The total park volume is currently 800 Coaches, being a highly niche segment.

A good Tarmac Coach further enhances the image of the airline. The Indian market currently demands about 50 Coaches per year, which is expected to grow as aged Tarmac Coach fleets are also due for replacement. Leading airlines have also placed record order sizes for aircrafts, which in turn, will increase the demand for Tarmac Coaches. Tier-2 City Airports under focus will also boost the demand of Tarmac Coaches. Keeping in mind the urgent need for spacious and high technology coaches by the airline

industry, the 'Columbus' has been positioned as a revolutionizing product and a technology demonstrator. The coach will be initially introduced for the export markets and will use the Bus World 2016 platform to take critical feedback from Indian customers with a goal to introduce it in the domestic market in the near future.

BCI: Can you talk about Mammoth?

AMK: We have launched our flagship Premium Luxury Coach 'Mammoth' for the Indian market. The coach is already being produced for International Markets since its unveiling last year at Busworld 2015 held in Mumbai, and


We are optimistic about the future ofIndian Bus and Coach Industry: Anil M. Kamat

INTERVIEW

we are now introducing this product in the domestic market. The 'Mammoth' has also been fully designed and developed by MG Group.

Built on the state-of-the-art MAN chassis, and certified by MAN Germany, the 'Mammoth' has been built with the focus of being one of the

safest and most comfortable premium luxury coaches in India. It's 'Made in India and built to international standards'. The chassis from MAN,



Europe's leading OEM Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers, is rugged and robust, which caters aptly to the Indian operating conditions with increased driving safety, while significantly reducing body movements for best ride

comforts. With a total of eight emergency exits, the bus also includes various safety measures such as no sharp corners, seat belts for every passenger and the 'EM – Secure' Rear Emergency Exit, which is patented by

MG as a world's first!

Celebrating our journey of 20 years in the Bus Building Industry, the launch of 'Mammoth' will enhance our position in the market. We will be launching the 'Mammoth' in the Domestic Market in both seater and sleeper variants. With this new future ready product, MG Group is set to transform the Bus Building industry in India, and I am convinced that we're setting new benchmarks for the entire industry.

Mammoth coaches will be available in four variants in the market. The price range will be between Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 65 lakh depending on the type of variant and technical specifications.

With our esteemed customers and partners such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, VECV, Tata Motors & MAN, the company, since

INTERVIEW


inception, has manufactured over 8000 buses across 25 markets globally for export markets, alone. MG Group has an annual installed capacity of 16,500 buses across two plants in Zaheerabad, Telangana and Belgaum, Karnataka. This year, the company crosses a major milestone of having produced 100,000 buses since inception in its 20th Year.

BCI: About Columbus…

AMK: The Columbus is the first of its kind, fully Monocoque Ultra-low Flat-floor Tarmac coach, right now being developed for the global markets with a passenger entry floor height at as low as 290 mm (after kneeling). With its smartly designed cabin space, the coach offers swift passenger entry and exit with five passenger doors (3 at LH side & 2 at RH side). With reliable drive line aggregates like ZF and Cummins, a fully

composite and leak-proof roof panel and soothing interiors beautifully lit with LEDs, making it a product of Global Standards. The 12 metre-long coaches

can accommodate 70 passengers (8 seated & 62 standees). Equipped with the latest technologies such as ECAS, ABS, & CAN bus systems, the coach is

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fully complied with Airport Handling Manual regulations.The Columbus, currently diesel powered, is envisioned to be offered with CNG as well as Electric Drive lines in the short term. In India, the air passenger traffic has been increasing at around 20% year on year and hence the demand for Tarmac Coaches is also increasing. The total industry volume currently stands at 800 coaches.

BCI: What is the take away from Busworld 2016?

AMK: We have invited all major national airlines to take part in the launch of Columbus. We are eying global clients and few of them have made it to the exhibition. We have also invited our existing and new customers to visit our stalls to see the premium luxury coach, Mammoth, which we are selling it in the domestic market.

BCI: What is your outlook about Indian Bus and Coach Industry?

AMK: With modernisation, develop-ment and urbanisation, mass transporta-tion systems are the need of the hour. Coaches and buses account for 45% of the total passenger movement in the Indian population. With changes in technology and the government's impetus on new-age electric and hybrid vehicles, Indian firms are fast rolling-out

products acceptable and at the same time being cost competitive on a global scale. At about 90,000 buses a year, India is one of the biggest markets for Coach and Bus Sales, worldwide. We are very optimistic about the future of the Indian bus and coach industry. We also see humongous potential in the next 3-5 years. We are proud to be among the leading bus building firms in India with an annual installed capacity of 16,500 buses and have, since inception, manufactured over 8000 buses across 25 markets globally for export markets.

BCI: Is the Bus Code a major initiative by the Government of India?

AMK: Yes, the Indian Bus Code is a

major initiative that envisioned the standardization of buses with a focus on passenger safety. We would like the Bus Code to establish standardized practices for optimum quality and safety to ensure we stand true to the Make in India concept and built products at par with international standards. Furthermore, we are fully geared up to comply and meet Indian Bus Code requirements and with our passion in this field, we are constantly focused on gearing ourselves and upgrading ourselves to satisfy market needs, for both domestic and export markets.

This year, we are celebrating 20 years of Bus Building in India and would like to dedicate and thank our esteemed customers and partners such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, VECV, Tata Motors and MAN, for the faith they have entrusted in us over the years, to be able to achieve this record milestone. We are introducing two new buses. We are launching our flagship premium luxury coach 'Mammoth' in the domestic market in both seater and sleeper variants. Along with ‘Mammoth', we are also unveiling a new Special Application Coach, 'Columbus', for the export markets as well as to take critical customer feedback to introduce this product in the domestic market in the near future."

NEWS

he portfolio of Continental tyres ava i l ab le fo r the h igh Tperformance/comfort segment

has been simplified with the introduction of a single product to replace two application-specific ranges. The new tyre is the Continental PremiumContact 6; Tyres & Accessories has experienced what the range has to offer and will cover the PremiumContact 6 in our December magazine, however here are the key points for those wanting to find out more now.

While it doesn't take a genius to work out that the new tyre succeeds the ContiPremiumContact 5, what isn't immediately apparent is that the latest-generation PremiumContact also takes over from where the ContiSportContact 5 left off. Continental seems to have decided that offering both a sporting and a comfort-oriented tyre in the same product segment is too much of the good thing, and has thus retired the SportContact name here. This makes sense given both the higher priority that luxury car owners assign to comfort and the potential confusion caused by the existence of both the SportContact 5 and the more hardcore SportContact 6.

The word 'sport' has been dropped in the category, and the transition from ContiSportContact 5 to PremiumContact 6 has also been accompanied by developments that have made the tyre more civilised. Presenting the new range, Catarina Silva, EMEA region product manager at Continental, commented that safety criteria has long been a strong development focus; what was new with the PremiumContact 6 was an intensified effort to lift comfort and convenience.

Continental claims a 15% improvement in mileage for the new tyre and a ten per cent improvement in exterior noise, progress achieved through the combination of an abrasion-resistant polymer compound with a supple tread pattern. Handling and rolling resistance are also respectively three and five per cent better, while wet and dry braking performance remains at the same level as with the outgoing tyre. Aquaplaning performance has suffered slightly in the change of generation, and is only 95 per cent that of the ContiSportContact 5.

Alongside safety and comfort, Continental strove to give the PremiumContact 6 sportier handling than the ContiPremiumContact 5. To this end, Continental's tyre developers adopted the shoulder design from the SportContact 6 and combined it with asymmetrical tread rib geometry. This 'advanced macro-block design' employs long shoulder blocks that support one another, providing additional grip. The resultant complex block structure in the tyre shoulder is capable of effectively transferring very high forces, such as those generated under cornering. The asymmetrical rib

structure in the tread delivers a similar level of performance in transferring lateral guidance forces.

The PremiumContact 6 will be available from early 2017 in a wide range of sizes for mid-range cars to SUVs. “Around 70 sizes of the new PremiumContact 6 will be available in time for the start of the 2017 summer tyre season,” says Silva. “With rim diameters from 16 to 21 inches we can cover much of the demand from car drivers, while in terms of width, we're starting with a 195 mm tyre, and going all the way to 275 mm. Aspect ratios will be from 65 to 40 percent, again covering much of the market, while speed approvals go as high as 186 mph.”

The new range will gradually replace the ContiPremiumContact 5 and ContiSportContact 5, taking over when corresponding dimensions become available. The two existing ranges are supplied in around 400 original equipment specifications, and Continental reports that prior to the tyres introduction some 70 prototype tyres were sent to car makers around the world for testing and approval.


Continental launches Premium Contact 6

Varanasi

A t

ourist d

estinat

ion

DESTINATION

he land of Varanasi (Kashi) has been the ultimate pilgrimage Tspot for Hindus for ages. Often

referred to as Benaras, Varanasi is the oldest living city in the world. These few lines by Mark Twain say it all: "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Hindus believe that one who is graced to die on the land of Varanasi would attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth. Abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the origins of Varanasi are yet unknown. Ganges in Varanasi is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals.

Ganges is said to have its origins in the tresses of Lord Shiva and in Varanasi, it expands to the mighty river that we know of. The city is a center of learning and civilization for over 3000 years. With Sarnath, the place where Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment, just 10 km away, Varanasi has been a symbol of Hindu renaissance. Knowledge,

philosophy, culture, devotion to Gods, Indian arts and crafts have all flourished here for centuries. Also a pilgrimage place for Jains, Varanasi is believed to be the birthplace of Parsvanath, the twenty-third Tirthankar.

Vaishnavism and Shaivism have co-exis ted in Varanasi harmoniously. With a number of temples, Mrs. Annie Besant chose Varanasi as the home for her 'Theosophical Society' and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, to institute 'Banaras Hindu University, the biggest University in Asia. Ayurveda is said to be originated at Varanasi and is believed to be the basis of modern medical sciences such as Plastic surgery, Cataract and Calculus operations. Maharshi Patanjali, the preceptor of Ayurveda and Yoga, was also affiliated with Varanasi, the holy city. Varanasi is also famous for its trade and commerce, especially for the finest silks and gold and silver brocades, since the early days.

Varanasi has also been a great

center of learning for ages. Varanasi is associated with promotion of spiritualism, mysticism, Sanskrit, yoga and Hindi language and honored authors such as the ever-famous novelist Prem Chand and Tulsi Das, the famous saint-poet who wrote Ram Charit Manas. Aptly called as the cultural capital of India, Varanasi has provided the right platform for all cultural activities to flourish. Many exponents of dance and music have come from Varanasi. Ravi Shankar, the internationally renowned Sitar maestro and Ustad Bismillah Khan, (the famous Shehnai player) are all sons of the blessed city or have lived here for major part of their lives.

THE KASHI VISHWANATH TEMPLE

Also known as the Golden Temple, it is dedicated to Lord shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Varanasi is Said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which shiva manifested has supremacy over others gods, broke through the Earth's crust and flared towards the heavens. More


DESTINATION

than the Gaths and even the Ganga, the Shivalinga installed in the temple remains the devotional focus of Varanasi.

BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY

Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U) founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in 1917A.D is the largest residential University in India. At the entrance, there is the grand statue of its founder and the Vishwanath temple in its centre. The huge temple was built in 1966, under patronage of the Birlas. It has a 677 meter high rising white top

and its well carved architecture attracts pilgrims.

BHARAT KALA BHAWAN (ART MUSEUM)

In the cool and calm surroundings of B.H.U is the Bharat Kala Bhavan which has established in 1920A.D and has a vast collection of paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and other materials of archeological studies. In the main hall of the Bhawan, there is a figure of a man standing on one leg and one hand on his hip and lifting a mass of stone above his head, with one hand. The

figure is said to be of Lord Krishna lifting Govardana. In the halls of the Bharat Kala Bhawan, there are many rare images that testify to the existence of Krishna cult in Kashi in 15th and 16th century Gupta period. It has the miniature paintings from the courts of Mughals and the Hindu Princes of Punjab Hills. Visit: Monday to Saturday. Opens from 1030 to 1600.

RIVER FRONT (GHATS)

The spectacular 4 km sweep of the Ghats is unique sight, best viewed at dawn, in that "soft first light" when the


DESTINATION

river and Ghats have a timeless appeal. Life is almost panoramic detail unfolds here from dawn to dusk as a steady stream of devotees-swelling to thousands on auspicious days perform rituals by the Ganga. The Ghats are best approached by Dashashwamedha ghat, where boats are available on hire.

DURGA TEMPLE

Godess durga is considered as the goddess of Strength and Power. This temple was built in the 18th century with red stone work. A fine example of Nagara art. This temple falls on the main route from Railway Station to BHU, just before Tulsi Manas temple and Sankatmochan temple.

TULSI MANAS TEMPLE

Constructed by family of Varanasi, this modern temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. It is situated at the place Where Tulsidas, the great medieval seer, lived and wrote the epic "Shri Ram

discarding that of the British. It soon became a centre of national education with Hindi as the medium of instruction.Acharya Narendradev, Babu Sampurnanand, Babu Sriprakash & many more Luminaries of the time have been associated with this institute.

MUSUEMS & ARTS GALLERIES

Archaeological musuem Sarnath open 09:30 am.- 5 pm. Friday clossed. Ramnager fort musuem, open 10 am.-5 pm. Clossed on Friday. Bharat Kala Bhawan B.H.U. open 10:30 am.- 4 pm. Clossed on Sundays & university holidays. Archaeological musuem, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University open 10 am. – 5 pm. Closed on Sunday & university holidays.

BHARAT MATA TEMPLE

This Temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936 and houses one perfect relief Map of India carved out of marble. The Temple was gifted by the nationalists Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta (Bharat Ratana ) and Shri Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists and antiquarians. It is inside the premises of Kashi Vidyapeeth.

ASHOKA PILLAR

It is at Saranath, 10km north of Varanasi. Sarnath, the place where Buddha gave his first sermon is a popular Buddhist pilgrimage centre. The Ashoka pillar stands in front of the main stupa where Ashoka sat and meditated. The Sarnath Archaeological Museum at Ashoka Marg, houses a copy of Ashoka's lion pillar and some sculptures.

RAMNAGAR FORT

The residential place of Kashi Naresh (Former Maharaja of Varanasi) across the Ganges at Ramnagar houses a museum with the exhibits of palanquins, costumes, swords, sabres, etc. Dussehra celebration of Ramnagar

Charitmanas", which narrates the life of Lord Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. Verses from Tulisidas's epic are inscribed on the walls.

SANKATMOCHAN TEMPLE

Lord Hanuman temple, who is known to be the 'Sankatmochan' is just 300 meters from Tulsi Manas Temple. It is an ancient temple considered as built by Goswami Tulsidas himself.

NEW VISHWANATH TEMPLE

Situated in the premises of Banaras Hindu University, a modern place of worship planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. Open to all, irrespective of caste or creed.

MAHATMA GANDHI KASHI VIDYAPEETH

Kashi Vidyapeeth was set up in 1920 by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta to provide alternate education arrangement


DESTINATION

is an interesting event to witness.14 km. from Varanasi. The fort at Ramnagar houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage cars, Royal palkies, an armoury of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clock. The Durga Temple and Chhinnamastika Temple are also located at Ramnagar. Ramnagar Fort which was built in 1750A.D by the Maharaja of Banaras, is on the right bank of River Ganga. Built of red stones, it provides strength and stability to the city. Visit: Daily from 0900 t0 1200 and 1400 - 1500. It is the presidential palace of the former Maharaja of Varanasi.

The palace is an astronomical and astrological wonder. Inside the giant walls of the palace, there is a big clock. Besides showing year, month, week and day, it baffles the onlooker with astronomy of the sun, moon and constellation of stars. This wonder clock or Dharam Ghari was made by the court astronomer of Banaras in 1852A.D. The palace has a temple dedicated to Ved Vyas and a museum set up by the last Maharaja of Banaras, Vibhuti Narayan Singh. The museum has a collection of brocade costumes, palanquins, weapons and has expensive coaches made of ivory.

The palace is decorated majestically and it vibrates with colour and life, during Dussehra festival. The celebrations come to an end on Vijayadashmi, when the huge effigies

of demon king Ravana and his kinsmen are sent up in flames, signifying the victory of good over evil.

ALAMGIR MOSQUE

An amalgmation of Hindu-Muslim religious sentiments, this mosque is also known as “Beni Madhav ka Darera". Curiously, the entire lower portion of the mosque is retained as a Hindu temple.

CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF HIGHER TIBETAN STUDIES

The only institute of its kind in the world, imprating education in the Tibetan language, it was Est. by the Dalai Lama in 1971. Presently located

at Sarnath. The institute has a rare collection of Buddhist texts, Tibetan manuscripts and other journals.

JANTAR MANTAR

Jantar Mantar is an observatory, built by Jai Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur in the year 1737. Jai Singh was a great admirer of science and technology and he was particularly passionate about astronomy. Before the commencement of construction (of observatories) he sent scholars abroad to study the foreign observatories.

The emissaries returned with many manuals on astronomy. The Jantar Mantar at Varanasi was built in line with Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and


DESTINATION

Jaipur observatories. The Jantar Mantar was built to measure the local time, the Sun's declination, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses.

The Jantar Mantar at Varanasi has several masonry instruments to record the motion, speed and properties starts and planets and study astronomy that are accurate and can still be used efficiently today.The Jantar Mantar incorporates multiple structures of unique form, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurement.

These structures with their striking combinations of geometric forms have captivated the attention of architects, artists, and art historians. Originally, there were many yantras (instruments). Some of the important ones are the Krantivritta Yantra, Digansha Yantra, Samrat Yantra, Prakash Yantra, Ram Yantra, Disha Yantra and Dhruva Yantra.

JAIN TEMPLE

Jain temple The Famous Jain Saint Shvetambar temple is there juust on the way from Railway Station to BHU, before Bhelupur Street.

AGHOR PEETH

Aghor is the pinnacle of spirituality. With the advent of the great saint of 20th century, Parampujya Aghoresh-war Bhagwan Ramji, aghor tradition was integrated in the society. He utilized his spiritual prowess in public welfare and in the eradication of prevailing evils in the society. He established Sri Sarveshwari Samooh on September 21, 1961 for the service of suffering humanity. Public service, establishment of global peace and maintaining harmony among religions are the objectives of this Samooh. Parampujya Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji also established “Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram Kusta Sewa Ashram” for treating leprosy patients. This institution

has been included and certified by the Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of world records as it has fully cured more leprosy patients than any other hospital.

After Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji left his mortal body on 29th November 1992, all the programmes of the organization are conducted under the guidance of its present president Parampujya Baba Gurupad Sambhava Ramji who established the Mahavibhuti Sthal (Samadhi) of Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji on the bank of Ganga. This establishment is an unprecedented example of architecture and sculpture. On the bank of Ganga itself, a worth-seeing “Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram Ghat” has been built by the Tourism Department.

Recently an old age home has also been newly constructed. In addition to above, large number of social welfare programmes are also conducted by the institution.


Our primary target is for school children commute. Other “applications for this platform

include college, staff commute and so on. We are looking at launching in other markets January 2017 onwards, which is when decision makers look at acquiring new vehicles for the coming academic year,” says T. Venkataraman, Senior Vice President – Global Buses, Ashok Leyland and gives more details about the recently launched school bus, Sunshine to Bus Coach India Resident Editor (South), Jayashankar Menon.

BCI: Ashok Leyland has recently launched the first frontal crash and rollover compliant school bus, Sunshine, can you elaborate on that?

TV: It has been famously said that every time my child walks off from home, she takes a piece of my heart with her. Commute to school is an urban reality. The child spends nearly 4,000 hours of her life travelling in a school bus. When we started envisioning the school bus of tomorrow, we realised that we had to change and look at the school travel from the eyes of the parents, and most importantly, the children. As one of the world's largest bus manufacturing company, it is our responsibility to ensure bus journeys are those that create wonderful memories with enough space for children for them to laugh, breathe, and have fun. We would like to dedicate our new school bus, Sunshine, to the most important constituent of our business, our children. With the lowest footstep entry, colourful and vibrant interiors, happy seats, world view windows,

COMPETITION


Ashok Leyland tarin the school childre

COMPETITION


gets Sunshine Busn commute segment

T. Venkataraman, Senior Vice President

Global Buses, Ashok Leyland

COMPETITION

have been receiving good reviews from all stakeholders – parents, teachers, school management, and fleet operators. We are looking at launching in other markets from January 2017 onwards, which is when decision makers look at acquiring new vehicles for the coming academic year.

BCI: What is your target segment for Sunshine?

TV: Our primary target is for school

interiors with anti-bacterial coating, a comfortable ride is assured. Sunshine is India's first roll over compliant and frontal crash protected school bus.

BCI: What are the safety features the new bus is having?

TV: Sunshine is a result of extensive feedback from both parents and children and an immersive study into the lives of all its stakeholders.

The bus has been crafted to ensure safety and comfort for all its occupants by providing artistically designed happy seats for the children, industry first anti-bacterial interiors and ensuring the most comfortable driving conditions for the drivers. Besides being a rollover compliant design and a frontal crash protected vehicle, Sunshine boasts the industry's first semi-integral chassis construction giving it the lowest fixed entry and a lower centre of gravity for a stable journey, state of the art parabolic suspension guaranteeing smooth and bump free rides, emergency exit doors and door alarms. The bus is equipped with segment first features like frontal

crash with rollover, anti-bacterial interiors, i-ALERT system for real time tracking including vehicle health management system.

BCI: Have you started receiving orders from schools? Ever since the production started, as of now, how many units of Sunshine ALL have sold?

TV: First showcased at the Auto Expo 2016, followed by the soft-launch, mid-academic year, in Vijayawada, we


COMPETITION


children commute. Other applications for this platform include college, staff commute and so on.

BCI: Do you also export Sunshine?

TV: Our current focus is to cater to the Indian market as we see high acceptance for this unique product all over the country. With our presence in the international markets, we would be happy to cater to any demand in the segment.

BCI: Regarding the countrywide

implementation of BS-IV emission norms in April, a price escalation of Rs.2-3 lakh per unit of bus is expected. Are you receiving increased orders from STUs? The demand from STUs this year has been very encouraging and we expect to get a sizable portion of the business. Our target is to get approximately 40% of the overall STU business for the current fiscal.

BCI: As of July, Ashok Leyland has its order book saying around 3,600 buses from various STUs, what is the current status and who all have placed

orders? The order book position of the company as of July stood at 4,200 units, what is the current status?

In July 2016, Ashok Leyland had declared that it had bagged orders for nearly 3,600 buses from various STUs in the current fiscal. Since then we have delivered more than 2000 buses and have added another 1,800 vehicles to this year's current order book which now stands at about 3,900 buses. We are expecting the Q4 to be more robust in terms of demand and numbers.

NEW LAUNCH


SML Isuzu’s Executive Lx, ommercial vehicle manufacturer SML Isuzu Ltd launched two Cnew passenger vehicles one is

Executive Lx coach and other is Ecomax Bus to its commercial passenger vehicles category.

The Executive Lx Coach have seat 18 passengers plus two and has pushback reclining seats. The one of its kind, fully-built and feature-packed bus which has 18 + 1 + 1 Pushback Reclining Seats, redefines comfort and luxury is ideal for the tours and travel operators and Staff shuttle operations. The bus offers highly comfortable wide and deep seats, on-board entertainment system, individual AC louvers, reading lamps, mobile charging points, cup holders and paper/Magazine holding mesh, wide windows for panoramic view and spacious interiors.

The bus is fully built and so not only conforms to AIS 052 (Bus Body Code) but also available in sufficient quantity in the shortest period.

Fully productionised product meets and retains the stringent Quality standards. It is one of its kind, fully-built and feature-packed bus with 4240 mm wheel base.

Ecomax Bus

Ecomax Bus is designed to maximize the earnings with optimum operational economy. As the name suggests the bus is designed to maximize the earning with optimum operational economy.

The bus is built on a small wheelbase of 2815 mm has 12 + 1/13+1 push back reclining seats and comes with numerous features like wide comfortable seats, spacious interiors, effective air conditioning, individual mobile charging points, cup holder and magazine pouch to name a


Ecomax Bus on high standard

NEW LAUNCH

By: Shantosh Sharma


few, adding to the delight of commuters. The low turning circle radius in Ecomaxbuses enables movement in narrow lanes and by lanes, the company claimed.The Japanese company already has Ecomax branded trucks in India. The low turning circle radius enables movement in narrow lanes and by lanes.

Other products on the display are Isuzu FR1318 bus (with 41 push back reclining seats, Air Conditioner, Air suspension and Audio Video system) and S7 Staff Bus which has capacity to accommodate upto 38 passengers.

SML Isuzu is a key-player and commands leadership position in the school bus market and has always enjoyed major market share in this segment. School buses are a very important market segment for SML Isuzu, and it is known for school buses.

Out of the wide range of products that the company offer, all models of school buses ranging from 18 seats to 60 seats comply with the latest Bus Body Norms AIS 052 and AIS 063.

It's buses are equipped with speed control governor ABS, emergency stop alarm, anti-skid vinyl flooring, multiplex wiring and the GPS tracking system based on the customised requirements. To make safe journey for children they have come up with of fire-retardant material and each bus comes with a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and an emergency exit.

Other than school, staff and the tourist segments, SMLI is also manufactures buses for the intra city operations ideal for state public transportation.

SML Isuzu Limited was formed in 2010 from the Swaraj Mazda

company after Mazda pulled out of the venture and the Swaraj name was sold to Mahindra when the tractor division Punjab Tractors was sold off.

SML is also present in the ultra-luxury coach segment with the Isuzu-branded premium coaches, over 200 of which are already running on Indian roads.

The vehicle offers good value for money in the premium segment, offering an impressive range of features for the benefit of both the operators and passengers.

The product is also priced competitively owing to the local bus body building done at the company's facility. SML has a single manufacturing unit in India, near Chandigarh, with an annual production capacity of 18,000 chasses which could be hiked to nearly 30,000 units with a small additional

NEW LAUNCH


“Mazda Motor Corporation – Japan”. Anticipating the market potential and recognizing the needs of Indian customers for advancement in technology, SML entered into a Technical Assistance Agreement with “ISUZU Motors – Japan” (who are also Stake Holders in SMLI) , a world leader in Commercial Vehicles and Diesel Engines.

Since the early days of its inception, SML is famous for its technical expertise, innovation and time to time product reformation. In order to keep pace with the changing expectations of the customers SMLI has always been introducing new exciting

products for customer delight. With the passage of time, there has been a drastic and unparalleled transformation in the passenger vehicle industry.

The company had showcased its latest product range in this (passenger) category. Our goal is to provide Fully Built Buses to address the emerging trends in the End user requirements and technology specifically meant for Tourist & Staff transport. As a standard our products primarily focus on providing better Safety, Comfort and Operational economy.

As a responsible transport solution provider, SMLI is doing its bit for the environment. SML buses adhere to the latest prescribed emission norms and are front runners in the Eco Friendly, CnG propelled vehicles.

The company strive to be the best in whatever they can do, which is quite evident from their Mission Statement.

Future plans

SML Isuzu's motto is to “Be the best, be the one”. The road map to success for

investment. The company has its own bus body building facility with a capacity of building 4,000 bodies per annum, on a two-shift basis. Besides, SML has also partnered with two other companies for its bus body building requirements.

The company operates more than 120 dealer locations across the country, with additional authorized service centres and trained mechanics offering service back-up.

On the cards is a toll-free number for handling service queries which would make things easier for its huge number of customers who operate SML trucks and buses across the country.The Sumitomo Corporation and Isuzu are now partners in this company and together have produced several licensed-Isuzu products.

Standard products

SML Isuzu manufactures a range of vehicles such as trucks, buses and ambulances. The company has launched products like 4WD, Samrat, Sartaj, Dual Cab, Supreme-8 tonner, Truck- Super 12, Super ALFD and many more.

SML ISUZU LTD. is a renowned and reputed manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India.The Company was established in the years 1983-85 as a joint venture between “Sumitomo Corporation – Japan” and

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the vehicle manufacturer is keeping its customers happy, especially since the modern customer expects comfort, more features as well as safety, whereas the transporter fraternity is all privy of the performance, economy, less operational and maintenance cost and SMLI is all braced for this.

The company is executing a Rs. 220-crore capital expenditure project at its plant for quality improvement,

product enhancement and productivity optimization.As the Central Government is poised for developing smart cities by expanding as well as modernizing the infrastructure for public transport, SMLI is geared up to offer quality products suitable for public transport in modern India.

The company aims to never compromise on environment conserva-tion and safety. As the emission norms

are getting tighter year after year, by 2020 it foresee the enforcement of BS-VI emission norms in the CV industry and are committed to keep up with the changes in this sphere as well. To talk about safety and adherence to the Government regulations, all of the buses comply with the latest Bus Body Code even though there is a delay in implementing such norms. It also offer CNG-fuelled vehicles, adhering to the Government norms. It is a compara-tively cleaner and cheaper fuel option, resulting in lower air pollution and good fuel economy.

It is three decades since SMLI rolled out its first vehicle in the market. The manufacturer expects healthy competition as more and more global players are entering the market with a new range of products. In order to advance ahead in the ever increasing competition, SML's prime focus is on customer satisfaction. The modern customer is technology savvy with a wider use of mobile applications. The advanced telematics features and fleet management systems in vehicles ensure more safety and better performance.

NEWS


ndian commercial vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors has Ishowcased country's first LNG

(liquefied natural gas) powered bus in Kerala, in the presence of Minister of MoPNG (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas) Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan.

With India expected to see an increase in demand for LNG over the coming years, owing to increased demand from the power, fertilizer and automotive sectors, the government plans to move towards a gas-based

economy, with Kerala as the first state to explore trial run of LNG-driven technology.

Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director - Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors said “We at Tata Motors are proud to showcase the country's first LNG bus; our gas-fueled people mover. As one of the country's largest bus manufacturers, the Tata LNG bus is b a sed on t he Ta t a Mo to r s understanding of the various transport authorities for public transport, creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders for clean, safe, affordable and

comfortable commuting. With LNG, we are not only FUTUREADY, but are extending that capability towards the energy security of our nation.”

The company informed in an statement, "Tata Motors LNG powered Tata LPO1613 bus, is lighter in weight compared to buses powered by conventional fuels, and has enhanced levels of payload. Moving towards gas power, will not only contribute majorly towards decreasing emissions for a cleaner environment, but will also ensure better fuel efficiency, due to high energy density of LNG, providing

India’s first LNG-powered bus

NEWS


for a longer range at more than 700km in one filling. LPG powered vehicles also ensure better Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) characteristics for passenger comfort.”With growing

availability of LNG at a cheaper cost, as compared to HSD (High Speed Diesel), LNG also lowers the operating cost of vehicles, further enhancing the efficiency of operators. LNG is also a

cleaner fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30% with respect to conventional liquid fuels. LNG will also help reduce the dependence on expensive crude oil.

NEW INITIATIVE

t a time when the education sector in country is facing a Asevere credibility crisis over

issues related to ethics and crass commercialisation, Syed Saeed Ahmed, a librarian and former journalist from Pune has stood the test of time and jumped onto the bandwagon of making the nation literate and its citizens empowered with the light of true education and knowledge based on the universal principles of ethics, morals, truth, justice and honesty. Ahmed through his Raabta Foundation has started touring and educating the countrymen in his new project Udaan Express.

to large numbers of people, especially children, from the remotest corner of the country. It is a totally equipped digital Mini bus which will be travelling throughout India promoting the message of Harmony. The purpose of the education van is to reach to the farthest corner of the country to share knowledge and the light of motivation to people who are left untouched by education.

During the first leg of its all tour, the van will be travelling from Bidar to Bihar and from Bihar to Bhiwandi. The van will be covering approximately 12,000 kms throughout

About Udaan Express

Udan Express is a a state-of-the-art Mobile Life-Skills Training Classroom (MLSTC) made out a passenger van which has currently touched as many as 10,000 people in its 4000 km journey criss crossing the state of Maharashtra and Madha Pradesh. The van has been made with the sole aim of empowering citizens to chart a brighter future for themselves and for the country.

Udaan Express will travel further across the length and breadth of the country to reach out to extensively


of the country through educational training and personality development.The mobile life skills training classroom will empower the citizens

its Pan India Journey from Pune


India, covering 11 states and to name of few it would be Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradeshg, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan etc and would be covering than 50 cities, towns and numerous villages dotting alongside the route.

According to Raabta Foundations mission state, the van is a part of an

ambitious alternate education project aimed at achieving the national goal of universal literacy and education at the doorstep for Indias. Saeed Ahmed said MLSTC was an ideal platform to spread the universal message of humanity, true education, morals, values and motivation. Udaan Express will reach out to extensively to large numbers of people, especially children from the

remotest corner of the country. US based philanthropist Dr. Khursheed Malik extended his maximum contribution for the project.

Conceptualisation of the Project:

Explaining the rationale behind the project, Ahmed said that he was appalled at the manner in which the citizens were being hounded by negativity and also at the fact that a large chunk of the country's population was illiterate. We at Raabta Foundation believe that “Self-knowledge is the only basis of true knowledge and the primary goal of real education is to guide students to the truths that will allow them to take charge of their lives,” he added. He further added that he floated the idea before his well wishers and in no time the idea received rave reviews from them and in a short span of time time funds were made available for buying the van and getting the project on track in a record time.

NEW INITIATIVE

NEW INITIATIVE


Udaan Express Agenda

To reach out to the remote towns of India where lack of education is affecting young people who are already isolated and marginalised. The mobile van will be addressing the critical issues affecting the youth related to their mental, physical health, family and community violence, community safety, conflict resolution, substance misuse, nutrition, resilience, social connectedness, personality develop-ment and self confidence. The van will be utilised for a variety of purposes right from serving as alternative classroom and as an engagement service that gets the deviant young people off the streets and reduces their anti-social behaviour at night. According to Saeed, his project will engage the most vulnerable, disadvantaged and hard to reach youth from diverse locations through innovative learning mechanism and usage of digital technology. The project will ensure that it will have an enormous positive impact on their general well being and self esteem which in turn will lead to construction of healthy society.

Saeed Ahmed: Educating the citizens of India and motivating them in becoming self confident in our national mission. We want empowered and educated citizens who will determine a new course for themselves and the nation in annal of history in the days to come. The van belongs to the country and its people as it has been dedicated for the cause of the nation and people building.

Citizen Speak:

Vineet Kharat, President Peepal Foundation, Pune

The mobile education van is one of the most unique educational project in the country and we offer our full support and co-operation to Saeed Ahmed for his ambitious initiative for the people.

Sainath Babar, Social Worker, Pune

The mobile education van will change

the way education is imparted to citizens and the entire project needs to be supported wholeheartedly by one and all.

Abdur Rahman DIG, Maharashtra State

I have personally seen the project from close quarters and vouch that it is an ideal platform of educating the disempowered and disadvantaged citizens of the country. The van will change the contours of education and define new paradigms of learning in the days to come. It is a national asset which needs to be cherished and espoused the countrymen.

Features of the Mobile Classroom

Projector and LCD screen

Pantry

Comfortable mobile seating arrangements

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DIG Abdur Rahman

Saeed Ahmed


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Bosch Mike and Sound System Impactful top

Digital Tools

State-of-the-art wireless internet connection

State-of-the-art computer system and latest gadgetry including satellite-monitoring GPRS system

Promotion on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

Mission: Empowerment of oneself by

Identifying hidden - innate talents and then fine-tuning them

Identifying hidden - intrinsic flaws and disables them from any harm

Rigorous Self and Assisted Introspection

Objectives

Transforming the youth for a better future

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The Indian society in particular and global society in general

Promote national integration and international brotherhood

Make life ethical, enjoyable, social and an asset to humanity

Upliftment of underprivileged groups

Betterment of Indian and global society

Methodology

Lectures | Exercises | Role-plays | Case studies | Experiments

Focus Areas

Underprivileged and deprived class

Empowerment of women and senior citizens

Emancipation and career guidance of destitute children and those having a criminal past

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Promotion of adult and continued education

Other features

Pan India roll-out program

Van will be dedicated to the cause of educational empowerment

Van will have national permit by Maharashtra State RTO

Programs offered through Udaan

Common Programs for All: Parenting, personality development, motivational programs, self-realization, counselling and soft skills.

Women: Training women of all ages in the best of life-skills programs with special focus on health and hygiene. Individual and group counselling sessions for the future success of the girl child.

Parenting: Training young adults to become effective parents who can

NEW INITIATIVE


bring about a change in the society.

Senior Citizens: Training senior citizens in the life skills necessary to guide the future generation.

Youth: Training them to become self-confident, God-fearing, fluent and courageous in facing any life situation.

Children: Child rights, child sexual abuse, counselling, value education, study techniques.

Raabta Foundation Raabta Foundation, an independent and self-supporting NGO, is a specialist in facilitation and training of life skills has already connected to more than 200,000 children, youth, women, adults and senior citizens, from 170 towns and cities in 14 states of the Indian subcontinent, through 1100+ workshops.

Raabta Foundation owes its existence to Sayed Saeed Ahmed, a prominent and inspiring motivational speaker in the Indian subcontinent, who is endowed with astounding spontaneity, incursive mind and a charismatic personality. Raabta

Foundation specializes in upgradation of life skills by training citizens in the art of positive thinking, emotion management (for overcoming grief, sorrow, fear, frustration, boredom, anger etc), stress management, time management, self confidence and several other critical issues which may be identified across the spectrum.

In collaboration with Pune Police, the organisation has attempted revival of pseudo-failures especially those youths having criminal background and this had attracted intense media attention.

Saeed Ahmed Profile

Syed Saeed Ahmed is a prominent and inspiring motivation speaker in the Indian Sub Continent who is endowed with astounding spontaneity, incursive mind and a charismatic personality. He is a graduate in Library and Information Science and a Post Graduate in Urdu Literature from Shivaji University, Kolhapur in Maharashtra. He began his humble career as an Assistant Librarian of Poona College in Pune Camp. He has completed as many as 1000 Plus life changing workshops across India and Middle East. By : Nadeem Inamdar

NEW INITIATIVE

NEWS

ahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has announced recently the Minauguration of its state-of-

the-art spare parts warehouse in Mahindra World City (MWC), Jaipur. As one of the largest, most modern warehouses in the country and the company's first in Northern India, it will cater to the requirement of Mahindra customers in the North and North-Western region of the country for both automotive The warehouse was inaugurated by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., in the presence of other senior company officials.

Spread over an 11 acre plot with an additional 5 acres for future expansion, this state-of-the-art spare parts warehouse aims to significantly reduce the order processing time for its customers based in North India. The processing time for the availability of spare parts and distance-to-market is expected to take less than 4 days. The company will procure spare parts from over 1,000 vendors and 9 plants for this new facility. With an investment of Rs. 150 crores, it will generate employment for over 450 direct and indirect employees. This Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) is one of the first such facilities to implement SAP – EWM for lean processes ensuring simpler, faster, more accurate and ef f ic ient warehousing. This is expected to be a major enabler in easing processes, enabling higher speeds through automation and reach world class benchmarks in process, scalability, flexibility, speed, infrastructure and quality.

According to Hemant Sikka, Chief Purchase Officer, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra &

and tractor spare parts.

Mahindra Ltd. “It is a moment of pride for us as we inaugurate this state of the art warehousing facility at MWC, Jaipur and in the process set new standards for warehouses in India. With a significant inves tment and employment generation, we are highly invested in the state of Rajasthan. I am sure this will also provide an impetus to the industrial growth of the region.”

Mr. Sikka further added, “At Mahindra we are committed towards creating awareness and ensuring availability of original spares among our customers and to that extent, the company is reasonably insulated from the threat of counterfeit spares. The warehouse in MWC Jaipur is part of our expansion strategy and going forward we will create a network of spare parts warehouses in West Bengal, Kanhe and the southern states.” This is the Mahindra ' s 4 th spa re pa r t s warehousing facility, with the others being in Kanhe for Automotive Parts, Bhiwandi for Tractor parts & Hyderabad for Commercial Vehicle Parts, which send out supplies directly to dealerships and in the open market.The world class warehouse in MWC, Jaipur has state-of-the-art infrastructure including a 4 storied warehouse for stock storage, a store capacity for Rs 130 crore of inventory and extreme

flexibility in the storage system. The warehouse incorporates a flexible and agile approach which will ensure that it is able to respond rapidly to evolving customer needs and ensure easy access to original Mahindra spares. With its commitment to sustainable spaces, Mahindra has ensured energy efficient lighting that saves 15% compared to normal lighting power consumption, while the design allows maximum sunlight and 100% use of metal pallets as against wood.

As an economic nerve centre of livelihood and living, MWC, Jaipur provides the perfect space and environment for such a large scale world class warehousing facility. The warehouse has effectively utilized the facilities provided by Mahindra World City (MWC) in terms of water, space, electricity, approach roads and land with a clear title. MWC Jaipur is a business destination of choice for leading Indian and transnational companies for its world-class industrial infrastructure, strategic location, connectivity to Northern and Western markets, a well-developed business ecosystem and ample availability of ready and technically skilled manpower. It is an ideal location for the warehouse to address the fast growing Indian market especially for faster go-to-market.


new spare part warehouse in Jaipur

NEWS


ALLISON-EQUIPPED VAN HOOL ALTANO TX COACH THE LENGTH OF ITALY IN ABSOLUTE COMFORT

he journey is long from the south of Italy to the north. For comfort, Tfuel efficiency and ease of

driving, IAS Touring in Rossano (Cosenza, Italy) chose the new Van Hool TX Altano equipped with an Allison fully automatic transmission. Delivered in early August, the coach was immediately put to work along the highways linking Calabria, a region in southern Italy, to Torino, Bergamo, Milano and Bolzano in the the country's north.

Dealing with a vast network of regional and inter-regional coaches, IAS Touring covers over 4 million miles (7 million km) per year, employs 170 people, and has a fleet numbering 120 buses and coaches. Rental activity is key for the company, which is widely acknowledged as a reputable, reliable hired-coach company.

“The company chose the new Van Hool coach with great care, prioritizing a quiet, relaxing passenger experience because of the distances covered running the length of Italy,” said Cosimo Sposato, fleet manager for IAS Touring. “Having to travel for so many kilometers, it was key for the coach to be comfortable and silent.” After several journeys operating the coach, Francesco Antonio Sposato, an IAS driver, offered his opinion of the vehicle: “The Allison-fitted Van Hool Altano is silent and very easy to drive,” he said. “Passengers arrive in the north of Italy relaxed, having traveled along the whole Italian Peninsula.” Sposato added that the automatic transmission is very reactive even at full load, an opinion shared by the others who have driven the coach.

Improved fuel economy has been another benefit. “Fuel consumption has been reduced thanks to Allison's automatic transmission,” said Cosimo Sposato. “In our experience, for a bus like this, it is excellent. Considering that this Altano travels an average of 7,000 km a week, it means big savings for our company.”Manlio Alvaro, EMEA marketing director for Allison Transmission, said Allison used the best fuel-saving technology available in the Van Hool coach.

“FuelSense® optimizes a vehicle's fuel consumption in any working condition, based on both the load and road conditions,” said Alvaro. “The automatic, powershifting transmission assures a continuous flow of power between the engine and drilveline, allowing for the most efficient use of fuel. Moreover, its patented torque converter multiplies engine torque at vehicle launch, reducing engine revolutions during travelling.” Van Hool and Allison have

worked together for many years supplying automatic transmission equipped coaches for the North American market. This cooperation has now expanded into European coaches. The 14-meter-long TX Altano 18 is the first in Italy with an Allison transmission. Equipped with a 510-horsepower DAF engine, the coach is fitted with an Allison Torqmatic® model T 525 with retarder. Engineered for efficient operation with six forward gears and one reverse, 5th Generation electronic controls allow for better performance and include advanced prognostic features. A fully integrated transmission retarder allows the vehicle to slow quietly and gradually.

“The coach has made a great impression on IAS Tours, not only because of its comfort and smooth ride, but because they appreciate how easy it is to drive, how well it manuevers and its silence on long journeys,” said Frank Donato of Van Hool After-Sales in Italy.

NEWS


xalta Coating Systems a leading global supplier of liquid and Apowder coatings, has partnered

with Akshaya Patra's food program for the second consecutive year to provide better education by serving meals to children in the community surrounding Axalta's Savli manufacturing plant in Gujarat state. This program aligns with Axalta's global corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to support education and the communities in which it operates.

Akshaya Patra is the world's largest nonprofit mid-day meal program serving wholesome food to more than 1.6 million children from 13,210 schools across 11 states in India. Akshaya Patra has demonstrated the merits of its nationally recognized initiatives by increasing school enrollment and attendance, decreasing the drop-out rate, and enabling

socialization among children, all results of improved nutrition.

“Axalta is committed to support our local communities,” said Vinay Rajadhyaksha, Managing Director of Axalta's operations in India. “We are proud to partner with Akshaya Patra once again and support the NGO's vision of ensuring no child is deprived of education due to hunger. Reaching children in Gujarat with nutritious meals through Akshaya Patra helps us give back to society in the best possible manner.”

“We are committed to providing nutritious mid-day meals to children so that they can attend school and build a better life. Support from partners such as Axalta Coating Systems helps us to empower more children with access to education by providing them a nourishing meal. We call upon

more companies to follow suit and join the movement to eliminate classroom hunger and aid education,” said Sundeep Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer of Akshaya Patra.

to Support Children’s Education in Gujarat

RNI No. DELENG/2010/34105 Post Reg. No. DL(W)05/2231/2016-18 Post at RMS DelhiPublished on 25ft every month and postage on 5th of every next month.

busworld india 2016: gateway for global brands volvo buses ...buscoachindia.com/magazines/december...

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