Tatra trucks set to hit highways

Tatra Trucks India will soon foray into on road applications by launching a heavy truck in India at its plant at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.

The company is also talking to Volkswagen to lease out idle capacity at its plant near Bangalore, Tatra Trucks India Chairman R I S Kahlon said in New Delhi on Monday.

Tatra Trucks, which is 90 per cent owned by NRIs-promoted Vectra Group of the United Kingdom, has also tied-up with Spanish firm Fainsa to manufacture seating systems at its existing plant.

"We are in the process of identifying a multi-axle truck which will make our foray in on-road applications," he said.

Tatra Trucks manufactures trucks for off-road applications for sectors like mining and construction.

"If we have to grow in the Indian market, we cannot afford to ignore on-road applications which is 80,000 trucks annually. It becomes all the more important with the government's renewed focus on a number of highway development projects," he said.

Asked about financials, Tatra Trucks Managing Director Rakesh Jinsi said: "Although audited results for 2003-04 are yet to come, we hope to post net profits."

At present, the company, which aims to register over 53 per cent sales growth this year over 130 units sold during 2003-04, has a manufacturing capacity of 1,000 units annually.

The company also supplies trucks to the Indian Army through Bharat Earth Movers.

The company assembles engines and makes truck bodies at its Hosur plant. Tatra Trucks gets technology support from Czech firm Tatra.