BharatBenz truck duo raises bar in construction, mining sectors

Time of India

03-07-2025

Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan
recalls that it was Kerala which first gave the feedback on the changing dynamics within the construction and mining space.
'Fleet operators made it known to us that the landscape had altered dramatically with the massive proliferation of roads that were being built at breakneck speeds,' recalls the President & Chief Technology Officer of
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles
(
DICV
) which produces the
BharatBenz
brand of trucks and buses.
In the process, requirements had also changed among these fleet operators who were now seeking trucks with greater carrying capacity and faster turnaround schedules along with reasonable maintenance costs.
Fleet operators made it known to us that the landscape had altered dramatically with the massive proliferation of roads that were being built at breakneck speeds.Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan
Accompanied by a team of over 40 engineers and R&D personnel, Thimmaiyan went through a two-day brainstorming session at a hotel close to the plant in Oragadam near Chennai. The inputs were all collated and once the go-ahead came through from the top management, the stage was set for the development of the HX series.
Pain points incorporated
'The spark started in Kerala followed by other states. Customer wishes and pain points were incorporated The reengineering for the HX range was done from bumper to bumper while there was a complete redesign of the suspension,' said Thimmaiyan.
Likewise, the axles and transmission were also redesigned and today DICV is confident that it can assure users better TCO (total cost of ownership), productivity and longevity from the HX range.
With the redesigned powertrain, AMT will ensure good productivity at lower costs. In the process, truck life will improve.Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan
This was accompanied by work on the the Torqshift series for specialised mining applications. The big USP here is the automated manual transmission (AMT) which is the best piece of news for drivers who will now welcome the added comfort of doing away with constant gear shifting and using the clutch.
'One of the engineers came up with this idea and it will reduce driver effort. With the redesigned powertrain, AMT will ensure good productivity at lower costs. In the process, truck life will improve,' said Thimmaiyan. Daimler engineers also helped out in the exercise and there is every likelihood of manual transmissions being phased out eventually.
Field research
According to him, both the HX and Torqshift with price points ranging from INR 56 lakh to 65 lakh were based on 'customer-centric innovation' which in turn has been made possible thanks to extensive field research done by people at DICV.
'These two are formidable products which will change the face of construction and mining,' said Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO of DICV. The investments in infrastructure and resurgence in mining will mean a CAGR of 20% by 2030 and this merits attention in terms of bringing products with the right technology, he added.
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It is estimated that the country's mining and construction equipment sector is poised to grow from $16 billion to $45 billion by 2030. It is keeping this in mind that BharatBenz wants to pull out all the stops with top-class products that can strike the right connect with users.
According to Arya, a large percentage of fleets in construction and mining are nearly a decade old which means the time has come to replace them with better options. DICV handed 200 of these new vehicles to its customers who noticed a 'game-changing performance shift'.
This naturally meant that they were doing better than than rival models in the market. 'This industry deserve the best is what we surmised after getting customer feedback,' he added.
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Arya, who is a DICV veteran, recalled the time when there was a fair deal of scepticism about the company cracking the Indian market which was virtually a duopoly. 'We proved these sceptics wrong and have since moved from being a challenger brand to trustworthy partner where dealers and suppliers have also played a big role,' he said.