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BharatBenz Reviews

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

4.3/ 5

3 reviews

BharatBenz is a prominent commercial vehicle brand in India, operating under Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German automotive giant Daimler Truck AG. Established in 2011 and officially launched in September 2012, BharatBenz was introduced to compete directly in India's fast-growing commercial vehicle segment against established domestic manufacturers like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. The brand brings the global engineering heritage of Daimler—dating back to the invention of the first truck by Gottlieb Daimler in 1896—and adapts it specifically to the demanding operating conditions of the Indian market. The company is headquartered in Oragadam, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where DICV established a massive, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility spanning 400 acres. This plant represents one of Daimler’s largest investments outside of Europe, totaling over ₹4,400 crore. The advanced facility includes a dedicated 47-acre, 3-lane test track stretching 1.55 kilometers, which features specialized sections like bump tracks with precision-laid cobblestones, potholes, and water troughs to simulate harsh Indian road conditions. In 2015, the site expanded with a ₹425 crore bus manufacturing facility spread over nearly 28 acres, which assembles both BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz buses. BharatBenz operates as a full-range player in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments, offering trucks, tippers, and tractor-trailers ranging from 10 to 55 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW). Its portfolio includes Medium Duty Trucks (MDT) from 11 to 18.5 tonnes and Heavy Duty Trucks (HDT) up to 55 tonnes, featuring popular models like the 1917R, 3528C, and 1117R. Built on globally proven platforms such as the Mercedes-Benz Axor and Fuso Canter, these vehicles emphasize safety, fuel efficiency, and a low total cost of ownership. The company has also been a pioneer in emission compliance, transitioning its entire lineup to BS6 standards ahead of industry mandates. The company employs over 4,000 people and maintains a strong focus on localization, sourcing 85% of its components from more than 450 local suppliers, with a significant concentration in Tamil Nadu. Beyond domestic sales, the Chennai plant serves as an export hub, shipping Fuso-branded medium and heavy-duty trucks to various markets across Africa and Asia. BharatBenz vehicles are sold and serviced through a pan-India network of more than 300 touchpoints. The brand's customer service infrastructure relies on an advanced, touch-enabled online technical platform called Aftersales Central (ASCENT) alongside mobile service workshops deployed via GPS, ensuring breakdown assistance along major national highways within a four-hour response time. For the fiscal year 2023, the brand recorded a revenue of ₹10,665 crore and a net income of ₹305 crore.