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Swedish automaker Volvo no longer feels like an outsider in the Indian markets with the country becoming a home market, said Kamal Bali, President & Managing Director (MD), Volvo Group India.
Speaking to ANI after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles under the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) framework, Kamal Bali, President and Managing Director of Volvo Group India, said, "We are not new to India. We have been there for 25 years. It has now become like our home market. In fact, we are building our fourth international manufacturing hub in India. So India is becoming very important. So India is like our home market," he said while responding to a question about the challenges the company faces as a non-Indian player. Both automotive manufacturers pledged, as part of their membership of the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), to work together on a more sustainable heavy-duty transport eco-system in India. Talking about the company's deeply rooted presence in the Indian markets, Bali further stated, "We know India well, and then we have a joint venture with Eicher Motors, which is an Indian company. So we have another brand. So Volvo is one brand. Eicher Motors is another brand. Eicher Motors on the mainstream brand, Volvo on the premium brand. I think we have two brands. So we have enough knowledge about India as a group." Speaking about the company's commitment to sustainability in India, Bali said the partnership with Tata Motors, as part of LeadIT, aims at developing the broader ecosystem, including infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and talent development. "MOU is about working together to accelerate decarbonisation of heavy duty trucking industry," he stated, adding that the player will compete in the market but collaborate with other automakers to create an ecosystem. He added that the heavy-duty transport contributes 37 per cent of total road emissions. To achieve net-zero targets, all actors in the ecosystem--vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers, infrastructure providers, and policymakers--must work in tandem, he added. Commenting on the MoU, State Secretary Sara Modig said "The collaboration between Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and the Volvo Group shows how industry can take the lead - not only in setting goals, but in building the ecosystems, technologies, and infrastructure needed for fossil-free heavy transport that can scale across markets." Volvo Group's presence in India spans more than two decades. The company offers trucks, buses, construction equipment and power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing, and services. With a strategic focus on research, sustainability, and digital transformation, the company host the Group's largest R&D and IT hub outside Sweden. Through its joint venture with with Eicher Motors, it leads global medium-duty engine production, setting benchmarks in safety, innovation, and environmental stewardship. (ANI)
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