Volvo Buses has received its largest order in India to date, for 100 Volvo 9400XL coaches. The company is also announcing major expansion plans for the coming years.
The company that ordered the 100 triple-axle Volvo 9400XL coaches is Vijayanand Road Lines Logistics, VRL. The coaches will be delivered during 2011 and the order is the largest to date in India in terms of order value.
VRL is the largest transport company in India, with nearly 3,000 buses and trucks. The company purchased its first Volvo bus in 2002 and currently has 48 Volvo buses in its fleet.
“This order reflects the amount by which our confidence has grown in our partnership with Volvo, in the Indian passenger demands and of course in our business, as a Corporate Brand that provides top notch transport services,” says Vijay Sankeshwar, Chairman, VRL.
During the company’s nearly ten years in India, Volvo Buses has changed the image of bus travel, with its luxurious, safe and efficient buses.
“This is not something we do alone. It is our customers, such as VRL, who are actually affecting this change on the field”, says Akash Passey, Managing Director, Volvo Buses in India. “These are not bus operators as we know them, but emerging corporate houses backed by a modern, professional and customer-focused approach.”
The order from VRL arrived at a time when Volvo Buses in India is announcing plans for significant expansion in the coming years. The company expects to double the operation in the plant outside Bangalore in the next two years.
“We see the establishing of key concepts that will drive future progress – long-haul luxury travel is getting segmented with higher demands and the country is clear about its ambition of making public transport a key tool for sustainable cities,” says Akash Passey.
This will involve new facilities for refurbishment operations and an expansion of the paint shop. The company was earlier run as a joint venture, with Volvo Buses owning 70% and the Azad Group partner 30%. Volvo Buses has now bought out the partner and thus owns 100% of the plant, which will generate higher flexibility in the future expansion.
