“India is already a stronghold for us. We see substantial opportunities to expand both domestically and through exports, leveraging our established presence and competitive manufacturing base,” said Karin Rådström, President & CEO of Daimler Truck, during the company’s Capital Market Day 2025 presentation at Daimler Truck’s Cleveland (USA) manufacturing plant.
The company stressed that building scale in India through domestic volumes is a key priority, with a longer-term objective of boosting exports. “While still in the early stages, a potential India trade agreement could accelerate this opportunity for us,” said Eva Scherer, CFO of Daimler Truck.
Daimler Truck is leveraging a unified global approach to strengthen its product portfolio, with India playing a pivotal role in driving scale and cost efficiencies. The company is optimizing its medium-duty truck range by consolidating three different cab designs—from Germany, Brazil, and India—into a single platform. This streamlining effort is supported by the implementation of the ONE Modular System, which is set to reduce product complexity while enabling significant cost savings through economies of scale.
India has emerged as a strategically important hub in this transformation, offering a competitive edge in R&D, manufacturing, and logistics—essential for building a unified, high-performance product portfolio. The country’s contributions are central to achieving a powerhouse product lineup through the integration of global resources and capabilities. “By unifying platforms and tapping into India’s strengths, Daimler Truck aims to accelerate its innovation cycle and bring products to market faster across its global range,” said Achim Puchert, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Mercedes-Benz Trucks and BharatBenz.
Leveraging India’s local manufacturing scale, the company aims to tap into both domestic demand and international markets, with a combined target volume exceeding 60,000 units by 2030—significantly expanding its international reach.
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, leads the company’s India operations. Its Oragadam facility near Chennai, spread across 400 acres, serves as a fully integrated manufacturing and R&D centre. In addition to building BharatBenz trucks and buses for the Indian market, the plant also produces FUSO, Mercedes-Benz, and Freightliner vehicles and parts for over 60 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. It has produced over 2.5 lakh trucks and buses over the past 13 years for domestic and export markets.
