Daimler-Chrysler abandons Mercedes plant project

[Bimmer]

@Fuhrer_Hurricane
18 years..

[chevyboy]

i doubt the MB Pune plant exports cars to Germany. That makes zero sense. For one thing, they would have to build LHD for Germany. Pune is a small-scale assembly operation to serve Indian market and maybe other SAARC countries like bang, Nepal, etc (which I continue to believe are "tiny export markets" like i said). MB India so far is only exporting components to the West, not CBUs. India has a huge auto parts industry because of its scale. Pakistan is not a sensible destination for a large auto investment, certainly not $1.1B.

The whole thing, as many have said, was a 100% sham. It was totally made up and has nothing to do with MB. Any fool can understand that.

[nickatnite]

@chevyboy

While i respect criticism from anybody and grateful to anyone who will point out any incorrect information i might post, i am sick and tired of some of my Pak brothers like the above who will pass "high and mighty" judgements without verification when it pertains to India and , especially when it pertains to Indian autos(just raking up this stale Indo-Pak perceived rivalry/jealousy which is as dead as the dodo!).I guess i've been under the misconception that cars can bring us all together in this forum. "Chevyboy", i sincerely request you to go back to page1 of this thread and click on the link provided by a really fair and balanced member of this forum on Mercedes-Benz India's growth progression.I provide a copy of this info from that list!!...

"""""July 1999 Mercedes-Benz India is awarded Regional Highest Exporters' Trophy in Motor Vehicle Category by Engineering Export Promotion Council for the year 1997-98."""

"Chevyboy"....they wouldn't win this trophy exporting to Bangladesh and Nepal alone!.And, why would M-B invest millions of dollars in a second manufacturiong plant in India ,pray tell?.I expect more common sense in people who have lived as long as you have!!...lol!...You and people like you are the reason i would seriously contemplate leaving Pakwheels(which will be a really sad thing for me as nobody is indispensable!!), inspite of the other really cool folks here.I am sorry to say that you are a M*ron....

This thread was opened by another Pakwheeler, like myslef , i assume who is interested in cars from anywhere, and any related developments!.I'm in India at present so you see a lot of pics if Indian cars etc., in my posts.Once i get back to the US, i will still report on the Indian auto scene, but i will have more of US car pics and local coverage of NY.

[anonpak]

Nickatnite,

As much as I love your posts - you're making this stuff up based on hearsay and hypotheses. MB India does NOT export cars to Germany. MB India's only export market to date is among SAARC countries.

When and if they export to Europe, it depends on a EU-India trade agreement. As of today there is no agreement - meaning no export to Europe. It might export in the future, but it might not. That is all up in the air.

It is one thing to be civil on this website and it is another to be a pompous ignoramus. You have no entitlement to call another member a moron when you yourself are biased and misinformed.

[nickatnite]

@anonpak

I never liked you nor your posts and as i said earlier , please criticize or ridicule Indian cars and myself or any other car but please don't pass "high and mighty" judgements or pass comments made on incorrect assumptions!.Here's a link that will prove to you that you are the very words that you chose to describe me!!.....

http://www.fadaweb.com/indian_auto_scenario.htm

Please feel free to read the info in this link and eat your own words at your own leisure.....

One extract from this link......

"""""Quality management: DaimlerChrysler India has been awarded the prestigious Quality Audit Certification VDA6.1 that is stricter than ISO 9000. A large number of measures are taken to guarantee that the vehicles manufactured at the Pune plant are world-class Mercedes-Benz vehicles without any compromise.

The company has exported over 3,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles manufactured in India to more than 25 countries including Germany.""""""""""

One more article on M-B (India).....

Daimler Chrysler begins construction in Pune

Quote:
PUNE: The world's second largest luxury carmaker Daimler Chrysler Wednesday began construction of its new plant for the production of Mercedes-Benz cars near Pune in Maharashtra. The new facility, to be located at Chakan near the city, will initially employ around 350 workers, matching the level of the current facility, said Joachim Schmidt, chairman of Daimler Chrysler India.

"Our confidence in the Indian market is reflected in our long association with the country. Our engagement with India dates back to 1954 when we started collaboration for trucks in India. Subsequently, we were also the pioneers of the luxury car market in India," said Schmidt.

The new manufacturing facility will produce S, E and C-Class Mercedes-Benz cars for Indian market. The production of cars is expected to start around early 2009. The new plant will initially employ around 350 workers, matching the level of the current facility.

In the first quarter of 2007, the carmaker already recorded further growth of 17 percent.

On Jan 4, Daimler Chrysler India had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government over the construction of the new plant.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh laid the foundation stone of the new facility. Among those present included Minister of Industries Ashok Chavan, Minister for Water Resources and Water Supplies Ajit Pawar as well as Minister of State for Industries Rana Jagjitsinh Patil.

Representing DaimlerChrysler India were Schmidt, and Wilfried Aulbur, managing director and CEO of Daimler Chrysler.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2024626.cms

...........Touche!!

[myraid99]

@anonpak

"When and if they export to Europe, it depends on a EU-India trade agreement. As of today there is no agreement - meaning no export to Europe. It might export in the future, but it might not. That is all up in the air."

That is a singularly stupid statement. Please take some time to think what you wrote. The EU trade agreement is largely about concessions, not about permissions. If someone in Munich decides to buy a Mehran, Suzuki Pakistan would be more than glad to sell it to him. If it passes the safety norms , no one can stop him from driving one.

[Fuhrer_Hurricane]

@nickanite
irrespective of who has said what, do you remember i once requested to post some crash test ratings of indian cars???
in return some guy posted links from an indian site.......

do you know of any neutral sources to check out all what has been claimed above??? and also the crash tests.....no mention of Indian site please because it must be biased about their industry.........

and without certified crash test clearance, no Eu country will accept indian cars btw...

[nickatnite]

@Fuhrer_Hurricane

I do remember now and i could not find related links.However, Indian made cars are being exported to various countries around the world both home-grown(TATA, Mahindra etc.,) and foreign(Hyundai, Ford, Mercedes-Benz etc.,) and i understand that all these companies do have crash testing facilities in house.You may visit J.D.Power(Asia Pacific) for detailed information on Indian cars....scroll down when you access the site and you see the links.....also click on the year you want info on at the top of the page.....

http://www.jdpower.co.jp/jdp_e/press/index05.html

you might also want to click on this link to get comprehensive information on homologation and safety testing for all cars Made in India both for home consumption and export.....

http://www.araiindia.com/

ARAI
The Automotive Research Association of India ( ARAI ) has been playing a crucial role in assuring safe, less polluting and more efficient vehicles. ARAI provides technical expertise in R&D, testing, certification, homologation and framing of vehicle regulations.

ARAI is a co-operative industrial research association established by the automotive industry with the Ministry of Industries, Government of India. It works in harmony and complete confidence with its members, customers and the Government of India to offer the finest services, which earned for itself ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and NABL accreditations.

ARAI is well-equipped with state-of-the-art infra-structural facilities and highly qualified manpower.

Establishment 1966
Location Pune, INDIA(150 km from Mumbai)
Area 105 hectares
Built-up-area 15000 sq.m.
Manpower 440
Engineers 170(60 - Post-graduates and doctorates)

[nickatnite]

@Fuhrer_Hurricane

Here you go!...click on these links to answer the question you posed!!....

http://www.araiindia.com/safety.htm

http://www.araiindia.com/images/photo_galleries/safety/10.htm

[anonpak]

Myriad, please reread what I said with context in mind.

You can import anything you want from India to Germany - if you want to pay a premium for it. The speculative trade agreement I mentioned was in the link I provided. Daimler Chrysler said they would ramp up exports ONLY if they could somehow sign a trade agreement between Germany and India. If a trade agreement gets signed, you can bet the whole range of Mercedes Passenger cars will be exported to Germany. So far you wont find any DCX India passenger mobiles in India.

Until then, unless a trade agreement makes the passage of goods from India to Germany reciprocal and cheap - only direly required Heavy Duty machinery produced by DCX will be exported from India to Germany.

Hope that clears it up.

Nickatnite, I have no qualm with you, but the way you addressed a member was not appropriate for a public forum. Save name calling for private emails. I was merely defending someone you pushed around. As for your FADA claim, there is no tangile proof that DCX India exports any substantial amount of passenger cars to Europe. Lets not be penny wise and pound foolish - the reality is only a handful of DCX cars are sent to Germany - and those too for quality testing. The overwhelming export market for DCX India remains Asia.

[shueyb]

The reasoning of anonpak's and chevyboy's statements is plausible, considering that MB is produced in Europe in large numbers, whereas MB India has exported a total of 3,000 cars to 25 countries over a period of 12 years (1995 to 2007). That makes an average of 10 cars per year per country. So if cars made by India were exported to Europe or Germany, they were imported probably as test cases, or by individuals from Europe. This is in contrast to what Hyundai and Suzuki have done by making India an export hub for some of their models. India's auto export performance, over all, has been much better than China's, though China is much larger auto market.

[shueyb]

Coming back to the topic of Daimler Chrysler's plans of investing in Pak, I agree with chevyboy and anonpak. Indeed this sounded like a scam from the very start. The Business Recorder report is not based on facts, as DC was never involved in the project. It was actually the Coastal Group of UAE which wanted to get a large piece of land, much larger than required for an auto assembly plant, at concessional rates.

They were reporting it as a JV, which it was not. They might have entered into a Technical Collaboration agreement with DC for assembling their trucks and buses (yes, this is what the plant was supposed to churn out, not MB cars) in future, but no such agreement was in place, hence the denial by DC of any plans of assembling cars in Pak. The numbers they were projecting were ridiculous. USD 5 billion worth of exports from one plant. Taking the average export price of a Merc produced at the proposed plant at USD 50,000, reaching the claimed annual export figure would require exporting 100,000 Mercs per year from Pakiland!!! That would be in addition to their local consumption. Hence, the Business Recorder reporter needs a lesson in numbers and economics. This article was most probably paid for by the Coastal group.

DC can't be so stupid to allow a frachisee to grab such a large share of their market, when their very own wholly owned subsidiary next door can do the job. Although their Indian subsidiary could export only 3000 cars in 12 years!

Another such project, LTI's Black Cab taxi project was also another such ridiculous scam.

[nickatnite]

@shueyb

You are a gentleman and a scholar.I like your comment on M-B(India) too!.

[nickatnite]

@Chevyboy

I intensely dislike "anonpak's" 'guts'(lol!), and 'anonpak' is not always right and i still stand by my factoid about Mercedes-Benz India exporting cars to various markets including Germany, because it is information released by the company and can be verified by contacting them directly, BUT, having said that, i agree with 'anonpak'(the one and only time, i will..:)) that i should not address any member as a "M*ron" , and i hope you will accept my apologies for the same!.Cars are important to me and i love them, but human beings are definitely more important.Better late than never, and i hope you will accept my sentiments!.Regards!....

[shueyb]

Dear nickanite, many thanks for honoring me with such nice titles. I am humbled.

[Fuhrer_Hurricane]

@nick
i liked your attitude this time..-

[nickatnite]

Mumbai, INDIA: An Indian model displays a creation by fashion designer Anita Dongre at a show in Mumbai, late 05 February 2006. The show was organised by Mercedes Benz to showcase the various attributes of Mercedes through stylized innovative apparel design. INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images

[nickatnite]

New Delhi, INDIA: Global Head Daimler Chrysler S-class Development Hans Multhaupt(C),Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Daimler Chrysler India Wilfred Aulbur and Daimler Chrysler Global Head of Engineering Technologies Bharat Balasubramaniam(R) pose with the newly launched Mercedes Benz S-class car in New Delhi, 24 February 2006.Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images

[nickatnite]

New Delhi, INDIA: Global Head Daimler Chrysler S-class development Hans Multhaupt,Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Daimler Chrysler India Wilfred Aulbur and Daimler Chrysler Global Head of Engineering Technologies Bharat Balasubramaniam pose with the newly launched Mercedes Benz M-class car in New Delhi, 24 February 2006.Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images

[nickatnite]

Hyderabad, INDIA: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Daimler Chrysler India, Wilfred Aulbur poses with the Mercedez-Benz S-Class Diesel S 320CDI L car during a press conference in Hyderabad, 28 April 2007. Daimler Chrysler India unveiled the new S Class diesel, the S 320 CDI L and the premium Mercedes-Benz CL-Class for the southern market at the brand showcase in Hyderabad. NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images