CHENNAI:
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the Indian subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has launched an all-new range of heavy-duty trucks under the BharatBenz brand, targeting the rapidly expanding construction and mining sectors in India—an industry expected to reach $45 billion by 2030.
Unveiling the HX and Torqshift series in Chennai on Wednesday, Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO of DICV, said the new models are designed to meet the evolving needs of the sector, aligning with India’s infrastructure ambitions and the government's goal of transforming the country into a developed, self-reliant economy by 2047.
India’s mining landscape is highly varied, with sites typically categorised by depth—deep (up to 300 metres), mid-range (100–300 metres), and shallow (40–100 metres). BharatBenz is targeting the shallow mining segment, aiming to grow its market share to more than 50 percent in that niche, which it sees as ripe for organised fleet penetration and replacement of ageing assets.
With many Indian fleets nearing obsolescence—8 to 10 years being the typical asset life—DICV is banking on a wave of pre-emptive upgrades as contractors move towards owning more technically advanced and fuel-efficient trucks. The company has already deployed over 150 of its new vehicles in pilot operations across major sites, reporting improvements in uptime, fuel economy, and load-bearing performance, said Arya,
“We are not offering a generic product,” said Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan, DICV’s President and Chief Technology Officer. “Every mine operates under different conditions. Our trucks are designed to be configurable and responsive to those regional differences.”
A key innovation in the new Torqshift line is the adoption of automated manual transmission (AMT), a feature drawn from Daimler’s global technology platforms in Germany. The system, Arya said, reduces driver effort by as much as 40 per cent, enhances vehicle control under load, and lowers turnaround time—a critical factor in high-utilisation sectors like mining and construction.
“Driver fatigue is a major issue in high-intensity operations,” Arya added. “With AMT, we’re offering a more ergonomic and efficient solution that can significantly improve productivity.”
The company is also weighing export opportunities in markets with similar terrain and use cases. Indonesia has been identified as one such potential destination, pending local market assessments. The 28-tonne HX series truck is priced at ₹56 lakh and a 35-tonne Torqshift model priced at ₹65 lakh in the domestic market.
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