Nitol-Niloy to start assembling Tata pickups this month

[Homo Sapiens]

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/business/nitol-niloy-start-assembling-tata-pickups-month-1629904
12:00 AM, September 06, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, September 06, 2018
Nitol-Niloy to start assembling Tata pickups this month

Manufacturing to begin by 2020
Jagaran Chakma


A growing demand for commercial vehicles has encouraged Nitol-Niloy Group to start assembling Tata pickup trucks in Bangladesh from this month.

“Now we will assemble the pickup, but we have a target to manufacture at least 25 percent of the components locally by 2020,” said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol-Niloy Group.

The group initially plans to assemble 800 pickup trucks every month at a plant of Nita Company Ltd, a joint venture of Nitol and Tata, located in Jessore.

Currently, chassis of trucks, buses and minibuses are imported in completely knocked down (CKD) condition and assembled at this plant.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data showed that the demand for pickup trucks was over 1,000 units per month last year and the growth rate was over 18 percent.

BRTA gave registration to 13,512 units of pickup trucks of different manufacturers in 2017, up from 11,371 units in 2016; 10,257 in 2015 and 9,554 in 2014.

“We will start assembling pickups this month and it will be the beginning of automobile manufacturing in the country,” said Ahmad, also a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the apex trade body.

He believes Nitol Motors would be able to introduce a “made-in-Bangladesh” pickup truck in January 2021.

Ahmad said as per international practice at least 25 percent of the components of a vehicle must be manufactured locally to call it a local product.

Nitol Motors would manufacture the chassis, body, pinion, wheel rim and brake components, which would be economically viable. Ahmad said Tata would directly supply the rest of the components to the manufacturing plant.

Nitol Motors started assembling Tata buses and trucks in 1991 and has been Tata Motors' partner since 1988.

Now, it is the largest distributor of Tata Motors in South Asia, and the most dominant player in the country's commercial vehicle market having over 40 percent of the market share. According to Nitol Motors, it accounts for over two-thirds of the pickup truck market in the country and it has been growing at a double digit rate for the past five years.

Ahmad said Nitol needs to invest around Tk 300 crore in the existing assembling plant to upgrade it for manufacturing pickup trucks and it would need Tk 800 crore to go for manufacturing trucks and buses in the future.

He said assembly of pickup trucks would reduce its present price in the domestic market by Tk 1 lakh per unit.

Nitol-Niloy Group has a diversified profile with exposure to assembling of vehicles, bus body making, after sales support, transport and aviation services, financial institutions, manufacturing industries, real state, properties development and sports promotion.

The group's annual turnover was $128 million, equivalent to over Tk 1,000 crore, last year, according to its website. It has so far invested around $260 million and employs 3,170 people.

 

[bluesky]

Nitol-Niloy to start assembling Tata pickups this month

Factories for assembling the pickups and other commercials vehicles are a required component for the industrial development. Hence, it should be prioritized. I believe that once this new assembly factory does good business, there will be other related companies who will come forward to do the similar type of job.

Another important point is the future plan to manufacture 20% of the components locally.

 

[Sam.]

Factories for assembling the pickups and other commercials vehicles are a required component for the industrial development. Hence, it should be prioritized. I believe that once this new assembly factory does good business, there will be other related companies who will come forward to do the similar type of job.

Another important point is the future plan to manufacture 20% of the components locally.

I wouldn't say future plan but natural phenomena. VA-VE is always there to cut the cost and for that local supplier or potential ones are searched.

 

[Bilal9]

So inquiring minds will want to know what type of Tata crap this factory will assemble, here we go.

Mostly ACE pickups (named Tata Sathee locally) which have found great success as human-haulers akin to Filipino jeepneys.

The vehicle boasts such technological wizardry as a 1950's-era leaf-spring suspension, same vintage engine (probably a oil float carburetor as well as a contact distributor tool ).

Not even independent coil spring suspensions or rear stabilizer bar - you ask? NOPE.

I digress though. Cheap is as cheap does. Which is what the Indians excel at...

But who cares? Allah ka shokar I don't have to avail of this mode of transportation and the associated risk thereof.

 

[bluesky]

Old and low technology commercial vehicles have demand in the third world countries because they are cheaper. BD should start with TATA low-technology vehicles. Its high demand will cause TATA or other companies to introduce technologically superior vehicles in the future.

 

[TopCat]

Old and low technology commercial vehicles have demand in the third world countries because they are cheaper. BD should start with TATA low-technology vehicles. Its high demand will cause TATA or other companies to introduce technologically superior vehicles in the future.

In one hand Govt is asking people to use seat belt, wear helmet etc and on the other hand giving road permit to human hauler!!! Does this mean life of well off people are more worthy than the poor?

 

[bluesky]

In one hand Govt is asking people to use seat belt, wear helmet etc and on the other hand giving road permit to human hauler!!! Does this mean life of well off people are more worthy than the poor?

You are correct. Being a rich man, your life is certainly more worthy than mine with an unworthy life. I must add that it is the people's choice of what to buy or not. However, a low-technology engine produces more pollution but it is worth for a poor country if it carries the load and reaches its destination.

Whatever @UKBengali, the great futurist, says, BD will remain a poor and underdeveloped country with a low purchasing power of the population for many decades. In the past, with a far better economy, many of today's developed countries used little large-sized 3-wheeled commercial vehicles for a short-distance transportation of goods.

All the cities and towns in BD need actually this type of vehicle with a fuel-efficient two-stroke engine. But, it is great that TATA will assemble 4-wheel vehicles with a 4-stroke engine which is better than the 3-wheelers. I personally would prefer 3-wheelers only because it consumes very little fuel. So, how do you think?

A two-stroke engine.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Leaf spring suspensions are for durability. Ace uses telescopic shock absorbers on top of the leaf springs. There are a lot of options, CNG, BS4, high torque and so on.

Maybe BD can design a monocoque pick up with independent air suspension.

Ace is a hit for a reason. But it seems Niloy is also selling 207 and Xenon.

 

[KapitaanAli]

All the cities and towns in BD need actually this type of vehicle with a fuel-efficient two-stroke engine. But, it is great that TATA will assemble 4-wheel vehicles with a 4-stroke engine which is better than the 3-wheelers. I personally would prefer 3-wheelers only because it consumes very little fuel. So, how do you think?

Why do you want 2 stroke? 3 wheelers here are all moving towards 4 stroke. Can't spot a single 2 stroke where I live.

2 stroke gives more power, but it's not worth it.

 

[bluesky]

Why do you want 2 stroke? 3 wheelers here are all moving towards 4 stroke. Can't spot a single 2 stroke where I live.

2 stroke gives more power, but it's not worth it.

Do you think my thinking will come true? I just said a few words about the 2-stroke engine that it consumes less fuel. It can be one option, too. Good for a poor country that has minus balance of trade. But, it is TATA who will decide such matter. So, why do you think it is not worth?

Why cannot you spot 2-stroke engines in India when 94% of its two and three-wheelers are fitted with this? A similar engine can also be fitted in a small cargo van that will cost less to buy with the added benefit of less fuel consumption. Study hard before you show your ignorance in front of others. Most Indians have a habit of tangling the things. Read an excerpt from the Internet source:

"Some 94 percent of the two- and three-wheelers in India are powered by two-stroke engines that are simple and compact in design, cheap and easy to maintain".

 

[KapitaanAli]

Do you think my thinking will come true? I just said a few words about the 2-stroke engine that it consumes less fuel. It can be one option, too. Good for a poor country that has minus balance of trade. But, it is TATA who will decide such matter. So, why do you think it is not worth?

Why cannot you spot 2-stroke engines in India when 94% of its two and three-wheelers are fitted with this? A similar engine can also be fitted in a small cargo van that will cost less to buy with the added benefit of less fuel consumption. Study hard before you show your ignorance in front of others. Most Indians have a habit of tangling the things. Read an excerpt from the Internet source:

"Some 94 percent of the two- and three-wheelers in India are powered by two-stroke engines that are simple and compact in design, cheap and easy to maintain".

I wasn't talking about the whole of India. Just where I live, or my state, you could say. The same will be true for many areas in India. My point is that it clearly shows the superiority of 4-stroke 3-wheelers and the direction of things.

If you go to Mumbai and such, it's full of 2-stroke autos since the drivers don't own the vehicle and the owners just want to make the most out of their ancient crap. But this isn't true for 2-wheelers. They've moved onto 4-stroke even in villages.

It seems you're under the misconception that 2-stroke consumes less fuel. They're less efficient, but outputs more power. There's no point in BD using 2-stroke when they're no more made (in India), is less efficient, and pollutes.

Yeah, 94% 2,3-wheelers were 2-stroke in India, in 1993! Why do you've to mislead! It was a totally different era for Indian automotives.

 

[bluesky]

My point is that it clearly shows the superiority of 4-stroke 3-wheelers and the direction of things.

Are all Indians are born stupid like you? Which of my sentences said that the 2-stroke engines are superior to the 4-stroke ones? Stop blabbering.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Are all Indians are born stupid like you? Which of my sentences said that the 2-stroke engines are superior to the 4-stroke ones? Stop blabbering.

Economically superior. Efficiently superior.
Why would you wish for 2-stroke if you hadn't thought otherwise..

There's no need to be angry.

 

[TopCat]

Do you think my thinking will come true? I just said a few words about the 2-stroke engine that it consumes less fuel. It can be one option, too. Good for a poor country that has minus balance of trade. But, it is TATA who will decide such matter. So, why do you think it is not worth?

Why cannot you spot 2-stroke engines in India when 94% of its two and three-wheelers are fitted with this? A similar engine can also be fitted in a small cargo van that will cost less to buy with the added benefit of less fuel consumption. Study hard before you show your ignorance in front of others. Most Indians have a habit of tangling the things. Read an excerpt from the Internet source:

"Some 94 percent of the two- and three-wheelers in India are powered by two-stroke engines that are simple and compact in design, cheap and easy to maintain".

2 stroke does not consume less fuel but the opposite. 2 stroke engine is just cheap.

 

[bluesky]

2 stroke does not consume less fuel but the opposite. 2 stroke engine is just cheap.

Not exactly. A 2-stroke engine consumes less fuel but produces about eight times more pollution than a 4-stroke engine although the price is cheaper. Anyway, TATA will certainly use 4-stroke engines for its 4-wheeler small cargo vehicles in its BD plant.