MG Group Turns OEM

The MG Group is looking at an exciting time ahead with new projects up its sleeve.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

Post the launch of tarmac coach Columbus and the sleeper version of Mammoth premium front-engine inter-city bus at Busworld India 2016, Mumbai-based MG Group is looking at tapping growth on various fronts. Keen to turn OEM by ‘productionising’ the Columbus, the Group is increasing its thrust in the OEM business by inking an agreement with Scania to build sleeper coaches on its 14.8 m chassis. Achieving a major milestone of 100,000 buses last year (100,000 buses were built in twenty years), the Group, according to Anil M. Kamat, Managing Director, MG Group, is aiming high. Announcing that the Columbus complies with the tarmac coach manual overall in terms of specifications, dimensions, etc., Kamat mentioned that a lean manufacturing system has been installed to produce the coach. Planning to launch the Columbus in January 2018, the Group is looking at supplying 50 to 60 tarmac coaches a year. “The tarmac coach niche,” explained Kamat, “befits the company’s bandwidth.” We are confident of supporting this product in the market, he mentioned.

Driving the Mammoth

Exporting the Mammoth to Africa,Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives, The MG Group will soon deliver four Mammoth coaches to KPN Travels. These will be in the sleeper coach guise. Based on a MAN bus chassis (procured as per an agreement with MAN Trucks India), it took almost a year for the Alma Motors business vertical of the MG Group to develop the (front-engine) Mammoth. To attain the status of a premium offering, particular attention was paid to the design and NVH. Both, the MG Group and MAN worked on the NVH of Mammoth. While the 220 hp Mammoth is specific to the Maldives market, the rest of the markets are catered to by the 280 hp version. Competitively priced in the range of Rs.60 and Rs.62 lakhs, the Mammoth helped the Group to bag the Scania venture.