Deccan Auto to open new bus plant in Telangana

Deccan Auto Ltd is to open an integrated bus manufacturing plant at Kodakachani village in Medak district, 40km from Hyderabad, tomorrow. It will be inaugurated by Chandrasekhar Rao,  chief minister of Telangana.

The Rs 250 crore plant is located in an 18-acre site with a covered area of 200,000 square metres. It has a manufacturing capacity of 3,000 units per annum at present with plans to double it over the next six years.

The plant, which will produce both Deccan and Corona buses, is also equipped with testing facilities and a paint bootThe manufacturing unit has been accredited by the Automotive Research Association of India and conforms to the New Bus Code. In-house infrastructure includes a leakage testing facility, modern painting booths with ovens, bus transfer platform, 100 percent power backup, jigs and fixtures with hydraulic/pneumatic controls, effluent treatment plant, diesel filling station, weigh bridge and 400,000 litre water storage capacity among others. 

According to MSRV Prasad, chairman, Deccan Auto, “We are committed to bring in the best technology and manufacturing practices to the Indian bus industry. The plant will be a world-class facility which will serve both domestic and export markets in Asia and Africa where the group has a very big presence in the cement and steel Industry.”

Deccan Auto has a technical association with Zhongtong Bus Holding Co of China, a government-held company which exports to over 30 countries worldwide, said VA Norhi, managing director of Deccan Auto. 

The Deccan Auto plant will also manufacture buses for Corona Buses, which has already placed an order for over 300 units and plans to order another 1,000 units this year. According to M Balaji Rao, director, Corona Buses, Deccan Auto and Corona Buses will have a product range comprising buses from 8 metres to 18 metres long. While the monocoque Corona buses will focus on the city bus segment and sleeper coaches, Deccan Auto will manufacture luxury coaches in three sizes: 8 metres, 12 metres and 13.7 metres. All the buses, which have independent front suspension, will be powered by Cummins engines.