Volvo Bus Body technologies to be operational soon

New Delhi: Volvo Bus Body Technologies, the joint venture between Sweden's Volvo AB and domestic bus-body maker Jaico Automobiles Ltd, will be operational by the end of January, with the company investing Rs 80 crore to set up a bus body manufacturing plant at Hosakote, Bangalore. The joint venture company would have a manufacturing capacity of 1,000 buses per year and cater to both Indian and foreign markets. It will be operational by the end of this month, said Mr Akash Passey, newly appointed Managing Director, Volvo Bus Body Technologies. It will also export its products to Africa, West Asia, and South East Asia. The Hosakote plant is slated to roll out a new version of Volvo 9400 inter-city buses in the first quarter of 2008. 'We are looking to sell around 450 buses this year in India,' said Mr Passey. 'Besides Bangalore, we are also looking at launching our buses in Chennai and Pune,'' he added.