Smart OK Please

India is on the move and so is our dream to excel and reach new heights, when it comes to turning these dreams to reality we depend on various modes of transport and the people behind this industry work harder day in and day out to ensure that the wheels never stop turning and we never stop aspiring.

India has the second largest road network in the world and In our day to day life we see lot of transport trucks on the road, but their presence is almost non-existent for a layman like us unless we spot a quirky quote written behind the truck or blocked by one while overtaking or covering our nose while crossing the road and a huge ugly looking machine just passes by us kicking a small cloud of dust in our face as we get grumpy thinking about the uneducated driver who just knows nothing else but to drive rash. There is more to what we know about the people involved in the transport industry and for them a major part of their lives is spent on the wheels.

These wheels and their drivers are in a race against time, for lot of us a long road trip can be a rejuvenating and memorable experience however for these drivers it is a never ending loop. It is a journey that takes them across various cities, towns and villages, through difficult terrain, experiencing frustration and chaos of urban traffic while dealing with difficult cops and officers at toll joints.

A drivers pit stops at highway dhabas turns out to be their only place where they can socialize a bit with other truckers and the memory of their home away thousands of kilometers that weighs heavy on their mind with every bite of food they have here. They venture out every time hoping for a better future which would give them decent remuneration, a wish to drive a better vehicle that would provide comfort on long journeys and the respect they seek for the work they do.

Owners of transport fleet and logistics firms are also heavily reliant on skilled and experienced drivers who are hard to find to ensure they keep the show running while dealing with challenges like rising operating costs which keep cutting into their margins as the truck industry is directly involved in transporting 80% of our country's freight. So with these high stakes riding on the shoulders of the road transport business Mahindra has risen to the challenge to usher a new generation of 'Smart Trucking' with its latest offering in the Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) segment in India - Mahindra BLAZO.

I’m blogging about my exclusive experience at the Mahindra Blazo Smart Truck manufacturing unit with BlogAdda held earlier this month which was a completely new experience for me visiting an automobile plant for the first time and our guide for the plant tour Mr. Sunil Deshmukh ensured we were given a simple and comprehensive understanding about the overall concept, process, man and machine effort which goes into the making of Mahindra Blazo. We began with a walk through of the facility at the press shop then assembly area, M-HCV body shop and finally getting to see the Mahindra Blazo in flesh. So when we talk about this new truck from Mahindra, what is that they are offering which sets them apart from the competition? and how do they aim to cater to the ever growing needs of the trucking industry?

The Mahindra Blazo range of HCV has being launched with a vision on the future and to back the driver on the road with best comfort possible by offering a very spacious cabin which has a futuristic looking dashboard, ergonomic seating comfort and option of single and double bed behind the driver seat, Blazo range is also available in variants with air conditioner and features like ABS, large rear view mirror, easy ingress and egress to the driver cabin.

Some of the other salient features that set Blazo apart from competition include:
- 48 hours up time assistance 
- More than 2900 service touch points
- Transferable Warranty (A first in India) 
- 24x7 assistance on call by experts in 7 different Indian languages
- Super Saving on spares with 900 authorized retail spare part outlets
- Cost effective AMC with 5 years or 5 lac km warranty.


Mahindra is banking on it's mileage and service guarantee to give the business owner and drivers enough confidence to rely on their latest range of Blazo Smart Trucks.

One cannot miss out mentioning the FuelSmart technology which is at the heart of the new Smart truck range. It is surely going to change the way fuel efficiency of Blazo trucks is going to be rated against competition and the obvious delight of the end customer. FuelSmart switches on the dashboard give you option to choose between superior mileage and unmatched power based on road condition and pay load which have a bigger impact on the savings that can be pocketed by the driver and transport fleet owner. Turbo mode switch helps you extract raw power from the engine when the vehicle is transporting goods over steep incline. Heavy mode helps to gain better mileage with heavy pay load and the Lite switch optimizes fuel usage when the vehicle is running without any luggage load.

The m-POWER CRDE engine proves its mettle by monitoring factors like temperature, volume of air intake, braking, acceleration etc. via various sensors ensuring Blazo delivers power and maximum efficiency with an unbeatable mileage promise. m-POWER engine has also undergone multiple tests totaling to 15000 hours across various geographic and climatic conditions across India. This engine is available in 3 different horsepower variants 170, 210 and 260 to suit varying requirements of the customer.

So after experiencing a short test ride on the Blazo truck at Mahindra Chakan plant, we headed back to the city for a lunch session with the Mahindra Truck and Bus division MD Mr. Nalin Mehta. We got to have quiet an insightful and informal chat about the Blazo Smart truck which cemented my thoughts on how committed Mahindra is about their latest HCV offering and later in the evening we also met Dr.Venkat Srinivas who is the VP and head of engineering and product development. He spoke at length about the changing trends of the trucking industry, dismissing some common myths around transport sector and how Blazo came into existence to act as a catalyst during this phase of change, emphasizing that Mahindra is ready to put money where mouth is when it comes to their service promise.

 

As we got ready to depart after an eventful day winding up our discussions, I spotted this board above the entrance of Mahindra Truck and Bus Division office at PCMC, it goes to prove Mahindra's Rise vision is willing to go the extra mile to WOW the customer in the most unexpected way and all it needs now is this confidence reciprocated by the customer in embracing the new generation of 'Smart Trucking', here's a montage of my Blazo experience.