To accommodate an urban population that is expected to reach 600 million by around 2030, billions of dollars will be spent in India in the coming decades. With its broad portfolio that stretches from solutions for infrastructure development to transport, Volvo Group is well placed to participate in this historic shift. There are profits at stake; there also is an opportunity to help improve the quality of life in a country of more than 1.2 billion people.
“As the pace of urbanisation in India increases, finding sustainable solutions has become a national priority. At Volvo Group we have the potential to create real value on this road to progress,” says Kama Bali, Managing Director of Volvo Group India. “Whether that is about developing infrastructure or motivating citizens to lea their cars behind and take public transport– our solutions with buses, construction equipment, trucks or engines are there to help create change for the better.”
Volvo Group is already making its mark on cities like Mumbai. Volvo CE loaders were part of building the approach to Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a US $240-million suspension bridge that reduced the north-south commute by an hour at peak times. Volvo CE equipment demolished the old airport, clearing the way for a new facility that is recognised as one of the best in the world. And Volvo buses are becoming the preferred choice for commuters.
Anrullah Husaini is travelling by bus to Navi Mumbai, a newer city of more than 1 million people to the east of Mumbai. There are some other premium bus brands on the route as well, but locals know the service only as the “Volvo bus”.
“On any other transport, when you reach the destination you are tired. On the Volvo bus, you don’t feel tire,” he says.
Neha Dulera and Prajakta Diwan travel regularly with air-conditioned Volvo buses from Mumbai to Belapur, the Central Business District in Navi Mumbai. They prefer travelling by bus. Since it is relatively quiet, they can spend their time relaxing and chatting with each other.
Divya Mahajan is only travelling for the second time on a Volvo bus but she is already a fan:
“It’s less complicated than getting there by train and a lot more comfortable,” she says.
