PCP Motors expects 2014 elections to drive motor home vehicles' growth

Sets target at 90 vehicles, including 20 units to various political parties in the current year

PCP Motors, the newly-floated division of Kolkata-based NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) solutions provider for the automotive industry, Paracoat Products Limited, expects good demand for its motor home-cum-office vehicles (caravans) from political parties this year.

“Considering the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, we foresee a greater demand for our caravans from the political circles , especially for kick-starting their election campaigns from the hinterlands,” Rajesh Poddar, managing director and director (business development) of Paracoat Products, told Business Standard here.

PCP Motors is set make its debut in the domestic market by showcasing two of its motor home models at the international bus and utility vehicles show, scheduled to be held in Greater Noida on February 15, 2013.

“We target to sell 90 vehicles, including 20 units to various political parties, during the current calendar,” Poddar said, adding that while the travel and tourism sector was expected to contribute 50 per cent to its business, film industry, political parties, corporate houses and state governments would account for the rest.

The company has developed its PCP Terra range of motor homes in technology tie-up with Japan's Van Tech. Built on Mahindra & Mahindra’s pick-up vehicle ‘Genio’, PCP Motors is currently assembling kits imported in CKD (completely knocked down) from Thailand, at its 250-unit per year capacity plant at Manesar in Haryana. PCP Terra is priced at Rs 28.5 lakh (excluding Genio price of Rs 5.5 lakh).

Stating that while the motor homes market in Europe was pegged at 40,000 units a year, he said there were no concrete numbers available to quantify the size of the Indian market.

“Given the way highways are being developed in India, the motor homes concept will grow, and justifiably have anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 caravans in the country by 2016,” Poddar said, adding the company was looking at rolling out bigger vehicles, besides having 50 per cent localisation of the kits from next year.