Achim Puchert
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) is now a cornerstone of the Daimler Trucks’ global operations, Achim Puchert, Member of the Board of Management, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Trucks and BharatBenz, has said.
At Capital Market Day 2025 held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Puchert said, while the Indian market is fiercely price-competitive, it offers unmatched learning and sourcing opportunities. Mercedes-Benz Trucks plans to leverage India's cost advantages in manufacturing, talent, and innovation to drive efficiencies across the global supply chain. “We are building a stronger future with two strong brands, Mercedes Benz Trucks and BharatBenz. Therefore, our global reach is greater than ever. We are using this opportunity to restructure our organization, to leverage talent, scale and efficiency and to grow in promising markets and product segments,” he mentioned.
An early result of this integration is the joint development of a medium-duty cab by teams in India—a task previously handled across Germany, Brazil, and India independently. Production too will now be centralised in fewer plants, exemplifying the brand’s new approach to speed and efficiency. The plan is also to shift 20% of European production to cost-effective regions, notably India, he said.
This is one of the three key levers – Leverage – aimed at making Mercedes-Benz Trucks enter a decisive phase of transformation aimed at redefining the future of global commercial vehicle manufacturing. The other two strategic levers being Restructure and Grow.
Culture Of Execution, People Power
At the foundation of this transformation lies a cultural shift—a high-performance mindset rooted in customer obsession, trust, and accountability, he said. From restructuring German operations to empowering Indian teams with global mandates, the approach is inclusive and bold. Reskilling initiatives are being intensified across all regions to match the pace of technological evolution and market demand.
Puchert attributed the inclusion of India and China into Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ global operations that marks a pivotal shift, as the second strategic lever. “Just looking at India alone, the potential from this change is huge,” he said. With over 250,000 vehicles produced in India and a strong export footprint to over 60 countries, the India hub will now serve as a key node for cost-effective R&D and sourcing, modular platform development and strategic exports.
According to him Mercedes-Benz Trucks is entering a decisive phase of transformation aimed at redefining the future of global commercial vehicle manufacturing. Guided by the three strategic levers, the company is positioning itself for higher profitability, enhanced resilience, and global leadership in next-generation mobility. The key driver to this effort is the sharp focus on customer satisfaction and operational excellence, he highlighted.
Leadership & Performance
Drawing from over two decades of global experience within the Daimler Truck universe, he brought a tested blueprint to Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Having led a successful turnaround in Latin America by embedding a high-performance culture and customer-centricity, the strategy now being rolled out globally is based on four pillars: execution, product improvement, uptime enhancement, and cost optimisation.
Restructure For Resilience
Restructure for resilience is the third strategic lever and central to Mercedes-Benz Trucks' transformation is the ambitious 'Cost on Europe' initiative, targeting over €1 billion in savings by 2030. “Cost on Europe is the right path to achieving the resilience we need. In addition to the negotiated framework, it's a comprehensive plan to unlock our full potential. And that means reaching our profitability targets in all market environments. What is important cost on Europe is not our entire strategy, but it is an essential part of it,” he claified.
Key actions include streamlining sales operations and decentralising market functions for greater agility; shifting 20% of European production to cost-effective regions, notably India; reducing vertical integration in low-margin areas such as powertrain components; deploying World Class Manufacturing (WCM) practices, already showing double efficiency in pilot areas and cutting material costs by over €400 million through early supplier collaboration, technical design improvements, and significant complexity reduction—30% at the component level and 40% at the system level.
DICV plant in India
Grow With Purpose
As mentioned by Puckhet, the growth for the company is being targeted in three high-value areas.
Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs): The E-Actros 600, winner of Truck of the Year 2025, leads the charge. With Europe expected to cross 40% ZEV penetration by 2030, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is poised to capture leadership in long-haul battery-electric trucking.
Defense Sector: The brand aims to double revenues by 2030. With established contracts in regions like the Baltics, Algeria, Chile, and Ukraine, and a growing product line including the new Zetros 8x8, the business is set for scalable expansion.
Aftermarket and Services: Increased investment in full-service offerings, refurbishment, and uptime-centric programmes ensures a continuous revenue stream and stronger customer loyalty.
Puchert said that Mercedes-Benz Trucks is not just planning the future; it is building it through focused execution, disciplined restructuring, and leveraging the power of its global team. With strong brands, a simplified architecture, and a relentless drive to grow where it matters most, the company is on a clear path to turning its full potential into sustainable profitability, he concluded.
Also Read:
How DICV Plans To Dominate Construction & Mining With Its Next-Gen BharatBenz Lineup