Volvo has re-engineered its new batch of bus bodies at its new Hoskote plant, near Bangalore, to fight blatant plagiarism of its brand. Ever since it started bus production in 2001, the company has been the target of myriad bus operators.

Over the past one year though, engineers at the Swedish company have been working on the front and back sides of the bus to come up with a new frame and accessories. The fog lights, headlamps, and body frame have undergone a metamorphosis.

“It is now near impossible to ape us,” says Akash Passey, managing director of Volvo Buses India. “The re-engineering is of a global quality and it is not easy to emulate.”

The company’s new bus manufacturing plant in Hoskote can now put out 450 buses in a year. Sensing the increasing demand, Volvo intends to increase capacity to 1,000 by the end of 2010. Passey expects Volvo’s new initiative to break even by then.

The new bus division in Bangalore will manufacture both the chassis and the bus body. Volvo used to make the chassis alone earlier. The body was supplied by Bangalore-based Jaico Automobiles.

Volvo has been in India since 1998. For the first few years of its operations in India, Volvo had a smooth ride, but as soon as it started gaining popularity, ‘fakes’ started appearing on the roads.

Since 2004, Volvo has been filing brand infringement cases but they have been of little help, as errant bus operators have gotten away with insignificant fines. Some autorickshaws and mini-vans have also started using the Volvo brand name and in some cases called it ‘Valvo’.

”It’s flattering that so many buses use our brand name, violating norms. However, this has not had an effect on our business. But it should be checked nevertheless,” says Passey. “Now that the design has been reworked, our brand will be able to withstand the threat.”

In 2008, the Volvo bus division will report its revenue in India for the first time. It hopes to close with Rs 300 crore as revenue. It has sold 2,000 buses in India to date.