Voltas serves the volume market in India.

Voltas Material Handling will now operate under the name KION India, a change that is anticipated to lift the KION Group's corporate profile in the key growth market of India.

KION India will continue to sell electric and IC forklifts and warehouse technology products under the established Voltas and Baoli brands in India. The company's headquarters and the Voltas plant will also remain in the city of Pune.

Voltas Material Handling Private Limited was launched in 2011 (Forkliftaction.com News #506) as a joint venture between the KION Group and Voltas Ltd. In November 2012, the KION Group became the sole owner of the Indian manufacturer (Forkliftaction.com News #590).

Frank Brandmaier, KION head of corporate media relations, says the group believes in the great "Indian story" and fully intends to fuel the development of a "stable manufacturing environment" by providing the Indian industry with a backbone of reliable and competitive materials handling technologies.

"Until now, the KION group was not fully visible to normal retail customers as Voltas was used as [a] brand and Voltas Material handling as [a] company name.

"With the name change, customers will better know the association with KION group and there will be a fresh base for the communication with customers - the combination of the strong Voltas brand and the KION Group's state-of-the-art technology," Brandmaier says.

In the past, Voltas focused on forklifts with internal combustion engines as it had limited experience with electric forklifts and warehouse technology.

"Voltas was, therefore, more dependent on market fluctuations as the demand for internal combustion forklifts drops more significantly in weak market phases than for warehouse technology and electric trucks," Brandmaier explains.

Since the acquisition by KION, Voltas started focusing on the introduction of new products with the help of the group's strong technology base. The new products have helped KION increase its marketshare in India.

"Currently, the Voltas brand on standalone basis is holding [the top] position in [the] diesel forklift product segment and has expanded marketshare to double digits in electric trucks and warehouse equipment," Brandmaier says.

The KION Group comprising the six brands of Linde, STILL, Fenwick, OM STILL, Baoli and Voltas is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in western and eastern Europe, the global number two in the industry and the leading non-domestic supplier in China. It is present in over 100 countries and, in 2013, employed over 22,000 people and generated revenue of EUR4.5 billion (USD5.9 billion).