Category Archives: Transport

Diamler India exports first-batch of Fuso Trucks from Chennai. June 2013 .

Diamler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV)exported the first shipment of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant. The trucks exported are in the 9-, 12- and 25 tonne range.

Marc Llistosella, Managing Director & CEO, DICV said ‘This is a realisation of our promise to export from Chennai”

The Fuso trucks are headed towards Sri Lanka as a part of Diamler India’s (DICV)commitment to export to various countries in Asia and Africa. Sri Lanka will be followed by Bangaldesh, Zambia, Kenya and Brunei later this year.

The Fuso brand of trucks, owned by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), is a member of the Diamler Trucks Division of Diamler AG, which owns 89.29% per cent stake in the Corporation.

Diamler India (DICV) is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of German automotive giant Diamler AG. The Oragadam (Chennai) plant alongwith the Kawasaki plant in Japan will be Diamler’s two global competence centres. Although the new lineup will be branded Mitsubishi Fuso in export markets, in India they will be branded as Bharat Benz – Diamler’s India brand.

Oragadam is an industrial hub to the west, in the outskirts of Chennai where DICV in its plant spread over 400 acres ,produces the Bharat Benz range of trucks for the domestic market.

India’s first giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter enroute to its new home. June 2013 .

The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) first giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (tail no. CB-8001)has taken off, after its transfer ceremony held in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013. The IAF is flying its first heavy-lift strategic transport plane, on its more than 8,000 mile journey to its new home at the Hindon Air Force Station (outside Delhi), where the squadron will be based.

Nearly a year ago, Indian Consul General Shri. N Parthasarathi stood on the floor of the Boeing Co. C-17 Globemaster III production plant, drilling ceremonial rivets into the first of the 10 military planes bound for India.

” The C-17 will equip the IAF with amongst the world’s most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities ” said Air Vice Marshall SRK Nair, Assitant Chief of Air Staff Operation Transport and Helicopter. The IAF’s capability to swiftly transport combat troops and war-fighting equipment to distant battle fronts will be hugely bolstered with the induction of the C-17’s aircraft that will augment their air lift capacity.

The giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, a high-wing, four engine, T-tailed military transport aircraft can take off from short runaway of as little as 7,600 feet in length and land on runaways as short as 3,000 feet. It can fly 2,400 miles without aerial refuelling – flying longer with refuelling and carry as much as 80 tons of cargo. Th C-17’s are as much valued for their cargo capacity, the ability to fly long distances, their versatility and ability to land on remote airfields in rough terrain.

The first C-17 arrives in India almost exactly after 2 years of the deal being signed in June 2011. The $4.116 billion deal for 10 aircraft will make India the largest operator of the aircraft outside of the U.S.  India became Boeings’s largest foreign customer when it endorsed the $ 4 billion deal to purchase the C-17’s. Boeing is on track to deliver 4 more this years and 5 more to the IAF in 2014.

Once the deliveries are done, it will make the IAF the operator of the 2nd largest fleet of C-17’s after the US Air Forces’ current 218 strong inventory. The UK currently holds the status with the Royal Air Force operating 8 of the type.

Boeing will support the IAF C-17 fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics Contract.

India’s airline – Air India’s first long-haul airservice to London from Bombay . June 1948 .

Air India then run by the Chairman, J.R.D.Tata (known as Father of Indian Civil Aviation) created aviation history in its inaugral flight the ‘Malabar Princess'(registered VT-CQP), a 40-seater Lockheed Constellation L-749A aircraft to London Heathrow from Bombay (Mumbai)via Cairo and Geneva on Tuesday, June 08th, 1948 with Captain K.R.Guzdar in command. The National carrier of India was launched as an International Airline.

Months of meticulous planning had finally paid off. Carefully selected staff members wre alloted to the new operation. New staff were recruited and Air India offices were opened in Cairo, Geneva and London. The Cairo office was set up by F.Nariman, G.Bertoli took charge of the Geneva operations and London was headed by M.A.S.Dalal, where Air India had a very small set up at London Airport.

This was the airlines first long-haul flight, a milestone in the history of Indian Civil Aviation, soon followed by a service in 1950 to Nairobi via Aden. This beautiful silver state-of-the-art Lockheed Constellation aircraft bearing the  tricolour was the finest that money could buy.

‘Malabar Princess’ arrived in London in the early hours of June 10th taking a little more than 24 hours. For the second leg of the journey from Cairo, Captain D.K.Jatar was in command.

After World War II, a regular commercial service was restored in India, and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on July 29th, 1946 under the name Air India. In 1948 after, after the independence of India, 49% of the airline was acquired by the Government of India, with an option to purchase an additional 2%. In return the airline was granted status to operate international service from India as the designated flag carrier under the name Air India International.

In 1948 only a few airlines existed and not many countries had their own international operations. India had achieved a notable milestone, ahead of others that night.

India commissions its first Pilatus trainer aircraft . June 2013 .

The Indian Air Force(IAF) formally inducted the first 12 of its 75 Swiss manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk11 basic training aircraft into operational service at a ceremony at the premier academy Dundigal AirForce Academy near Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) on June 07th, 2013.

Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical night flying. This marked the first formal flight of the Basic Trainer Aircraft. All the 75 aircraft are expected to be delivered by August 2015.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall N.A.K.Browne said the Pilatus will be the ‘ideal platform’ to expose initial trainees to basic flying, modern avionics and navigation aids. This aircraft will be used to train all pilots of the IAF, in addition to pilots of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

Apart from an integrated ground-based training system and a comprehensive support package, the contract requires the company to implement the required transfer of technology to Hindustan Aeronautics, enabling establishment of in-country depot-level maintenance facilities to support the aircraft, throughout its 30-year service life.

India’s first fully fledged fighter aircraft base in South India . May 2013.

The first ever fighter base in the Southern Peninsula was inaugrated in Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), by Defence Minister A.K. Anthony on Monday, May 27th, 2013.

The Indian Air Force (IAF)under the control of the Southern Air Command is stationing its most lethal Sukhoi Su-30MK1 super manoueverable combat aircraft. The full Sukhoi squadron (16 to 18 jets) will be deployed at the base by 2017. So far India has inducted over 170 of the 272 Sukhoi 30 MKI’s contracted from Russia.

The Indian Air Force(IAF) will keep deploying its regular fighter and transport detachments here since the runaway and other facilites are in place now.

This will strengthen India’s capabilities to protect its vast interests in yet another strategically important Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Peninsular region.

The airbase has been modernised in the recent past and the infrastructure development includes ‘construction of a new runaway, parallel taxi track and other operational maintenance and adminstrative infrastructure’ to support air operations.

Past: The airbase was first contructed in 1940 by the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the period 1942-45 the RAF operated Hudson, Wellington 1C, Hurricane and Thunderbolt aircraft from this airfield.

The old runaway had served as a civil airport two decades ago. Thanjavur(Tanjore) was connected with Chennai(Madras)by Vayadoot in the early 1990’s.

India’s first all-women post office for women . March 2013 .

The first all-women’s post office in New Delhi was on March 08th, 2013 – Friday  coinciding with the International Women’s Day.

The inaugration of the post office at Shashtri Bhawan, Central Delhi was done by Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister, Communication and Information Technology.

The post office called ‘Project Arrow Office’ has 3 counters – two multi-purpose services like speed post, registration, sale of IPO’s, booking of money orders and the third counter for sale of stamps. The entire post office to be manned exclusively by women.

India’s first commercial passenger train journey. April 1853 .

On April 16th 1853 – Tuesday, the first passenger locomotive at 3.30pm chugged from Bori Bunder (South Bombay) to Thane.

The first railyway train ran 21 miles from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane in 3 steam locomotives Sahib, Singh and Sultan. It carried about 400 invited guests in 14 railway carriages amidst gaiety, loud applause and the salute of 21 guns.

First Indian to circumnavigate the globe, solo, non-stop, un-assisted. April 2013 .

Lieutanant Commander Abhilash Tomy became the first Indian to sail the globe solo, non-stop and un-aided.

34 year old Indian Navy aviator, Tomy sailed continuously circumnavigating the earth and crossing the equator twice in 150 days in INSV Mhadei to reach the milestone. He arrived at the same spot after creating history – Gateway of India , Saturday afternoon April 06th, 2013. He commenced the extra ordinary journey on November 01st last year at the same spop.  Lt. Cdr Abhilash Tomy’s arrival was marked by gun salutes and firing of signal flares.

The arrival was witnessed by President Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Governor of Maharashtra K. Sankarnarayan, Health Minister Suresh Shety and Senior Navy officers wre there to welcome his.

” If one thing that the sea taught me, is is humility. The proudest moment for me was when I hosted the Tricolour on reaching Cape Horn ” say Tomy.

INSV Mhadei is a 56-foot long custom built sailboat with 23 tonne displacement for the Indian Navy on the banks of her namesake river in Goa in 2009.

Tomy is the second Indian to circumnavigate th globe after Commander Dilip Dhonde, his mentor who achieved the feat in 2010.