Bhaduar, a small city in the Barnala district of Punjab has earned its place on the global map as a top-tier bus body building destination.
Home to some of the biggest coachbuilding companies of India, Bhadaur has a rich and time-honored tradition of bus bodybuilding. Yet, Gobind
Motors aims to re-invent the wheel and change the way Bhaduar builds buses.
Launched in 2019, Gobind Motors may be a new company but the brains behind the company are veterans of the trade. In fact, Founder & Director Sardar Darshan Singh
is the very man who shaped the entire bus bodybuilding heritage of
Bhadaur back in the 1980s. A Udyog Ratna awardee, Singh has also
been part of the most prodigious companies of the region in varying
capacities over the years.
“We wanted to do things differently than how it has been done all this while and that’s why we launched Gobind Motors. We want to bank on modern technology to constantly innovate in our entire range of products and services so they can align as per the needs of the modern consumer,” states Gurnaib Singh, Managing Director, Gobind Motors.
A People-First Approach
Gobind Motors is backed by the biggest infrastructural set-up of all bodybuilders in Bhadaur. Sprawling across an area of 2 acres,
the entire area is meretriciously segregated into different departments
like Manufacturing Plant, Research & Development, Shower Testing Area,
etc. While the company is armed with the latest in machines and
technology, it is its people-first approach that sets it apart from the
others.
“We follow a people-first approach – both with our employees as well as our clients. Our employees are the backbone of this company, our greatest assets. Hence, we go the extra mile to keep them happy all of the time. Our workers are more energized, more engaged, more creative, they solve problems more effectively and collaborate better. And this has had a tremendous impact on our output.
All of them take it as their individual responsibility to ensure that the end product is extremely high in terms of aesthetics and quality. And this has helped us tremendously in ensuring customer satisfaction,” states Gurnaib Singh.
The company follows a very similar format with their clients as well. “We treat our clients very friendly. The reason behind it is to give them a sense of comfort so that they can come to us when they need it.
They tell us all their requirements and our experts ensure that all of them are implemented exactly as per their requirements. We also encourage
them to share their honest feedback so that we can continue to elevate our
products and services,” he adds.
Quality at the Fore
Gobind Motors take extreme pride in the strength of bus bodies that they manufacture. So much so that the company offers a 10 years warranty on all buses that they produce.
According to Gurnaib Singh, the core practices that sets them apart from their peers and have given them the confidence to offer a 10-year warranty are as follows:
A New Approach to Building Bus Body Structures
Unlike normal welded structures, Gobind Motors offers bus body structures with jig fixtures. “As prescribed by all OEMs, we bolt our structures to the chassis, instead of welding them. This has many advantages – the chief being that even in case of a collision, there is no impact on the chassis.
Moreover, the lower center of gravity and more rigid frame also make them much less prone to a vehicle rollover,” he adds.
The company banks only on MIG Welding to make structures. This helps them achieve high-quality welds much faster. Since flux is not used in MIG Welding, there is no chance for the
entrapment of slag in the welded metal, resulting in high-quality
welds.
“We also utilize anti-corrosion dip painting for structure pipes so that there are no chances of corrosion. This is especially important for
clients from south India where the salty air & humidity accelerates
corrosion of the inner body,” reveals Gurnaib Singh.
Super High-Quality Bus Body Materials
Gobind Motors also ensures that only the best of materials are used in fabricating their bus bodies. While structure pipes are procured from trusted brands like Tata and Surya, the company only uses Tata GPSP Sheets for side paneling which can withstand tough weather conditions and are waterproof. These sheets are reckoned for their corrosion resistance, sturdy construction, and high durability.
“In non-ac buses, we use a light green tinted glass that is the latest in the market and no one else uses. Besides, we rely on ALP EPMD Flock Channels and Hindalco Aluminum sections. In total, the quality of materials is never compromised to ensure that
bodies we produce are strong enough for Indian roads,” adds
Singh.
All interiors feature in-house built, fire-resistant Fibre-reinforced
plastic (FRP) composites that offer superior resistance to corrosion and abuse but require little to no maintenance. The company also relies only on water, weather, and fire-resistant wires and sleeves for all electrical works.
Shower Testing for Bus Body
In Gobind Motors, buses are sent to the
Water Proofing Test Facility twice to double-check for leakages. “A
lot of our clients are from rain intensive regions like North-East, Konkan
Belt and South India, etc. So to ensure that they face no problems, we shower test our buses twice – once before the paint job begins and then before PDI. All in all, we want to leave no rooms for complaints,” asserts
Gurnaib Singh.
Bus Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI)
The company also offers a 25 kms PDI to ensure that the buses are ready
for the road and safe to drive before handing it over to the
customer.
Future Plans
Although it’s just been slightly more than a year, Gobind Motors has registered an overwhelming response from their consumers. Gurnaib Singh
attributes this to their sheer dedication to quality and meeting customer
requirements. Going ahead, the company aims to invest more in R&D and
bank more on modern technology to bring about a revolution in the Indian
bus body industry.
“Times are changing fast and so are passengers. As technology becomes affordable by the day, passengers are growing aware and their demands are
increasing consistently. This has ensured very stiff competition for fleet owners, who are our clients. We understand this and help fleet owners with
building modern-day buses that feature the latest in amenities and
features so that their buses can stand apart from the crowd,” concludes
Gurnaib Singh.
|
Accessories Provided |
|
CCTV Camera, LED-powered seat number display, mobile charger, laptop charger, and reverse camera. Additional luxury individual entertainment systems and intercom in sleepers. (As per T&C) |
|
Estimated Turnaround Time (in
Days) |
|
|
Non AC Seater: |
45 |
|
Non AC Sleeper: |
75 |
|
AC Seater: |
55 |
|
AC Sleeper: |
85
|
|
Key Infographics |
|
|
Year Established: |
2019 |
|
Founders: |
Sardar Darshan Singh |
|
Product Range: |
Semi/Deluxe Buses, School Buses, Fully AC Buses, Sleeper Coach Buses,
Double Decker Buses and Special Vehicles like Palki Sahib, Motor
Homes, Food Vans, Ambulance, etc. |
|
Size of Manufacturing Plant: |
2 Acres |
|
Workforce: |
100+ |
|
Headquartered at: |
Bhadaur, Barnala, Punjab |
|
Certifications and
Accreditation:
|
ISO, ARAI – AIS-052, AIS-063, AIS -119 |
|
No. of Variants Certified by ARAI: |
All variants |
The article originally appeared in Bus Coach India Magazine, April 2021.
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