Tata Motors on Friday announced a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazilian company in body-building for buses and coaches, to manufacture and assemble fully-built buses and coaches.The JV will set up a new manufacturing facility to be operational in a year and produce buses including 16 to 54-seater standard buses, 18 and 45-seater luxury buses, luxury coaches and low-floor city buses. The joint venture will also explore emerging opportunities in bus rapid transit system.Tata Motors hold 51 per cent of the equity in the JV while Marcopolo holds 49 per cent.Both the companies will actively participate in the management and the buses will conform to international standards in quality and safety, and marketed in domestic and overseas markets, the release added. The spokesperson said the plant would have an initial capacity of 7,000 buses which could be expanded to 28,000.The joint venture would produce variety of buses including 16 to 54-seater standard buses, 18 and 45 seater luxury buses and low floor city buses, the release issued by the company said. The joint venture will also explore emerging opportunities in bus rapid transit system.
