Daimler rode through many a socialist bump in India before hitting the free-market highway
Next year, there is a good chance that the first truck that rolls out of Daimler’s very own plant in Chennai will be decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers. There may even be a smear of vermillion and the traditional breaking of coconut.
The ceremony would be quite in order because the German giant will be thanking the gods for bringing an end to its 55-year-long wait to enter India on its own.
It was in 1954 that the old Daimler-Benz fell for India, alas India did not fall for the old Daimler-Benz. Fresh from independence, Indians were reeking of nationalism and weren’t in the mood to allow a foreign company an easy ride.
(This story appears in the 19 June, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)