PRASAN FIRODIA, MD, Force Motors, is constantly on the move. On an average, he spends at least a week abroad every month, meeting partners such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce. But his recent travels go beyond partnerships as Force Motors deepens its international play — they are part of a larger mission to find distributors, who have business legacy. The company has expanded to 22 countries so far, and Firodia plans to increase the footprint by four to five countries every year, in a cautious and calibrated manner.

The reason behind the new plan is clear. For Force Motors, the flagship of the Abhay Firodia Group, not everything has aligned with the company’s larger growth plans. It recently restructured its strategy, narrowing focus to a few chosen product segments to achieve scale and expand globally. Instead of SUVs, tractors or trucks, its core business will revolve around three product platforms — the Traveller, its premium variant Urbania in the light commercial vehicle platform, the Trax and Gurkha in the modular utility vehicle platform, and the Monobus in the monocoque bus platform.

To sharpen focus, Force has exited the tractor and auto-rickshaw businesses. Interestingly, it was Prasan’s grandfather N.K. Firodia, an entrepreneur in post-Independent India, who coined the term auto-rickshaw.

“We are clear that we want to grow in the shared passenger mobility business. We know the van business. Our customers believe in Force’s capabilities in this segment. There’s no point in deviating from core strengths when there are abundant unexplored opportunities,” says the third-generation Firodia, his tone firm and assured.

Overseas expansion is not an unfamiliar territory for the Firodias. Force Motors’ relationship with Germany dates back to 1950, when founder N.K. Firodia partnered with Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke to manufacture the Hanseat three-wheeler. That global connection has only deepened over time through partnerships with leading German auto giants. Force manufactures engines and axles for Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs in India at its dedicated plant in Chakan, Pune. It has set up another dedicated manufacturing facility for BMW engines and cooling modules in Chennai, and also works on electro-mobility projects (under parent company of Force, Jaya Hind Industries) in Germany for the auto major. In 2018, Force Motors entered into a global joint venture with Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG to produce engines for power generation and under-floor rail applications.

Sitting in his green, serene headquarters at Akurdi in Pune, Firodia outlines his aspiration — to make Force one of the Top 10 van manufacturers in the world. But he insists he’s not in a rush. The company already holds more than 65% market share in India’s van segment, catering to passenger transport, cargo delivery, ambulances, and school buses.

For Firodia, business today is about connecting with customers and partners, and foraying into new markets as the company prepares to grow internationally. “Connecting, negotiating, aligning with distributors is what really works,” he says. Under Jaya Hind, there are three manufacturing  plants in Germany, reinforcing Firodias’ global credentials.

There has, however, been a clear trigger for the renewed focus on core strengths and international expansion. Force Motors had struggled with increasing debt during Covid-19. The company eventually cleared all liabilities, and has, since then, launched three product platforms — Urbania, Monobus, and a completely new Trax — in the process consistently increasing market share. Prasan Firodia, 46, led the transformation from the front, steering the company `towards a leaner, more meaningful entity. In the past three fiscals, Force Motors’ profits have jumped sharply, while sales have grown, reflecting the turnaround.

Firodia wants to grow the top line, while keeping the bottom line robust. “We want to create products that delight customers in every market. At present, we are evaluating two new markets in two continents to set up assembly facilities so that we can be more effective from a tax and duty structure point of view,” he says.

The international business team, he adds, has been instructed to expand carefully and in a measured way. “We don’t need to run around like a headless chicken.”

Now, with a clear roadmap for the future, Force Motors plans to invest ₹2,000 crore over the next three to four years in engineering, capacity expansion, and product upgrades — all without taking on debt. After the Covid crisis, the company paid off its entire debt through internal accruals. “We have zero debt today and are cash-rich. The way we generate cash, we don’t need external funding to do something exciting,” says Firodia. “We’re operating at 15–16% Ebitda, which, for a commercial vehicle maker, is excellent — probably better than most competitors.”

Future investments will focus on new variants from existing platforms. “All the platforms we’ve created in recent years are modular and versatile,” Firodia explains. “We’ll upgrade engine technology, strengthen engineering infrastructure, migrate to electric vehicles, and enter new markets.”

Force is ready with an electric Traveller and an EV ambulance, both offering a range of 200-300 km per charge. “The electric platform for the Traveller is ready. The EV ambulance is ready, and we’ve already sold a few vehicles,” says Firodia. However, he acknowledges that EV adoption in the van segment remains slow. “Only about 1% of commercial vehicles are electric. The big shift is in two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and last-mile delivery vehicles.”

Even so, Force plans to electrify Urbania while simultaneously developing hybrids. It currently runs on diesel. The company is also preparing a Traveller upgrade focussed on emerging markets, along with advanced Urbania variants tailored for international demand.

One of the company’s most promising products is the Gurkha — a rugged off-roader gaining traction globally. “Gurkha isn’t a lifestyle luxury SUV. It’s not about ventilated seats and flashy gizmos. It’s a true off-roader — a man’s vehicle, not a boy’s,” says Firodia. In early 2025, Force Motors received an order for 2,978 Gurkha SUVs from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

Another major opportunity lies in the Monobus. “The 33- and 41-seater Monobus segment in India is highly competitive, with players such as Tata, Ashok Leyland, Eicher, and BharatBenz. Yet in just three years, we’ve achieved a 7% market share,” says Firodia.

With its future-ready platforms and strong product portfolio, Force Motors is positioned for global growth. “These platforms have not yet been fully leveraged,” says Firodia, pointing to the international opportunity ahead.

As he sums it up: “We have the products, the technology, and the ambition. Now, it’s about taking the Force story to the world — one market at a time.”