Tata Marcopolo Motors, a joint venture between Tata Motors and Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo, has begun commercial production at the Dharwad bus manufacturing facility in Karnataka, India. The Dharwad plant is being developed by Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd, which is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Motors and Marcopolo, and the facility would have a capacity to produce 30,000 buses a year, to be achieved in phases, the domestic firm said in a statement.

According to the company, the plant will produce a range of buses for all types of public and private transport, to be marketed under the Starbus and Globus brands, includes 16 to 54-seater standard buses, 18 and 45-seater luxury buses, luxury coaches and low-floor city buses.

The plant will finally have a capacity to produce 30,000 units a year, to be achieved in phases. In 2009-10, the first full year of operation, production can be up to 15,000 units. The joint venture has already invested about INR2 billion. The plant, at full capacity, will generate over 6,500 direct jobs.