A good four-hour drive along a smooth highway - about 250 km - from Seoul takes us to Gunsan. Mr Anurup Chatterjee, General Manager (Sales and Marketing), Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Ltd, who is accompanying a team of Indian journalists on the bus, explains the dynamics of the Korean commercial vehicle market - one in which Tata Motors has taken a step through acquisition of Daewoo's commercial vehicle business two years ago.

The Korean commercial vehicle market is different from that of India, says Mr Chatterjee. The emphasis is on powerful engines, as speed is of the essence on Korean roads. In India, speed is not an issue but the carrying capacity of the trucks is.

The signboards at Tata Daewoo's plant at Gunsan, southwest of Seoul, are in Korean. A `Century of Trust' exhibition (one that the Tata group had organised in India too) is on to explain to the Korean employees the heritage of the Indian company that acquired Daewoo.

Mr Kwang-Ok Chae, President & CEO, Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Ltd, and other senior officials including Mr Chandra Vir Singh, Vice-President, and Mr Menon S.U.K., Vice-President (Finance & Business Planning), greet the visiting mediapersons warmly. After exchanging cards it is down to business, with the officials explaining the company's operations and strategy.

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