Daimler Commercial Vehicles India is getting into fully-built bus business and plans to start exporting 9-tonne Mercedes-Benz school buses to the Middle East by the end of this year.

The company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, also plans to expand its product portfolio in the domestic market by bringing in a 16-tonne bus chassis next year.

It also plans to get into the business of selling buses to state governments and departments next year.

"The 9-tonnes Mercedes-Benz branded school bus is meant to be sold in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and this is our start of fully-built bus business from India," Head of Daimler Buses India, Markus Villinger told reporters on the sidelines of IAA Commercial Vehicles show here.

The company will start displaying the buses in the Middle East in November-December this year, he added.

The school bus will be sold under Mercedes-Benz brand in the Middle East. They are sold as BharatBenz brand in India.