Currently the Senior Vice President - Product Development Head, Commercial Vehicles at Mahindra Group, Dr Venkat Srinivas is set to succeed Jalaj Gupta as the Business Head for Mahindra Truck & Bus Division (MTBD), effective 1 November 2024. 
Jalaj Gupta is moving out of the Mahindra Group, claim sources aware of the development. Reporting to Vinod Sahay, President and Chief Purchase Officer, Mahindra Group and also the President of Aerospace, Defence, MTBD and CE business verticals, Dr Srinivas will also head the CE business vertical of the Group. 
While the current Group Platform Head – Electric Vehicles, Manoj Varghese, is expected to take over from Dr Srinivas and would report to R Velusamy, the President of Automotive Technology and Product Development (MRV, Chennai) as the head of commercial vehicles (ICE and EV), Dr Srinivas in his new position will leverage his long-standing experience and knowledge in the M&HCV domain. 
Involved in the engineering of the newly launched Veero small commercial vehicle on a modular platform, Dr Srinivas earlier held the position of Senior Vice President, Principal Chief Engineer and Product Head for MTBD. Before that, he was Vice President and Head – Engineering and Product Development, MTBD. 

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Blue Energy Motors, a leading manufacturer of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and electric heavy-duty trucks in India, has secured an additional USD 30 million in funding. This latest round brings the company's total capital raised to USD 50 million. The new investment comes from entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath and Omnitex Industries.

The fresh capital will be used to unlock the company's full manufacturing capacity of 10,000 trucks per year. The funds will also help Blue Energy Motors accelerate production, expand its line of LNG and electric heavy-duty trucks and increase its presence across India. The company is already a key player in decarbonising India's transportation sector, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the country’s total carbon emissions.

Anirudh Bhuwalka, Founder and Managing Director, Blue Energy Motors, said, "The fresh fund raise empowers Blue Energy Motors to accelerate India’s shift to clean, sustainable freight transportation. By harnessing both LNG and electric truck technologies, we are set to lead India’s transformation toward sustainable, zero-emission freight. Our commitment to delivering scalable, commercially viable solutions positions us at the forefront of the green mobility revolution and sets the stage for long-term value creation for our investors.”

Nikhil Kamath, Investor and Entrepreneur, said, "The future of logistics in India will be built on clean, scalable technology. The real opportunity lies in solutions that don't just chase disruption, but deliver it quietly, efficiently and at scale. Blue Energy has done that well.”

Anshuman Ruia, Director, Essar, added, "As investors in Blue Energy Motors, Essar remains deeply committed to accelerating India's transition to green mobility. Our continued investment underscores our confidence in Blue Energy Motors and the company's innovative approach to decarbonising heavy-duty transportation. This aligns perfectly with Essar's broader vision of championing sustainable business solutions across sectors."

Blue Energy Motors' vision is supported by strategic investors, including Essar and FPT (Iveco Group), which also serves as a technology partner. The company has already sold around 1,000 LNG trucks to leading Fortune 500 companies, which have collectively travelled over 60 million kilometres and reduced carbon emissions by more than 15,000 tonnes.

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Mahindra & Mahindra, the world's largest tractor manufacturer by volume, has launched its new Mahindra OJA tractor range in Australia, marking two decades of the company's presence in the country.

The OJA (derived from the Sanskrit word Ojas, meaning Powerhouse of Energy) is said to be Mahindra's most ambitious global lightweight tractor platform, developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery, Japan. The new range is purpose-built to handle tough Australian conditions with a robust construction and a focus on longevity, reliability and operator comfort.

Mahindra is introducing three new models from its sub-compact and compact series: the OJA 1123 HST, the OJA 1126 HST and the more powerful OJA 2126 HST. These tractors feature an ergonomic platform with advanced technologies, including a digital driver display, advanced hydraulics and button-operated PTO (Power Take-Off). They also come with a new mComfort seat with foldable armrests and a plush seat with foldable armrests.

Veejay Nakra, President of Farm Equipment Business at Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “As we celebrate 20 years of the Mahindra brand in Australia, we are proud to introduce the globally acclaimed Mahindra OJA tractor range to this important market. Built on our advanced Global Lightweight 4WD Tractor platform that’s developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Mahindra Agriculture Machinery of Japan, the OJA range reflects Mahindra’s commitment to innovation, durability, and customer-centric design. With world-class technology and engineering, we believe this new offering will resonate with farmers and property owners in Australia who value performance and reliability.”

Ravindra S Shahane – Head, Global Product Planning & International Operations (ASEAN & ROW), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said “For Australia, Mahindra is launching OJA models from the OJA 1100 and 2100 series in the Sub-Compact and Compact categories. With pioneering, first-in-segment technologies that are smart and thoughtfully engineered, the OJA range offers a powerful multitasking solution, designed to elevate versatility, operator comfort, and ease of use, essential for lifestyle and small property owners. Combining innovation with value, the new range will be available across Australia starting today.”

The OJA tractors are manufactured at a state-of-the-art facility in South India, with models also being rolled out for markets in the U.S., Canada and Thailand. Mahindra Australia is offering a comprehensive warranty package for the new tractors, including a 3-year bumper-to-bumper and an additional 3-year powertrain coverage.

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Eicher Trucks and Buses, a business unit of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), has partnered Pickkup, a leading tech-enabled logistics provider, for the phased deployment of 100 Eicher Pro X EV small trucks across India.

The EVs are deployed across the operations of Pickkup serving retail distributors, e-commerce, FMCG and perishable deliveries. This partnership marks a significant step toward advancing clean logistics and sustainable urban mobility, enabling faster adoption of zero-emission solutions in high-demand applications.

Pickkup, operates 100 percent electric four-wheeler fleet under an asset-light model. The Eicher Pro X EV, designed and manufactured in India at VECV’s Industry 4.0-enabled Bhopal plant, combines best-in-class range, larger cargo capacity, and CCS2 fast-charging compatibility. It is supported by Eicher’s Uptime Centre and the My Eicher connected platform to provide predictive diagnostics, real-time support and maximum vehicle availability.

Abhishek Chaudhary, SVP, Small Commercial Vehicles, Eicher Trucks and Buses, said, “This partnership with Pickkup is a significant step in our journey to support customers with future-ready mobility solutions. The phased deployment of Eicher small electric trucks demonstrates not only the confidence in Eicher’s pedigree but also the growing readiness of logistics operators to integrate EVs into their fleet. The Eicher Pro X has been co-created with customers to address real operational needs of delivering environmental and economic sustainability—making them an ideal solution for modern logistics.”

Ankush Sharma, Founder & CEO, Pickkup, added, “Pickkup’s vision is to decarbonize logistics while ensuring operational efficiency at scale. The Eicher Pro X EV, with its offering and connected ecosystem, fits perfectly into our growth strategy. With Eicher’s partnership, we can expand faster, serve more customers. With this momentum, Pickkup is taking a leadership role in shaping future-ready, and sustainable logistics solutions for India.”

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Montra Electric M&HCV, part of the Murugappa Group, has announced a major milestone for its Rhino 5538EV heavy-duty electric trucks, which it claims has collectively travelled over 12 million kilometres on Indian roads in just two years. The fleet of 350 trucks has been primarily deployed in critical sectors like steel, cement and port logistics.

This achievement highlights the growing viability of electric heavy-duty transport in India. According to Montra Electric, the fleet has helped companies reduce an estimated 3.79 million tons of CO2 emissions since its launch.

Jalaj Gupta, MD, Montra Electric, said, "This milestone is a powerful validation of India's transition to clean mobility. With the Rhino 5538EV, we are proving that electric heavy transport isn’t a distant future, it’s already a reality on Indian roads."

The Rhino 5538EV trucks have maintained an uptime of over 98 percent, demonstrating their reliability in demanding industrial environments. The company shared that customers have reportedly placed repeat orders for the trucks, citing significant savings on fuel and maintenance costs. Montra Electric is providing 24x7 on-site service on its fleets to ensure maximum productivity.

The Rhino EV is powered by a 282 kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery and a PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor), delivering 380 horsepower and 2000 Nm of torque. The trucks support fast charging, which can bring the battery from 20 percent to 100 percent in just one hour. The company plans to expand its Rhino lineup to include a 4x2 tractor-trailer and a 6x4 tipper configuration.

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