Prawaas 4.0, organised by the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), successfully concluded on a high note. 

Hosted in Bengaluru for the first time, the event saw over 6,153 operators, 171 exhibitors, 106 speakers, 15 sessions and over 40,000 expo footfalls from across 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The event was supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.

From its inception in 2017, Prawaas has become the premier platform for the showcase of public transport innovation. This year’s exhibition showcased over 171 leading exhibitors, featuring national and international brands in passenger mobility showcasing the latest innovations. Emphasising ‘Safe, Smart, and Sustainable Passenger Mobility,’ the event highlighted significant advancements and underscored the industry’s commitment to continual progress.

Prawaas 4.0 brought together leading bus and car operators from across India in nine important segments – Intercity, Intracity, School Bus, Employee Transport, Tour Operators, Tourists Cabs, Maxi Cabs, PPP-SPVs and Critical Care. Participation from operators’ saw a large delegation from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, significant numbers from Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and special delegation of more than 80 members from North East region.

The ‘BOCI YUWA – The Confluence of Generations for a Sustainable Future’ session brought together emerging leaders and seasoned experts from the Indian bus industry to strategise for the next 50 years, with expert moderation by Vijeta Soni, Co-Founder & CEO of Sciative Solutions and notable insights from panelists such as Prasanna Patwardhan, President of BOCI, and Nandal Kabra from Srinath Travels.

A notable highlight was the unveiling of the ‘RTO Manual’ by Anil Chhikara, Advisor to the Assam Government and Faculty at the Asian Institute of Transport Development, Delhi. This manual aims to provide clear guidance on resolving challenges, facilitating quicker and more effective solutions through a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Awards

The Prawaas Excellence Awards and redBus People’s Choice Awards were the standout highlights of the event. The event culminated in a grand awards ceremony, often referred to as a ‘Festival of Transporters’, celebrating excellence across categories including the redBus People’s Choice Awards and the Prawaas Excellence Awards. These prestigious awards were presented by esteemed dignitaries along with Prakash Sangam, CEO of redBus, and Manoj Agarwala, Chief Business Officer of redBus. The People’s Choice Awards by redBus honoured three STUs: Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) in the large size category, Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) in the medium size category, and Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) in the small size category. Additionally, the Rising Star Awards spotlighted five emerging talents — ACLS Navigator, Highline Transports, PTC-SKYBUS, Sri Garuda Travels, and Radha Vallabh Travels — poised to shape the future of transportation.

The Prawaas Excellence Awards, honoured top operators across a range of categories, including Best Large Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size 100+ Buses), Best Medium Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size 10-99 Buses), Best Small Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size up to 10 Buses), Best School Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size minimum 5 Buses), Best Employee Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size 20+ Buses), Best Employee Taxi Operator of the Year (Fleet size 20+ Taxis), Best Private Stage Carrier of the Year, Best Tourist Bus Operator of the Year (Fleet size 20+), Best Tourist Taxi Operator of the Year, and Woman Bus/Car Operator of the Year. These awards celebrated excellence in the transport sector, recognising exceptional service and innovation. 

Prawaas 4.0 also saw major announcement such as Ashok Leyland introducing its Garud 15M bus chassis, designed for exceptional performance, while VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) presented its 'passenger-centric' transportation solutions. Tata Motors unveiled its next-generation mobility offerings, and Sun Mobility, in collaboration with Veera Vahana, launched India’s first modular battery-swapping technology for heavy electric vehicles (HEVs), including buses and trucks. Nippon Paint India also displayed its innovative Futuristic ColourPod. 

At the PRAWAAS Exhibitor Awards, the winners for Interactive & Best Managed exhibits included Volvo Eicher Commercial vehicles and Veera Vahana Udyog in the large category, AbhiBus and Spheros Motherson in the medium category, and Aditi Tracking in the small category. For Content & Information, JBM Electric Vehicles and Eberspaecher Suetrak Bus Climate Control System won in the large category, Bitla Software and Viva Composite Panel in the medium category, and Flixbus in the small category. In the Innovative Display category, Tata Motors and Nippon Paint were recognised in the large category, redBus and Urrja Bus Decor in the medium category, and Maruti Suzuki in the small category.

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Propel Industries Private Limited showcased a large portfolio of construction equipment at Excon 2025 that included four new electric tipper models. The company aso unveiled an all-new connectivity platform and a comprehensive after-sales uptime solution. 
The four new electric tippers include the 90CED (claimed to be India's first ultra-fast charging 90 tonne electric dumper with ADAS Level 1 safety), 70CED (claimed to be India's first 8x4 mining e-tipper with 25 cu m rock body), 560HEV-X (claimed to be Indias first 8x4 construction tipper with 25 cu m box body), 470MEV Gen-2 (caimed to be India's first 6x4 tipper with 20 cu m rock body) in particular. 
The Pulse.ev connectivity platform as a new digital ecosystem built in-house specifically for electric mining and hauling operations includes features such as real-time vehicle health and diagnostics; energy consumption insights; predictive maintenance analytics and fleet optimization suite for multi-shift operations.
"The announcements reinforce Propels commitment to innovation, high-productivity for customers, zero-emission, and future-ready heavy-duty mobility. Since start of EV truck sale in 2023, the brand has expanded its presence across coal, overburden, limestone, iron-ore, stone quarry, marble & granites, and solid waste management segments. Propel trucks have cumulatively covered over 5 lakh operating hours and the first set of 8 trucks have clocked 12,500 hours in 2 years, which is equivalent to 20 hrs per day. This proves the reliability and uptime of the propel electric trucks," said Siddarth Kirtane, President – EV Sales, Marketing and Service, Propel Industries. 

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JCB India launched its largest ever excavator at 52 tonness in India. It did so at the Excon 2025 exhibition in Bengaluru. The excavator, showcased along with over 10 new products, will cater to domestic as well as export markets.  Of the over 10 machines the company showed at the show, there included backhoe loaders with enhanced features in line with the customer-first strategy. JCB India is giving much attention to lower cost of ownership, higher fuel efficiency, improved machine uptime, enhanced safety and ergonomics while designing its new equipment.    With sustainability the factor, the company showcased the hydrogen engine powered backhoe loader that it unveiled in 2023. It announced the expansion of its hydrogen powered construction equipment portfolio at Excon 2025 with a hydrogen-powered genset.  "Excon is a forum that brings together customers, policymakers, contractors, financiers, suppliers, and technology leaders, creating an ecosystem for strategic collaboration and long-term business growth. JCB exports to more than 135 countries from India and this year we also have customers from South Asia, Africa Region and South-East Asia visiting us. Excon allows us to understand evolving market needs and demonstrate how our latest solutions align with both global and India’s infrastructure demands," said Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD, JCB India. 

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JK Tyre & Industries Ltd launched four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at Excon 2025 in Bengluru. Unveiled by Dr R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre, the four new OTR tyres further expand the company's portfolio in construction and mining equipment. 
The Sky Grip tyre for example is engineered specifically for Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) and Boom Lifts used across construction, infrastructure maintenance, warehousing and industrial operations. The 355/55D625 Sky Grip tyre is designed to offer enhanced stability, superior traction and consistent performance at elevated working heights and is compatible with articulated and telescopic boom lifts, telehandlers and even rough terrain aerial platform. 
The three other OTR tyres are designed for critical industrial and mining applications. The 14.00-25 GTL Plus, for example, is a backhoe loader tyre that offers strong stability, durability and dependable performance during frequent loading and excavation operations. The 23.5-25 GTL Plus variant, on the other hand, supports wheel loaders with improved traction and endurance on demanding surfaces. F
or underground mining requirements, the 14.00-20 VEM AS-UG OTR tyre features a reinforced casing and specialised compound designed to withstand abrasive environments and the rigorous duty cycles of shuttle cars.
“India is witnessing a transformative phase in infrastructure development, and JK Tyre remains committed to support this journey. With the launch of our new OTR range at EXCON, we are strengthening our support for equipment that powers critical infrastructure, enabling greater productivity, durability and operational safety across the country’s construction, mining and industrial projects," averred Srinivasu Allaphan, Director-Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries. 

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Mahindra’s Construction Equipment business (MCE) launched the Compax mini compactor at EXcon 2025 in Bengluru. The mini compactor, aimed at the road construction industry, packs cutting edge techbology to deliver best-in-cass fuel efficiency and reliability. It is built robust and furthers the standards in the category to ensure better returns to the operators. 

“Mahindra commercial vehicles and construction equipment machines are known for their cutting-edge technology, best-in-class fuel efficiency, robust built and reliability that helps deliver substantially higher earnings and profitability for our customers. The new Mahindra COMPAX reflects the same Mahindra DNA and is poised to deliver higher profits and prosperity to our customers. Our deep understanding of the challenges of the Indian infrastructure ecosystem and strong capabilities of indigenous manufacturing makes our machines, including the new mini compactor, an ideal choice for demanding compaction tasks,” said Dr Venkat Srinivas, Business Head – Mahindra Truck, Bus and Construction Equipment, and Executive Director & CEO, SML Mahindra Ltd. 

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