India’s commercial vehicle (CV) industry is rapidly aligning with global standards, thanks to policy reforms, evolving customer expectations and a robust domestic ecosystem. Automakers and suppliers are making significant strides in cost competitiveness, safety innovations and integrating alternative energy solutions. As the sector continues to evolve, the need for collaboration and strategic discussions has never been more critical.

Recognising this imperative, Motoring Trends, a leading automotive magazine, hosted its inaugural Commercial Vehicles Conference on 21st November 2024, in Pune, India. Themed ‘Moving India Forward’, the event served as a platform for industry leaders, including OEMs, suppliers, technocrats, fleet operators and industry partners, to address challenges and identify opportunities shaping the future of the Indian CV landscape.

By bringing together stakeholders from across the value chain, the conference underscored the importance of collective action in driving innovation, enhancing safety standards, and adopting sustainable practices. As the CV industry transforms to meet global benchmarks, such forums are vital to ensuring India’s leadership in the sector while addressing its unique market dynamics and needs.

Mahindra Truck & Bus, Ashok Leyland and Apollo Tyres supported the event as sponsors, while Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) was the Associate partner, while Asian Trucker and Tyre Trends were the Media partners. The delegates at the event attended from a range of companies such as Tata Motors, MAN Trucks, Continental India, Tyresoles India, and Volvo Trucks among others.

The event kicked off with Dr Seshu Bhagavathula, Director, CityQ and an automotive industry veteran delivering the Keynote address, where he highlighted how urban cities around the world are working to decongest and decarbonise their streets. “This (decongestion and decarbonisation) requires a serious relook and focus on improving urban mobility as well as the role of alternative energy to support the transition,” Dr Bhagavathula.

Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Former Director, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) shared her perspective on how the automotive industry has been focussing on not just introducing the latest technologies, but also co-developing solutions to meet the India-specific needs. She emphasised  the close cooperation between testing agencies, suppliers and OEMs that is accelerating the transition to the latest technologies.

Making commercial vehicles safer

The commercial vehicle population on Indian roads accounts for a small parc of the total vehicles, but ranks 3^rd when it comes to the vehicles involved in road accidents. In 2022, more than 460,000 accidents took place in India, which resulted in over 168,491 people losing their lives and over 443,366 people being injured.

The first panel discussion of the day focussed on one of the most important aspects pertaining to the CV industry – Safety. The panellists for the session included – Dr Venkat Srinivas, Head Of Business, Mahindra Truck & Bus; Rahul S. Mahajan, Deputy Director, The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI); Sudeepth Puthumana, Head of Segment – ADAS, Autonomous Mobility, Continental Automotive India and Prashant Kakade, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).

The session, moderated by Bhushan Mhapralkar, Editor, Motoring Trends, touched upon various factors ranging from ADAS technology, and road designing to driver training and sensitisation.

SKP Amarnath, Group Head - R&D, Apollo Tyres gave a presentation on ‘Commercial Vehicle (Truck) Evolution In India And Impact On Tyres’. He dwelled into the key developments that have taken place in the CV industry and how tyres can play a key role in influencing vehicle safety and efficiency.

Vijay Shrinivas, Member, TREA - Tyre Retreading Education Association and CEO, Indag, gave a presentation on ‘Driving Sustainability and Circularity in Commercial Vehicle Industry’. He presented his thoughts on how treading not only helps save costs on tyre replacement but also enables higher circularity and thus helps reduce carbon emissions too.

Alternative energy & future of commercial vehicles

The role of alternative energy has been a key topic of discussion globally across vehicle segments. While there has been a focus on electrification in certain vehicle classes, the commercial vehicle segment will need to adopt a mixed approach depending on the application and use case.

The second panel discussion was on the topic of Alternative Energy and the Future of Commercial Vehicle. The panellists – Dr Bhagavathula ; Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility; Anil Baliga, President, EKA Mobility; Boddapati Dinakar, Executive Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Volvo Trucks, VECV; Shailesh Zinge, Director - Marketing, Growth Initiatives and Program Management, Engine Business, Cummins India and A Ramasubramanian, CTO, Blue Energy Motors presented their perspective on the alternative fuel segment.

The session was moderated by Nilesh Wadhwa, Assistant Editor, Motoring Trends.

The discussion focussed on how industry stakeholders were exploring various energy mix ranging from electric, LNG to future fuels such as hydrogen and fuel cells. The panellists agreed that globally too at present there was no single fuel that could completely overhaul the commercial vehicles segment. There was a need to not only focus on the vehicles but the necessary charging/refuelling ecosystem.

Transport ecosystem

The health of the CV industry is one of the key barometers to understand a country’s economic prosperity. While one can discuss the trends, policies and technologies, it is imperative that the views of the key stakeholder – fleet operators – are taken into account.

The third panel discussion of the day was on the topic of ‘Transport Ecosystem’. The panellists for the session were - Bal Malkit Singh, Chairman - the Core Committee, Former President, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) Prasanna Patwardhan, President, Bus & Car Operators Confederation Of India (BOCI) and Sanjay Sasane, Principal, Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR).

The session, moderated by Sharad Matade, Executive Editor, Motoring Trends, had an indepth discussion on how fleet operators continued to face headwinds ranging from increases in operational expenses, driver shortages and road infrastructure among others. At the same time, the revenues had not kept up at the same pace. The panellists also presented their perspectives on the adoption of newer technologies and alternative fuels.

Atul Patil, Vice-President – Marketing, Pin 365 delivered the Vote of Thanks. 

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Pune-headquartered alternative fuel commercial vehicle manufacturer Blue Energy Motors has appointed Anand Mimani as CEO of its EV & New Energy Business.

Mimani will be responsible for the company’s focused vertical on integrated clean freight ecosystem. The automaker is working on accelerating expansion across electric heavy-duty vehicles, energy-as-a-service platforms and green corridor infrastructure.

He comes with over 26-years of experience in mobility, energy and clean tech. Till recently, he was the CEO of GreenLine Mobility Solutions, where he led the deployment of India’s largest fleet of LNG-pwoered trucks.

In his new role, Mimani will lead the EV & New Energy division’s business strategy, operations, product rollout and partner ecosystem — with a sharp focus on scaling zero-emission trucking solutions. He will report directly to Anirudh Bhuwalka, Founder & Managing Director, Blue Energy Motors, who continues to steer the company’s overall mission, strategic direction and group-level leadership.

Bhuwalka, said, “As we scale rapidly, it’s critical to bring in focused leadership for each of our high-growth verticals. Anand’s appointment as CEO of our EV and New Energy Business significantly strengthens our execution capacity in the electric mobility and infrastructure space, while advancing our broader vision for a zero-emission freight future.”

The Pune-based automaker is working on clean freight platform combining battery-electric, LNG and energy-as-a-service solutions under one integrated ecosystem. With EV and energy infrastructure representing a critical pillar of its scale-up, it is now strengthening leadership in this vertical to:

- Ramp up deployment of electric truck platforms

- Scale battery swap and charging hubs across key freight corridors

- Deepen partnerships with energy providers, logistics firms, and OEMs

Anand Mimani, said, “I’m excited to join Blue Energy at such a pivotal time. The opportunity to lead the EV & New Energy vertical – while working closely with Anirudh and the leadership team – is incredibly energising. Together, we aim to build a freight ecosystem that is clean, efficient, and future-proof.”

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David Hanna has been named Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, effective 1 October 2025. He brings extensive two-decade automotive industry experience from both manufacturer and retail perspectives.

Hanna originally joined Volkswagen Group UK in 2014 and has since cultivated deep brand knowledge through significant roles within the Audi, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles divisions, including Head of Network Sales at Volkswagen Passenger Cars UK. This strategic appointment marks a return to the light commercial vehicles sector for Hanna, where his proven leadership and historical involvement are expected to drive the brand's future growth and strengthen its market position.

Damien O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group UK, said, “I am delighted to welcome David to the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group UK in his new role as Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.  I’m sure he will bring strong leadership and considerable experience to this important role.”

Hanna said, “Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is a fantastic brand with class-leading products and an incredible history. It also has one of the best team of retailers in the UK through its Van Centre Network. I’m excited to be able to lead the team in the UK, and am very much looking forward to working with them and the network again in order to continue the success of the brand.”

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Tata Motors, one of India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, has launched the all-new Tata LPT 812, its latest offering in the Intermediate, Light and Medium Commercial Vehicles (ILMCV) segment.

The LPT 812 builds upon the company’s capabilities and is claimed to be India’s first 4-tyre truck with a 5-tonne rated payload. It is built on the company’s LPT platform, which is claimed to provide the ruggedness of a 6-tyre vehicle, while offering the efficiency, agility and lower maintenance of a 4-tyre truck. It is available in multi-load body options for customers operating across industrial goods, market load, F&V and courier applications, among others.

Rajesh Kaul, Vice-President & Business Head – Trucks, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, “The launch of the Tata LPT 812 sets a new benchmark in customer profitability in the segment. This category-defining truck addresses the growing need for improved productivity, while delivering superior fuel efficiency, ease of operations and maximum uptime. It reflects our commitment to understanding evolving market requirements and developing advanced solutions that drive long-term business growth for our customers.”

In terms of performance, the LPT 812 comes with 4SPCR diesel engine, producing 125hp and 360Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed gearbox and a booster-assisted clutch for smooth gearshifts. The truck comes with parabolic front suspension with an anti-roll bar, full S-Cam air brakes and tilt & telescopic power steering.

Tata Motors is providing a 3-year/300,000 km warranty as part of its aftersales assurance.

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Chennai-based commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has inaugurated its new light commercial vehicles dealership in Jajpur, Odisha, which also marks the sixth such facility in the state.

The new facility is equipped with advanced tools, quick service bays and to service its extensive range of LCVs including – Bada Dost, Dost, Saathi, Partner and MiTR.

Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland, said, “Odisha has always been an important market for us, and we are delighted to strengthen our presence here with the new dealership in Jajpur. Our relationship with customers in this region has been built on trust, performance, and shared growth. The success of our Dost, Bada Dost and now the Saathi range, known for their superior mileage, performance, and reliability, reflects the confidence our customers place in us. With a strong network and an industry-leading service retention rate, we are thankful for the confidence our customers continue to pose in us. This new dealership is yet another step in our commitment to offering world-class products and unmatched service.”

At present, over 550,000 Ashok Leyland LCVs are plying across India.

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