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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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Eicher Trucks & Buses, a division of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the replacement scheme for commercial vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region.

Under the agreement, Eicher Trucks & Buses will provide an 8 percent discount on the ex-showroom price of eligible vehicles. CV customers can also receive additional support regarding motor vehicle tax, registration fees, interest subvention and fuel benefits, as defined by the scheme criteria. The process will be managed through a digital platform integrated with the VAHAN database and the vehicle scrapping ecosystem.

S S Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “For over 4 decades, Eicher Trucks and Buses customers have driven modernisation in the Indian CV industry. Carrying this tradition, Eicher Trucks and Buses is pleased to join hands with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on their path-breaking policy to replace old and polluting vehicles from the NCR region. Eicher customers will gain from the substantial incentives offered by the Government of India and State Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan under this program."

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Chennai-headquartered commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has introduced a new range of trucks equipped with air suspension, which includes three models: the AVTR 4925 10x2 MAV, the AVTR 4625 10x2 MAV and the AVTR 4525 8x2 MAV. These vehicles offer payload advantages of up to 4 tonnes.

The trucks are designed to provide stability, reduce vibrations and improve tyre life. The company says that the suspension system requires no greasing, facilitating maintenance-free operations.

The new air-suspension-equipped truck range is available in cowl and cabin options with various loading spans. Standard features include Intelligent Vehicle Acceleration Control (iVAC) and Automatic Traction Control (ATC) to assist with fuel efficiency and traction.

Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, "Ashok Leyland has always been a technology leader in the Indian CV industry. Since our inception we have been known for introducing technology solutions that create meaningful value for customers. With the launch of the new Air Suspension technology in trucks, we are reinforcing that position. These new trucks offer best in class payload capability, improved comfort, and better performance, helping our customers improve productivity and profitability."

Sanjeev Kumar, President MHCV, Ashok Leyland, added, "Customers today are looking for vehicles that provide better efficiency, reliability, and value throughout their operations. Our new air suspension range has been developed keeping these requirements in mind. With benefits such as improved vehicle stability, reduced vibrations, superior ride comfort, and improved tyre life, these trucks are designed to deliver a better ownership experience for customers."

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Pune-headquartered Force Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) to participate in the Commercial Vehicle Replacement Scheme for the Delhi-NCR region.

The scheme facilitates the replacement of BS-IV and older trucks and buses in Delhi-NCR with BS-VI or electric vehicles to lower emissions. Under the agreement, Force Motors will provide benefits to customers through its dealership network in the region.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, said, "Force Motors is pleased to partner with the Government of India in this important initiative to modernise the commercial vehicle fleet in the Delhi-NCR region. The scheme aligns with our commitment to delivering cleaner, more efficient mobility solutions. We look forward to enabling fleet operators and customers to transition to the latest generation of commercial vehicles through this collaborative initiative."

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Chennai-headquartered automotive major Ashok Leyland has inaugurated a new dealership for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in Ratnagiri. This facility is the 16th LCV dealership in Maharashtra, adding to a distribution network of 950 touchpoints across India.

The new dealership is operated by Lavekar Motors as a 3S (Sales, Service and Spares) facility, which features 8 service bays and is located near Mahanagar CNG Pump.

Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland Ltd. said, “Maharashtra has always been an important market for us, and we are excited to further strengthen our presence in this region. Our relationship with customers is built on trust, performance, and shared growth. Our products are known for their superior mileage, reliability, and performance with a robust network and an industry-leading service retention, we take pride in the continued confidence our customers place in us. The opening of this new dealership marks yet another step in our commitment to delivering world-class products and unmatched services to our valued customers.”

Till date, Ashok Leyland has sold over 600,000 LCVs in India, which are manufactured at the Hosur plant.

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