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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Logistics company Flytta Green has introduced a fleet of heavy-duty electric trucks for Dalmia Cement's clinker transportation operations in Assam. The deployment is being executed in partnership with Drivn, which is providing financing and leasing options for the vehicles.

The initiative follows Flytta Green's introduction of retrofitted electric trucks for Dalmia Cement in October 2025. The company's strategy focuses on deploying new electric trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 55-tonnes and above, alongside developing charging infrastructure and exploring solar power integration for fleet operations.

The initial delivery of 15 trucks, manufactured by Montra Electric, was completed last week. An additional 45 vehicles are scheduled for delivery during August and September.

Flytta Green has received expressions of interest for approximately 1,000 heavy-duty electric trucks, with planned deployments spanning the next 18 months across the cement, mining and metals sectors. The initiative is being managed by Ashwin Dichpally, Chief Operating Officer of Flytta Green.

In collaboration with Drivn, Flytta Green plans to deploy 200 trucks during the current financial year, with financing for subsequent vehicles to be funded by international investors. Deployment operations will prioritise the North-East, East and South-East regions of India.

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Switch Mobility, the electric vehicle subsidiary of Hinduja Group, has secured an order to supply 650 electric buses to transport operator Sai Green Projects. The e-buses will be deployed for public transit operations in Mumbai and Pune under Phase II of the Government of India's PM E-Drive scheme.

Under the supply agreement, Switch Mobility will deliver 9-metre electric buses procured through the CESL PM E-Drive Phase II tender framework. Sai Green Projects won the operational rights to run the fleet, which comprises air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned variants. The buses will serve routes managed by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in Mumbai and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPML) in Pune.

Ganesh Mani, Chief Executive Officer, Switch Mobility, said, "The deployment of 650 electric buses is a significant step towards India’s ambition to reduce emissions, improve operating economics, and modernise public transport systems. At Switch Mobility, we remain focused on delivering reliable and efficient electric mobility solutions that enable operators to transition towards cleaner public transport while ensuring a superior passenger experience. With a growing product portfolio, we are well positioned to support the evolving mobility requirements of cities across India."

"We are pleased to partner with Sai Green Projects in supporting large-scale deployments in Mumbai and Pune under the PM E-Drive initiative. This is the beginning of a long-term partnership where we look forward to covering many green miles together," added Mani.

RG Venkataraman, Chief Commercial Officer, Switch Mobility, said, "This development is a strong testament to our commercial proposition and our ability to deliver at scale for operators across the country. At Switch Mobility, we go way beyond manufacturing great products. Our focus is to make sustainability commercially viable to the operators so they can run efficient, profitable fleets."

Vikas Gupta, CEO, Sai Green Projects, said, "Sustainable living is at the core of what we do at Sai Green Projects. We are proud to partner with a leading OEM like Switch Mobility to take India's vision for clean, efficient, and future-ready public mobility forward. We are confident that these electric buses will enhance the everyday experience of commuters in Mumbai and Pune."

The contract expands Switch Mobility's operational footprint in India, where the manufacturer has supplied over 2,500 electric buses to date across city, intercity and specialised transport segments.

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Chennai-headquartered commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shriram Automall India to establish a platform for certified pre-owned CVs. The agreement was signed by Viplav Shah, Head - LCV, Ashok Leyland and Sameer Malhotra, Director & CEO, SAMIL.

The partnership combines Ashok Leyland's commercial vehicle network with Shriram Automall's auction and remarketing infrastructure to facilitate vehicle exchange, disposal and inspection services for fleet operators and single-truck owners across India.

Viplav Shah, said, “We are delighted to partner with Shriram Automall to strengthen our presence in the pre-owned commercial vehicle market. As we continue our journey towards becoming a comprehensive mobility solutions provider, this collaboration marks an important step in expanding our footprint across the entire commercial vehicle lifecycle. By combining Ashok Leyland's deep expertise in the commercial vehicle industry with Shriram Automall's strong network and customer base in the used vehicle segment, we aim to create greater value and a seamless ownership experience for customers.”

Sameer Malhotra, said, "At SAMIL, our vision has always been to build an organised and trusted marketplace for pre-owned vehicles, equipment, and other assets in India. Partnering with Ashok Leyland marks another significant milestone in that journey. Ashok Leyland has earned the trust of millions through its quality, durability, and innovation, and we are proud to collaborate with such an iconic brand. Together, we aim to create greater value for customers by providing a transparent, efficient, and reliable platform that simplifies the buying and selling of pre-owned commercial vehicles across the country."

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Pune-headquartered commercial vehicle company Force Motors has launched the Urbania Deluxe, replacing the current-generation Urbania as its standard offering in the shared mobility segment.

The Urbania Deluxe features a 2.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine delivering 100 kW and 350 Nm of torque. It comes with leatherette seats, wood-finish flooring, 16-inch alloy wheels, a power sliding footstep, a TFT instrument cluster, a 23 cm HD touchscreen infotainment system and an 8-speaker Digital Theatre System.

Safety features include 3-point seat belts for every passenger, airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Engine Drag Torque Control.

The CV is available in three wheelbases and eight seating layouts ranging from 9+D to 16+D configurations through the dealer network, with prices starting at INR 2.87 million ex-showroom.

The Urbania Deluxe comes with Force Care package featuring i-Pulse telematics, a 5-year/500,000 km warranty, a 3-year sensor warranty and 3 years of Roadside Assistance.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, said, "With Urbania, we redefined premium shared passenger mobility in India and created an entirely new segment that has found strong acceptance both in India and across international markets. Its success reflects the growing preference for vehicles that combine superior comfort, safety and modern engineering. With the introduction of the new Urbania Deluxe, we are taking this platform to the next level with enhanced performance, premium features and advanced technology to meet the evolving expectations of our customers and deliver the premium travel experience passenger’s demand. As the premium mobility segment continues to evolve, we remain committed to enhancing our products and delivering mobility solutions that set new benchmarks in passenger comfort, safety and performance."

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