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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Volvo Trucks India has introduced the Volvo FMX Edge, an off-road dump truck configured for heavy-duty mining operations. The vehicle was unveiled at the company’s manufacturing facility in Hoskote, Bengaluru.

The development of the truck follows the deployment of the company's FMX500 8x4 platform, which has more than 3,000 units operating across Indian mine sites. The FMX Edge has been designed to align with changing structural trends in the domestic mining market, such as the deployment of higher-capacity excavators and the demand for predictable material handling cycle times.

The FMX Edge features a 31.2 cubic metre SAE heap body capacity and a 2.8-metre-wide body configuration. This design is engineered to support material loading compatibility with high-volume industrial shovels and to manage overburden movement. The vehicle incorporates electronic stability control and vehicle tracking mechanisms intended to minimise operational downtime and maintain fuel efficiency during full-load duty cycles.

The truck rollout was followed by an application-led demonstration session at the Volvo CE Customer Centre Ground. The presentation was conducted jointly by Volvo Trucks and Volvo Construction Equipment to showcase integrated machinery solutions for bulk material handling and extraction processes.

Per-Erik Lindström, Executive Vice-President, Volvo Trucks International, said, “India is a cornerstone for Volvo Group’s future and an increasingly important market for Volvo Trucks. The launch of Volvo FMX Edge reflects our commitment to Indian customers and to solutions designed around real operating needs. Built on Volvo’s global expertise and shaped by Indian mining requirements, the Volvo FMX Edge is a strong example of our focus on customer success, sustainable progress and long-term growth.”

B Srinivas, Managing Director and CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “Volvo Trucks has earned the trust of Indian mining customers over nearly three decades by delivering solutions that perform in real operating conditions. The Volvo FMX Edge is a natural evolution of this journey. It is engineered around customer outcomes like productivity, safety, uptime, efficiency and lifecycle value. With FMX Edge, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting India’s mining sector with solutions built for confidence and long-term partnership.”

B Dinakar, Business Head of Volvo Trucks India, added, “The Volvo FMX Edge has been developed with a clear purpose – to help mining customers achieve better outcomes every day. It is not just about capacity; it is about confidence, predictability, safety and lifecycle value. Shaped by inputs from mine sites, project teams, maintenance teams, operators and drivers, the Volvo FMX Edge represents Volvo Trucks’ response to the needs of modern mining operations.”

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Ashok Leyland, one of the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, has secured an order to supply 715 vehicles from surface transportation company VRL Logistics.

The contract involves the supply of AVTR 3120 haulage trucks, BOSS 1615 trucks and Oyster staff buses to update and expand the logistics provider's fleet.

As part of the understanding, Ashok Leyland has handed over the first batch of 300 trucks, with the remaining 415 vehicles scheduled for deployment before the end of the year.

The vehicles are equipped with tracking technologies and electronic diagnostic features intended to decrease maintenance downtime, prevent unscheduled stoppages and manage fleet operating costs. Over the long term, the vehicles will support VRL Logistics' regional cargo operations and employee transit requirements across India.

Anand Sankeshwar, Managing Director, VRL Logistics, said, “We have absolute confidence in the quality, reliability, and performance of Ashok Leyland trucks. Their strong after-sales support enables uninterrupted operations, while the rapidly expanding service network gives us a clear operational advantage. The fresh order of 715 vehicles marks a strategic deepening of our partnership to drive higher logistics efficiency. Backed by Ashok Leyland’s relentless focus on innovation and our forward-looking transport strategy, we are confident of sustained success on the road ahead.”

Madhavi Deshmukh, National Sales Head of MHCV, Ashok Leyland, added, “We are delighted to strengthen our long-standing partnership with VRL Logistics. Over the years, VRL has worked closely with us in developing new products and features tailored to the emerging needs of customers in the logistics industry. This order win is a testament to the trust and confidence VRL Logistics have in Ashok Leyland’s technology and performance and it reinforces our dedication to creating efficient and technologically advanced products that exceed customers’ expectations. Our focus continues to be on developing advanced, safe, and efficient mobility solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

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Tata Motors, one of the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers globally, has presented a portfolio of 11 products at an exhibition in South Africa.

The display includes a range of vehicle platforms and powertrain technologies, including electric vehicles and traditional internal combustion models, designed for international market applications.

Tata Motors displayed four zero-emission models developed for specific cargo and industrial duties, which include Tata Ace Pro EV, Tata Intra EV, Tata Ultra E.9 and Prima E28.K.

The display also featured next-generation intermediate trucks and mass mobility passenger buses – Intra V30 & V70, Azura 1918, Ultra Prime RE and long-distance buses, the LPO 1618 Magna (44-seater), LPO 1623 Nova (49-seater premium coach), and the LP 909 school and staff transport bus.

Tata Motors maintains a presence across 29 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with cumulative regional sales exceeding 340,000 commercial vehicles. The company provides a lineup of over 60 models supported by a network of more than 320 service touchpoints. To support its regional supply chain, the company utilises seven local assembly operations located in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Asif Shamim, Head of International Business, Tata Motors, said, “This showcase reflects our continued focus on developing relevant, application‑led mobility solutions for our international markets. The portfolio presented here demonstrates the range of platforms and technologies we are building across segments, including electric vehicles, tailored to different use cases and operating conditions. It also reflects the strength of the engineering and development capabilities behind these products, enabling us to deliver solutions that are practical, reliable and built to support customer productivity.”

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German technology company Bosch has announced a new joint venture with Brakes India (BIPL) and Wheels India (WIL), both companies of the TSF Group, to advance the development and manufacturing of air systems for commercial vehicles.

The partnership is structured as a 50:50 joint venture between Bosch and the TSF Group companies and is expected to begin operations by end-2026, pending regulatory approvals.

The joint venture will concentrate on the engineering, manufacturing and sales of electronically controlled and software-driven modules. The product portfolio will include systems for – air compression, air processing, air suspension and air parking brakes.

The entity will be headquartered in Chennai, with supply chain management integrated across Bosch, Brakes India and Wheels India.

Guruprasad Mudlapur, President, Bosch Group in India and MD, Bosch, said, “This joint venture is a decisive step to shape the future of advanced air systems. By integrating premier engineering and manufacturing prowess, we are co-creating state-of-the-art, intelligent modules that will empower our customers globally to build more advanced commercial vehicles.”

Sandeep Nelamangala, Joint MD, Bosch and President of Bosch Mobility India, said, “The commercial vehicle industry is at a pivotal moment, shifting from mechanical hardware to software-driven architecture. With air systems being an important portfolio extension, the planned joint venture enhances Bosch’s overall commercial vehicle motion management portfolio, strengthening its role in software-driven mobility.”

Sriram Viji, MD, Brakes India, said, “This milestone marks a step towards building a more integrated, system-level approach for OEMs in the commercial vehicle space. We bring our strengths as one of the leading suppliers of pneumatic braking systems. Through this joint venture, we will be able to offer air braking system parts for e-enabled future mobility to customers. We look forward to supporting the industry’s shift towards more advanced, electronically controlled and software-driven systems.”

Srivats Ram, Chairman & Managing Director of Wheels India, added, “Wheels India has been a pioneer in air suspension systems for buses in India for over three decades. Over this period, we have built strong relationships with both OEMs and end users through consistent product quality and service. We are pleased to collaborate with Bosch on this development initiative to advance electronic air suspension systems for the global customers.”

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