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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Chennai-headquartered commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, has inaugurated its new light commercial vehicle dealership in Raichur, Karnataka.

This marks the company's 12th light commercial vehicle dealership in Karnataka, expanding its national sales and service distribution network to more than 945 touchpoints.

Thew new dealership is operated by channel partner SB Motors, the facility is located in Mukram Gunj, Raichur. The location functions as a sales, service and spares outlet, equipped with seven service bays and maintenance tools. The dealership will retail and service Ashok Leyland's light commercial vehicle portfolio, which includes the Saathi, Dost, Bada Dost, Partner and MiTR models, all produced at the company's manufacturing plant in Hosur.

The product range targets various payload segments within small commercial vehicle and light commercial vehicle applications.

The Saathi, which operates in the entry-level small commercial vehicle category, powered by a 45-horsepower engine producing 110 Nm of torque, with a payload capacity of 1,120 kg.

The Bada Dost features an 80-horsepower BS VI engine available across six variants for urban and intercity transport. The Dost range includes the Dost XL and Dost+ XL models, while the Partner covers the four-tonne payload sector in four-wheel and six-wheel configurations using the ZD30 engine. The MiTR platform provides passenger transport options for staff and school bus applications.

Viplav Shah, Head of Light Commercial Vehicle Business, Ashok Leyland, said, "Karnataka 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, and the opening of this new dealership marks yet another step in our commitment to delivering world-class products and unmatched service to our valued customers."

At present, Ashok Leyland has an operational base of over 600,000 light commercial vehicles across India.

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Thermo King, a brand of Trane Technologies, has introduced four models to its all-electric EV series transport refrigeration lineup in the Asia Pacific region. The expanded series includes the EV500S, EV500e, EV300e and EV200e models, designed for urban temperature-controlled logistics.

The EV500S and EV500e units target urban distribution networks, including the transit of produce, e-commerce fresh goods and pharmaceutical supplies. The smaller EV200e and EV300e models are designed for short-haul last-mile retail deliveries from urban cold storage distribution facilities. The company shared that across the lineup, operating energy efficiency has increased by 8.3 percent compared to first-generation models.

Helen Ling, Vice-President, Thermo King Asia Pacific, said, "The shift to electric vehicles is transforming urban cold chain distribution, where balancing energy efficiency and temperature stability remains critical. Backed by more than a decade of electric refrigeration expertise, our new EV series marks another step forward in delivering greater energy efficiency, stronger reliability and smarter digital capabilities to customers while supporting more sustainable cold chain transport."

The units feature an intelligent control architecture that maintains interior cargo temperatures within a margin of 0.5 degrees Celsius. An economy mode option allows operators to limit power consumption during transport to conserve vehicle battery range. The hardware platform includes fault protection, automated defrost logic and waterproof casing to allow all-weather operation.

For fleet management, the series offers optional integration with an intelligent monitoring system using industrial-grade hardware. The telematics platform provides two-way remote control functionality, allowing operators to adjust compartment temperatures, modify operating states and clear system alarms via mobile applications, while retaining historical temperature records for compliance verification.

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Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has expanded its commercial vehicle lineup with the launch of the Veero 1.1 XXL CNG and the Upgraded Veero Diesel.

The under-3.5-tonne LCVs are built on the company's Urban Prosper Platform (UPP). The Upgraded Veero Diesel is available across dealerships from 8 September 2026, while customer deliveries for the Veero 1.1 XXL CNG are scheduled to begin on 20 September 2026.

The Veero 1.1 XXL CNG incorporates a 1.1-tonne payload capacity and a 2,900 mm cargo deck. It features a 5.1-metre turning radius and is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine delivering 48.5 kW of power and 98 Nm of torque. The LCV has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency range of 21.4 km/kg, with a combined petrol and CNG driving range exceeding 450 kilometres. Ex-showroom prices for the CNG model start at INR 825,000 for the V2 1.1 XXL SD variant and INR 855,000 for the V4 1.1 XXL SD variant, with an INR 5,000 premium for the Pastel Riversand colour option.

The Upgraded Veero Diesel adds interior equipment updates, including a 26.03 cm touchscreen infotainment system supporting Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and multi-language voice commands. Additional mechanical and convenience additions include cruise control, Lean NOx Trap (LNT) exhaust treatment technology, power windows, fast-charging ports, and remote air conditioning control via the iMAXX telematics platform. Standard cab features include an air conditioning system with heater, a reclining driver's seat, flat-folding seating and a three-person seating layout.

The Upgraded Veero Diesel range spans multiple configurations and is priced at INR 829,000 for the 1.5 XL SD V2 variant, while 1.5 XXL variants range from INR 835,000 for the V2 CBC frame to INR 945,000 for the V6 SD trim.

The 1.6 XXL variants start at INR 8.49 for the V2 SD model, extending to INR 945,000 for the V6 SD option. Metallic grey paint options carry an INR 5,000 price premium across the diesel variants.

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Truck rentals across trunk routes held firm in August, supported by demand ahead of the festive season, according to the Shriram Mobility Bulletin published by Shriram Finance.

The report states that month-on-month rental increases were led by the Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai and Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru corridors, which rose by 2 percent each. The Kolkata–Guwahati–Kolkata route recorded an increase of 1.9 percent, while the Delhi–Kolkata–Delhi route rose by 1.7 percent.

On the other hand, on a year-on-year basis, the Delhi–Kolkata–Delhi route recorded rental growth of 15 percent, followed by Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru and Kolkata–Guwahati–Kolkata at 11 percent each.

Shriram Finance states that vehicle sales data indicated sequential moderation across multiple categories in August. Commercial tractor and agricultural trailer sales fell by 35 percent MoM, while agricultural tractor sales declined by 27 percent. Sales of maxi cabs, buses and e-rickshaws decreased by 20 percent, 18 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Goods carrier sales dropped by 10 percent, while passenger motor cars and two-wheelers each recorded a 6 percent sequential decline.

In terms of YoY vehicle registrations, the automotive industry maintained growth across categories with the three-wheeler goods vehicles recording a 43 percent growth, maxi cabs by 29 percent and earth-moving equipment rose by 27 percent. Two-wheeler sales increased by 20 percent, goods carriers by 18 percent and passenger cars by 16 percent.

In Kerala, driven by Onam, two-wheeler sales grew by 17.90 percent MoM and 19.09 percent YoY, while four-wheeler sales declined by 3.73 percent MoM, while remaining 9.30 percent higher YoY.

Electric vehicle registrations experienced sequential reductions while expanding on an annual basis. Electric two-wheeler sales declined by 10 percent MoM, electric three-wheelers by 3 percent and electric cars by 13 percent. On a yearly basis, electric three-wheelers sales grew by 98 percent, electric two-wheelers by 90 percent and electric cars by 87 percent.

Fuel consumption patterns showed petrol consumption increasing by 1 percent MoM, while diesel consumption declined by 13 percent. For yearly basis, the same saw a growth of 7.9 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

FASTag toll collection volumes grew by 1 percent MoM with value increasing by 0.6 percent, while on yearly basis the same saw a decline by 5 percent, while total value increased by 8 percent.

Sudarshan Holla, Joint MD and COO, Commercial Vehicles, Shriram Finance, said, "The onset of the festive season, led by Onam celebrations in Kerala, has boosted sentiment across the transportation sector. Freight activity remained robust, with truck rentals holding firm on major trunk routes. Consumer demand also strengthened, as evidenced by a notable surge in two-wheeler sales during the festive period. At the same time, transporters are engaging with government authorities to seek relief from the upcoming restriction on BS-IV trucks entering the NCR, scheduled to take effect from November 1."

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