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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TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions (TVS VMS) has entered into electric commercial trucking through a partnership with Montra Electric, deploying a fleet of Montra Electric Rhino heavy commercial vehicles into freight operations.

As part of the initial phase, TVS VMS flagged off 57 Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT trucks in Manesar. The electric heavy commercial vehicles will operate on a primary freight route covering a 190-kilometre distance in Chhattisgarh, supported by three charging stations along the corridor. The partners are targeting to expand the deployment to more than 300 electric trucks in FY2026–27.

Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, said, "For a partner like TVS VMS, with seven decades of experience to put our electric trucks into live freight operations is exactly the validation India's logistics industry needed. This is proof that our technology is ready for commercial scale. It also reflects the depth of what we've built at Montra Electric with products engineered to address the specific operational needs of this market. Our team worked with TVS VMS to plan the operations, set up charging around their exact routes, and our telematics platform keeps optimising performance as the fleet runs. That's the difference between a truck that works on paper and a fleet that works on the road."

Navneet Sethi, CEO, Montra Electric (eM&HCV Division), said, "For years, industries built around heavy, continuous haulage, steel being a prime example, have questioned whether electric HCVs can genuinely stand up to sustained heavy-load freight, and that scepticism has shaped how slowly this sector has moved toward electrification. TVS VMS putting our Rhino trucks into live operations answers that question decisively, for us and for every heavy-load industry watching closely. This is a company with over seven decades of running conventional trucking now choosing to enter electric trucking for the first time, and choosing us to do it is validation that our platform can handle the demands of commercial-scale freight. For Montra Electric, this is a marker of how electric heavy trucking moves from possibility to standard practice in India, and we intend to lead that shift at national scale."

Madhu Raghunath, CEO, TVS VMS, said, "This strategic partnership marks a decisive step in advancing India's green logistics infrastructure. TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions is proud to power this transition through our full-suite, end-to-end lifecycle management platform—integrating vehicle leasing, driver operations, maintenance, insurance, charging ecosystem, and connected telematics to make zero-emission fleet operations effortless and commercially viable."

Manufactured at the Montra Electric facility in Manesar, the Rhino 5538 EV tractor-trailer features a 55-tonne gross combination weight capacity. It incorporates a 282 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery paired with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 280 kW peak power and 2,000 Nm torque. The vehicle offers a range of up to 198 km per charge under loaded and empty cycle conditions, and is available in fixed-battery fast-charging and battery-swapping configurations.

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Automotive and aerospace component manufacturer Belrise Industries has announced the acquisition of the Tipper Body Business of Hyva India, a subsidiary of JOST Werke.

The transaction carries a total purchase consideration of approximately USD 5.65 million, representing an Enterprise Value to EBITDA multiple of approximately 3.60x.

Hyva India manufactures tipping solutions used across construction, mining, defence and infrastructure sectors, supplying the top five commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers in India. The business reported EBITDA of approximately USD 1.57 million for calendar year 2025, alongside a return on average capital employed of around 20 percent.

Through the acquisition, Belrise expands its manufacturing footprint by adding three production plants located in Pune, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru. The deal also incorporates a European commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturer into Belrise's client portfolio as part of its positioning as a Tier-0.5 supplier.

Swastid Badve, General Manager, Belrise Industries, said, “We are pleased to welcome Hyva India’s Tipper Body Business into the Belrise family. This acquisition is a strong strategic fit and complements our manufacturing and engineering strengths. It enhances our position in the commercial vehicle value chain and supports our vision of becoming a diversified, global mobility solutions provider. Belrise remains committed to ensuring a seamless transition for customers, employees, suppliers, and business partners, while investing in the future growth and development of the business.”

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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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