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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DAF Trucks N.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PACCAR Inc, a leading technology, design and manufacturing company focussing on light, medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, has promoted Jim Walenczak to the position of President.

Effective on 1 July 2026, he succeeds Harald Seidel, who is scheduled to retire on 17 July 2026.

Walenczak joins DAF Trucks following a 15-year tenure with PACCAR, during which he held several leadership roles most recently the Vice-President of PACCAR and General Manager of Kenworth Truck Company.

Previously, he was Assistant General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Kenworth and has served as Assistant General Manager – Operations at PACCAR Parts.

He holds an MBA from the University of Washington, is a Stanford Graduated and has completed his Bachelor's in Marketing.

On the other hand, Seidel retires after a 25-year career with PACCAR. Since 2022, he has served as PACCAR Vice-President and DAF President. His previous roles within the company included DAF Finance Director, Group Controller, and various controller positions within marketing, sales, and PACCAR Parts Europe.

Preston Feight, Chief Executive Officer, PACCAR, said, “We sincerely thank Harald for his friendship, leadership, and significant contributions to the success of PACCAR and its customers”.

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Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has marked the 21st anniversary of its iconic Tata Ace by launching the all‑new Ace Gold+ XL. This milestone in last‑mile mobility introduces a thoughtfully evolved variant designed for higher payloads and longer body applications. The Ace Gold+ XL extends the legacy that originally reshaped small cargo movement in India while continuing to support a growing and diverse base of entrepreneurs.

To celebrate 21 years of the Chhota Haathi, Tata Motors has also rolled out a nationwide campaign titled Ikkis Saal Bemisaal. This initiative focuses on entrepreneurs who have built their livelihoods around the Ace. Customer‑centric measures include additional benefits of up to INR 21,000 for women entrepreneurs, reinforcing the company’s longstanding commitment to inclusive growth.

Engineered with an eight‑foot load body and a one‑tonne payload capacity, the Ace Gold+ XL enables higher cargo volume per trip to improve owner profitability. The vehicle uses advanced Lean NOx Trap technology, eliminating the need for Diesel Exhaust Fluid and thereby reducing operating complexity and maintenance effort. A 700-cc turbocharged diesel engine delivers 22 PS of power and 55 Nm of torque, offering a lower total cost of ownership, improved uptime, and dependable performance for demanding last‑mile logistics.

Supported by Tata Motors’ comprehensive small commercial vehicle ecosystem, the Ace Gold+ XL joins a portfolio that spans diesel, petrol, CNG, bi‑fuel and electric powertrains for payloads from 750 kilogrammes to two tonnes. The company’s Sampoorna Seva 2.0 lifecycle support programme, along with over 2,500 service and spares outlets and the Star Guru network of trained technicians, ensures assistance at every stage of ownership. Through this latest variant, Tata Motors continues to power entrepreneurial growth and strengthen last‑mile logistics across the country.

Pinaki Haldar, Vice President & Business Head – SCVPU, Tata Motors Ltd., said, “With the launch of the all‑new Ace Gold+ XL, Tata Motors advances the next chapter of India’s most transformative commercial vehicle – one that continues to evolve to meet the needs of modern intra‑city and last‑mile logistics. Extending the Ace’s relevance into higher‑load applications, the Ace Gold+ XL is designed to deliver greater efficiency, reliability, and pride of ownership for today’s entrepreneurs. Launched in 2005, the Tata Ace pioneered India’s four‑wheel small commercial vehicle category and redefined last‑mile logistics by enabling entrepreneurship at scale. The Ace’s enduring relevance is reflected in an industry‑first milestone: for 21 years, one Ace has been sold every 4.25 minutes – earning the trust, respect, and loyalty of over 2,600,000 owners across the country.”

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Delhi-NCR-based electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Euler Motors has announced its revenue from operations reached INR 4.02 billion, up from INR 1.91 billion in FY2025, supported by a significant acceleration in sales volumes.

The company sold 7,576 electric vehicles in FY2026, up 181 percent YoY, albeit a low-year ago base. The Turbo EV 1000 gained substantial traction with 2,084 units sold, allowing the company to capture a 25.9 percent market share in this category.

In terms of segment-wise performance, the company sold 3,088 units of 3W cargo, 2,728 units of 4W cargo and 1,760 units of 3W passenger vehicles.

Growth was primarily driven by logistics and e-commerce operators focused on vehicle uptime and earnings potential.

For FY2026, total income reached INR 4.33 billion, which includes INR 310 million in non-operating income following a Series D fundraise. EBITDA margin improved from 119 percent in FY2025 to -62.9 percent in FY2026. Net loss for the period was INR 3.08 billion, which marks 61 percentage points reduction in losses as a percentage of revenue. Expenses was reduced to INR 1.84 per rupee of revenue, compared to INR 2.42 in the previous financial year.

During the fiscal, the total costs rose to INR 7.41 billion as the company invested in manufacturing and infrastructure: Material costs came at INR 3.56 billion, tracking the increase in sales volumes. Employee benefits rose by 40 percent to INR 1.04 billion to support headcount additions for aftersales and manufacturing.

Going forward, the company plans to expand its distribution and service network to over 200 touchpoints in FY2027. Euler Motors projects that volumes across its portfolio will grow by at least 40 percent YoY, with an increasing contribution from the 4W cargo EV segment.

Saurav Kumar, Founder & CEO, Euler Motors, said, “FY26 marks our transition from early adoption to early scale, with revenue more than doubling and EBITDA margins improving meaningfully as unit economics strengthen. While absolute losses have increased in line with our investments in scale, the underlying efficiency of the business has improved significantly. In 3W Cargo EV, we have built a strong foundation, with over 10,000 HiLoad EVs sold cumulatively. We are also expanding thoughtfully into the 3W passenger EV segment — focusing on understanding customer needs while shaping a differentiated value proposition. In the 4W cargo EV market, despite being a relatively late entrant, we are now seeing clear product-market fit. The Turbo EV1000 has validated that demand in this segment is real, scalable, and repeatable. Our focus now is to deepen this advantage — by expanding distribution, strengthening service infrastructure, and scaling manufacturing — to build a durable leadership position in India’s emerging electric commercial vehicle market.”

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Pune-headquartered automotive company Force Motors has introduced the new Force Traveller N Range, which includes specific applications for ambulances, school buses and delivery vans. This new series is designed to replace the current-generation Traveller entirely, with all future production transitioning to the new range. The Traveller currently maintains a segment share of over 70 percent in India.

The Force Traveller N Range features several upgrades intended to provide a more contemporary experience for drivers and passengers.

The commercial vehicle introduces a car-like cockpit featuring a digital instrument cluster and a 9-inch infotainment screen.

In terms of passenger comfort, it gets ergonomically designed seats, an updated HVAC system for improved cooling, and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels for a quieter cabin.

The exterior features a new front fascia with Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and LED turn indicators, as well as a redesigned rear. The company says the sheet metal structure has been re-engineered to reduce the number of body joints, improving structural integrity and build consistency.

In terms of performance, the Force Traveller N range is powered by the FM 2.6 CR engine, which complies with BS-VI Stage 2 emission norms. To assist fleet operators, the vehicles are equipped with two support systems:

• Force Care: This service package offers extended and parts warranties, roadside assistance and accidental repair support.
• iPulse: An integrated system that provides real-time vehicle tracking and diagnostic capabilities.

Force Motors says it has applied manufacturing processes and quality systems learned from its Urbania model to the new Traveller N Range, utilising advanced technologies such as robotics and automated door hemming. Bookings for the new range will open at dealerships across India starting in mid-May 2026.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, said, “The new Force Traveller N Range builds on the strong trust the Force Traveller has earned over the years, while making it more refined, capable, and better suited to today’s customer expectations”.

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