The SAEINDIA International Mobility Conference (SIIMC 2022), the tenth edition of the Society of Automotive Engineers INDIA’s (SAEINDIA) flagship event, kicked-off on Wednesday, which is being hosted at Bengaluru, India. The three-day event will bring together the mobility ecosystem, with a phygital event to be held between 12 October to 14 October, 2022.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem”, which takes forward SAEINDIA’s commitment on advancing and promoting mobility engineering. Dr Murugesh Nirani, Minister of Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka, was the chief guest of the inaugural session. Along with the inaugural session, there was also an exclusive press meet.

Sharing his thoughts on sustainable multi-modal solutions, Mahesh Babu, SIIMC 2022 Conference Patron, and CEO at Switch Mobility India, said, “A robust mobility framework is the need of the hour to mitigate the impact of growing emissions and rapid urbanisation. Sustainable multi-modal solutions will help de-carbonise 100 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. SIIMC 2022 is a platform where all three stakeholders – the government, the industry and the communities have come together to make sustainable multi-modal mobility a reality.”

How is SIIMC 2022 different?
At the press meet, K Venkataraj, Deputy Director General, SAEINDIA, put across that with the tenth edition of the conference, each edition enhances itself. “This is because the transportation sector has gone through so much of transformation,” he remarked and continued, “We are actually living through the mobility sector transformation era. In order to address the present-day challenges, SAEINDIA’S duty is to bring in experts to the knowledge-takers and knowledge-givers. It’s a K2K business we are in. So, we bring in worldwide experts, who present it in terms of number of papers.”

All for the need for sustainability
Munirathinam Dhananjayan, Chair-Organising Committee, Founder and MD of Focus Group, said that the SIIMC 2022 three-day event will see over 700 mobility experts, including industry leaders and professionals from research and development, manufacturing, and services come together and network under one roof. “The key highlight of the tenth edition of the SIIMC 2022 is going to be the presentation of more than 180 papers and 543 abstracts on engineering innovations, with a focus on promoting sustainable and multi-modal mobility in the country. SIIMC 2022 will see a host of panel discussions and individual presentations, putting the spotlight on trends and innovations shaping the future of mobility,” he mentioned.

Some of the key sessions of the conference will see speakers coming together and discussing themes, states SAEINDIA. Some of these themes include the role of the automotive industry in meeting the challenges of global warming, the design and development of low cost electric microcars for urban commuting, edge-computing for multi-modal and intermodal mobility, building globally connected car platforms – unearthing complexity, balancing energy efficiency, driving excitement and comfort in battery electric vehicles, and if battery swapping is a viable alternative to accelerate the electric vehicle adoption in India.

Talking about the focus areas and theme of the SIIMC 2022 conference, Venkataraj said, “This year’s conference theme, “Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem”, resonates well with the present-day reality, where mobility is considered to be playing a big role in achieving sustainable development by promoting goals, like a clean and green environment and equitable livelihood.”

Venkataraj went on to assert, “We are in a very critical and early stage of production of sustainable solutions in mobility. Which is why, this year’s conference is going to help technocrats, stakeholders, etc, where they can learn from one another about what is happening in other countries. This way, India and other nations can gain knowledge from this conference.”

Additionally, while at the event, Suhas Gopinath, CEO, Globals Inc., inaugurated TechHive, claimed SAEINDIA. TechHive is a one-stop shop for start-ups to showcase their products and services to the global and Indian automotive market. It works towards facilitating networking and supporting new business opportunities, by bringing together start-ups, the automotive industry and investors.

The government’s role
When asked about the Government of India’s initiatives to set up multi-modal logistics parks across the country, Rashmi Urdhwareshe, President, SAEINDIA, cited that the government is addressing this in multiple ways. “One is improving the infrastructure by way of private connectivity,” she informed and went on, “The second is working on efficient goods transformation – we have even seen in one of the presentations how important it is to address goods transportation across the country. The third initiative is to look at greener solutions – not at just electrification but others, too, like LNG for example, which has great opportunity.”

What else to expect at the conference
SIIMC 2022 will see panel discussions that will be led by industry experts and researchers. As per SAEINDIA, the speakers will be from India’s leading automotive and technology organisations, as well as science and engineering institutes. The key organisations participating in the conference include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Bosch, Indian Oil Corporation and Indian Institute of Science.

According to SAEINDIA, C V Raman, CTO at Maruti Suzuki, Vijay Nirani, Managing Director at MRN Group, Vinay Harne, CTO at TVS Motors, Brian McMurray, President at General Mortors, Korea, Dr Sri Srinath, President at SAE International and Prashant Doreswamy, President at Continental Automotive India are some of the prominent industrialists who will be delivering various sessions at the conference.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Chennai-based commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has released its wholesales of 17,820 units for October 2025, reporting a 16 percent rise in total wholesales compared to 15,310 units for the same month last year.

Total domestic sales grew by 16 percent, reaching 16,314 units for the month, compared to 14,067 units in October 2024. This includes Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles sales clocking 14 percent growth to 9,611 units. Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) sales increased by 19 percent YoY, from 5,630 units to 6,703 units.

With this, cumulative wholesales for YTD FY2026 has grown by 6 percent reaching 111,174 units compared to 104,827 units last year.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Scania Commercial Vehicles India has appointed GMMCO, part of the CKA Birla Group, as its new authorised dealer partner for Northern, Eastern and Central India. This marks a major milestone in Scania's renewed India growth strategy, shifting the company from a direct sales model to a fully dealer-driven ecosystem.

As per the understanding, GMMCO will be responsible for sales and service support for projects across its designated regions. This arrangement complements the existing partnership with PPS Motors, which continues to represent Scania in the Southern and Western territories, ensuring seamless national coverage.

Under the new model, Scania will concentrate on product planning, innovation and lead generation, while its dealers will manage sales, service, aftermarket operations and inventory independently.

Silvio Munhoz, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India, said, “The appointment of GMMCO marks an important step in Scania’s India growth journey. GMMCO’s strong industry presence, wide service network and customer-first philosophy make them an ideal partner as we expand into new markets and business areas. This partnership reinforces our long-term vision for India and lays a solid foundation for our next phase of growth, driven by the Scania Super range and our focus on sustainable transport solutions.”

Scania aims to accelerate its global strategy of delivering complete solutions rather than just products. This solution-based approach includes application-specific product selection, tailored service packages and customised financial solutions.

Chandrashekar V, Managing Director & CEO, GMMCO, said, “We are delighted to partner with Scania, a global leader synonymous with innovation, performance and sustainability. This collaboration reflects GMMCO’s commitment to delivering comprehensive, technology-driven solutions that empower our customers across sectors. With our deep industry reach, strong service infrastructure and relentless focus on operational excellence, we are confident of driving Scania’s next phase of growth in India and creating exceptional value for our shared customers."

The expanded dealer network will cater to business segments including construction, long haulage, mining and special applications.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Montra Electric, the clean mobility arm of the Murugappa Group, has expanded its retail presence in India with the opening of two electric Small Commercial Vehicle (e-SCV) dealerships in Bhiwandi and Panvel.

The new outlets, which operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), are operated by retail partner Autobahn VoltiGo. The dealerships will offer the Montra Electric EViator, an e-SCV designed for intercity and intracity cargo transport. The vehicle aims to offer efficiency, high uptime and a low total cost of ownership for fleet and logistics operators.

Saju Nair, CEO, Montra Electric e-SCV, (TI Clean Mobility), said, “The EViator is built to deliver power, range, and performance that match the real-world needs of India’s logistics ecosystem. With partners like Autobahn VoltiGo, we’re ensuring that customers in key commercial hubs such as Bhiwandi and Panvel get access to future-ready EV solutions backed by strong service and uptime support.”

Farzad, Managing Director, Autobahn Trucking Corporation, said, “At Autobahn, our purpose is to move our customers’ businesses forward through innovation, trust and performance. Partnering with Montra Electric extends that commitment into the clean mobility space. After successfully establishing Montra Electric operations in Kerala and Pune, we are now expanding to Mumbai at Bhiwandi and Panvel, bringing customers a seamless ownership experience built on accessibility, uptime and service excellence.”

The EViator offers a certified range of 245 km and a real-world range of over 170 km. It features an 80kW motor that delivers 300 Nm of torque and includes telematics to ensure over 95 percent uptime. The e-SCV is supported by a seven year or 250,000 km extended warranty.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles has showcased its range of Euro 6-compliant trucks and buses tailored for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, marking its largest regional unveiling.

The new range reflects the company’s ‘Better Always’ philosophy and is designed to support the region’s transition to cleaner mobility. The vehicles, built for cargo and passenger transport, were engineered and tested across demanding terrains to deliver comfort, operational efficiency and enhanced safety.

Asif Shamim, Head – International Business, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, “As the MENA region continues to advance its economic diversification and infrastructure ambitions, there is a growing demand for smarter, efficient and advanced mobility solutions. Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles has been a trusted partner in this journey for about six decades, and the latest range of trucks and buses reflect our long-term commitment to stay ahead of the curve. This comprehensive line-up is engineered to deliver superior performance and reliability, enabling our customers to run businesses efficiently. We are confident that these offerings will set new benchmarks and further strengthen our role in shaping the region’s evolving mobility landscape.”

The showcased models include a spectrum of mobility solutions:

Passenger Mobility Solutions:

• LPO 1622: Available in 11-metre and 12-metre lengths, featuring a Cummins engine, ABS with Electronic Stability Control and cruise control.
• Starbus Prime LP 716: A 28-seater bus with a new-gen 3.3-litre engine, built for school and staff transport, including ABS, ESC and Hill Start Assist.
• Ultra LPO 916: A 33-seater bus offering fuel-efficiency and reliability.

Cargo Mobility Solutions:

• Ultra Range: Built on Tata Motors’ smart truck platform, available from 7-9 tonnes configuration, suitable for intra-city logistics.
• Prima 3430.T: Powered by the 6.7-litre Cummins engine generating 300 HP of power and 1100 Nm of torque, ideal for long-haul operations.
• Prima 3330.K: A tipper designed for productivity in construction and mining operations.

Tata Motors offers a commercial vehicle portfolio in over 40 countries. The company also offers regional support with over 100 strategically located service centres, extended warranty options and Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC).

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!