Tata Motors has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Government of Maharashtra to restore 1,000 water bodies in over 20 districts in the water-stressed regions of the state.

By utilising the ‘Gal Mukt Dharan Gal Yukt Shivar Yojana’, a community-based de-siltation programme, in collaboration with the Maharashtra government's Soil and Water Conservation Department, NAAM Foundation, and local communities, Tata Motors successfully revitalised 356 water bodies in Maharashtra in 2024. Approximately six million cubic metres of silt were excavated as a consequence of the initiative in 10 districts: Pune, Palghar, Thane, Satara, Dhule, Solapur, Chandrapur, Ahmednagar, Beed and Latur. In addition to helping 7,000 farmers, this cooperative effort has greatly increased the water table and enhanced access to drinkable water in rural Maharashtra, creating a capacity of almost seven billion litres of water.

Tata Motors now plans to expand the water conservation programme to more than 20 districts throughout the state, including the water-scarce areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha. In Amravati, Latur, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Nanded, Parbhani, Akola, Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Ahilya Nagar, Sangli, Solapur, Pune, Palghar, Thane and other districts of the state, the planned partnership seeks to revitalise and revitalise a thousand water bodies. The programme's implementation partner will be NAAM Foundation.

Gal Mukt Dharan Gal Yukt Shivar Yojana gives farmers with preapproved funding for silt delivery to their farms, hence improving soil fertility. The end-to-end digital monitoring method assures project agility and transparency throughout. The success and effect of water body rehabilitation in Maharashtra demonstrate Tata Motors' commitment to long-term development and rural community upliftment.

Vinod Kulkarni, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Tata Motors, said, “We are immensely proud to have strengthened our partnership with the Government of Maharashtra and NAAM Foundation to address the impact of droughts and water scarcity in the state. The successful rejuvenation and restoration of 356 water bodies in 2024 has encouraged us to scale up the programme to over 20 districts and reach many more villages in Maharashtra. This programme strives to raise the water table, provide access to potable water, make irrigation water available throughout the year, thus improving livelihood for villagers.”

Priya Khan, Officer on Special Duty – Chief Minister’s Office, Government of Maharashtra, said, “The Government of Maharashtra launched the 'Gal Mukt Dharan, Gal Mukt Shivar Yojana’ to increase water capacity of existing dams and water bodies. This programme has evolved into a people’s movement thanks to the invaluable support of our partner organisations like Tata Motors and NAAM Foundation. Together, we are not just restoring water bodies; we are fostering resilience and sustainability to reduce the impact of recurring droughts in the state.”

Ganesh Thorat, CEO – NAAM Foundation, said, “The NAAM Foundation began addressing Maharashtra's acute water shortage in 2015. Our partnership with Tata Motors and the Government of Maharashtra is a significant milestone towards these efforts. Last year we collectively expanded our work to 10 districts. We are happy to see that the positive impact of the water conservation efforts will now reach more districts.”

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IVECO BUS has delivered its first GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus to the Lorient Agglomeration in France.

The delivery is part of a project that will eventually see 19 hydrogen buses added to the IziLo Mobilités network fleet, with 10 further units scheduled for delivery during 2026.

The GX 337 H2 LINIUM utilises a 100-kW fuel cell powered by four hydrogen tanks, integrated with a 69-kWh FPT Industrial battery pack. The bus has a claimed operational range of 450 km, can accommodate up to 110 passengers and hydrogen consumptions is claimed to be around 20 percent lower than others. Furthermore, it also is equipped with a heat pump system for thermal management and also comes with IVECO ON services to monitor performance and ownership costs.

Fabrice Loher, President, Lorient Agglomeration and Mayor of Lorient, said, “With the introduction of this first hydrogen bus, Lorient Agglomeration reaffirms its ambition to lead a bold and transformative energy transition. This milestone marks the emergence of a local sector that fosters innovation and job creation and strengthens our collective ability to offer sustainable mobility solutions tailored to the daily needs of our residents.”

Giorgio ZINO, Head of IVECO BUS Commercial Operations in Europe, said, “We are proud to see Lorient host the first European delivery of our GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus, a tangible demonstration of our commitment to working alongside local communities for decarbonised collective mobility. This technology delivers a high-performance solution, combining autonomy, comfort and energy efficiency and plays an active role in building a more sustainable future.”

IziLo Mobilités serves 25 municipalities with a population of 207,000. The network operates over 140 bus and boat lines. The introduction of hydrogen technology is intended to support the transition to carbon neutrality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the fleet.

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Caterpillar has announced that all Cat Customer Value Agreements (CVAs) will be eligible for an upgraded Services Commitment beginning in 2026. The programme is designed to provide equipment owners with specific timelines for maintenance and repairs.

Under the new terms, CVAs that include dealer labour will feature a Two-Day Repair commitment for common repairs. If the equipment is not returned to service within this timeframe, the customer receives a payment. Furthermore, the Parts Next-Day availability commitment covers maintenance, wear, and repair parts for pickup at a designated dealer location.

The CVAs provide 24x7 access to equipment health management tools, including VisionLink and Cat Inspect, to monitor asset insights. Agreements also include:

• Support from local Cat dealers.
• Delivery of Cat parts and fluids for planned maintenance at the customer's location.
• Options for equipment coverage, portability, and transferability.

Ebban Clause, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Construction Industries Services Division, said, “Our new Services Commitment program with a CVA is all about offering the customer hassle-free, peace-of-mind equipment ownership. Customers dealing with downtime need to act fast, and they need parts to get the equipment up and running quickly. Our new Services Commitment delivers just that – Two-Day Repairs, Parts Next-Day, or the customer gets paid.”

The global rollout of CVAs with the upgraded Services Commitment will begin in the Q1 of 2026. The implementation will continue through 2027, depending on regional availability.

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Propel Industries Private Limited showcased a large portfolio of construction equipment at Excon 2025 that included four new electric tipper models. The company aso unveiled an all-new connectivity platform and a comprehensive after-sales uptime solution. 
The four new electric tippers include the 90CED (claimed to be India's first ultra-fast charging 90 tonne electric dumper with ADAS Level 1 safety), 70CED (claimed to be India's first 8x4 mining e-tipper with 25 cu m rock body), 560HEV-X (claimed to be Indias first 8x4 construction tipper with 25 cu m box body), 470MEV Gen-2 (caimed to be India's first 6x4 tipper with 20 cu m rock body) in particular. 
The Pulse.ev connectivity platform as a new digital ecosystem built in-house specifically for electric mining and hauling operations includes features such as real-time vehicle health and diagnostics; energy consumption insights; predictive maintenance analytics and fleet optimization suite for multi-shift operations.
"The announcements reinforce Propels commitment to innovation, high-productivity for customers, zero-emission, and future-ready heavy-duty mobility. Since start of EV truck sale in 2023, the brand has expanded its presence across coal, overburden, limestone, iron-ore, stone quarry, marble & granites, and solid waste management segments. Propel trucks have cumulatively covered over 5 lakh operating hours and the first set of 8 trucks have clocked 12,500 hours in 2 years, which is equivalent to 20 hrs per day. This proves the reliability and uptime of the propel electric trucks," said Siddarth Kirtane, President – EV Sales, Marketing and Service, Propel Industries. 

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JCB India launched its largest ever excavator at 52 tonness in India. It did so at the Excon 2025 exhibition in Bengaluru. The excavator, showcased along with over 10 new products, will cater to domestic as well as export markets.  Of the over 10 machines the company showed at the show, there included backhoe loaders with enhanced features in line with the customer-first strategy. JCB India is giving much attention to lower cost of ownership, higher fuel efficiency, improved machine uptime, enhanced safety and ergonomics while designing its new equipment.    With sustainability the factor, the company showcased the hydrogen engine powered backhoe loader that it unveiled in 2023. It announced the expansion of its hydrogen powered construction equipment portfolio at Excon 2025 with a hydrogen-powered genset.  "Excon is a forum that brings together customers, policymakers, contractors, financiers, suppliers, and technology leaders, creating an ecosystem for strategic collaboration and long-term business growth. JCB exports to more than 135 countries from India and this year we also have customers from South Asia, Africa Region and South-East Asia visiting us. Excon allows us to understand evolving market needs and demonstrate how our latest solutions align with both global and India’s infrastructure demands," said Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD, JCB India. 

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