The protest of truck drivers against new provision under hit and run seems to have ignited the fear of supply chain disruption, leading vehicle operators at many places in the country to queue up at filling stations least they were to run dry. 

The supply chain disruption in other areas such as the supply of food items has people of the country worried as well. A situation where they crowd the stores to pile up groceries and other essential items looks likely as truckers refuse to operate their vehicles.

Over 70 percent of the estimated 1.20 lakh trucks, tempos and other goods vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) stayed off the roads on 1 January 2024, the first day of the three-day protest that is said to have been called by the truck drivers rather than the truck owners. 

The impact of the three-day protest is likely to negatively impact the supply chains including those of essential goods such as fuel, fruits, vegetables etc. Ironically, the impact of the supply chain disruption is likely to reflect latter than sooner. 

The provision of INR 700,0000 penalty and a 10-year jail term for hit-and-run cases under the newly-passed ‘Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’ law has the drivers of goods vehicles in particular worried big time. 

The provisions in the new law – they feel – will lead to undue harassment, mentioned a source at one of the many transport associations operating in the country. 

On the condition of being anonymous, he mentioned that it is almost always that the driver of a heavier vehicle is booked in case of an accident. The new law therefore makes it even more difficult for him to do what he has been doing all this while. 

With driver protests widely reported from almost all the states of the country by various medias on 1 and 2 January 2023, the effect of the non-operating of trucks in terms of supply chain disruption is likely to be profound but hard to describe in monetary terms at least for some time to come.  

The disruption is likely to be profound as private bus drivers have also joined their trucking counterparts in the protest to rake back the new provisions in the law, the source averred. 

As per the newly coined ‘Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita’ law, the punishment for causing death by negligence is two years under section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).  

Stating that the drivers of heavy vehicles also suffer grievous injuries in a mishap and no one pays attention, the source said that if the new laws that are unfair to the heavy vehicle drivers are not rolled back, the situation of driver shortage is slated to get even more worrisome. 

The refusal of oil tankers to ply has people across the country in protest of the new laws has people worried if the supply of fuel will continue uninterrupted. 

There were instances on the first day of the nationwide flash strike where truckers blocked the roads, holding other traffic from operating in various areas and regions. 

The strike has not been initiated by the apex truck owners’ association and neither by the regional associations, the source clarified. He stressed that it was the drivers who started it. 

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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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JK Tyre & Industries Ltd launched four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at Excon 2025 in Bengluru. Unveiled by Dr R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre, the four new OTR tyres further expand the company's portfolio in construction and mining equipment. 
The Sky Grip tyre for example is engineered specifically for Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) and Boom Lifts used across construction, infrastructure maintenance, warehousing and industrial operations. The 355/55D625 Sky Grip tyre is designed to offer enhanced stability, superior traction and consistent performance at elevated working heights and is compatible with articulated and telescopic boom lifts, telehandlers and even rough terrain aerial platform. 
The three other OTR tyres are designed for critical industrial and mining applications. The 14.00-25 GTL Plus, for example, is a backhoe loader tyre that offers strong stability, durability and dependable performance during frequent loading and excavation operations. The 23.5-25 GTL Plus variant, on the other hand, supports wheel loaders with improved traction and endurance on demanding surfaces. F
or underground mining requirements, the 14.00-20 VEM AS-UG OTR tyre features a reinforced casing and specialised compound designed to withstand abrasive environments and the rigorous duty cycles of shuttle cars.
“India is witnessing a transformative phase in infrastructure development, and JK Tyre remains committed to support this journey. With the launch of our new OTR range at EXCON, we are strengthening our support for equipment that powers critical infrastructure, enabling greater productivity, durability and operational safety across the country’s construction, mining and industrial projects," averred Srinivasu Allaphan, Director-Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries. 

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Mahindra’s Construction Equipment business (MCE) launched the Compax mini compactor at EXcon 2025 in Bengluru. The mini compactor, aimed at the road construction industry, packs cutting edge techbology to deliver best-in-cass fuel efficiency and reliability. It is built robust and furthers the standards in the category to ensure better returns to the operators. 

“Mahindra commercial vehicles and construction equipment machines are known for their cutting-edge technology, best-in-class fuel efficiency, robust built and reliability that helps deliver substantially higher earnings and profitability for our customers. The new Mahindra COMPAX reflects the same Mahindra DNA and is poised to deliver higher profits and prosperity to our customers. Our deep understanding of the challenges of the Indian infrastructure ecosystem and strong capabilities of indigenous manufacturing makes our machines, including the new mini compactor, an ideal choice for demanding compaction tasks,” said Dr Venkat Srinivas, Business Head – Mahindra Truck, Bus and Construction Equipment, and Executive Director & CEO, SML Mahindra Ltd. 

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