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. 

Iochpe-Maxion SA, a world leader in automotive wheels production and a leading producer of automotive structural components in the Americas, has appointed Pieter Klinkers, the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Maxion Wheels, as President and CEO of Iochpe-Maxion SA with effect from 16 April 2025.

Klinkers replaces Marcos Oliveira, who will step down at the end of his term in line with the senior leadership succession plan. The Iochpe-Maxion Board of Directors has nominated Oliveira to be a member of the slate for the Board of Directors election at the upcoming regular general shareholders' meeting, which is also set for 16 April 2025.

Over the course of more than 30 years, Klinkers has built a prestigious career in the automotive sector. After a 10-year stint at Michelin, he joined Hayes Lemmerz Inc in 2005, which was later purchased by Iochpe-Maxion. He has been in charge of the company's worldwide wheels division since 2015. Klinkers will be replaced as CEO of Maxion Wheels by Mark Gerardts. Since joining the firm in 2015, Gerardts has held a number of positions with progressively more responsibility, most recently serving as the Business Unit President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, the apex body representing automotive tyre manufacturers in the country, has announced its new leadership structure.

The apex tyre body has elected Arun Mammen, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of MRF as the new Chairman of ATMA and Hiroshi Yoshizane, MD, Bridgestone India as the new Vice-Chairman of ATMA.

The appointment comes at a crucial juncture as ATMA celebrates 2025 as its Golden Jubilee year.

Mammen hold a graduate degree from the Madras Christian College and MBA from the Ashland University, US. He became the Managing Director of MRF in 2004 and Vice Chairman and Managing Director in 2017.

He believes that the Indian tyre industry should strive to be a major global manufacturer in the next decade and he will work on policy enablers to make the industry more competitive and technologically superior for meeting the needs of developed countries.

ATMA highlighted that given the global push towards carbon emission, there is a clear need to reduce carbon footprint in manufacturing and supply chain among others. The tyre industry on its part is already investing towards regenerative and recycled raw materials, along with using clean energy and reduction in water usage in manufacturing.

Furthermore, the INROAD Project as an industry initiative is expected to further add 200,000 hectares of new rubber plantation in the next two years.

“Over the next five years, focus needs to be given to upgradation of quality and training of the stakeholders,” added Mammen.

Continental is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its iconic TKC 80 motorcycle tyre with the launch of its ‘On the Trail of a Legend’ campaign. The campaign will focus on the success story of the TKC 80 and will also showcase its unfading popularity among fans.

The TKC 80 motorcycle tyre, which has been providing exceptional grip for dual-sport and long-distance enduros on anything from endless off-road trails to twisting rural roads since 1985, is known for its rough tread and precise tuning. The TKC 80 was well greeted by the several foreign journalists that covered the event from the very beginning of its market introduction in Estoril, Portugal. With a 50 percent on-road and 50 percent off-road concentration, it was specifically designed for the first travel-ready enduros of the era and provided reliable durability in all circumstances.

Continental will also be providing end consumers in specific areas with a limited-edition anniversary package beginning in March 2025. A birthday package with special extras, such as motorcycle accessories and an air compressor to handle the obstacles of their respective areas with the correct air pressure, will be given to customers who purchase a TKC 80 set.

Raphael Michels, Product Manager for Motorcycle Tyres at Continental, said, “Since its introduction, we have continuously developed the specifications of the tyre while maintaining its distinctive and renowned tread design. For a lot of motorcyclists, this tyre is more than just a product – it is a companion on unforgettable journeys. It is thanks to our continuous development that the TKC 80 remains the first choice for those who know no limits. Let us take another step on our journey ’On the Trail of a Legend' and explore the next destination together.”

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of speciality polymers and high-value biobased products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has appointed Prakash Kolluri as President of Polymer Business.

Having previously held executive roles at both Kraton and Cariflex, a Kraton spin-off under DL Chemical, Kolluri has a lot of polymer industry knowledge. He effectively oversaw Cariflex's worldwide isoprene rubber latex growth as CEO, enhancing the company's market dominance in specialist and medical applications. Kolluri will concentrate on growing the company's footprint in high-growth areas, simplifying processes, fostering innovation and reducing complexity in his new position as President of Kraton's Polymer Business.

Kolluri said, “I am honoured to return to Kraton and take on this new leadership role. Kraton has a rich legacy of innovation in polymer solutions, and I look forward to working with our talented team to accelerate growth, enhance sustainability and deliver value to our customers worldwide.”

Marcello Boldrini, CEO, Kraton, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Prakash back to Kraton. His deep industry expertise, strategic vision and track record of successful global expansion make him the perfect leader to drive the next phase of growth for our Polymer Business.”