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. 

Sandeep Mahajan, Managing Director, Goodyear India, stepped down from his role on 31st October 2024 upon attaining superannuation.

His tenure was originally set for five years or until his retirement date, whichever came first.

Goodyear India is now in the process of hiring a new managing director for the company.

Mahajan succeeded Rajeev Anand as Managing Director of the company in June 2020.

During his time at the helm, Mahajan oversaw significant developments in Goodyear India’s operations, steering the company through a dynamic and challenging business environment.

Goodyear India Limited, part of the global Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, has a strong presence in the Indian market, offering a wide range of tire solutions for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and farm equipment.

Cimcorp, a global leader in intralogistics solutions, is expanding its footprint in the United Kingdom. The company aims to capitalise on the market’s growing demand for automated systems and its need for efficient and hygienic solutions.

Cimcorp has appointed Jarkko Hakkarainen, overseeing the company’s operations in the UK, to lead this expansion. The company is actively recruiting additional staff to support the growing business.

“Our primary focus is to ensure the success of our new projects in the UK,” says Jarkko Hakkarainen, Head of Operations for Cimcorp’s European region, who has recently relocated to the UK to support the expansion. “We are already in the delivery phase of a large automation system and are actively engaging in discussions with leading grocery distributors, plus some companies in other segments in the UK, such as bakeries, to explore further project opportunities.”

Cimcorp’s expansion into the UK is part of its broader strategy to diversify its operations and tap into new markets.

“The UK is one of the largest potential markets for us. The automation level in logistics is still relatively low here, making it an excellent opportunity for growth,” explains Hakkarainen.

“We expect our UK team to triple in size over the next 18 months,” says Hakkarainen. “It’s inspiring for our team to be part of this growth, while creating the local processes and establishing a new subsidiary without the rigidity often associated with larger corporations.”

Michelin has appointed Sophie Foucque as the CEO of its MICHELIN Connected Fleet for Europe, Africa and Australia regions. She replaces Gilson Santiago, who has retired from his role as Global CEO of MICHELIN Connected Fleet.

Foucque will be based in London and will report directly to Michel Vincentelli, Director of Connected Solutions Business Line at Michelin. In her new role, she will use her expertise in data, technology and the mobility industry to grow the fleet management business, including within the passenger transport and HGV sectors.

Foucque is a graduate in International Trade & Marketing from NEOMA Business School, France, and holds an MBA from SMU Cox School of Business, Dallas, Texas. She was previously Vice-President for M&A Strategy and Innovation in Michelin’s Services & Solutions division. During her career spanning nearly 15 years with the Michelin Group, she has also headed Michelin’s Mobility Intelligence Business Venture as Group Managing Director and has supported several divisions in the fields of artificial intelligence and business change.

Foucque said, “I am truly honoured to lead the MICHELIN Connected Fleet organisation in Europe, Africa and Australia. Mobility is an ecosystem, and I firmly believe that MICHELIN Connected Fleet provides something unique within it. With our cutting-edge algorithms, built on over 100 years of expertise in vehicle and tyre dynamics, and a deep understanding of driver behaviour analysis, we are transforming data into valuable insights that support fleet managers in an unparalleled manner.”

Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information and compliance services, has appointed Brian Spitz as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will oversee the global financial and legal operations and improve financial efficiency by supporting the company’s strategic growth objectives.

Spitz brings with him over 20 years of experience along with a growth-oriented mindset and expertise in financial management and strategic planning. He has proved his mettle in various board roles by providing valuable financial directions. Spitz is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and an MBA degree from Baldwin Wallace University.

Mike Hochschwender, Chief Executive Officer, Smithers, said, “With a proven track record in driving financial growth, optimising operations and fostering innovation, Brian is well-equipped to lead our financial strategy as we continue to scale and deliver on our brand promise to provide our clients with accurate data, on time with high touch.”