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. 

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ZC Rubber has held its first Indonesia Distributor Conference, bringing together around 140 representatives from the company, PT Matahari Tire Indonesia (MTI) and its core Indonesian distributor network as it seeks to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.

The two-day event, held in Jakarta on July 23–24 under the theme "Gathering Momentum in Indonesia, Creating Success Together", focused on the company's manufacturing development in Indonesia, product planning for regional markets and closer collaboration with distributors.

Opening the conference, Henry Shen, Senior Vice President of Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber), highlighted the progress of MTI since it was established nearly three years ago. According to the company, the Indonesian plant began production 289 days after construction started and produced its first one million tyres a further 282 days later.

"MTI is an important part of our long-term development in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. It gives us a stronger local manufacturing base, closer access to market demand and greater flexibility in serving both regional and international customers,” said Shen.

Located in Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, the 58.8-hectare facility is ZC Rubber's second overseas tyre plant. The company said Phase I has reached its planned production capacity, while Phase II has entered operation.

During the conference, Wang Xianning, Vice President of ZC Rubber and General Manager of MTI, outlined developments in production capacity, intelligent manufacturing and the plant's end-to-end quality control system.

Zhang Chunsheng, Deputy General Manager of ZC Rubber's Truck and Bus Tire Division and Director of its TBR and OTR Research Institute, presented the company's tyre technology roadmap and product development plans. These include refining products for Indonesia's road conditions, heavy rainfall, high temperatures and demanding commercial vehicle applications.

"Feedback from distributors, fleets and users in Indonesia is helping us refine products for local conditions, while ZC Rubber's global R&D platform allows those products to meet the requirements of wider regional and export markets," Zhang said.

Jeffrey Zhang, General Manager of ZC Rubber's International Business Department, and Justin Cui, Assistant General Manager of MTI, also presented localised product planning, marketing programmes and channel development strategies for the Indonesian market.

The conference included discussions with distributors covering product performance, customer demand and regional market conditions. The company said the feedback gathered would be incorporated into future product planning and market support.

ZC Rubber also announced the formation of an Indonesia Marketing Committee, comprising representatives from four national distributors. The committee will provide a forum for MTI and its partners to discuss product requirements, market developments and coordinated sales and marketing activities.

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SI Group has promoted Robert Kaiser to Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing, concurrently appointing him to the company’s Executive Leadership Team. The global developer and manufacturer of performance additives, process solutions and chemical intermediates has tasked the executive with spearheading market-focused growth efforts and enhancing the synergy between client demands and the firm’s enduring strategic vision.

Kaiser’s elevation follows a distinguished tenure with the organisation that began in 2014, during which he assumed progressively significant roles in strategic marketing and business development. His contributions have been instrumental in refining the company’s product portfolio and market positioning, as well as fostering interdepartmental cooperation on pivotal expansion projects. His professional background also includes commercial leadership stints at AkzoNobel and Arizona Chemical, now part of Kraton Corporation.

The newly appointed Senior Vice President holds a Master of Business Administration from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. With his extensive commercial acumen, Kaiser is poised to drive alignment and execute the company’s long-term objectives in his new executive capacity.

David Bradley, President and Chief Executive Officer, SI Group, said, "Robert has consistently demonstrated exceptional strategic leadership and a deep understanding of our markets. His ability to turn information into actionable insight has been instrumental in strengthening our commercial organisation and advancing our strategic priorities. We look forward to the unique global perspective and market-centric lens he will bring to our Executive Leadership Team.” 

Kaiser said, “I am honoured to join the Executive Leadership Team. Our customers are navigating an increasingly complex business environment, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into this role at a time when SI Group has the global footprint and strong foundation needed to create value for our customers and the markets we serve. I look forward to working with colleagues across SI Group to deepen customer relationships and continue advancing our commercial strategy.”

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Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT) has extended its partnership with Cricket Australia for a further three years, remaining the naming rights partner of the Golden Cap awards in the Big Bash League (BBL) until the end of the 2028-29 season. The renewal takes the partnership beyond a decade, making it one of the league's longest-running commercial agreements.

BKT has been an Official League Partner of the Big Bash League since 2018. The companies said the extension reflects their continued commitment to supporting the growth of Australian cricket while enhancing the experience for players and fans.

Over the course of the partnership, BKT has developed a strong presence across the Big Bash Leagues through its association with the tournament and fan engagement initiatives. The renewed agreement, the companies said, reflects a long-term relationship built on community engagement and a shared commitment to Australian cricket.

Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director of BKT, said: “The extension of the partnership with the BBL has continued to evolve since 2018, bringing us to achieve significant milestones together. Australia remains a strategic market for BKT, and cricket is one of the country's most popular and passionately followed sports, bringing together millions of fans every year. That’s why we are pleased to continue supporting one of the world's most exciting cricket competitions through the 2028/29 season. We look forward to building on the success we have achieved together and creating lasting value for our stakeholders, partners and fans around the world.”

Alistair Dobson, General Manager of the Big Bash Leagues at Cricket Australia, said: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with BKT, who has been such a fantastic supporter of the Big Bash for nearly a decade. The BKT Golden Bat and BKT Golden Arm caps have long been popular with players and fans and a great way to celebrate the world-class batting and bowling across both the BBL and WBBL. BKT Big Bash Tipping also adds to the fan experience, giving fans another avenue to engage with the leagues and challenge their friends, families and workplaces. We’re looking forward to continuing to build on our strong relationship with BKT as this partnership extends beyond a decade in the coming years.”

The companies said they would continue to work together as the partnership enters its second decade, with a focus on innovation, fan engagement and the long-term development of Australian cricket.

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JK Tyre & Industries has appointed Pushpak Barik as Vice President – Replacement Business, reinforcing its domestic leadership team as the company looks to strengthen its presence in the replacement tyre market, according to a report.

In his new role, Barik will lead the strategic growth of JK Tyre's replacement business, with responsibility for expanding the company's replacement market portfolio, optimising channel performance and strengthening its retail footprint across India.

Before joining JK Tyre, Barik served as Head of Sales – Commercial Mobility at TVS Motor Company, where he led initiatives to accelerate business growth in the commercial mobility segment.

He brings extensive industry experience, having held leadership positions at Continental, Ashok Leyland, Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors. His expertise spans sales leadership, channel development, commercial mobility, strategic partnerships, network expansion and business transformation.

JK Tyre said Barik's experience in driving profitable growth, strengthening distribution networks and expanding market presence will support the company's next phase of growth in the replacement business.

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