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. 

South Korean tyre major Nexen Tire has added another feather to its cap and has received a Gold rating from EcoVadis for the second year in succession. This places the company among the top 3 percent of over 150,000 companies assessed globally.

Established in 2007 in France, EcoVadis evaluates corporate sustainability performance across Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. Its ratings are Platinum (top 1 percent), Gold (top 5 percent), Silver (top 15 percent) and Bronze (top 35 percent).

Nexen Tire showed improvements across all assessment areas. In the Environment category, the company's involvement in global sustainability initiatives, including the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) was noted. Climate education programmes and greenhouse gas emissions disclosure were contributors.

For Labour & Human Rights, Nexen Tire's human rights policy aligns with international standards from the United Nations and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The company also began human rights assessments for risk management.

In the Ethics pillar, the company reinforced internal systems for risk prevention, monitoring, and mitigation. The Sustainable Procurement score improved through ESG assessments, supplier audits and risk response strategies.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, Nexen Tire, said, “Receiving the Gold rating from EcoVadis for the second consecutive year is a significant affirmation of our global ESG efforts. We remain committed to responsible and transparent management practices that meet the expectations of our stakeholders worldwide.”

TÜV SÜD AG’s Supervisory Board has named Ishan Palit as Interim CEO (Chairman of the Board of Management) effective 15 July 2025, following Dr Johannes Bussmann’s departure to assume the CEO role at MTU Aero Engines AG. Bussmann will leave TÜV SÜD on 14 July 2025. Palit will co-lead the company with CFO Sabine Nitzsche until a permanent successor is appointed.

With over 30 years at TÜV SÜD, Palit has held key leadership roles, including establishing the company’s India operations, serving as Asia Pacific CEO and leading the global Product Service Division. Since 2017, he has been Chief Operating Officer, driving strategic and operational initiatives.

Nitzsche, who joined as CFO in March 2025, brings extensive financial and executive expertise from the high-tech and automotive sectors. Her prior roles include CFO of Vitesco Technologies AG and senior financial leadership positions at Infineon Technologies and GlobalFoundries.

Frank Hyldmar, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TÜV SÜD AG, said, “We are very pleased that Ishan and Sabine will oversee the interim management of TÜV SÜD during this transition. Ishan is a seasoned TÜV SÜD senior executive with deep knowledge of our business and strong global leadership experience. Sabine brings a proven track record as CFO across multiple multinational enterprises. Together, they form a strong leadership team as we work towards appointing a long-term CEO.”

Hankook Tire & Technology has announced a series of executive leadership changes at its North American headquarters in Nashville, reinforcing its commitment to growth in passenger and commercial tyre markets. The restructuring brings fresh leadership across key sales and marketing functions.

Kyuwang (Ken) Cho assumes the role of Senior Vice President of North America Marketing, transitioning from his previous dual leadership of PC/LT Sales and Marketing. The industry veteran brings 25 years of Hankook experience, including a stint as Vice President of Global Sales in Korea. K C Jensen steps up as Vice President of US PC/LT Sales, expanding his responsibilities from regional to national oversight after demonstrating strong leadership in the Western market since 2018.

The company welcomes back Mark Roe as Vice President of US TBR Sales, where his four decades of commercial tyre expertise will guide replacement and OE sales strategies. Roe's extensive background includes previous leadership roles at Hankook and most recently at Ralson Tire North America.

Regional sales teams also see strategic promotions. Shaun Prott advances to Regional Director of PC/LT Sales for the West, building on his eight-year tenure with Hankook and prior experience with National Tire Warehouse. Travis Jones rejoins the organisation as Northeast Regional Director, bringing valuable perspective from Michelin and Pirelli. Brian Ford earns promotion to Regional Director of TBR Sales for the West after successfully managing key commercial accounts since 2021.

Rob Williams, President of Hankook Tire America Corp, said, "These leadership appointments reflect Hankook's strong momentum in North America. Ken, K.C. and Mark each bring exceptional industry experience, strategic focus and leadership qualities to their roles. Together, they will help elevate our presence across both consumer and commercial channels, and support our long-term growth ambitions in the US. These moves speak to the strength of our internal talent pipeline & ability to attract top talent and our continued investment in customer relationships. Shaun, Travis and Brian all bring deep knowledge of their markets and proven ability to grow key partnerships."

French tyre major Michelin has introduced its new X Line Grip D range, which is designed to work up to 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometres) with up to four retreads. The company shared its designers' claim that this is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ leap in tyre technology for fleets.

In addition to the higher range, the tyres also provide 20 percent more mileage and a 20 percent reduction in rolling resistance compared to the Michelin XDN2 tyre.

Designed to meet both wet and snowy conditions thanks to the chevron tread design, these tyres are said to prove 90 percent better starting traction in snow and over 25 percent better wet starting traction.

Fleets also benefit from using the Michelin X Line Grip D tyre, as it is built on the company’s Duracore casing, featuring Infinicoil and Powercoil technologies. 

Pierluigi Cumo, VP – B2B Marketing, Michelin North America, said, “Michelin is never satisfied with current tyre technology when it comes to constantly improving and innovating our products. That’s why Michelin is so proud to introduce the Michelin X Line Grip D tyre. This tyre has the potential going forward to redefine the drive tyre standard in fleets for years to come. It is not an evolution to existing products, but something entirely different the fleet world has never seen before.”

“Michelin has a proven track record of delivering high-quality, reliable products that exceed performance expectations. This fantastic leap in drive tyre technology bring new levels of performance to the road and new levels of savings to our customers,” he concluded.

The Michelin X Line Grip D tyre is available in sizes 295/75R22.5 and 11R22.5.