(From the left) Rajendra Petkar, president and director of Technology, Tata Motors Ltd; Pradep Kumar Thimaiyan, President, CII Commercial Vehicle Summit 2025; and P. Ravichandran, vice president, CII (southern region), in the third edition of the CII Commercial Vehicle Summit, held in Chennai on Friday, April 25, 2025. Photo credit: Businessline/Bijoy Ghosh
The commercial vehicle industry (CV) in India is prepared for an important transformation, stimulated by the technological advances, the changing expectations of the customers and the growing demand for sustainable practices, the industry leaders said in the commercial vehicle of CII.
During the last decade, the Indian CV industry has faced numerous challenges, including fluctuating economic cycles, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the price of basic products, liquuidity problems and evolving regulations. Despite these obstacles, key factors such as urbanization, increased investments in public infrastructure, the tree in electronic commerce and favorite policy reforms have prepared the scenario for strong recovery.
Rajendra Petkar, president and technology director of Tata Motors Ltd., highlighted the resistance of the industry, noting that a stronger recovery has followed each deceleration. “Historical, the Indian CV industry has shown a remarkable adaptability, with each sales peak sailing the previous one,” said Petkar.
The industry is now entering a rapid era era, where changes in real time boost the technological advances that once toks to implement. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are quickly adjusting their strategies to meet market evolution demands. The introduction of zero emission vehicles, partly in the mobility segment of last mile, is an excellent example of this change.
Public transport and last mile supply are gaining impulse, with the OEMs that invest significantly in emerging technologies such as hydrogen, flexible fuels and battery electric vehicles. Petkar emphasized the importance of road safety, noting that vehicle safety remains a higher national priority with high death rates.
The growth of electric vehicles (EV) is particularly promising. The ambitious objective of the government or electrification of the 30% fleet by 2030 has energized the sector. However, P. Ravichandran, vice president or CII (SR) and president of Danfoss Industries Pvt. Ltd., emphasized the need to accelerate this impulse. He pointed out that heavy duty trucks represent only 3% of the fleet and contribute to almost 40% of vehicle emissions. This highlights the urgent need for cleaner fuels, Emarter mobility strategies and more connected solutions.
Ravichandran also requested a holistic approach to decarbonization of mobility, emphasizing that it requires an integrated ecosystem that covers manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure and regulation.
Pradep Kumar Thimaiyan, president of the Commercial Vehicle Summit CII 2025 and President and Director of Technology of Commercial Vehicles of Daimler India, highlighted the growing role of electronics in vehicles, which generate quantities of data. While this provides opportunities, Conerns poses around cyber security and safety, which OEMs must address to ensure that vehicles are used safely.
Thimaiyan also emphasized the critical role of drivers in the economy of India. “The CV industry is the backbone of our economy, and drivers are their vital blood,” he said. “However, driving is no longer seen as an attractive profession, and it is our response to improve the work environment for them.”
Posted on April 25, 2025