Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and manufacturer of BharatBenz trucks and buses, has inked a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu at the Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave.

As per the understanding, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles plans to invest INR 40 billion to further strengthen its business in India. Once finalised, the total investment by DICV in the country will exceed INR 145 billion and create an additional 400 jobs, since it started operations in 2012.

Till date, the company has sold over 220,000 trucks and buses in the country, which find applications across freight movement, construction, mining, logistics and passenger mobility.

The company's primary manufacturing and R&D footprint consists of a 400-acre plant in Oragadam near Chennai, employing over 4,000 staff and utilising a network of more than 400 local suppliers that account for 92 percent of product value localisation. The brand's nationwide distribution and service setup comprises over 420 dealer touchpoints, complemented by a Parts Logistics Centre in Pune.

In addition to serving domestic requirements, DICV functions as an export hub within Daimler Truck's international network. The Chennai facility has exported over 75,000 commercial vehicles and 330 million parts to more than 70 markets, alongside supplying transmissions to Daimler Truck manufacturing locations in Germany.

Torsten Schmidt, Managing Director & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, "BharatBenz was built for India, and this investment reflects our confidence in the next phase of the country’s commercial vehicle growth. As infrastructure, logistics, mining, construction and passenger mobility continue to expand, Indian customers need trucks and buses that deliver higher uptime, safety, reliability and operating efficiency. Through BharatBenz, we are strengthening products, localization, service readiness and parts availability for India, while also reinforcing the country’s role as an important manufacturing and supply base within Daimler Truck’s global network."

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Ashok Leyland, the commercial vehicle manufacturer and flagship company of the Hinduja Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Drivn, a financing and leasing provider for electric commercial vehicles. The agreement aims to offer financial solutions to customers purchasing Ashok Leyland electric vehicles.

The agreement was signed by Niruban M, Head of Alternate Energy at Ashok Leyland and Alpna Jain, CBO and Co-Founder of Drivn.

As per the understanding, Drivn will supply end-to-end financial solutions, including financing, leasing, and fleet ownership structures. The initiative seeks to lower initial capital expenditure for buyers and support the adoption of electric commercial vehicles across business sectors.

Sudip Dhali, Head of Marketing at Ashok Leyland, stated: “Ashok Leyland is delighted to partner with Drivn to offer attractive and accessible financing solutions to our EV customers. This strategic partnership will further strengthen our market presence by making our innovative range of electric commercial vehicles more accessible to businesses across the country. Backed by cutting-edge technology and delivering an industry-leading total cost of ownership, our products are designed to maximize customer profitability. We remain committed to providing best-in-class mobility solutions and an exceptional ownership experience for our customers.”

Alpna Jain added, “We are pleased to partner with Ashok Leyland to offer seamless electric vehicle financing solutions. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to supporting businesses with accessible, tailored financial solutions that simplify vehicle ownership and enable growth. We aim to make electric commercial vehicle ownership simpler, more accessible, and more rewarding for our customers.”

Ashok Leyland continues to expand its portfolio of electric trucks and buses, targeting zero-emission commercial mobility within the Indian market.

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TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions (TVS VMS) has entered into electric commercial trucking through a partnership with Montra Electric, deploying a fleet of Montra Electric Rhino heavy commercial vehicles into freight operations.

As part of the initial phase, TVS VMS flagged off 57 Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT trucks in Manesar. The electric heavy commercial vehicles will operate on a primary freight route covering a 190-kilometre distance in Chhattisgarh, supported by three charging stations along the corridor. The partners are targeting to expand the deployment to more than 300 electric trucks in FY2026–27.

Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, said, "For a partner like TVS VMS, with seven decades of experience to put our electric trucks into live freight operations is exactly the validation India's logistics industry needed. This is proof that our technology is ready for commercial scale. It also reflects the depth of what we've built at Montra Electric with products engineered to address the specific operational needs of this market. Our team worked with TVS VMS to plan the operations, set up charging around their exact routes, and our telematics platform keeps optimising performance as the fleet runs. That's the difference between a truck that works on paper and a fleet that works on the road."

Navneet Sethi, CEO, Montra Electric (eM&HCV Division), said, "For years, industries built around heavy, continuous haulage, steel being a prime example, have questioned whether electric HCVs can genuinely stand up to sustained heavy-load freight, and that scepticism has shaped how slowly this sector has moved toward electrification. TVS VMS putting our Rhino trucks into live operations answers that question decisively, for us and for every heavy-load industry watching closely. This is a company with over seven decades of running conventional trucking now choosing to enter electric trucking for the first time, and choosing us to do it is validation that our platform can handle the demands of commercial-scale freight. For Montra Electric, this is a marker of how electric heavy trucking moves from possibility to standard practice in India, and we intend to lead that shift at national scale."

Madhu Raghunath, CEO, TVS VMS, said, "This strategic partnership marks a decisive step in advancing India's green logistics infrastructure. TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions is proud to power this transition through our full-suite, end-to-end lifecycle management platform—integrating vehicle leasing, driver operations, maintenance, insurance, charging ecosystem, and connected telematics to make zero-emission fleet operations effortless and commercially viable."

Manufactured at the Montra Electric facility in Manesar, the Rhino 5538 EV tractor-trailer features a 55-tonne gross combination weight capacity. It incorporates a 282 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery paired with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 280 kW peak power and 2,000 Nm torque. The vehicle offers a range of up to 198 km per charge under loaded and empty cycle conditions, and is available in fixed-battery fast-charging and battery-swapping configurations.

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Automotive and aerospace component manufacturer Belrise Industries has announced the acquisition of the Tipper Body Business of Hyva India, a subsidiary of JOST Werke.

The transaction carries a total purchase consideration of approximately USD 5.65 million, representing an Enterprise Value to EBITDA multiple of approximately 3.60x.

Hyva India manufactures tipping solutions used across construction, mining, defence and infrastructure sectors, supplying the top five commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers in India. The business reported EBITDA of approximately USD 1.57 million for calendar year 2025, alongside a return on average capital employed of around 20 percent.

Through the acquisition, Belrise expands its manufacturing footprint by adding three production plants located in Pune, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru. The deal also incorporates a European commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturer into Belrise's client portfolio as part of its positioning as a Tier-0.5 supplier.

Swastid Badve, General Manager, Belrise Industries, said, “We are pleased to welcome Hyva India’s Tipper Body Business into the Belrise family. This acquisition is a strong strategic fit and complements our manufacturing and engineering strengths. It enhances our position in the commercial vehicle value chain and supports our vision of becoming a diversified, global mobility solutions provider. Belrise remains committed to ensuring a seamless transition for customers, employees, suppliers, and business partners, while investing in the future growth and development of the business.”

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Logistics company Flytta Green has introduced a fleet of heavy-duty electric trucks for Dalmia Cement's clinker transportation operations in Assam. The deployment is being executed in partnership with Drivn, which is providing financing and leasing options for the vehicles.

The initiative follows Flytta Green's introduction of retrofitted electric trucks for Dalmia Cement in October 2025. The company's strategy focuses on deploying new electric trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 55-tonnes and above, alongside developing charging infrastructure and exploring solar power integration for fleet operations.

The initial delivery of 15 trucks, manufactured by Montra Electric, was completed last week. An additional 45 vehicles are scheduled for delivery during August and September.

Flytta Green has received expressions of interest for approximately 1,000 heavy-duty electric trucks, with planned deployments spanning the next 18 months across the cement, mining and metals sectors. The initiative is being managed by Ashwin Dichpally, Chief Operating Officer of Flytta Green.

In collaboration with Drivn, Flytta Green plans to deploy 200 trucks during the current financial year, with financing for subsequent vehicles to be funded by international investors. Deployment operations will prioritise the North-East, East and South-East regions of India.

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