Torsten Schmidt, CEO & Managing Director, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles and President, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Customer Region ISEAA

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has reaffirmed India's strategic value within Daimler Truck after the formation of the ISEAA customer region for the Mercedes-Benz Trucks segment. The company also outlined BharatBenz's next growth phase, driven by product innovation, customer ecosystem expansion and continued investment.

The Mercedes-Benz Trucks segment houses two brands: Mercedes-Benz Trucks and BharatBenz. DICV serves Indian customers under BharatBenz, while the Mercedes-Benz Trucks brand caters to South-East Asia, Australia-Pacific and other markets. Under a new operating model, the segment is divided into Europe, LAMEA, China and ISEAA regions. ISEAA unites previously separate markets under one customer-focused structure.

DICV anchors the ISEAA region, placing India at the centre of a framework spanning India, South-East Asia and Australia-Pacific. This reflects DICV's growing role as a manufacturing, engineering and export hub. Since operations began, DICV has exported over 75,000 trucks and buses and more than 330 million parts to over 70 markets, and supplies medium-duty transmissions from Chennai to Daimler Truck plants in Germany. Covering 42 countries and nearly 2.8 billion people, ISEAA offers substantial long-term growth, with commercial vehicle demand expected to rise over 5 percent annually.

DICV is accelerating BharatBenz's transformation, targeting safer, more productive transport solutions. With India's safety norms evolving, BharatBenz is readying its portfolio with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems calibrated for Indian conditions. Building on HX and Torqshift launches in construction and mining, BharatBenz continues bringing globally proven Daimler Truck technologies to India. Torqshift Automated Manual Transmission, proven worldwide and adapted for Indian duty cycles, improves driver comfort, reduces fatigue and lowers Total Cost of Ownership.

DICV keeps investing in a customer ecosystem maximising uptime and lifecycle value. BharatBenz's TruckConnect digital fleet management solution enables performance monitoring and data-driven insights. The BharatBenz Rakshana programme now services over 98 percent of vehicles within 48 hours. DICV plans to expand its service network from 430 touchpoints to 600 by 2030, focusing on northern, eastern and north-eastern India.

India's expanded role is backed by continued investment in local manufacturing, engineering and technology. These build on DICV's recently announced additional investment of approximately INR 40 billion in Tamil Nadu under a non-binding facilitation MoU with the state government. This takes DICV's cumulative investment in India beyond INR 145 billion. DICV operates with 92percent localisation and is supported by more than 400 local suppliers, strengthening its ability to develop products for Indian and global markets.

Torsten Schmidt, CEO & Managing Director, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles and President Mercedes-Benz Trucks Customer Region ISEAA, said, "India has long been an important market for Daimler Truck and the home of BharatBenz. Through the new ISEAA customer region, we are bringing India, South-East Asia and Australia-Pacific closer together to strengthen collaboration, share capabilities and respond faster to customer needs across these markets. DICV serves as the anchor entity for the region, building on its established strengths in manufacturing, engineering and exports. For our customers in India, BharatBenz remains focused on delivering products and services designed specifically for local operating conditions, while benefiting from the scale, expertise and collaboration of the broader Mercedes-Benz Trucks segment.”

CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH, has inaugurated new premises in Faridabad within the National Capital Region (NCR) to expand its customer support and service infrastructure.

The 6,000 sqft facility features double the parts storage capacity of the previous setup, a workshop capable of servicing 10 to 12 machines simultaneously and a dedicated equipment display area showcasing four CASE machine models.

The facility will serve customers across northern India, supporting parts availability and machine maintenance operations. During the inauguration event, which was attended by approximately 40 customers, the company completed two machine handovers and three parts invoicing transactions.

CASE has maintained operations in Faridabad since 2018, when it opened its first company-owned, company-operated showroom in India in the city.

Ravindra Ashtekar, Head of Network Development, CASE Construction Equipment, said, "NCR is an important market for construction equipment, with demand shaped by ongoing infrastructure development and a diverse range of customer requirements. Strengthening our presence in the region is therefore an important part of our efforts to remain accessible to customers and provide dependable support. The new premises bring together enhanced parts storage, workshop capacity and a dedicated machine display area, enabling us to further strengthen our service capabilities and customer engagement."

JBM Electric Vehicles has launched its all-electric city bus, the ECOLIFE e12, at Singapore Urban Mobility Week 2026. The vehicle was unveiled by Dr Shilpak Ambule, High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Singapore, alongside Nishant Arya, Chairman of JBM Electric Vehicles. The launch marks the first introduction of an electric bus in Singapore by an Indian manufacturer.

The ECOLIFE e12 features an aluminium monocoque body structure and incorporates an Intelligent Transport System compliant with Singapore regulatory standards. The vehicle is equipped with telematics for vehicle health monitoring, an Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS), forward collision warning systems, lane departure warnings, pedestrian and cyclist collision detection, blind-spot monitoring, driver drowsiness detection, a 360-degree camera and a fire detection and suppression system.

To support its regional operations, JBM Electric Vehicles has established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore to handle sales, marketing, aftersales and operational activities. The company maintains an annual production capacity of 20,000 buses at its manufacturing facility in India and holds an order book of 10,000 electric buses for global deployment over the next two years.

Nishant Arya, Chairman of JBM Electric Vehicles, said, "Our mission is to decarbonize public transport by creating new and sustainable global benchmarks. At JBM EV, we believe that the future of green mobility lies in creating vehicles that seamlessly blend innovation, sustainability and user-centric design. Our electric mobility solutions are not just about reducing carbon footprints, they are about elevating the quality of life for individuals and communities by making transportation smarter, safer, and more accessible. We believe in the power of partnerships and collaboration to continuously improve, listening to the needs of our customers to develop solutions to address their pain points. We constantly evolve to provide new ideas and solutions in the e-mobility world. We invest to better support our customers by thinking global and acting local in meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow."

Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) has partnered with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles to launch a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed at training and certifying 240 Heavy Commercial Vehicle drivers across Assam, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

The programme focuses on expanding the pool of commercial vehicle drivers, improving road safety standards, and providing employment opportunities for candidates.

Under the implementation agreement, 60 candidates in each of the four states will participate in a residential training programme featuring classroom instruction, practical driving and simulator learning.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles is providing training, residential facilities, meals, licensing support, assessments, certification, insurance and impact studies. ASDC will oversee industry linkages and placement support for certified drivers, alongside conducting three months of post-placement follow-up to track employment retention rates.

Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson, ASDC, said, "Skilled commercial vehicle drivers are essential to India’s logistics network and economic growth. Skilling for road safety must be an integral part of their preparation, equipping drivers with defensive driving techniques, an understanding of traffic rules and the ability to handle heavy vehicles responsibly. Through this partnership with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, we aim to prepare 240 young people for professional driving careers by combining practical training, recognised certification and employment assistance. Our goal is to create livelihood opportunities while developing competent, safety-conscious drivers who contribute to safer roads for everyone."

Torsten Schmidt, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, "At DICV, we believe drivers are the backbone of India's economy, keeping goods moving and communities connected across the country. As the transport sector evolves, professionally trained, safety-conscious drivers are more important than ever. Through this initiative with ASDC, we are investing in skills that not only improve employability but also foster a culture of responsible driving and road safety. By equipping aspiring drivers with the right knowledge, practical expertise and a safety mindset, we are helping build a stronger logistics ecosystem while contributing to safer roads and a more resilient nation."

John Deere India has sold over 100,000 tractors in India within a single Deere fiscal year, marking an operational milestone in its domestic business.

The achievement reflects the expansion of farm mechanisation across Indian agriculture and the adoption of the company's equipment across varied agro-climatic conditions and crop applications.

In addition to serving domestic requirements, John Deere's Indian operations act as an export hub, supplying tractors and machinery from India to over 110 countries. The company has maintained an operational presence in India for more than 28 years, supported by tractor manufacturing facilities in Pune and Dewas, engineering and enterprise technology centres in Pune, IT hubs in Pune and Bengaluru, parts distribution centres in Nagpur and Indore, and financial services operations in Pune.

Rajesh Sinha, Managing Director and Country Manager of John Deere India, and Strategic Advisor to the President, Construction & Forestry Worldwide, said, "Selling more than 100,000 tractors in a year is not just a business milestone; it is a reflection of the confidence that Indian farmers and channel partners place in John Deere. We remain committed to supporting farmers with reliable equipment, advanced technology and solutions that help improve productivity, profitability and sustainability."