DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, inaugurated Prawaas 4.0, which is being held at the BIEC Exhibition Grounds, Bengaluru. The event organised by the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) between 29 August and 31 August 2024 is a premier multimodal transport event where bus and cab manufacturers, dealers, and private cab and bus operator come together to showcase their offerings in terms of products and services. 

Commercial vehicle manufacturers make it to the event to showcase their new developments in terms of technologies, gadgets and vehicles. Supported by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Government of India), the exhibition is supported by six local host associations including the Karnataka State Tourism Private Transport Owner’s Association, Karnataka State Travel Operator’s Association, Karnataka Tourist Motor Cab Maxi Cab Owners Welfare Association (KTOA), Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association (BTTOA), Karnataka State Tourist Bus Operators Association and Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Federation. 

Encouraging the entire operators’ fraternity, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, mentioned, “I am honored to be part of Prawaas 4.0, a significant event organized by the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India. I extend my gratitude to the organizers of this flagship show focused on the future of public transport, technologies, and services.”

“Transportation is crucial for economic growth, providing essential mobility for people and goods. Buses, in particular, play a vital role in India’s public transport system. However, with 93% of buses currently running on diesel, we must shift to greener fuel options like ethanol, methanol, biogas, CNG, LNG, electric, and green hydrogen. This transition is not only necessary for economic viability but also for reducing pollution and making our public transport system sustainable,” he added. 

In his inaugural speech, DK Shivakumar, said, "We acknowledge the vital role of the transport industry, serving 92 percent of the common man and providing significant employment opportunities. Your resilience, especially during challenging times like COVID-19, reflects your dedication to the nation. The Government of Karnataka is committed to supporting you; let's join hands, think, and work together to find solutions. Progress begins with unity, and success follows when we collaborate. Joining together is the beginning, thinking together is the progress and working together is success."

The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of Ojing Tasing, Minister for Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Co-operation and Transport, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; Yoonus Khan, Former Transport Minister, Government of Rajasthan; Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors, and S. S. Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd. 

To be visited by state’s ministers, union and state government authorities in addition to the representatives of various transport departments, the three-day event is hosting 5000 registered operators. Larger delegation from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal will be visiting the show. A significant number of visitors will come from Madhya Pradesh. From the North Eastern region of the country, a special delegation of over 80 members will visit the show. 

With a diverse lineup of events, including BOCI Day, an extensive exhibition, a conference, an awards function, leadership talks and panel discussions featuring industry leaders from across the country, Prawaas 4.0 is witness to a new initiative, BOCI Yuwa. This initiative is aimed at engaging and empowering the younger generation in the respective sector to achieve greater success.

This year’s Conference with over 100 experts addressing Multimodal transportation, PPP model, School buses, Tourism, Electric vehicles (EVs), Insurance, and Car industry will be attended by over 1500 industry representatives. 

The auto companies as top exhibitors include Tata Motors, Volvo Eicher, RedBus, Veera, Abhibus, Prakash, Nippon Paint, JBM Group, Eka Mobility, Repos Energy, Ashok Leyland, Eberspächer, Bosch, Trans ACNR, Spheros Motherson, Futureautotech-Global Ventures, Audi, BMW Deutsche Motoren, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Renault, Maruti Suzuki and others. 

Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of Hinduja Group and the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Bank to provide finance facilities for its M&HCV dealers.

Through the cooperation, Ashok Leyland's M&HCV dealers will have easier access to finance solutions, enabling them to improve company operations and effectively manage their working capital. Dealers may grow their operations with ease thanks to Indian Bank's customised financing alternatives, which offer better liquidity, quicker loan approvals and competitive interest rates. This partnership underscores Ashok Leyland's dedication to empowering its dealer network and promoting sustainable growth in the commercial vehicle sector by guaranteeing increased financial flexibility.

C Neelakantan, Head of Treasury and Direct Taxation at Ashok Leyland, and Saurabh Dalmia, Head of Cash Management at Indian Bank, signed the MoU in the presence of Madhavi Deshmukh, National Sales Head of MHCV at Ashok Leyland, Ashutosh Choudhury, Executive Director, Roopali Singh, DGM-CMS Vertical, and Munash Dalal, AGM-CMS Vertical, who were representatives from Indian Bank.

Balaji K M, CFO, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland is delighted to partner with Indian Bank to offer customised finance solutions to our valued M&HCV dealers. With Indian Bank’s expansive network of 5,880 branches across India, we can cater to our dealers in every region. This strategic partnership will strengthen Ashok Leyland's market position. We remain committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our customers.”

Madhavi Deshmukh, National Sales Head – MHCV, Ashok Leyland, said, “The strategic collaboration with Indian Bank will deliver exceptional financing solutions to our valued dealers, extending our market reach and reinforcing our commitment to innovation and partner success. This partnership will provide tailored financing solutions designed to meet the unique requirements of our dealers. We remain dedicated to fostering long-lasting relationship with our dealer network.”

Ashutosh Choudhury, Executive Director, Indian Bank, said, “Indian Bank is pleased to partner with Ashok Leyland to provide their dealers seamless and tailored financing solutions. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to supporting the diverse financial requirements of businesses in the commercial vehicle sector. With Indian Bank’s best-in-class processes, we are confident that more dealers will benefit from this partnership, enabling them to scale their operations and drive business growth.”

Ashok Leyland, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, has inaugurated its 22nd Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) dealership in Uttar Pradesh. The new 3S facility located in Chunar, Mirzapur will further strengthen the company’s presence in North India.

The company’s LCV portfolio includes Saathi, Dost, Bada Dost, Partner and MiTR targeted for a wide range of customers and applications.

Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland, said, “Recognising immense potential of Uttar Pradesh as a key market for us, we are thrilled to strengthen our presence in the region. Our new dealership in Chunar (Mirzapur) would go a long way in reinforcing our presence in the state. The phenomenal success of our ‘Dost’, ‘Bada Dost,’ and the new ‘Saathi’ range underscores the robustness of our products - thanks to their best-in-class mileage, superior performance, and higher payloads. We take immense pride in our exceptional service retention levels, with nearly 70% of our customers returning to our dealer workshops even beyond the warranty period. This new dealership marks yet another milestone in our journey to provide the best possible experience to our valued customers.”

Ashok Leyland, one of the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nagaland Rural Bank for a strategic vehicle financing partnership. The partnership will see Ashok Leyland get access to customised financial solutions from Nagaland Rural Bank.

The MoU was signed by C Neelakantan, Head -Treasury and Direct Taxation, Ashok Leyland and Velayutham Sadhasivam, Chairman, Nagaland Rural Bank.

Balaji K M, CFO, Ashok Leyland, said, “At Ashok Leyland, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing customer experience and delivering greater value in our products and services. Nagaland Rural Bank is a regional rural bank with a strong presence in the state. With this partnership in place, our customers in the region will have access to comprehensive financing solutions with specially curated easy repayment plans”.

Sanjeev Kumar, President – MHCV, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland is looking forward to collaborating with Nagaland Rural Bank to offer our customers highly attractive financing solutions. This strategic partnership not only strengthens our market presence but also reinforces our commitment to innovation and customer success. With cutting-edge technology and industry-leading total cost of ownership, our products are designed to drive profitability and value for our customers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver exceptional customer experience and build long lasting relationships.”

Velayutham Sadhasivam added, “Nagaland Rural Bank is delighted to collaborate with Ashok Leyland to provide seamless vehicle financing solutions. This partnership underscores our commitment to meeting the diverse financial needs of commercial vehicle customers across the state. We are confident that this alliance will help us expand our reach and offer customized financing options, fostering the growth of businesses in the commercial vehicle sector.”

Eicher Trucks & Buses, a business unit of VE Commercial Vehicles, has announced that it successfully hosted the second Woman Transporters Delegation at its Bhopal plant.

The event saw women leaders in the transport industry exchange ideas, share insights and explore new business opportunities. The discussion revolved around a wide range of topics such as digitisation, alternative fuels and intelligent mobility solutions that provide challenges and opportunities.

The women leaders were given an exclusive tour of Eicher’s Bhopal plant, an interactive session with VECV Executive Management and test drive experience.

Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, said, “At Eicher Trucks and Buses, we firmly believe that inclusivity and diversity strengthen businesses and drives growth. Technology and digital solutions are transforming the industry, making businesses smarter and more efficient. While we are taking steps to improve diversity and inclusion internally through initiatives like an all-woman assembly line in Bhopal, we thank you for working with us to foster innovative approaches in the commercial vehicle industry."

Bhagwan K Bindiganavile, EVP, Strategic Planning, Brand & Communications, VECV, added, “The Indian CV industry is transforming rapidly, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Seven Cs for mobility solutions: Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean and Cutting-edge. We appreciated the women leaders focus on balancing the new technologies making logistics more efficient with a people-first approach.”

SS Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VECV; B Srinivas, COO, Eicher Trucks and Buses; Ramesh Rajagopalan, EVP, Customer Service, Retail Excellence and Network Development and Vimal Mulchandani, EVP- Manufacturing Operation, Eicher Trucks & Buses & Volvo Buses also engaged with the women transporters delegation.