Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) recently concluded two events at its manufacturing facility in Bidadi to commemorate International Women's Day 2025 and reinforce its commitment to empowering women and enhancing their representation within the automotive industry.

More than 250 female team members from different shifts and senior executives convened for a special session on 12 March to have meaningful conversations around the topic of ‘Work-Life Balance’. Leading senior female executives from the organisation contributed their insightful experiences and knowledge, helping new professionals better balance their personal and professional obligations. Engaging activities and interactive tests produced a lively environment that encouraged participant camaraderie.

Additionally, the Women's Day festivities reached new heights on 16 March when more than 450 female workers from TKM's manufacturing shifts attended a bigger event that was graced by R Latha (IAS), the Director of the Directorate of Child Protection and the Secretary of the Karnataka State Commission for Women. She inspired the audience by sharing her personal story of how she went from working at State Bank of India to becoming a successful IAS officer. Through performances by gifted female staff members in the forms of singing, dance and Yakshagana, a traditional theatre art from coastal Karnataka, the event also honoured TKM's rich cultural legacy.

The chief guest said, “Empowering women isn't just about opportunities, it's about instilling confidence and inspiring them to set ambitious goals. I’m delighted to see Toyota Kirloskar Motor leading the way in creating an inclusive culture, serving as an exemplary model for the automotive industry. Such initiatives create lasting impacts by not only empowering women professionally but also contributing positively to society at large.”

G Shankara, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We at Toyota Kirloskar Motor cherish and value the contributions of our women workforce. The enthusiastic participation we've witnessed across both events demonstrates our growing strength in gender diversity, inspiring us to further our goal of achieving 30 percent women representation by 2030. With initiatives like female-friendly workplace infrastructure, rehiring policies for women returning after career breaks, remote working opportunities and our progressive sabbatical policy, we remain committed to continuously enhancing our inclusive workplace.”

Chartered Speed, a leading bus service provider in the B2G (Business to Government), B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer) segment in India, has bagged the contract to operate more than 900 electric buses by Convergence Energy Services (CESL).

As part of the contract, Chartered Speed will be responsible to procure, operate and maintain these e-buses under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Scheme across 13 cities in three states in India. This will serve over 290,000 passengers daily and is expected to generate over 2,000 employments.

The contract will see the company operate e-buses for intracity travel across 13 cities, which include – Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, Korba, Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur and Shillong, located in the states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.

Sanyam Gandhi, Whole-Time Director, Chartered Speed, said, "This milestone underscores our commitment to building a greener and efficient transportation network across India. Through our participation in the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Scheme, we are transitioning from a traditional engine vehicle to a cutting-edge fleet of electric buses, revolutionising urban mobility with cleaner, more sustainable solutions. Our goal is to lead the shift toward a low-carbon future, reducing emissions and providing millions of commuters with greener travel options. With this initiative, we aim to help in shaping a cleaner, more connected, and future-ready India."

At present, Chartered Speed operates over 1,800 buses across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Assam. It serves over 350,000 passengers daily and employees over 4,800 people. Going forward, it aims to transition its existing internal combustion engine (ICE) buses to green fuel-powered buses.

Eicher Trucks and Buses, a business unit of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) has commenced deliveries of the Eicher Pro X electric small commercial vehicle (e-SCV) to Magenta Mobility, a leading logistics solutions provider.

Magenta will initially deploy the Eicher Pro X 1.7-tonne payload capacity e-SCV for its operations in key markets such as Mumbai, Delh-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. The logistics company has taken the delivery of the first batch of e-SCVs under a phased initial order of 100 units.

The Eicher Pro X range was unveiled at the recently held Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, which also marked VECV’s entry in the fast growing 2-3.5-tonne e-SCV segment. The e-SCV features air-conditioned cabin, AI/ML-driven remote diagnostics, FOTA-enabled telematics and is backed by Eicher’s Uptime Centre that provides 24x7 monitoring and support. It is targeted for last-mile logistics, e-commerce, FMCG, parcel and courier services industry.

S S Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, "Through this association with Magenta Mobility, we are driving the future of smart logistics with advanced, eco-friendly transportation solutions The Eicher Pro X range is designed to meet the growing demand for high performance, energy-efficient vehicles in the mid-mile and last-mile delivery sectors and aligns with Magenta Mobility’s focus on decarbonising last mile mobility."

Maxson Lewis, Founder & CEO, Magenta Mobility, said, "Partnering with Eicher Trucks and Buses and integrating the Eicher Pro X trucks into our fleet marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to transforming last-mile logistics in India. This collaboration not only strengthens our ability to offer efficient, sustainable, and reliable transportation solutions but also aligns with our vision of delivering high-performance, eco-friendly options for our diverse customer base.” 

At present, Magenta Mobility is said to have a fleet of over 2,600 EVs operating in more than 18 cities.

Tata Motors has announced a price increase of up to two percent across its commercial vehicle range, effective 1 April 2025. The price increase is to offset the rise in input costs and will vary as per the model and variant. 
The earlier price increase announced by the commercial vehicle major was in December 2024. The increase, effective from 1 January 2025, was to the tune of two percent across its trucks and buses portfolio. The reason given was the same, then – to offset the rise in input costs. The price increase, it was announced much like now, would vary as per individual model and variant. 
In February 2025, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle business witnessed a sales decline of seven percent with the sale of 32,533 units. In the same month last fiscal, the company sold 35,085 numbers. 

Montra Electric’s electric small commercial vehicle (E-SCV) division, Tivolt Electric Vehicles, has inaugurated its first dealership in Madhavaram, Chennai. The 3S (sales, service, spares and charging) facility will be operated by its channel partner TVS Mobility Solution.

The new dealership was inaugurated by Saju Nair, CEO, Tivolt Electric vehicles (SCV division of Montra Electric) and Madhu Raghunath, CEO, TVS Vehicle Mobility Solution.

Saju Nair, said, “We are thrilled to open our first dealership in Chennai. At Montra Electric, we are dedicated to driving innovation and sustainability in clean mobility solutions. This new dealership strengthens our commitment to delivering high-performance e-SCVs while bringing us closer to our customers. Our partnership with TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions will enable us to address the evolving needs of our customers with tailored solutions and exceptional service.”

Madhu Raghunath, added, “We are excited to partner with Montra Electric. This new dealership will not only solidify Montra Electric’s position as a leading EV player in the region but also enhance customer accessibility to reliable and efficient e-SCVs. With this partnership, we aim to reach more customers and provide them mobility solutions that cater to their unique transportation needs.”