The company says the recruitment drive “is necessary to support the growing demand for its products and services.”

The point of the programme is to reduce CO₂ emissions from public transport, lower operator costs in the long term, and stimulate the domestic and European market for zero-emission commercial vehicles.

This is in line with a state mandate: “all new school bus purchases must be zero-emission by 2027, and by 2035, every bus on the road must be electric”.

The new generation will support the vehicle’s safety functions, namely its blind spot and moving-off information systems, which are required in commercial vehicles subject to the EU General Safety Regulation.

India’s domestic sales of buses (GVW 7.5 tons and above) registered a modest increase of 6.6% in Q1 FY2025-26, rising to 18,137 units from 17,009 units in the same quarter of FY2024-25.

Sales of light-duty buses and coaches (GVW ≤ 7.5t) grew by 8.8%, reaching 16,949 units in Q1 FY2025-26, compared with 15,571 units in Q1 FY2024-25.

The British bus and coach market grew for a ninth consecutive quarter in Q2 2025, growing by 62.5% to 2,968 registrations, according to statistics published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In Truck & Bus Builder’s “Global Truck Report 2007”, published just before the financial crisis and “great recession” of 2008, we claimed that “across the developed markets, the demand for trucks can often be seen as a leading indicator to inflexions in the overall economic cycle.” Whether or not the truck industry can really be taken as a bellwether of the global economy, the truck wheel, a commodity that exhibits inelastic demand – no commercial vehicle can run without wheels – is undoubtedly a reliable indicator of market trends within the industry. “Usually, when we see shifts – positive or negative – on the truck side, they serve as an early indicator of what’s to come in the market,” said Giorgio Mariani, chief commercial officer at Maxion Wheels and vice president of global purchasing at parent company Iochpe-Maxion. “A good example is when, immediately post-COVID, it was the truck segment which began the industry recovery.”

In her new role, Hogan will take responsibility for all commercial operations, including the company’s truck dealerships.

At Phoenix Motor, Walsh will take responsibility for the EV brand’s business strategy and execution in the American market.

Reynolds is reportedly splitting his time between the main facility in Northern Ireland and the new retrofit location in Bicester.

The 5-day programme had representatives from across the Asia Pacific region.