The Indian Commercial Vehicle Industry in 2020, which started the year with sales continuing to fall from the 2019 level, was then thrown into chaos with the effective closure of the marketplace because of national lockdown measures introduced in March 2020 as an endeavour to stop the spread of the coronavirus, writes Rajesh Khanna, Chief Executive Officer at RACE Innovations Pvt Ltd.

Ashok Leyland Ltd, a subsidiary of the Hinduja Group, has launched two new passenger bus models – a 7m midi-bus, called GAZL and the latest version of the 11m Falcon Super with a Euro IV (EGR-only) engine for the markets of the Middle East.

Olectra Greentech has received an order for 350 eBuzz k9 buses which have been commissioned under the FAME-II scheme of Government of India.

An Indian logistics start-up company, Infraprime Logistics Technologies Pvt Ltd is planning to invest USD200m in converting around 1,000 diesel tractors and trucks to operate with electric drivetrains within the next two years; claiming this will make it the largest electric commercial vehicle operating platform in India.

ABB Power Products and Systems India Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ashok Leyland Ltd to conduct trials of Hitachi ABB’s electric bus flash charging system, the first of which will take place on the University campus at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors Ltd is to acquire the 49% shareholding in Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd, the Indian body building joint venture belonging to Brazilian bus body builder, Marcopolo SA, for a cash sum of USD13.88m.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors Ltd, has delivered 26 Tata Ultra Urban, 9 electric AC 9m buses to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport in Mumbai.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd has launched the ‘BSafe Express’ specialised refrigerated rigid truck range for transporting the Covid-19 vaccine.

Axalta Coating Systems, a provider of liquid and powder coatings, is adding two new products to its high-performance Imron Elite coating solutions line in North America - Imron Elite ColorPLUS and Imron Elite Direct-to-Plastic basecoat.

Ashok Leyland Ltd has renamed its UK subsidiary, Optare Plc, as Switch Mobility.

Fully integral bus builder, JBM Auto Ltd, has received an order for 700, JBM Citylife1 BS VI-compliant, air-conditioned, low-floor CNG buses for New Delhi from the Delhi Transport Corporation under the cluster scheme.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Germany’s Daimler AG, has opened a new Global Capability Centre in Perungudi.