The highly anticipated 8th edition of the Commercial Vehicle Forum (CVF) successfully took place on 4th June 2024 at the J.W Marriott, Pune bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore and shape the future of the Indian Commercial Vehicle, Off Highway and Road Transport Sector.

The forum was honored to have Mr Satyakam Arya, MD & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, as the Chairman of the event. His presence added immense value to the discussions on CV and Road Transport industry growth and development of the sector.

Dr. T. Surya Kiran, Executive Director, ASRTU, was the Chief Guest, bringing his extensive expertise and leadership to the forum.

With a diverse array of 60+ speakers, 500 attendees, and 30+ exhibitors, the 8th edition of CVF provided a platform for knowledge sharing, insightful conversations, and fruitful networking opportunities. Participants gained valuable insights into the current state of the commercial vehicle and off highway industry, emerging trends, and the path forward for sustainable and efficient road transport and off highway industry growth in India.

Post lunch, CVF featured two conference tracks running in parallel. Participants could attend sessions that best matched their interests. The session topics were chosen through a crowd sourced agenda which witnessed hundreds of contributors from the industry sharing their viewpoints and insights.

Throughout the event, prominent speakers, thought leaders, and industry experts delivered compelling presentations, engaged in panel discussions, and participated in interactive sessions. Key topics included the Future of CV & Road Transport Industry, Off-Highway Equipment Market Trends, Digital Transformation, EV & Alternative Fuel Trends, Regulatory Updates, and there was also a special session on Women Shaping the Future of Logistics, CV & Off Highway Industry.

In this edition, team CVF also introduced the CV Tech Synergy Initiative, powered by Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI)!

As part of this initiative, over the past few months, they invited the CV community to suggest as to how ECU Software Architecture for Software Defined Vehicles can be made flexible, scalable, and affordable. After meticulous evaluation, the top 3 ideas were invited to compete
in a 15 Minutes-to-Win challenge on the CVF stage.

These innovators showcased their brilliance on the CVF stage, impressing OEMs, End Users, Suppliers, and wowed the judges thereby adding to the buzz and renown of the show. With the winners winning INR 4 Lakhs as cash prize.

The success of the 8th edition of CVF can be attributed to the above mentioned initiative and the active participation and contributions of all attendees and speakers, who collectively advanced the dialogue on transforming the Indian commercial vehicle and off highway sector.

Notable speakers at the event included Prasanna Patwardhan , Chairperson & Managing Director, Prasanna Purple Mobility Solutions, Mr. Malind Kapur, Executive Vice President & Business Head - Spare Parts, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, Ms. Reema Kothari, Director of Reema Transport Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Sukumar Kameswaran, CEO, TVS Supply Chain Solutions India, Mr. Surya Khurana, Managing Director, FlixBus India, Zoeb Karampurwala, Chief Product Officer, EKA Mobility, Sharwan Agnihotri, Head- Mining & International Business, Hyundai Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd, Mr. Puneet Kumar Vidyarthi, Head Marketing & Business Development - India & SAR at Case New Holland Construction
Equipment, G S Grewal, Managing Director, Kubota Agricultural Machinery India Private Limited, Dr Lokesh Agrawal, CTO, NBC Bearings, Mr. Anurag Naidu, Group Manager - Vehicle Technology, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, Mr. Aniruddha Kulkarni, Vice President and Head of Engineering, Tata Motors, Ms. Harinder Pal Kaur, Head of Logistics at Northern Cargo Service, JIS Group, Mr. Uday Narang, Chairman of Anglian Omega Group and Omega Seiki Mobility, Mr. Makrand Lad, Assistant General Manager -Powertrain Engineering, Volvo Group India Private Limited, Ms. Yogita Raghuvanshi, Owner of Rajhans Transport Company & Female Truck Driver, Ms. Ishani Pandit, Manager, John Deere Pvt Ltd, Mr. Bal Malkit Singh, Former President & Chairman - Core Committee, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), Mr. Abhijeet Sinha, National Program Director - Ease Of Doing Business and many more.

The Commercial Vehicle Forum continues to serve as a crucial platform for industry players to collaborate, exchange ideas, and find synergies that will shape the future of the Commercial Vehicle and Off Highway sector.

Our Chief Guest Mr. Satyakam Arya, MD & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, in his speech emphasized India's pivotal role in the global commercial vehicle industry, with projections indicating it will become the 3rd largest economy by 2027 and invest $1.6 trillion in infrastructure by 2030. With critical discussions at the forum also centered on the National Logistics Policy, which aims to reduce logistics costs from 13-14% of GDP to 8% by 2030.

He also mentioned that CV and Road Transport industry is undergoing significant transformation driven by advancements in technology and a focus on sustainability, including the electrification of vehicles, with the rise of electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks aimed at reducing emissions and operational costs. He also spoke about Autonomous and connected vehicle technologies that are enhancing safety and efficiency with ac cabins, while touching upon telematics and IoT integration that provides real-time data for optimized fleet management.

At CVF 2024, several key numbers and ideas emerged, shaping the narrative of the industry's trajectory. Among them, the emphasis on digital infrastructure, with digital transactions set to rise to 20% by 2024, showcased India's leadership in the digital economy. Panels examined
the intersection of regulatory compliance, sustainability, and digital transformation, offering insights into the industry's evolution.

Additionally, the target of achieving 50% power generation from renewables by 2030, backed by policies like FAME, PLI, and the National Hydrogen Mission, underscored the industry's commitment to sustainability.

Furthermore, the Women in Logistics panel celebrated the contributions of women in traditionally male-dominated sectors, reflecting the industry's strides towards inclusivity and diversity.

In the noteworthy first panel discussion on "Future of Commercial Vehicle & Road Transport: Emerging Trends and Market Dynamics," moderated by Mr. Jinal Shah, Founder and CEO of Expandus Consulting, industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers explored the evolving landscape of the commercial vehicle and road transport sector. The discussion highlighted key trends such as the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles, advancements in telematics and connectivity, and the integration of artificial intelligence for enhanced logistics efficiency. The panel noted that increasing environmental regulations, shifting consumer preferences towards sustainable practices, and the rise of e-commerce are reshaping market dynamics, promising to enhance operational efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and redefine the competitive landscape of the industry.

Another panel of note on Off Highway Equipment Market Trends, moderated by Ms. Kinjal Shah, Vice President and Co-Group Head, ICRA Limited, highlighted the crucial role towards a more sustainable off highway vehicle which are generally known for their high fuel consumption, emissions and noise levels. Due to this reason, there is an increasing need to revolutionise such vehicles to reduce their environmental impact and operational costs.

And when one talks about evolution - automation, digitisation and sustainability are the key words. The industry experts on the panel agreed that the synergy between technological innovation, supportive government policies and market demand will shape a more efficient, sustainable off-highway vehicle sector over the next decade.

The next edition of the Commercial Vehicle Forum will be held in May 2025 in Pune. Based on the phenomenal response received for the most recent edition, the organizers expect a gathering of over 700 delegates, 70+ speakers, and over 50 partners.

The organisers of CVF appreciated the support of all their partners who made this huge gathering possible. And took time at the conclusion of the event to thank their Gold partners-Lightmetrics, TATA Communications, their Silver Partners: TATA Motors Commercial Vehicles, Streamax, Lubrizol. their Knowledge Partner: Expandus Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Lubricant Solutions Partner: Nandan Petrochem Limited

And also their Exhibiting & Other Partners: ZF Group, Vinni Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Belmaks, , ORSCHELN INDIA, Edscha Trailer Systems, Primaeam Solutions Private Limited, MB Pneumatyka, NBC Bearings, Intangles, SPAL Automotive Technology India Pvt. Ltd, MICHELIN, BOSCH Power Tools, AXES Track, Acros, Arya Omnitalk, Continental, Tropicool, HTL Ltd, Aditi Tracking, JK Udyog, Sure Group.

The organisers extended a huge thank you to their Media partners and Association partners. Since their support & coverage helped make the event a grand success. This included their official magazine partner - Motorindia. And their Media & Association partners such as ARAI, ECMA, TransIndia, , Automotive Technology, Motor, Ecargo-log , NBM&CW, Agri-Mech, Cargo-Insights, Logistics insider.in, India Transport & Logistics News, Cargoconnect, Construction Mirror, Ease of Doing Business, NHforEV, CPOS of India.

For more information regarding the event, visit https://cvforum.in/ or contact the Portfolio Director of Commercial Vehicle Forum, Rohit Dewan, at +91-9811152332 or email him at [email protected].

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