As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India’s transportation sector plays a significant role in facilitating trade and commerce across the nation. In this blog, we’ll showcase the leading and top truck manufacturers that have earned acclaim position for their exceptional engineering, innovation, and dedication to quality.
These truck companies have developed India’s logistics industry by producing robust, reliable, and technologically advanced trucks that cater to serve industries and ensure the efficient movement of goods.
Table of Contents
Here is a list of the top 10 truck manufacturers in India, based on various factors such as exceptional engineering, innovation, dedication and quality:
1. Tata Motors
First and the most popular company in this list is Tata motors. Tata motors limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company that manufactures trucks, passenger cars, vans, coaches, buses, sports cars, construction equipment, and military vehicles. It was founded in 1945 by Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (J.R.D Tata) and headquartered in Mumbai.
Tata motors consist of the best trucks for a transportation system, they are in number one position of the top truck company in India. It is the 4th largest manufacturer of trucks worldwide and has around 42 billion dollar turnover.
Tata motors have some branches that are Land Rover, Tata Hispano, Jaguar, and TDCV. It has the most powerful and reliable products range like Tata Sigma, Tata Prima, Tata LPT 3118, Tipper Truck, etc. Tata Sigma range offers an advanced emission control system, and Tata prima range is the world-class truck for Indian transporters. Tata truck price in India is reasonable and not a burden on the customer’s pocket.
Popular models include Tata Prima (heavy-duty, starts at ₹50 Lakhs) and LPT series (light & medium-duty, starts at ₹15 Lakhs).
2. Ashok Leyland Limited
Ashok Leyland is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturer, with their headquarters in Chennai. It is owned by the Hinduja Group. It was founded in 1948 as Ashok Motors which became Ashok Leyland in the year 1955. Ashok Leyland is the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India, the third largest manufacturer of buses in the world, and the tenth largest manufacturer of trucks.
Ashok Leyland is an automobile manufacturing company that organizes its business into two segments: commercial vehicles and financial services. It manufactures medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, including buses, tractors, dumpsters, haulage trucks, fire engines, and defense sector vehicles. The company also produces industrial and marine engines, ferrous castings, and spare parts for automobiles.
Popular models include Dost (light-duty, starts at ₹7 Lakhs) and the AVTR range (modular trucks, varying prices).
3. VE Commercial Vehicles Limited
Eicher Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive company that manufactures motorcyles and commercial vehicles, headquartered in New Delhi. Eicher is the parent company of Royal Enfield, a manufacturer of middleweight motorcycles.
VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV) is a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors Limited. In operation since July 2008, VECV is multi-brand, multi-division company consisting a complete range of Eicher Trucks and Buses, Volvo Buses, exclusive distribution of Volvo Trucks in India, engine manufacturing and export hub for Volvo Group, non-automotive engines and Eicher component business.
VECV is also constantly introducing innovative technologies & services, through 9 manufacturing facilities spread across India, supported by a strong dealership network of over 800+ outlets. The company is exporting to over 34 countries and is being recognized as an industry leader in driving modernization in commercial transportation in India and also around the globe.
4. Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing corporation headquartered in Mumbai. It was established in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed and later renamed as Mahindra & Mahindra. Part of the Mahindra Group, M&M is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers by production in India.
Its unit Mahindra Tractors is the largest manufacturer of tractors in the world by volume. It was ranked 17th on a list of top companies in India by Fortune India 500 in 2018. Its major competitors in the Indian market include Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors. Popular models include:
- Blazo series: Covers MDTs and HDTs, known for their robust build and fuel efficiency (prices start around ₹25 Lakhs).
- Bolero series: Popular LCV option, known for its affordability and maneuverability (prices start around ₹8 Lakhs).
What Mahindra & Mahindra Limited do?
They bring together diverse, future-facing industries and communities to co-create a positive world, where one enables the other to Rise.
5. Piaggio India
Founded in 1999, Piaggio India, the name synonymous with iconic Vespa and Aprilia scooters, holds a surprising position in the Indian market. While they dominate the three-wheeler segment with the ubiquitous Ape, Piaggio also offers a niche range of small trucks.
These compact trucks, unlike their widely known scooters or Apes, cater to specific needs. Their small size and agility make them ideal for navigating congested urban areas and narrow streets, facilitating efficient intra-city transportation and last-mile delivery.
Their best-selling truck, the Ape Xtra LDX, starts at an affordable price of ₹2.45 lakh, making it an accessible option for many businesses. Despite not being major players in the broader Indian truck market, Piaggio’s trucks offer a valuable solution for specific needs, leveraging their established presence and expertise in the market.
6. Scania Commercial Vehicle India Pvt Ltd
Scania India, a subsidiary of the Swedish giant Scania AB, brings premium muscle to India’s heavy-duty truck segment. Established in 2011, they’ve carved a niche by offering trucks specifically designed for the Indian market, from handling long-haul transportation efficiently to tackling challenging construction sites.
Their state-of-the-art facility near Bangalore churns out robust and reliable trucks, like the popular Scania R500 starting at ₹64 lakh, known for their fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
But Scania goes beyond just trucks, offering a comprehensive package including financing solutions, after-sales support, and driver training programs to ensure peak performance and maximize efficiency.
7. Force Motors
In 1958, N. K. Firodia and Abhay Firodia founded Force Motors Company. It is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, based in Pune, India. From 1958 until 2005, the company was known as Bajaj Tempo Motors because it originated as a joint venture between Bachraj Trading Ltd and Germany’s Tempo.
They produced light commercial vehicles, Tempo, Traveller, Minidor, and Matador, famous for these products. Traveller Shaktiman is a small commercial truck and creates a vast range of vehicles.
The company is known for brands like the Tempo, Matador, Minidor and Traveller. Over the last five decades, it has partnered with global manufacturers such as Daimler, ZF, Bosch, VW, Traton and MAN.
Force Motors is India’s largest van maker. The company is completely vertically integrated, making its own components for the entire product range. Force Motors has a nationwide dealer presence. The company also exports to various countries in Africa, Latin America, SAARC and ASEAN countires, Gulf and Germany. Force Motors ranked 359th (2020) on the Fortune India 500 companies list.
8. Bharat Benz
Bharat Benz was founded in 2011 by Satyakam Arya. Bharatbenz is a brand of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), mainly known for its buses and trucks. The headquarters of the company at Oragadam, Chennai, India. It always works for Indian customers and completes the demand of customers.
First unveiled in February 2011, BharatBenz celebrated its market launch in September 2012. Within ten years of their arrival in the market, they delivered over 1,40,000+ BharatBenz trucks and buses to their customers, an exceptional ramp-up in the Indian CV industry.
The BharatBenz brand offers a range of ultra-modern trucks in all weight categories from 10 to 55 tones. In addition to their portfolio of trucks, they also supply school and staff buses. These vehicles are specifically tailored for the Indian market.
BharatBenz trucks and buses are sold and serviced through a pan-Indian network of more than 300 touch points which is continuously expanding further beyond the tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Some industry reports suggest their popular models include:
- 2823C: This medium-duty truck starts around ₹44.37 Lakhs.
- 1917R: A popular light-duty option, starting around ₹27.40 Lakhs.
9. Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks started its operation in India in 1998. Over past two decades, through their high-technology innovative products and services solutions, they have been driving progress in Indian market. Volvo Trucks in India is known for providing premium transport solutions to their customers with technologically advanced trucks supported by their highly competent and committed team of professionals.
Quality – It’s not just a word. It’s their mission. A continuous effort to go beyond the expected and leave nothing to chance. And it’s at the core of everything they do, from product development to their global service network. How do they measure quality? In the performance of their truck. It’s on the road when you need it to be. And your business is as profitable as possible.
They design, test, measure and manufacture every part and component with an exactness that some might find it extreme. It’s a process carried out with passion and precision, and with quality management built in from beginning till the end. That’s what creates the efficiency, uptime, safety and comfort you experience at the wheel of a Volvo truck. And what keeps it going, mile after mile.
10. Swaraj Mazda – SML ISUZU
SML Isuzu Limited (SMLI) is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company founded by Chandra Mohan in 1983. The company manufactures trucks, buses, ambulances, and lightweight vehicles. It was established in collaboration with Punjab Tractors Limited of India and Sumitomo Corporation.
It built medium-duty trucks powered by the Isuzu Engines and called SML ISUZU. It has over 33 years of experience in producing Light & Medium commercial vehicles to meet the Indian customer needs. SML is the first company to manufacture and supply state of the art fully built buses, ambulances and customized vehicles.
Popular models include the Sartaj GS and Samrat GS, with prices starting from ₹14.61 Lakh. As of FY 2022-23, SML Isuzu boasts a market share of 7.1% and has seen a significant sales volume increase of 46.6%, solidifying their position in the Indian truck market.
Conclusion
As major players in the country’s economic growth and infrastructure development, the contribution of these truck companies in India continue to drive progress and set new milestones in the global truck market. As the industry evolves and expands, we can look forward to witnessing even greater achievements from these leading manufacturers, shaping a reliable future for India’s trucking sector.
Similar to this blog, you can also learn about top 10 best shipping companies in India 2023.
Tushar
I'm an HR at FR8 and a passionate blogger. Apart from my day job as HR, reading and writing books/blogs are two of my absolute favorite things to do. I like taking on new challenges and most importantly, I believe in bringing efficiency towards everything I do.
I love expressing my thoughts and visions through the medium of words in the form of blogs or articles or books. Till this date, I've successfully published three short-novels on my own and will continue to do so.
