While SIAM hasn’t said anything on the issue yet, Tata Motors’ view has changed as the company is now welcoming the move.
India’s growing trucking industry is facing the challenge of attracting and retaining skilled truck drivers. The decision will benefit the health and safety of drivers as the long hours of truck driving will become more comfortable, a company spokesperson said in a statement.
Tata Motors said it will “comfortably comply” with the mandate to offer air-conditioned cabins, in the entire range of trucks, well within the deadline. While there is a marginal increment in costs, the overall benefits—for both customers and drivers—are significantly higher, it said.
Given the market-leading position of Tata Motors, other industry players are unlikely to oppose the move. The company had a market share of 39.16% in the commercial vehicle category, in the year ended March 2023, according to data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Associations.
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, which sells premium trucks under the BharatBenz brand, said it has been ahead of the curve.
The company has seen penetration of air-conditioned trucks going up in its sales volume over a period as more and more customers understood the positive effects and embraced this change, Satyakam Arya, managing director and chief executive officer at the company, said in a statement.
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