Montra Electric eHCV (IPL Tech), a subsidiary of the Murugappa Group’s TI Clean Mobility division, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Government of India’s National Highway for Electric Vehicles (NHEV) initiative. The company becomes the first electric truck original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in India to collaborate with Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), the piloting agency for the NHEV program.
The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of more than 1,000 electric trucks across multiple sectors and routes throughout India. The collaboration is designed to make clean freight transportation commercially viable at scale by creating frameworks for faster decision-making processes for fleet operators and end customers.
Under the agreement, Montra Electric eHCV will work with EoDB to leverage blended climate financing and establish pre-agreed commercial terms for large-scale electric truck deployments. The partnership also includes collaboration with NHEV stakeholders to prototype Connected Commercial Vehicle (CCV) protocols, ensuring seamless integration with future charging and energy station networks.
Live pilot programs are scheduled to begin on key highway corridors and high-volume freight routes as part of NHEV’s Tech Trial IV. These pilots will test electric trucks under real operating conditions, generate operational and commercial data, and provide a replicable model for other fleet operators across India.
Abhijeet Sinha, National Program Director of Ease of Doing Business & NHEV and Principal Advisor for SEPC at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, stated that the collaboration will facilitate technical and commercial aspects for accelerated deployment. The partnership includes empanelling the OEM in the Connected Commercial Vehicle Protocol of the Indian Electric Highways and enabling an advanced Intelligent Transport Management System.
The agreement also facilitates access to the AHEM (Annuity Hybrid E-Mobility) blended climate financing instrument for funding the electric truck deployment program.
Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director of Montra Electric, emphasized that the partnership represents a shift from intent to execution, aiming to lower adoption barriers and make electric trucking a practical and profitable choice for transporters and customers nationwide.
The collaboration aligns with the Government of India’s broader vision to decarbonize freight transportation, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen the country’s electric vehicle ecosystem.
Montra Electric operates under the Murugappa Group, a 125-year-old conglomerate with annual revenues of INR 90,178 crore. The company’s electric vehicle portfolio includes India’s first 55-ton electric truck trailer RHINO, along with various commercial vehicles and the country’s first electric tractor E-27.
The partnership represents a significant step in India’s transition toward sustainable freight transportation and the broader adoption of electric commercial vehicles in the logistics sector.