Market Leader VECV Aims to Chill Higher with Air-Conditioned Pro Plus Series in LMD Segment

Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Sweden’s Volvo Group and India’s Eicher Motors, is sharpening its competitive edge in the country’s bustling light and medium-duty (LMD) truck market.

On Tuesday, Eicher Trucks and Buses, VECV’s key business unit, unveiled its next-generation Eicher Pro Plus Series targeting freight carriers in the ever-intensifying world of e-commerce and rapid logistics.

Last year, VECV cemented its dominance with a robust 36% market share in the 5 to 18-ton category, moving approximately 40,000 vehicles out of an industry total of about 118,000 units. “In the LMD category, we already have a strong presence,” said Vishal Mathur, EVP – Light & Medium Duty Trucks, VECV.

India’s LMD truck segment has been on a growth tear, closely tracking the nation’s logistics renaissance. The segment witnessed a marginal 8% growth during Q1FY26.

The upsurge in e-commerce and the burgeoning quick commerce sector have driven demand for nimble, reliable city logistics vehicles—capable of maneuvering both urban bylanes and improved national highways. Besides VECV, industry stalwarts like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Mahindra & Mahindra are jostling for pole position in the battle for market share.

“There is a strong demand from market load and logistics operators,” Mathur noted. “The e-commerce segment has seen significant picking up, showing good demand. This also extends to quick commerce. These segments specifically require smaller capacity trucks (e.g., 5-7-9 tons) for city distribution and last-mile connectivity.”

Meanwhile, India’s expanding expressways and enhanced highways are tilting the scales toward higher payload vehicles in the 12 to 18-ton range, further opening avenues for customer profitability and efficiency.

The maturation of the sector is also producing a steady replacement cycle, as older vehicles reach the end of the line—a trend VECV is keen to capitalize on. “Also, there is a significant replacement demand as older trucks reach the end of their lifecycle,” Mathur added.

“The new range is a result of deep customer engagement and future-focused engineering. By combining industry leading vehicle productivity with features that improve driver productivity, we are offering customers a truly differentiated platform that supports both intra-city and longer-haul applications.”

A standout feature of the Pro Plus Series is a new air conditioning (AC) system, an in-house innovation born out of VECV's R&D efforts. “In addition to improving payload and loading area to deliver superior value to customers, the Eicher Pro Plus series features a breakthrough air conditioning (AC) system developed by our in-house R&D,” Mathur pointed out. Manufacturing for the new series will be housed at VECV’s plants in Pithampur and Bhopal.

As India’s logistics landscape grows  quicker, and more complex, the LMD segment is likely to have many more launches and refreshments. With industry rivals and new demand cycles emerging, India’s trucking chessboard is primed for another turn.