Driving Indian Trucks Abroad? Which Countries Buy Most, Which Brands Rule, and Yearly Export Trends

Exports of the Indian truck market are on the rise with the local manufacturers having a tremendous demand in the emerging markets and the developed markets alike. As the barometer of commercial vehicles exports keep on rising year on year, Indian truck manufacturers are eyeing over 170 nations with its light-weight as well as heavy-weight vehicles.

Based on the released information of non-publically traded corporation Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), India was exporting about 80,986 commercial vehicles in the financial year 2024 25. This is an increment of 65,818 units in 2023 24. This trend shows a steady increase in demand in Indian-made trucks even though there have been previous losses in the years when the pandemic ravaged.

“This growth is not accidental. It reflects how Indian brands have invested in global standards, pricing efficiency, and post-sales support,” said Rajiv Kapoor, an automotive analyst based in New Delhi.

Leading Export Destinations

Vietnam has remained an important trade partner of India in automotive industry. Although the best unit value of Indian truck export to Vietnam in the latest financial year would be hard to find in the public sphere of information, Indian export of overall Vehicles other than railway, tramway into Vietnam in 2024 was $291.32 million. The export market of India continued to expand with exports of its commercial vehicles expanding by 12 per cent year-on-year to 35,731 units in the first half of FY2025 (April-September 2024). Although the total share of Vietnam is not delineated in existing reports, in the present range it is always identified as one of the most preferred destinations of the Indian (export) vehicle industry due to the rapid development of the logistics links and a strong craving of the middle-volume and low-priced trucks.

The United States remains a major destination for Indian vehicle exports. In 2024, India’s exports of “Vehicles other than railway, tramway” to the United States reached $2.62 billion. While specific unit figures for trucks are not detailed in the available aggregated data, the broader category indicates a substantial trade relationship. The demand in the American market for warehouse and utility trucks continues to be relevant, where Indian brands, including those with global partnerships like Isuzu, Bharat Benz (a brand of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles), and Volvo Trucks, have performed well. India’s overall exports to the US have shown significant growth, with a 21.78% increase to $17.25 billion during April-May of FY2025.

Nepal imported about 27,583 units and this constituted about six percent of the market. There are several other destinations that are crucial such as Bangladesh, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

As far as its diesel trucks in the under five tonne gross vehicle weight range is concerned, India exports its products to Mozambique, Bhutan, Morocco, Bahrain, and Indonesia. These five players alone fetched an estimated amount of between seven to twelve million US dollars in the previous financial year.

Key Players and Export Figures

The Exports Isuzu motors India is a leader in terms of numbers, with the 20,312 units exported in FY 2024 25. This is 24 percent higher than what happened last year.

Toru Kishimoto, Deputy Managing Director of Isuzu Motors India, said, it reflects our robust export performance owing to the uniform quality and strength of our vehicles produced in India.

The next company was Mahindra & Mahindra which had 8,496 exported units. Tata Motors exported 7,833 units within the corresponding time. Some of these included 92 tactical LPTA 2445 trucks that were delivered to the Royal Moroccan Army. The present model belongs to Tata military grade car line.

Ashok Leyland had a 5,644 export of vehicles. Volvo and Eicher joint company, VE Commercial Vehicles also showed a 32 percent jump when it shipped 2,322 units overseas. Others in the export business are Bharat Benz, SML Isuzu, Eicher and Maruti Suzuki.

Contributing Factors

Increased demand has been caused by manufacturing superiority of India and export incentives provided by its government, and the expanding network of dealers worldwide. The Indian manufacturers enjoy an advantage of large market size and affordable supply chain, which enables them to compete with price-sensitive markets.

According to Alina Thomas, a fleet operator based in Nairobi, “Indian trucks have become the first choice for many African businesses because they offer a balance between cost and reliability. That wasn’t always the case a decade ago.”

The truck products of India have now been able to satisfy the performance and emission standards of more countries as the product keeps on improving carefully over time. The quality of the vehicles in regard to engine performance, loading performances, and durability has also been enhanced through technical liaisons with foreign companies.

Conclusion 

It is no longer the same question concerning what country in the world manufactures Tata trucks or where Mahindra and Eicher are exporting their commercial cars. The trucks of India are making their mark as wide spread as Southeast Asia, Central Africa, Middle East as well as North America.

The export numbers are likely to increase since the Indian commercial vehicle manufacturers keep on gaining in their international presence. Although the competition with China and Europe is still rife, Indian manufacturers are securing their niche via a combination of value and usefulness.

The truck makers in the country are not only maintaining the global standards. They are establishing them in a number of markets.

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