[sukarsan]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

Very true, i think one of the greater Objective is to either end such third party body makers under the unorganized sector or force them into mainstream body building factories that can bring significant tax income to the State/Centre treasury. I hope many would know, down south its either "Namakkal" Cabin or "Sangagiri" Cabin. Its more of a monopoly that cabin construction is concerned in South especially for Leyland trucks and most of the cabin manufacturing industries are unorganized which leads for tax evasion. Potential reason for the government to bring in such measures.

I was involved in the trucking industry five years ago, and this proposal is not a novel idea; it has been in progress since 2016, along with various other reforms in the automotive sector spearheaded by Gadkari.


The production of a high-quality AC cabin requires substantial investments in terms of machinery and robotics. In the absence of the need for air-conditioning, cabin construction was typically undertaken by craftsmen in places like Namakkal. This arrangement resulted in lower investments for truck manufacturers and, consequently, a reduced overall cost for end-users. If AC cabins become mandatory, these traditional cabin makers may find themselves obsolete, left with only load body manufacturing, which is not as financially rewarding.


The body builders constitute a formidable lobby and have been resistant to this shift for some time. If AC becomes a compulsory feature, efficiency concerns might lead everyone to purchase fully assembled trucks directly from the OEM, bypassing the traditional route of buying a cowl and then having a cabin maker customize it. Despite the efficiency gains, with the current robust highway infrastructure, an increasing number of truck buyers are inclined to forgo the cowl route. I am skeptical that this policy will be enforced even by 2025, but one can only hope for the best.