Popular Vehicles Expands Into Punjab With BharatBenz Dealerships

19 Jun 2025 CW Team

Popular Vehicles & Services Limited, a leading fully integrated automotive dealership group in India, has announced that its 100 per cent step-down subsidiary, Prabal Motors Pvt. Ltd., has received a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish eight advanced 3S facilities—Sales, Service and Spare Parts—for BharatBenz across Punjab.

This marks Popular Vehicles’ official entry into the Punjab market as the exclusive dealer for BharatBenz throughout the state, significantly strengthening its presence in Northern India. The move builds upon the company’s existing footprint in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and further deepens its partnership with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.

The upcoming state-of-the-art facilities will be strategically located across eight sites in Punjab. Each will integrate a showroom, bodyshop, spare parts distribution, and pre-owned car operations under one roof. Together, they will feature a total of 32 service bays and involve a cumulative investment of approximately Rs130 million (USD 1.56 million).

Naveen Philip, Promoter and Managing Director of Popular Vehicles & Services Limited, commented, “We are thrilled to announce our entry into the northern region through our partnership with BharatBenz. Punjab becomes the third key state in our BharatBenz network after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. This expansion reflects our broader strategy to move beyond our traditional base in Kerala and into high-potential geographies.”

He added, “Punjab’s vibrant economy and increasing demand for commercial transportation make it a strategic market for us. We are committed to offering best-in-class mobility solutions and furthering our relationship with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.”

This expansion underscores Popular Vehicles’ ambition to become a pan-India leader in commercial automotive retail and servicing, reinforcing its growth strategy across both new and existing territories.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..