Prawaas 5.0 Strengthens India’s Smart and Sustainable Transport Ecosystem

Gandhinagar, Gujarat - Prawaas 5.0, as one of India’s largest gatherings dedicated to passenger transport and multimodal mobility. Held from 9 to 11 July 2026 at the Helipad Exhibition Centre, the fifth edition brought together government representatives, State Transport Undertakings, private fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers, technology providers, startups, financiers and transport associations.

Organised by the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India and curated by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications, the event continued under the theme “Towards Safe, Smart & Sustainable Public Transport.” The platform focused on creating stronger connections between buses, taxis, metro systems and last-mile mobility while addressing the operational and policy challenges affecting India’s public-transport ecosystem.

Strong industry participation

Prawaas 5.0 recorded 20,129 registered participants from 31 States and Union Territories and 11 countries. The exhibition featured 227 companies and 20 startups, while the conference brought together 120 speakers across 15 sessions.

These figures demonstrate the expanding importance of Prawaas as a business, policy and technology platform for India’s passenger-transport sector. Its audience extended beyond traditional bus operators to include electric-mobility companies, digital-platform providers, component manufacturers, financial institutions, tourism organisations and public authorities.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari addressed the official inaugural programme, where the discussions emphasised safe transportation, clean mobility, integrated systems, indigenous technology and economically viable transport solutions.

Electrification moves into multiple transport applications

Electric mobility remained one of the most visible themes at Prawaas 5.0. However, the exhibition showed that electrification is no longer limited to conventional urban transit buses.

Electric models and technologies were presented for school transportation, staff mobility, city services, intercity operations and last-mile passenger movement. This wider product coverage indicates that manufacturers are developing application-specific electric vehicles instead of relying on a single standardised bus configuration.

EKA Mobility displayed a locally manufactured 9-metre electric school bus, while SWITCH Mobility introduced the EiV9 electric bus. JBM presented an electric coach, and other manufacturers showcased electric passenger-transport solutions targeting institutional and public fleets.

The exhibition also highlighted the growing importance of supporting energy infrastructure. SUN Mobility demonstrated a modular multi-battery swapping system integrated with a Tata Starbus electric platform. Designed to exchange two battery modules simultaneously in under five minutes, the system aims to reduce vehicle downtime and provide fleet operators with greater operational flexibility.

This development signals an important shift in India’s electric-bus market. Future competition will be determined not only by vehicle range and battery capacity but also by charging time, energy availability, financing structure, fleet uptime and total operating cost.

New buses address safety, comfort and fleet efficiency

Tata Motors used Prawaas 5.0 to introduce its new Ultra Prime and Starbus Prime ranges. The company also showcased the Ultra Skool 9/9 EV, LPO 1620 CNG, Ultra Prime LPO 412, Magic EV, Winger Plus and the Ultra Prime RE Concept.

The new-generation bus ranges incorporate features such as driver-monitoring systems, 360-degree cameras and intelligent transport technologies. The portfolio covered school, staff, tourism, intercity, intracity and last-mile applications, reflecting the increasingly specialised requirements of passenger-transport operators.

Volvo Buses India unveiled an integrated seater-sleeper version of its Volvo 9600 premium coach. Developed as a factory-built configuration rather than an aftermarket conversion, the model combines sleeper berths with premium seats and is aimed at long-distance intercity, tourism and pilgrimage routes.

MG Group also displayed its Starz coach platform, while PMI Electro Mobility, BharatBenz and other manufacturers presented vehicles and technologies covering different parts of the passenger-mobility market.

Policy and operational reform remain essential

Although vehicle electrification received significant attention, the conference agenda showed that technology alone cannot transform public transport.

Sessions examined India’s bus shortage, electric-mobility policy, school-bus electrification, road safety, toll structures, insurance, digital mobility networks, fleet financing and intercity connectivity. Discussions also addressed whether electric-bus deployment can scale without changes to procurement systems, operating contracts and public-private partnerships.

For fleet operators, the transition will depend on vehicle affordability, access to finance, charging or swapping infrastructure, maintenance support, driver availability and the ability to maintain high vehicle utilisation. For governments, the challenge will be to establish stable policies and commercially workable operating models.

Supporting women drivers and driver welfare

Prawaas 5.0 also expanded its social-development focus through two agreements involving Rotary International District 3080 and BOCI.

The first supports the “Women at the Steering Wheel” initiative, which aims to train and empower women as professional drivers. The second focuses on driver well-being and road-safety awareness. These initiatives recognise that the future of passenger transport depends not only on vehicles and digital technologies but also on improving skills, working conditions and opportunities for transport personnel.

Recognising passenger-transport excellence

The Bharat Prawaas Awards 2026 recognised 72 recipients, including 50 BOCI Excellence Award winners and 22 redBus People’s Choice Award winners. Separate exhibitor awards recognised companies for innovation, information delivery, interactive engagement and exhibition management.

Award categories covered large, medium and small bus and car operators, school transportation, employee mobility, tourism services, private stage carriers and electric mobility.

Prawaas becomes an ecosystem platform

Prawaas began in Mumbai in 2017, followed by editions in Mumbai in 2019, Hyderabad in 2022, Bengaluru in 2024 and Gandhinagar in 2026. Its development from a bus-and-car operator gathering into a broader multimodal platform reflects the transformation taking place across India’s passenger-mobility sector.

Prawaas 5.0 demonstrated that India’s public-transport transition is moving beyond individual vehicle launches. The industry is increasingly focused on complete mobility ecosystems combining vehicles, energy infrastructure, digital platforms, financing, safety systems, skilled drivers and supportive policies.

The event reinforced the need for stronger collaboration between governments, operators, manufacturers and technology companies. Such collaboration will be essential for expanding public-transport capacity while improving safety, accessibility, environmental performance and the overall passenger experience.

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