SonicWall Celebrates Excellence with the 2025 SonicWall Partner Awards
Bangalore February 6, 2025 — SonicWall proudly honored its exceptional partners and distributors at the annual SonicWall Partner Awards, celebrating their unwavering commitment to safeguarding customers in a dynamic and increasingly complex threat landscape. This prestigious award acknowledges partner organizations worldwide that have demonstrated remarkable dedication to delivering innovative cybersecurity solutions.
“While partners have been key to SonicWall’s success for over 30 years, our dramatic transformation over the last two years is directly attributable to SonicWall stepping it up and taking a relentless focus on our valued partners, said SonicWall CEO and President Bob VanKirk. “That’s meant listening to and acting upon their key needs and feedback, which has in turn shaped our roadmaps (organic and inorganic), the delivery of technical support (reduced wait times with immediate access to higher tiers of support), how we charge for our products and services, sales resource alignment, and much, much more. Many of our partners posted record years in 2024, and we couldn’t be more pleased about that. These awards are a small token of thanks and recognition of the strategic value SonicWall’s partners have and will continue to play in shaping and driving SonicWall’s business.”
“The 2025 SonicWall Partner Awards celebrate the outstanding dedication and innovation of our partners who continually raise the bar in cybersecurity excellence. This year’s winners have demonstrated exceptional commitment to protecting businesses against the ever-evolving threat landscape, leveraging SonicWall’s solutions to deliver proactive, strategic security. Their success is a testament to the power of strong partnerships in driving growth, resilience, and trust in today’s digital world,” said SonicWall Vice President of Sales, APJ Debasish Mukherjee.
Partners were nominated across various categories in each region, showcasing their outstanding performance throughout the previous year. From a large pool of nominees, SonicWall selected one partner per region in each category, highlighting their consistent excellence and exceptional service. Based on a matrix of criteria including but not limited highest revenue, partner count, highest growth, etc.
Space Matrix Takes a Leading Role as Cornerstone Member in IWBI’s Membership Program
New Delhi, 6th January, 2025 – Today, Space Matrix announced its commitment to joining the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) membership program as a Cornerstone member. Space Matrix joins like-minded companies from across the globe that are committed to enhancing buildings and communities to help people thrive.
The membership program at IWBI convenes, celebrates, and fosters collaboration with companies and organizations who are leading the movement to advance human health in buildings and communities around the world. This dynamic framework allows Space Matrix to tap into IWBI’s expansive resources and knowledge and demonstrates Space Matrix’s alignment with IWBI’s mission.
“Joining the IWBI membership program as a Cornerstone member signifies our unwavering commitment to our people and the Space Matric community. This program strengthens our resolve to integrate health and well-being at the core of our design solutions, driving us to deliver spaces that not only inspire productivity but also nurture the well-being of those who use them,” said Arsh Chaudhry, CEO of Space Matrix.
“The IWBI membership community’s steady growth complements a growing global commitment to people-first places,” said Rachel Hodgdon, president & CEO of IWBI. “Health and well-being are investments that we know pay dividends in times of struggle and of success. We’re excited and humbled to work alongside these global leaders to advance this movement toward a better and healthier future for everyone, everywhere.”
As a Cornerstone member, Space Matrix will leverage IWBI’s programs to enhance its design approach and integrate WELL principles into its projects worldwide. This membership will enable Space Matrix to access IWBI’s comprehensive resources, collaborate with global thought leaders, and further its mission to create people-first spaces that contribute to healthier and more sustainable communities.
Space Matrix has certified over 2.1 million square feet of projects for WELL Certification and employs over four WELL AP accredited professionals. Further demonstrating its leadership in the field, Space Matrix recently signed the International Healthy Building Accord at the IWBI RECHARGE Summit 2024 in Bangalore, India. Notable achievements include the Space Matrix Gurugram Office (Beta Lab) Platinum WELL certification and precertification of Space Matrix Bangalore, Chennai offices, a testament to the company’s commitment to creating healthier, people-first workplaces.
Schneider Electric Study Shows Homeowners Failing to Leverage Tech for Energy Savings and Emissions Reduction
Mumbai, 6th February, 2025 – Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today released the third edition of its consumer survey in a white paper titled Evolving home energy consumption: Intentions, actions and hurdles to greater home energy efficiency. It surveyed 13,000 people from 11 countries across the world, with 1,000 respondents from India, uncovering global attitudes toward household energy efficiency, sustainability and smart home technology.
Gap between awareness and action
Home energy consumption is the main driver of home emissions and has increased steadily over recent years with the spread of energy-consuming devices and appliances. This trend, coupled with skyrocketing energy costs and dramatic real-life impacts of climate change, has driven awareness of home energy consumption.
Given this, the report focuses on behaviors, barriers and readiness to adopt energy-saving solutions. Notably, this year’s results highlight a wide gap between awareness and action. 82% of respondents consider energy efficiency “somewhat important” or “very important,” whilst 84% said energy efficiency is the top desired home improvement, and 70% responded that reducing their carbon footprint is ‘important’ to them.
However, only a few are taking the most impactful actions to reduce their energy consumption; just 44% regularly adjust their ambient temperatures, despite this being one of the highest-impact actions. At the same time, 58% of homeowners turn off lights as their primary strategy for saving energy, while lighting only comprising around 5% of electricity bills. The second-most popular method, unplugging unused chargers (48%), also has minimal impact — saving only $0.26 per charger annually.
Home energy technology
The report reveals another overemphasis on lighting when it comes to the types of home energy technology consumers have in their homes, with 52% of consumers believing that smart lighting enhances energy efficiency. While 24% own smart lighting, only 21% have a smart thermostat, with less than half (46%) acknowledging its energy-saving benefits, despite evidence showing it could reduce bills by up to 30% annually.
For the first time, the survey explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI). Despite predictions that AI and automation could help mitigate up to 10% of global GHG emissions, 44% of respondents said they would never rely on AI for household tasks, 35% don’t fully understand it, and 41% want to actively avoid it. In addition, 52% believe smart home technology is too expensive, even though connected homes can achieve energy savings of up to 22%.
The survey also shows an awareness gap for more traditional home technology: 30% of respondents don’t know what their electrical panel does, and 16% don’t know its location. The electrical panel is at the heart of the home’s power system and acts as the gatekeeper for ensuring the safety of electrical devices and appliances, therefore this lack of knowledge poses potential serious safety risks if the condition of the panel is ignored as homes become more electrified.
Ms. Sumati Sahgal, Vice President, Retail, Schneider Electric India, said, “While there is an intent from consumer for increase energy efficiency, there is a crucial gap between awareness and action. While a majority of consumers recognize the importance of energy efficiency, the most impactful solutions remain underutilized. As India moves towards a more sustainable and electrified future, it is imperative to empower homeowners with the right knowledge of how to bring efficiency in their energy consumption. At Schneider Electric, we are committed to bridging this gap by offering innovative, connected solutions like WISER that offers easy and scalable automation for enhanced comfort and convenience along with advanced energy management capabilities.”
Appdome Leads Effort to Combat Surge in Android and iOS Trojan Threats
India – Feb. 6, 2025 — Appdome, the leader in protecting mobile businesses, today announced a platform upgrade that includes 24 new dynamic defense plugins targeting hundreds of Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojan malware across Android and iOS apps. The new plugins for Appdome’s patented AI-Native XTM Platform are designed to use in-app behavioral analysis to combat the prolific rise in trojan malware targeting mobile banking, fintech, trading, mCommerce, and other Android and iOS apps. Like all Appdome defenses, each of the 24 new dynamic defense plugins targeting trojan attacks is available by choice using the Appdome platform without the need to integrate code, perform manual coding, implement SDKs, or deploy servers.
“The surge of trojan malware and fraud is top of mind in the mobile economy,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “We study more than 5 billion data points every week to understand how polymorphic trojan malware behaves and design defenses that are purpose-built for the job of defeating each type of trojan threat.”
The rise of Mobile Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojans (RATs) has become a significant threat to the mobile economy. Attackers are developing increasingly sophisticated trojan malware to exploit users of Android and iOS applications. These attacks are no longer limited by geographic boundaries. In addition, AI-powered attack generation and mutations have arrived in full force. Banking Trojans like Xenomorph and SharkBot target mobile banking apps, overlaying fake login screens to steal credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. Meanwhile, Trojan spyware such as Pegasus has demonstrated how nation-state-grade surveillance tools can infiltrate mobile devices, exfiltrate sensitive data and track users. RATs, like BRATA, take the threat further by granting attackers full control over infected devices, allowing them to siphon funds, intercept communications, and even perform factory resets of devices to erase attack residue. As AI-driven automation, on-device fraud (ODF) tactics, and sophisticated evasion techniques proliferate, mobile commerce, fintech, and mobile banking platforms are at increasing risk of exploitation and compromise.
“Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojans present multiple threats to a mobile business and user,” said Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest. “Appdome’s model of using defense plugins gives mobile brands and businesses the power to choose which threat to detect and how to defend against that threat.”
The Appdome platform generates dynamic defense plugins to protect mobile applications based on business needs. Once added to a mobile application, these plugins analyze mobile application behavior, user interactions, and network and system operations at runtime, enabling proactive detection and prevention of attacks. Where SDKs deliver static defense checks or route traffic to attestation servers, Appdome’s dynamic defense plugins do the work inside Android & iOS applications to provide an inherently self-adaptive, self-intelligent detection scheme capable of detecting even the most sophisticated and polymorphic Trojan malware. These dynamic defense plugins can also inform, instruct and take instruction from the mobile application or mobile backend, providing seamless defense to any class of attack.
National Geographic Premieres Thrilling Doc The Devil’s Climb
February 6th, Mumbai: Climbing unimaginable peaks is a test of endurance, courage, and sheer determination, pushing adventurers to their limits as they navigate breathtaking yet untamed landscapes. With the rich legacy of 137 years of powerful and inspiring storytelling, National Geographic’s thrilling documentary ‘The Devil’s Climb’ is all set to premiere on February 9th at 10 PM on the National Geographic Channel. From Plimsoll Productions, The Devil’s Climb follows world-class rock climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell on an epic expedition to tackle one of the most daunting challenges of their careers: summiting the infamous Devil’s Thumb, a sinister tower and legendary 9,000-foot peak in the Alaskan wilderness surrounded by old-growth rainforest and known as one of the most dangerous mountains in North America.
Alex and Tommy are two of the greatest rock climbers of all time — and best friends. Together, they set off on an emotional and physical journey, traveling 2,600 miles by bicycle, sailboat, and on foot through the American West, Canada, and Alaska to a daring climb of the Devil’s Thumb. Tommy makes a heroic comeback to climbing from a career-threatening Achilles injury, while Alex expresses his commitment to Tommy’s return to climbing as he joins the greatest adventures of his life. The 74-minute film sheds light on the rich shared history of adventurous speed climbing and a record-setting partnership between the two friends.
Directed by fellow climber Renan Ozturk, the film will take viewers on a breathtaking extraordinary adventure as Alex and Tommy attempt to accomplish the first-ever single-day traverse of all five peaks of the Devil’s Thumb massif, pushing their bodies and bond to the absolute limit.
Celebrate Love with Frederique Constant’s Timeless Timepieces
6th Feb 2025: This Valentine’s Day, express your love with the gift of timeless elegance—Frederique Constant’s exquisite timepieces. A luxury watch is more than just an accessory; it’s a symbol of enduring love and impeccable craftsmanship.
Classic Worldtimer Manufacture – For Him
Now available in a striking forest green, the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture expands its legacy of refined style. Housed in a 42mm steel case (limited to 718 pieces), it features a world map dial, date window, and a luxurious dark green leather strap. The in-house calibre effortlessly tracks 24 time zones, all adjusted via the crown, making it the perfect companion for the modern gentleman.
Highlife Ladies Quartz – For Her
Expanding the flagship Highlife collection, the new ladies’ Quartz models combine elegance and innovation. Featuring a slim 31mm case with a 5-year battery life, the collection includes five stunning variations—ranging from a mother-of-pearl dial to sunburst dials with diamond accents. Each timepiece comes with two straps: a steel or steel-and-gold bracelet and a matching rubber strap, offering versatility for any occasion.
Vishal Fabrics Welcomes Suketu Shah as the New CEO
6th February 2025, Ahmedabad: Textile major, Vishal Fabrics Limited (VFL), has appointed Suketu Shah as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Suketu will lead the next phase of growth agenda at VFL. Erstwhile CEO Mr. Vinay Thadani has now been elevated to lead a broader management role within the Chiripal Group. Vinay is the Director & CEO of GREW Solar, the renewable energy arm of the Chiripal group.
Suketu Shah, a highly accomplished professional and gold medallist from MS University in Vadodara, holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree along with a Diploma in Textile Chemistry (DTC), showcasing a strong academic foundation that complements his extensive experience.
His experience spans more than 40 years in the textile industry including key roles at renowned organizations such as LNJ Denim, part of the RSWM Group, Mafatlal Industries Limited, Aarvee Denims & Exports Ltd., APAC Inti Corpora in Bawen, Indonesia, and Raymond UCO Denim Pvt. Ltd. He has also contributed to the growth of Modern Denim Ltd. and Arvind Limited, where his strategic acumen was pivotal in driving significant advancements within these firms.
Commenting on his new role, Suketu Shah said, “I am truly honored to be part of Vishal Fabrics Limited, a company renowned for top quality denim fabric. I am excited about embarking on our journey to chart out the next phase of growth in Vishal Fabrics. We are dedicated to enhancing stakeholder value through sustainable business practices”
Brijmohan D. Chiripal, Managing Director, Vishal Fabrics Limited (VFL) said “We are delighted to welcome Suketu to the Chiripal family. VFL is at an inflection point and Suketu’s strong business acumen coupled with his vast knowledge of the sector will help us to navigate the growth journey. We look forward to greater success ahead.”
Appdome Breaks the Surge in Android & iOS Trojans Globally
India – Feb. 6, 2025 — Appdome, the leader in protecting mobile businesses, today announced a platform upgrade that includes 24 new dynamic defense plugins targeting hundreds of Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojan malware across Android and iOS apps. The new plugins for Appdome’s patented AI-Native XTM Platform are designed to use in-app behavioral analysis to combat the prolific rise in trojan malware targeting mobile banking, fintech, trading, mCommerce, and other Android and iOS apps. Like all Appdome defenses, each of the 24 new dynamic defense plugins targeting trojan attacks is available by choice using the Appdome platform without the need to integrate code, perform manual coding, implement SDKs, or deploy servers.
“The surge of trojan malware and fraud is top of mind in the mobile economy,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “We study more than 5 billion data points every week to understand how polymorphic trojan malware behaves and design defenses that are purpose-built for the job of defeating each type of trojan threat.”
The rise of Mobile Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojans (RATs) has become a significant threat to the mobile economy. Attackers are developing increasingly sophisticated trojan malware to exploit users of Android and iOS applications. These attacks are no longer limited by geographic boundaries. In addition, AI-powered attack generation and mutations have arrived in full force. Banking Trojans like Xenomorph and SharkBot target mobile banking apps, overlaying fake login screens to steal credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. Meanwhile, Trojan spyware such as Pegasus has demonstrated how nation-state-grade surveillance tools can infiltrate mobile devices, exfiltrate sensitive data and track users. RATs, like BRATA, take the threat further by granting attackers full control over infected devices, allowing them to siphon funds, intercept communications, and even perform factory resets of devices to erase attack residue. As AI-driven automation, on-device fraud (ODF) tactics, and sophisticated evasion techniques proliferate, mobile commerce, fintech, and mobile banking platforms are at increasing risk of exploitation and compromise.
“Banking Trojans, Trojan Spyware, and Remote Access Trojans present multiple threats to a mobile business and user,” said Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest. “Appdome’s model of using defense plugins gives mobile brands and businesses the power to choose which threat to detect and how to defend against that threat.”
The Appdome platform generates dynamic defense plugins to protect mobile applications based on business needs. Once added to a mobile application, these plugins analyze mobile application behavior, user interactions, and network and system operations at runtime, enabling proactive detection and prevention of attacks. Where SDKs deliver static defense checks or route traffic to attestation servers, Appdome’s dynamic defense plugins do the work inside Android & iOS applications to provide an inherently self-adaptive, self-intelligent detection scheme capable of detecting even the most sophisticated and polymorphic Trojan malware. These dynamic defense plugins can also inform, instruct and take instruction from the mobile application or mobile backend, providing seamless defense to any class of attack.
The new 24+ new Appdome mobile defense plugins that target specific trojan malware and spyware in the expanded Appdome Account Takeover (ATO) offering include:
For Mobile Banking Trojans:
- Accessibility Malware: Blocks unauthorized exploitation of Android accessibility services, such as preventing malicious overlays, input manipulation, and automated attacks.
- ATS Malware: Prevents unauthorized automation of banking transactions and detects real-time attempts to manipulate app sessions.
- BrasDex Trojan: Provides proactive protection against BrasDex trojan by thwarting its keylogging and credential theft mechanisms using advanced behavioral analysis.
- Xenomorph Trojan: Safeguards against Xenomorph trojan attacks by identifying and blocking unauthorized overlays and phishing attempts targeting user credentials.
- PixBankBot Trojan: Defends against PixBankBot by preventing the trojan’s ability to intercept and manipulate banking transactions on infected devices.
- PixPirate Trojan: Protects mobile users from PixPirate by disrupting its session hijacking and credential exfiltration tactics through real-time anomaly detection.
- SpyNote Trojan: Stops SpyNote trojan by blocking its remote access capabilities and preventing unauthorized data exfiltration from compromised devices.
- Joker Trojan: Combats Joker trojan by identifying its SMS interception and subscription fraud attempts, ensuring mobile user security and app integrity.
- Octo Trojan: Defends against Octo trojan by disrupting its on-device fraud execution and preventing data leakage with embedded AI-driven defenses.
- Blank Bot: Secures apps from Blank Bot by detecting its automated attacks aimed at stealing user credentials and disrupting its login attempt manipulation.
- Godfather: Provides a robust defense against Godfather trojan by monitoring app behavior and blocking its attempts to access and exploit sensitive banking information.
- Toxic Panda: Protects from stealing login credentials and credit card details by manipulating Android accessibility with Android app overlay attacks and SMS interception.
- Cloak & Dagger: Detects unauthorized use of Android accessibility features and prevents invisible overlays or touch events that aim to steal sensitive information.
- Gold Pickaxe: Prevents unauthorized MDM installations that are used to gain remote control over devices, phishing overlays, credential theft mechanisms, and unauthorized access to sensitive user data on iOS devices.
For Mobile Spyware Trojans:
- Pegasus Spyware: Mitigates Pegasus spyware threats by blocking zero-click exploitation and halting its covert surveillance and data exfiltration processes.
- Cerberus: Shields against Cerberus banking trojan by detecting overlay attacks and disrupting its credential-stealing operations in real time.
- AgentTesla: Prevents AgentTesla attacks by intercepting its keylogging and data-stealing activities through dynamic runtime analysis and payload blocking.
- DarkComet: Protects against DarkComet by detecting its remote access commands and preventing malicious file manipulation or user surveillance.
For Remote Access Trojans (RATs):
- SpyNote RAT: Protects against SpyNote RAT by detecting and blocking its remote administration and data exfiltration mechanisms through runtime behavioral analysis.
- AndroRAT: Neutralizes AndroRAT attacks by preventing its remote access capabilities, such as file manipulation and keystroke logging, through advanced payload detection.
For Task Hijacking:
- Prevent Task Hijacking: Blocks Android apps from unauthorized screen overlays and securing the app’s task management system.
- Detect Strandhogg 2.0: Detects and blockings malicious app masquerading attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the Android multitasking system, prevents unauthorized privilege escalation and the hijacking of legitimate app sessions.
For Logging Attacks:
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- Prevent Android Logging Attacks: Disables Android log function calls to prevent data leakage and attacks via logging infrastructure, such as log4j.
- Prevent iOS Logging Attacks: Prevents log function calls in an iOS device, preventing sensitive data from leaking to malicious actors.
Each specific attack vector represents a trojan malware class, so brands and businesses can expect each Appdome defense to detect and block the source or original trojan attack as well as its variants. Appdome Platform uses real-time behavioral analysis to detect the behaviors and methods that the multitude of banking trojans, trojan spyware and RATs use to exploit mobile users. As a learning system, Appdome is constantly evolving to ensure continuous defense against trojan malware and threats.
“With this update, we’re providing granular detection and response control against a massive variety of Android & iOS trojan malware,” said Chris Roeckl, Chief Product Officer at Appdome. “Where siloed point products can only touch these threats tangentially, our big data footprint and AI-native delivery model means that we’re uniquely positioned to detect each specific threat and help mobile businesses stay ahead of the curve in known and zero-day threats.”
Like all Appdome mobile app defenses, the new Trojan defense features combine the power of choice-driven defense in depth, and no-code, no SDK delivery with innovative on-device detection, defense, and intelligence options to satisfy any implementation objective. All Android & iOS Trojan Plugins are available with Appdome’s Threat-Events™ Intelligence and Control Framework and ThreatScope™ Threat Analytics service. Threat-Events allows mobile brands to gather data on each attack, control the user experience and create beautiful on-brand mobile experiences when attacks happen. Mobile brands can use Threat-Events to create unique workflows and user messages leveraging the power of their brand voice when threats are present. Mobile businesses can track and monitor banking trojan, trojan spyware and Remote Access Trojan attacks via Appdome’s ThreatScope™, either before or after the deployment of the anti-trojan features.
Smart Freight Centre India Hosts Zero Emission Trucks Workshop in Thiruvananthapuram to Foster Sustainable Freight Innovation
Thiruvananthapuram, 6th February 2025: Smart Freight Centre India (SFC) hosted a workshop on Zero Emission Trucks (ZET), in Thiruvananthapuram today as part of its nationwide program aimed at driving the adoption of ZETs in India’s medium and heavy-duty truck (MHDT) sector. The workshop, supported by EV Accelerator Cell of Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL), convened key stakeholders from across the ecosystem to discuss challenges, opportunities, and actionable strategies for accelerating ZET adoption.
This workshop was a part of a pan India campaign under Niti Aayog’s e-FAST initiative aimed at enhancing the regional ecosystem readiness with curated knowledge share and deliberations on Zero Emission Trucks, covering topics across technological and operational aspects, global ecosystem developments, Government of India e-truck initiatives, city level ZET adoption opportunities, operational risks and deployment SOPs. SFC collaborated with GIZ as a knowledge partner to deliver this workshop and activate the sustainable logistics ecosystem in Kerala.
The workshop included a dynamic roundtable discussion, moderated by Shirish Mahendru, Transport, Infrastructure Advisor, GIZ, featuring key leaders such as Rakesh Kumar Meena (Director, DPIIT, Logistics, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India), Manoharan J. (Head, E Mobility Cell and Technical Manager, ANERT), Johnson Daniel (Energy Technologist, Energy Management Centre, Kerala), Asha V (Chief Engineer, Renewable Energy & Energy Savings, KSEBL), Kulbhushan Kumar (Partner e-mobility and energy efficiency, Grant Thornton). Together, they deliberated on strategies to overcome barriers to ZET adoption and explored opportunities for collaboration aimed at driving long-term environmental and economic benefits.
Sri. Biju Prabhakar, Chairman & Managing Director CMD – KSEBL, in his keynote address, said, “Thiruvananthapuram’s commitment to developing a comprehensive plan for reducing carbon emissions stands as a remarkable example of its environmentally conscious initiatives. Kerala, second only to Maharashtra in EV adoption, is expanding its charging infrastructure. KSEB is also rolling out a statewide unified app-free ecosystem for charging. By leveraging innovative solutions, we have embraced technology and remain dedicated to integrating it into our trucking systems to minimize carbon emissions within the logistics sector. Achieving this ambitious goal requires collaborative support in the form of policies, resources, and economic measures, which can help establish a replicable model for the rest of the nation. I also applaud initiatives like the ZET Enablement Workshop by SFC, as they foster an ecosystem where stakeholders can share insights and address challenges collectively, paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient freight industry in India.”
The workshop highlighted that India’s booming economy, with a GDP nearing $4.11 trillion, offers significant opportunities for decarbonizing the freight sector. Road transport, responsible for 70% of domestic freight, contributes 213 Mt of CO2 annually, with heavy goods vehicles accounting for 83% of these emissions. The PM E-Drive scheme, through ZETs, presents a transformative pathway to reduce diesel dependence. Projections for 2050 highlight ZET adoption’s potential to eliminate 838 billion litres of diesel use, save ₹116 lakh crore in oil expenditures, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 46%. The discussions also highlighted that zero emission trucks can reduce CO2 emissions by 46% by 2050. This underscores the need for collaborative efforts across industry and policy frameworks to unlock these substantial benefits.
OEMs like Ashok Leyland and Montra shared valuable insights on accelerating the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. They highlighted opportunities in the sector, and their latest EV product ranges, emphasizing advancements in technology, efficiency, and sustainability.
Shri Rakesh Kumar Meena, Director, DPIIT (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India, shared his thoughts during the workshop in Thiruvananthapuram, stating, “I extend my sincere gratitude to Smart Freight Centre and GIZ for this initiative. DPIIT has developed a Freight Greenhouse Gas (GHG) calculator, an online tool that helps users estimate the environmental impact of freight transportation. I am delighted that states in India are taking multiple steps to promote low-emission vehicles. The adoption of Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs) is a vital step towards cleaner transportation and aligns with India’s sustainability vision under the PM E-Drive initiative.”
The ZET Enablement Workshop Series brings together city authorities, OEMs, policymakers, LSPs, and shippers to shape sustainable logistics solutions. Previous consultations in cities like Indore, Chennai, and Delhi have addressed operational risks and SOPs to facilitate ZET adoption.