Prawaas 5.0: A Look Back at the 2026 Edition That Brought Passenger Mobility Together

Gandhinagar hosted the biggest edition of Prawaas yet as BOCI marked its 10th anniversary with major bus launches, industry awards and discussions shaping India’s passenger mobility future.

For three days, from July 9 to July 11, 2026, the Helipad Exhibition Centre (HEC) in Gandhinagar became the meeting point for India’s passenger transport industry.

Prawaas 5.0 brought together government representatives, bus and coach manufacturers, transport operators, mobility technology companies, startups and other industry stakeholders.

Organised by the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), with MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt. Ltd. curating the event, Prawaas 5.0 was particularly significant as BOCI completed a decade.

Hosted by the Akhil Gujarat Pravasi Vahan Sanchalak Mahamandal and co-hosted by the Gujarat Luxury Cab Owners Association and Gujarat Tourist Vehicles Operators Association, the event carried the theme Towards Safe, Smart & Sustainable Passenger Mobility.

The three-day programme focused on building a more connected, multimodal mobility ecosystem spanning buses, metro systems, taxis, last-mile connectivity and emerging mobility technologies.

The Numbers That Tell The Story

The exhibition brought together vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, EV and charging companies, fleet management providers, digital technology firms, alternative fuel and lubricant companies and mobility startups.

A Ceremonial Start

Prawaas 5.0 opened with the ceremonial lamp lighting by Smt. Miraben Patel, Mayor of Gandhinagar, in the presence of Shri Kaushik Jain, MLA for Dariapur, who attended as Guest of Honour.

A key highlight of the event was the address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who inaugurated the Bharat Prawaas Awards.

He emphasised the need for safe, smart, and sustainable mobility and highlighted clean transport, indigenous technology, and manufacturing as key elements of India’s future mobility ecosystem.

Gujarat’s transport leadership also participated actively, with Dr. Rajender Kumar, Commissioner of Gujarat’s Transport Department, co-inaugurating the conference programme alongside Shri Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo.

Prawaas 5.0 emerged as an important platform for new bus and coach launches in India, with several manufacturers using the exhibition to showcase their latest products.

Major Bus Launches at Prawaas 5.0

Prawaas 5.0 emerged as an important platform for new bus and coach launches in India, with several manufacturers using the exhibition to showcase their latest products.

Tata Motors Ultra Prime and Starbus Prime: The new-generation range included CNG and electric vehicles for intercity, intracity, school, tourism and last-mile applications.

JBM Electric Vehicles GALAXY: JBM unveiled its next-generation electric luxury coach in seater, sleeper-seater and full-sleeper configurations.

Volvo Buses India Volvo 9600 Seater-Sleeper: The coach combines 24 upper sleeper berths with 27 lower-deck seats and features enhanced interiors, charging points and advanced safety technologies.

SWITCH Mobility EiV9: The 9-metre electric bus launched alongside the updated EiV12 Intercity, with fast charging and regenerative braking.

Tirth Automobiles Aarya: Tirth entered the luxury coach segment with a premium sleeper-and-seater bus built on an Eicher chassis.

MG Group Starz: The new premium coach platform targets intercity, tourism, staff transport and premium fleet operations. The company secured an initial order for 50 coaches following the launch.

EKA Mobility 9M Electric School Bus: EKA showcased its electric school bus with a capacity of up to 43 passengers, LFP battery options and CCS2 fast charging.

Bharat Prawaas Awards 2026

The Bharat Prawaas Awards 2026 recognised 72 winners across two platforms. The BOCI Excellence Awards honoured 50 organisations and individuals across categories including innovation, operational excellence, sustainability and safety.

The redBus People’s Choice Awards recognised 22 winners based on passenger voting across areas such as punctuality, service quality and overall experience.

The awards brought both industry performance and passenger sentiment into the spotlight, reinforcing the growing focus on service quality alongside technology and fleet transformation.

Conversations Shaping Passenger Mobility

Prawaas 5.0’s 15 conference sessions brought industry leaders, policymakers and operators together to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping India’s passenger mobility sector.

Electrifying School Transport: Discussions focused on electric school buses, charging infrastructure, financing and policy support to accelerate adoption.

Women at the Wheel: The BOCI Women’s Wing explored women’s participation in mobility, from driving and entrepreneurship to leadership and safer workplaces.

The Future Mobility Stack: Panels examined how technology, clean energy, digital infrastructure and capital are reshaping passenger transport.

Solving the Driver Shortage: Sessions explored training, technology and digital verification to address India’s ongoing shortage of professional drivers.

The Operator’s Perspective: Operators discussed key business challenges, including financing, taxation, workforce shortages and regulatory issues.

Building Beyond Business

Prawaas 5.0 also saw the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding with Rotary International District 3080. One MoU, signed with BOCI Naari, focused on the Women at the Steering Wheel initiative to support the skilling, licensing, employment and self-ownership of women as professional drivers.

The second, signed with BOCI, focused on driver mental well-being and road safety awareness, highlighting the importance of looking beyond vehicles and infrastructure to the people operating India’s transport systems.

The Future Takes Shape

Prawaas 5.0 reflected the rapid transformation underway across India’s passenger transport sector. From electric buses and premium coaches to school transport, digital technology and operator-focused solutions, the exhibition highlighted how the industry is evolving.

As BOCI enters its second decade, Prawaas 5.0 offered a snapshot of where India’s bus and passenger mobility industry is heading next: towards safer, smarter, more sustainable and increasingly technology-led transportation.