New Delhi, December 4, 2019: Continuing to pledge support to the driver community, Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, in conjunction with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), the largest commercial oil company in India, flagged off the of the second Sarathi Aaram Kendra, at COCO Narsapura, Karnataka, near Bangalore on NH4. The initiative aims to improve the on-road conditions of commercial vehicle drivers by providing holistic solutions designed, keeping the driver in mind. Present at the launch were senior officials from Tata Motors & IOCL along with channel Partners, sales and service team and more than 70 drivers in attendance. 

Indian Oil operates a chain of flagship retail outlets where facilities like secured parking with CCTV, restaurant, rest areas, open bathing facilities including Hauda, Wi-Fi, TV, self-cooking& launderette apart from other basic amenities like clean toilets, drinking wateretc. which are

comprehensively designed as an end-to-end solution for the saar this(CV drivers).

Tata Motors is now partnering with IOCL by operating the facilities as Saarthi Aaram Kendra with offering of on-site vehicle servicing & medical aid to drivers. This is a step forward in recognizing the efforts of commercial vehicle saart his by providing them access to state-of-the-art amenities on the go. The facility at Narsapura is expected to benefit over 100 Saart his daily.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Rajesh Kaul, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, CVBU, Tata Motors Limited, said, “At Tata Motors we recognize that over 50% of the country’s freight is transported through roads and that commercial vehicle drivers form the backbone of the Indian economy. The Sarathi Aaram Kendra initiative takes cognizance of this fact and aims to offer an environment wherein saart his will easily have access to their basic needs, this, in turn, will help them de-stress after long journeys and thereby improve their overall efficiency. We are glad to associate with IndianOil for this initiative bringing comfort and safety to the saarthis.”

Mr.Subrat Kar CGM(RS),HO,IndianOil expressed his views on the Saarthi Aaram Kendra saying“IndianOil and Tata Motors have come together for various business tie-ups in the past and this second Saarthi Aaram Kendra after the Bawal on NH-8 will further improve the goodwill towards driver community. IndianOil has always pioneered in taking various driver-centric initiatives at most of its highway retail outlets. Saarthi Aaram Kendra advocate core values of IOCL as well as TML .It is a unique initiative that caters to the needs of commercial vehicle drivers with the aim to celebrate the unsung heroes of the country”

The Sarathi Aaram Kendra initiative is a part of a larger driver welfare program that Tata Motors runs and also includes the ‘Tata Motors Samarth’, initiative, which covers areas like accidental insurance, hospitalization cover, financial counselling and educational assistance packages for their children, in order to achieve economic, social and health wellbeing of the saarthis and their families.

Along the same lines, Indian Oil through its Large Format ROs and ‘Sarai’ has ensured comfort to long distance drivers. Regular eye check-ups under the name ‘Ujala’, training on safe driving practices, distribution of driver kits are few other initiatives Indian Oil has taken up for the welfare of drivers.

The first of its kind Saarthi Aaram Kendra initiative was inaugurated by Mr. Vigyan Kumar ED (RS), HO, IOCL & Mr. Girish Wagh (President, CVBU, Tata Motors) in May this year, at IOCL’s facility on NH-8 at Bawal, Haryana. Today the initiative services over a 50drivers daily. Furthermore, Tata Motors & IOCL plan to set-up more facilities along the major National Highways to serve the needs of more commercial vehicle drivers in times to come.