Commercial vehicle marketplace 91trucks has carried out a major restructuring exercise that has reduced its workforce and shut down a chunk of its retail outlets across the country. The Delhi NCR-based startup says it is realigning operations to current business realities after a slower-than-expected stretch of growth.
The scale of the cuts is disputed. A report by Entrackr, echoed across trade media, pegged the reduction at nearly 70% of staff, leaving a team of roughly 50 from an earlier headcount of around 150. HRKatha reported that industry sources put the exits at around 100 people. The company’s own account is different. In an internal note accessed by Inc42, cofounder and CEO Siddharth Sharma said the layoffs affected about 30% of the workforce and that headcount remains above 200.
The restructuring follows six months of softer demand in the commercial vehicle segment. According to people familiar with the matter, the startup had planned for faster expansion, but cautious spending by transport operators, stubborn fuel costs and broader macroeconomic pressure weighed on vehicle purchases.
We are entering into strategic tie-ups with two leading dealerships in North India who constitute a decent percentage of OEM sales as their preferred exchange partners, Sharma wrote in the internal note, signalling a sharper focus on the northern market.
On the offline side, the company has scaled back hard. Nearly two dozen stores have reportedly been shut, with most closures concentrated in southern India and parts of Madhya Pradesh. 91trucks has cited operational complexities, including regulatory and vehicle registration transfer processes, as reasons for exiting certain markets, and says it will now concentrate on geographies with stronger growth potential.
The pullback comes only months after 91trucks acquired mobility platforms Motorfloor and Trucksfloor in March 2026 to widen its commercial vehicle ecosystem. The company had also been in early talks to raise around 10 million dollars in fresh funding, though reports suggest cash burn from its physical stores forced the cost cuts first.
