ASHOK LEYLAND SHIFTS GEARS

INDIA'S SECOND-LARGEST MAKER OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IS READYING TO COUNTER THE DISRUPTION WITH NEW PLATFORMS, PRODUCTS, AND EVs.

- BY P.B. JAYAKUMAR

DHEERAJ HINDUJA, executive chairman of Ashok LeylandIndia's second-largest commercial vehicle maker and the fourth-largest bus manufacturer in the world-is unperturbed by the global disruptions in the world of mobility, especially commercial vehicles.

Ashok Leyland has been at the forefront of bringing in innovative technologies and pioneering products in our 77-year-old history.

We are one of the earliest to work on electric commercial vehicles and alternate fuel technologies,” a confident Hinduja tells Fortune India from his London office. He points to the new ‘iconic’ air-conditioned double-decker electric buses plying in Mumbai and in the U.K., made by subsidiary Switch Mobility. After detailed studies with consultants for years, Ashok Leyland bought U.K.-based bus builder Optare and renamed it Switch Mobility in November 2020.

In Chennai, the home of Ashok Leyland, MD & CEO Shenu Agarwal is thrilled to take on challenges. “We have created a very strong base and foundation for Ashok Leyland. Now is the time to invest in the future and be ready for it,” he says. Agarwal joined Ashok Leyland in December 2022 from Escorts Kubota to drive technology development, growth, and strategy, with a vision to be among the Top 10 commercial vehicle players globally. The core philosophy behind the vehicle major is to build a solid foundation, maintain strong operational discipline, implement effective pricing strategies, offer superior products, and deliver excellent customer service to achieve improved results.

At the Hinduja headquarters in Mumbai, Amit Saharia, group president, strategy, Hinduja Group, says the conglomerate has invested heavily in mobility in recent years.

The past five years have been a roller-coaster for Ashok Leyland, which is gearing up for the future with an expanded next-generation products basket with various fuel options and services across all its focus areas.