Ashok Leyland, India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, will set up an electric bus manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between Ashok Leyland and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in a programme organised in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday.
Welcoming Ashok Leyland to Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it was a historic milestone for the people of the state. He said that it was surprising that Ashok Leyland had not yet had a presence in a state like UP, which had a huge population of 25 crore and was the largest demographic capital in the country. “In this sense, today is a historic day,” he added.
The chief minister said that the state government was committed to providing security and facilities to all its investors. He said that industrial groups that used to avoid coming to UP until six years ago were now expanding their establishments after coming here. He also mentioned that Ashok Leyland’s decision to invest in Uttar Pradesh was timely, and the entire Hinduja Group would benefit from it.
Yogi Adityanath emphasised that this step of Ashok Leyland aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, where the country is determined to reduce dependence on traditional fuel options.
He said that the UP government was eager to attract investment from the private sector in line with the Net Zero Mission and reducing emissions through cleaner public and freight transportation was an important step in that direction.
“The government is working continuously on the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles. The administration has also issued state policies in this regard,” he said.
“Today, most of the EVs are registered in Uttar Pradesh, and efforts are underway to develop more charging stations. Electric vehicles are being incorporated into the UPSRTC (UP State Road Transport Corporation) fleet, and EVs are being operated in various cities,” the chief minister said.
Chairman of Ashok Leyland, Dheeraj Hinduja, mentioned that this year Ashok Leyland is celebrating its 75th anniversary. “Signing this MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to set up a manufacturing plant in the state expresses our commitment to shape it,” he said.
He said: “For the first time, discussion regarding investment with Uttar Pradesh took place just this year on August 10, and today it is September 15. Everything has been finalised within a mere 36 days.”
He said that if work was carried out efficiently, it would significantly transform the industrial landscape in UP.
Giving information about the proposed unit, Hinduja said that this new unit in Uttar Pradesh would start in the next 18 months. He said that the work on various dimensions of e-mobility would be done in the state in a phased manner. He said that they were working on a plan to convert their entire fleet of diesel buses and commercial vehicles into electric and other alternative fuels in the coming years.
Under the MoU, Ashok Leyland will set up an integrated commercial vehicle bus manufacturing plant in UP focused on e-mobility. Notably, this will be Ashok Leyland’s first plant in the state. Under this partnership, Ashok Leyland will primarily concentrate on the production of electric buses, while also having the facility to assemble other vehicles operated by currently available fuel alongside emerging alternative fuels.