Leading commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland 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 Uttar Pradesh government at a programme organised in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday.
Under the MoU, Ashok Leyland will set up an integrated commercial vehicle manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh, focused on e-mobility. Notably, this will be Ashok Leyland’s first plant in the state with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. 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.
Welcoming Ashok Leyland to Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the state government is committed to providing security and facilities to all its investors. He said that Ashok Leyland’s decision to invest in Uttar Pradesh is timely, and the entire Hinduja Group will benefit from it.
He added that the Uttar Pradesh government is eager to attract investment from the private sector in line with the Net Zero mission. Reducing emissions through cleaner public and freight transportation is an important step in that direction. The government is working continuously on the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles. The administration had also issued state policies in this regard.
Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Ashok Leyland, mentioned that this year, Ashok Leyland is celebrating its 75th anniversary. “Signing this MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a manufacturing plant in the state expresses our commitment to shape it.”
Providing details about the activities before the MoU signing, Hinduja mentioned that the discussion regarding investment in Uttar Pradesh took place on 10 August, and today it is 15 September. Everything has been finalised within 36 days.
Hinduja expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his entire team for their quick decisions. Giving information about the proposed unit, Dheeraj Hinduja said that this new unit in Uttar Pradesh will start in the next 18 months. He informed that the work on various dimensions of e-mobility will be done in the state in a phased manner. He said that they are 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.
Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi,’ the Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI, and Investment Promotion of the Uttar Pradesh government, stated that Ashok Leyland’s decision to establish a unit in Uttar Pradesh will further enhance the strength of the company. He said that this will create additional employment opportunities for our youth, thereby improving their skills and strengthening the overall economy of the region.
The MoU was signed by Manoj Kumar Singh, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Ashok Leyland.
