Ashok Leyland breaks ground on its seventh plant, in Andhra Pradesh

Domestic CV major, Ashok Leyland, is aggressive on its bet on the growth of commercial vehicle segment. The company which currently, has six manufacturing facilities in India, one in United Kingdom and UAE each, today announced the beginning of construction of its Bus Plant in Andhra Pradesh.

The new Greenfield factory spread across 75 acres with state-of-the-art technologies, will be the first Ashok Leyland plant in Andhra Pradesh, located at Model Industrial Park, Mallavalli Village in Krishna District. The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Vinod K Dasari, managing director and CEO, Ashok Leyland, laid the foundation stone of the new facility.

The plant once fully operational would have a manufacturing capacity of 4,800 buses per annum, along with a state-of-the-art learning center and an advanced service training center. The company says this plant will contribute towards skill development of the employable workforce in the state of Andhra Pradesh and will have the potential to employ over 5,000 employees.

The CV manufacturer Leyland states that the new facility will have the capability to make the entire range of buses of Ashok Leyland brand. The facility will also include an electric vehicle development centre comprising of a futuristic conveyor line, pilot assembly line and prototype development. It will be a complete green facility, with rooftop solar panels, LED lighting, battery operated vehicles for in-plant movement, positive water balance and zero discharge.

Speaking at the ceremony, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, said, “Today is a landmark day for us. We are excited to have such an established company like Ashok Leyland setting up a factory in Andhra Pradesh. It is a key addition to our fast expanding manufacturing hub here. This factory will not only provide jobs to our youth but also help improve the skill level of our people in the state and overall economy of the region.”

Dheeraj G Hinduja, chairman, Ashok Leyland, said, “The Hinduja Group is proud that its flagship Ashok Leyland has chosen the vibrant state of Andhra Pradesh for its latest plant. Ashok Leyland has been at the forefront of mass mobility in the country. With this new plant, we are preparing ourselves for the future.”

Sharing his views on the upcoming plant, Vinod K. Dasari, MD and CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “This facility will help us be ahead of the curve by ensuring our readiness towards implementation of the bus body code and to meet the rising demand for ready-to-use, fully-built Trucks as well. We will also produce Electric vehicles at this plant. The new plant is also strategically located to meet the demands of Center, East and Southern India markets.”