JSW Greentech has launched Ampstar, its electric commercial vehicle brand, marking JSW Group’s entry into India’s truck and bus market.
The company showcased a 55-tonne electric tractor-trailer and an electric bus in Mumbai on Tuesday. Commercial production is expected to begin at its greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
Ampstar will serve as the common brand for JSW Greentech’s electric trucks and buses. The name combines “ampere”, the unit used to measure electric current, with “star”, which the company said represents aspiration, leadership and progress.
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal said the company wants to accelerate India’s transition from diesel-powered commercial vehicles to electric mobility.
“Why are we getting into this business of trucks and buses? It is not our core business. Neither do we have core competence in this business,” Jindal said. “The primary idea was to be a catalyst in changing the way India moves.”
JSW Greentech's ₹2,500 Crore Investment and Plant Capacity
JSW Group is investing about ₹2,500 crore in the first phase of the electric commercial vehicle business. The 90-acre plant will have annual manufacturing capacity for 15,000 vehicles, comprising 10,000 electric buses and 5,000 electric trucks.
Heavy-Duty Truck Roadmap
Ampstar will initially focus on 55-tonne tractor-trailers used in sectors such as steel, cement, mining and ports. The company plans to expand its truck range with tippers, fixed-body trucks and dumpers before entering other commercial vehicle categories.
The trucks will be offered with fixed and swappable battery architectures. Battery configurations will be customised according to the application and the customer’s operating requirements.
“Our product is not an off-the-shelf product. It is customised,” said Sumit Mittal, CEO of JSW Greentech. “Depending on the features and the application, the prices will vary.”
The company will initially focus on closed-loop operations, where trucks run on predictable routes connecting factories, mines, ports and other industrial locations. These applications allow charging or battery-swapping infrastructure to be installed at fixed points.
JSW’s steel, cement and port businesses are served by around 17,000 trucks, providing Ampstar with a captive ecosystem in which to deploy vehicles and demonstrate their operating economics.
Sumit Mittal, CEO, JSW Greentech
Ampstar Electric Bus Range and Manufacturing Facility
The electric bus portfolio will span vehicles measuring seven to 18 metres. Planned applications include staff transportation, city services, school buses and airport-tarmac operations.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar facility will include truck-cabin manufacturing, electric-bus body building and battery-pack assembly. Battery cells will initially be imported.
JSW Greentech said the facility will be India’s first commercial vehicle plant equipped with a pre-treatment and electro-deposition system. The process is designed to improve corrosion protection and vehicle durability.
Its manufacturing operations will integrate enterprise resource planning, product lifecycle management and manufacturing execution systems. The plant’s groundbreaking took place in October 2024.
Initial B2B Strategy
JSW Greentech will initially follow a direct business-to-business sales model rather than establish a nationwide dealership network. It may appoint dealers in selected markets where they can support clusters of fleet customers.
The company will offer vehicles through outright purchase, cost-per-kilometre and wet-lease models. Its wider mobility offering will include financing support, charging infrastructure, maintenance and battery-as-a-service (BaaS).
“The idea is to be an all-in partner because these are customers who are ready to take the bold call of moving from diesel to electric,” Mittal said.