Ashok Leyland - Current Status

Current Status

• Ashok Leyland Comet tank truck in Nepal

• A fire truck in India manufactured by Ashok Leyland

• Ashok Leyland city bus as part of Jaipur BRTS

• An Ashok Leyland bus run by the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation

• Ashok Leyland city buses in Andhra Pradesh belonging to APSTRC

Ashok Leyland is the second technology leader in the commercial vehicles sector of India. The history of the company has been punctuated by a number of technological innovations, which have since become industry norms. It was the first to introduce multi-axled trucks, full air brakes and a host of innovations like the rear engine and articulated buses in India. In 1997, the company launched the country’s first CNG bus and in 2002, developed the first Hybrid Electric Vehicle.

The company has also maintained its profitable track record for 60 years. The annual turnover of the company was USD 1.4 billion in 2008-09. Selling 54,431 medium and heavy vehicles in 2008-09, Ashok Leyland is India's largest exporter of medium and heavy duty trucks. It is also one of the largest private sector employers in India - with about 12,000 employees working in 6 factories and offices spread over the length and breadth of India.

The company has increased its rated capacity to 105,000 vehicles per annum. Also further investment plans including putting up two new plants - one in Uttarakhand in North India and a bus body building unit in middle-east Asia are fast afoot. It already has a sizable presence in African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and South Africa.

Ashok Leyland has also entered into some significant partnerships, seizing growth opportunities offered by diversification and globalization – with Continental Corporation for automotive infotronics; with Alteams in Finland for high pressure die casting and recently, with John Deere for construction equipment.

As part of this global strategy, the company acquired Czech Republic-based Avia's truck business. The newly acquired company has been named Avia Ashok Leyland Motors s.r.o. This gives Ashok Leyland a foothold in the highly competitive European truck market.

In 2010 Ashok Leyland acquired a 26% stake in the British bus manufacturer Optare, a company based on the premises of a former British Leyland subsidiary C.H.Roe. In December 2011 Ashok Leyland increased its stake in Optare to 75.1%.

The Hinduja Group also bought out IVECO's indirect stake in Ashok Leyland in 2007. The promoter shareholding now stands at 51%. Leyland has a state of the art research and development center at Vellivoyal Chavadi which is located near Chennai. Hinduja Group flagship company Ashok Leyland has been awarded the first overseas order worth $6 million for its vestibule buses from Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC).