The manufacturing facility—Ashok Leyland’s seventh in India will initially have the capacity to produce 2500 buses per year. It can be ramped up to 5000 vehicles per year over the next decade as the demand for electric and other types of buses is expected to grow substantially over the next few years.
“We are excited to venture into the vibrant state of Uttar Pradesh, and we are confident that this new facility will contribute positively to our shared objectives of generating employment opportunities and promoting sustainable mobility in India,” Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman, Ashok Leyland said in the statement.
Under this partnership, while Ashok Leyland will predominantly concentrate on the production of electric buses, it would also have the flexibility to assemble other vehicles powered by currently available fuels as well as emerging alternative fuels, it said in the statement.
Within the framework of the agreement, the Government of Uttar Pradesh is committed to facilitate the sale of electric buses annually for its own fleet and among other stakeholders for the next five years through Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, Nand Gopal Gupta, Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI, and Investment Promotion, Government of Uttar Pradesh said in the statement.“Ashok Leyland’s mission to achieve Net Zero by year 2048 is one of the triggers to set up this plant in Uttar Pradesh,” said Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland. Uttar Pradesh is not only one of the largest and the most dynamic states in our country, but also very firm in its commitment towards environment and sustainability, he said.