Date : February 18, 2007 Published from : Corporate Office
Ashok Leyland, the flagship of the Hinduja Group in India, is participating at IDEX 2007, the premier defence exhibition at Abu Dhabi from February 18th to 22nd, 2007. This follows its maiden participation at the previous edition in 2005 which had evoked interest in many markets and among certain defence forces like the Sultan’s Special Forces in Oman and the Kenyan army.

A pioneer in the design, development and manufacture of defence vehicles for over three decades, Ashok Leyland has been partnering the Indian Army in their vehicle fleet modernization. As the largest provider of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army, the Company has over 45,000 special purpose vehicles – Stallion 4x4, over 1,000 Light Recovery Vehicles, Crash Fire Tenders and Truck Fire Fighters already doing duty. Last year, the Company bagged an order for 872 Water Bowsers valued at INR 2,300 million, a large component of which has already been executed.

Already present in many markets in the Middle East and Africa with its commercial vehicles, the Company finds considerable market potential for its defence vehicles too. “Our defence vehicles have proved themselves over the varying terrains of the Indian sub-continent, from sea level to 5,500 meters, at temperatures ranging from -40* to +50*. We are confident that our vehicles meet the performance requirements of the prospective markets. The Stallion 4x4 has successfully completed trials in Kenya and trials are in progress in other countries that are showing encouraging results,” said Mr. R. Seshasayee, Managing Director.

Ashok Leyland’s export footprint covers over 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The SAARC countries – Bangla Desh, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka – GCC/Saudi Arabia, Seychelles and Egypt form major constituents in the Company’s growing export market. Ashok Leyland has a dominant presence is some of them: 70% market share both in Dubai and Mauritius bus markets as also in the 7 – 16 Tonne goods and passenger segments in Sri Lanka. Ashok Leyland executed the largest ever single order for Indian commercial vehicles by supplying 3322 trucks to Iraq. During the year April 06-Jan07, exports accounted for 8% of a total of sale of vehicles.

Ashok Leyland is in the process of setting up a bus assembly unit that will eventually be upgraded to a vehicle assembly plant (for trucks and buses) at Ras Al Khaimaih. The proposed unit will allow local value addition, close to a growing market for Ashok Leyland. Customers will stand to benefit through better finish and timely delivery as the Company can avoid shipping of finished products. It will also be a strategic window to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and neighbouring countries.

The network of distributors in the focus markets is supported by the Sharjah customer support centre which has become a vital link, reducing recovery time and boosting customer satisfaction. The Company has Parts Warehouses at Sharjah, Mauritius and South Africa.

This year, at IDEX 2007, Ashok Leyland is showcasing two vehicles that highlight the Company’s capabilities of vehicle integration spanning tactical to logistics vehicles.