The Hinduja Group’s flagship company, Ashok Leyland is noted as the third largest commercial vehicle brand in India. They have a market share in the commercial vehicle retail sector between 15% and 18%. Alongside, Dheeraj Hinduja-led vertical is also making strides in the EV sector. Ashok Leyland drives its EV sector through SWITCH Mobility which has emerged as one of the trusted brands in India and abroad. But nothing came easy in the EV sector as it not only had to match the mobility standards but also have a solid infrastructure for its smooth functionality.

The major challenges being faced by EV manufactures include lack of robust charging infrastructure, high costs, dependent supply chains and technological hurdles. Even after so many years of EV revolution, there are countries that lack a charging network especially outside urban setting. This has proved to be a major setback for commercial vehicles to go for longer routes. Also, EV commercial vehicles cost much more than the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles because of the expensive battery technology. The other challenges are dependence on imports of certain raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel used in the production of batteries. For this, Ashok Leyland has focused a lot of investments towards localising the production of batteries in a partnership with CALB. Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland also emphasised on such a partnership as a way of reducing its vulnerabilities in the supply chain and fluctuations in cost.

Dheeraj Hinduja's Ashok Leyland has been able to expand its global footprint from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Middle East and various African countries including  

Sudan (South ), Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Chad, and many more. They have been acknowledging alternative fuels such as bio and hydrogen that has helped them to combat with the technological hurdles. Dheeraj Hinduja is also focusing on acquiring required talent to bridge the skill gaps in the existing workforce. The Hinduja Group is hiring specialised talent to combat the challenge across the EV industry.

Above all, Ashok Leyland is also leveraging the central government’s incentives like FAME II, the implementation and specific green open access regulations can vary widely at the state level, creating uncertainty for investment and operations. 

 

Dheeraj Hinduja Considers Expansion In South Sudan To Make Ashok Leyland A Global Icon

 The future of Ashok Leyland seems to be in safe hands. Yes, we are talking about Dheeraj Hinduja, the Executive Chairman of this commercial vehicle giant, who is on a mission to make his company among the world’s top 10 commercial vehicle makers by catering to the growing demands of international markets like Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Sudan, the Middle East, and many more. The company, which recently inaugurated its new state-of-the-art manufacturing unit in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, recorded a year-on-year rise in its sales, selling 16314 units in October 2025 as opposed to 14067 units in October 2024. 

This is a commendable 16% growth and will motivate the company to deliver even better results in the final quarter of the financial year. Certain countries across the world are undergoing infrastructural change. Countries like South Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Chad need robust vehicles like the ones Ashok Leyland produces for the development and expansion happening there