Dubai: Ashok Leyland, the flagship brand of the Hinduja Group, the fourth largest bus manufacturer in the world and a transnational transportation and mobility solutions leader, announced bagging orders from major fleets for 1,400 school buses in the UAE – the company’s largest ever supply of school buses in GCC.
The 55-seater Falcon bus and 32-seater Oyster bus – will be supplied from Ashok Leyland’s $50 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, which is the only certified local bus-making facility in the entire GCC.
The total fleet deal for the GCC-made buses has been bagged by Ashok Leyland’s UAE distribution partners, Swaidan Trading – Al Naboodah Group. Most of the supplies will be made to Emirates Transport and STS Group, a statement from the company said.
Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman, Ashok Leyland said, “We are very happy to receive these orders, and this is a historic moment for Ashok Leyland in GCC. This is a testament to the reliability, durability and robustness of our buses and reaffirms the faith that our customers have in our buses being the safest for transporting school students.
These products are made in the UAE assembly plant. The product concepts originate in the GCC, the designs are done by our engineers and are assembled in a factory in a GCC country. More than 55% of parts are sourced from the GCC. It is a Made in GCC, Made for GCC products.
“Our new electric vehicle company, Switch Mobility, based out of the UK, will help us fulfil our aspiration of zero carbon emission transportation. We see huge opportunities for growth through Switch’s expansion in UAE and the GCC and look forward to launching our electric vehicles in these markets soon.”
Amandeep Singh, Head of International Operations said, “Ashok Leyland is one of the fastest growing brands in the Middle East. Our lowest total cost of ownership and strong after-sales support differentiates us and has helped us win these orders. We are excited about the growth we are seeing in the GCC economy and the opportunity it provides. We have aggressive plans to further enhance our portfolio in the light commercial vehicle space. You will hear from us shortly.”
The Ashok Leyland Ras Al Khaimah plant has an installed capacity of 4,000 buses a year. Ever since its start in 2008, Ashok Leyland has rolled out 25,500 buses from the plant so far. Over the years, the plant has generated abundant economic and social value. More than 7,000 establishments in GCC own an Ashok Leyland product, transporting 1.8 Mn passengers every day. Building on the patronage of its customers, the company has expanded its portfolio and launched light commercial vehicles “Partner Truck” and “Gazl Buses”. The UAE plant also exports buses to African countries.
