Ashok Leyland, the Hinduja Group flagship, will roll out six new gentle industrial autos (2-3.5 tonne) within the subsequent 12 months as a part of a plan to extend its LCV market share to 25% from 20% now, a high official stated.
“This yr, now we have six variations of the Dost lined up. We are going to launch one mannequin each alternate month beginning this month-end,” Amandeep Singh, president, LCV, worldwide operations, defence and energy options at Ashok Leyland, informed ET. “This can include different payload, know-how, and quantity capability.”
Dost is a spread of pick-up vans.
“Our goal is to get to 25% (market share in LCVs) within the brief time period over the following two years’ time,” Singh stated, declaring that the corporate has been benefitting from the upward shift within the tonnage – from sub-2-tonne to 2-3.5 tonne out there. LCVs is the biggest sub-segment of the sunshine truck phase. India’s gentle truck market, dominated by Mahindra & Mahindra, includes small industrial autos – these with a gross automobile weight (GVW) of lower than two tonnes and people with GVW that ranges from 2 to three.5 tonnes.
Whereas Tata Motors remains to be the second largest by quantity within the general LCV phase, it has misplaced floor to Ashok Leyland that sells the Dost and Bada Dost branded gentle vans within the 2-3.5 tonne, Singh stated. Leyland doesn’t have a presence within the sub-2 tonne phase the place Tata Motors sells the Ace branded small and lightweight vans.
Total gross sales of sunshine vans within the home market crimped to round 542,000 models in FY24 from 559,000 models a yr earlier on weaker rural demand and different components. However Ashok Leyland – the third largest within the pecking order behind M&M and Tata Motors – noticed its share out there climb as much as 12.10% from 11.74% and volumes inch as much as 65,678 models from 65,654 models in the identical interval, reveals information from Society of Indian Car Producers.
Market chief M&M additionally noticed an over 300-basis factors acquire, cornering 46.32% whereas Tata Motors’ share dropped to 32.45% from 35.71% in the identical interval.
Singh is assured that the forecast of an excellent monsoon, revival in rural gross sales and alter in consumption sample from bulk to packaged, is more likely to increase general gentle truck gross sales in India within the coming months.
To spice up its general presence, final month the Hinduja Group’s EV making arm, Swap Mobility, launched an electrified model of the three.5-tonne Bada Dost in 5 metros and is now getting ready to launch the electrified model of the model with decrease GVW, Singh stated.
In the meantime, plans are afoot to enter the aggressive Asean market with the LCVs the place Japanese manufacturers dominate. Ashok Leyland has been promoting the Dost beneath the Phoenix model within the Center East, Africa, South Asia and GCC nations.
 in the next year, aiming to boost its market share in the segment to 25% from the current 20%. Amandeep Singh, president of LCV, international operations, defence, and power solutions at Ashok Leyland, revealed the company's plans to launch a new model of the Dost range every alternate month, starting from this month.){kind=link}