Mr. Kamal Nath, Hon’ble Union Minister of Urban Development, Government of India, laid the foundation stone for Hinduja flagship, Ashok Leyland’s new Driver Training Institute, a pilot project with the Government of India, last Friday at Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The function was held in the presence of an array of government officials and senior personnel from the Company.
Spread over 15 acres, this new facility will have all the necessary facilities for heavy commercial vehicle driver training including tracks like 8-curve, S-curve, 6 lane roads, village roads and a state-of-the-art simulator. Ashok Leyland will provide trained manpower, develop and conduct appropriate courses.
Speaking at the function, Mr. Kamal Nath said, “This centre-sponsored institute will help the drivers to know the fundamentals of heavy duty commercial vehicles driving. The comprehensive driver engagement programme will enable drivers to handle the overall on-road safety measures efficiently and help them avoid mishaps. The Indian automobile industry is growing at a rapid pace and the increased focus on road and infrastructure development will boost freight movement across the country. This driver training institute will help create more employment opportunities in the region.”
Commenting on the development, Mr. R. Seshasayee, Executive Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland said that Ashok Leyland was been one of the few auto companies that has instituted a comprehensive driver engagement programme to strengthen its relationship with the driver community. “The Company is already running two driver training institutes in the country at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu and the other at Burari, near Delhi, that trains about 40,000 drivers every year with more such being planned at Haryana and Rajasthan” he added.