At 75, Ashok Leyland shifts to top gear on EV business in India, overseas

Its arm Switch Mobility has captured 20% of India e-bus market within two years of inception; plans two EV products every year for next five years

It serves as a testament to the industrial aspirations of young India on September 7, 1948. The country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, persuaded Punjabi freedom fighter Raghunandan Saran to start Ashok Motors, which eventually became the iconic Ashok Leyland we know today.

As the company completes its 75-year journey on Thursday, leading India’s automobile revolution, Ashok Leyland is silently undergoing another transformation, this time in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

Within two years of commencing operations in October 2021, Ashok Leyland’s EV subsidiary, Switch Mobility, has already captured approximately 20 per cent of the market share in India’s thriving