Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, said it has received BS-VI emission norm certificates for all its heavy duty truck, ahead of the April 1 deadline for the switch over to the new fuel and emission standard.
All of the company’s trucks with a rating of 16.2 tons or above have received certificates from Automotive Research Association of lndia (ARAI), it said.
“Despite the short transition timeframe from BS IV to BS VI, we have done extensive testing and with a further 7 months to go, we are confident that our indigenous development will provide a superior and competitive solution addressing the needs of our customers,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland.
“Compliance in the LCV and ICV range will be completed shortly and we will offer a comprehensive range from 70 hp to 360 hp in BS Vl application,” the company added.
The company said it has also developed an entirely new modular vehicle platform for the upcoming, BSVI range of vehicles that will allow it to customize its vehicles to client needs.
This will help it design and manufacture commercial vehicles with different loading spans, cabins, suspensions, and drivetrains.
“These combinations would be offered to the customers through a custom built product configurator,” it said.
Founded in 1948, it is the second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world and 10th largest manufacturer of trucks globally. Operating nine plants, Ashok Leyland also makes spare parts and engines for industrial and marine applications.
Ashok Motors was founded in 1948 by Raghunandan Saran. He is an Indian freedom fighter from Punjab.
Ashok Motors was incorporated in 1948 as a company to assemble and manufacture Austin cars from England.
Leyland Motors joined in 1954 with equity participation, changing the name of the company to Ashok Leyland. Ashok Leyland then started manufacturing commercial vehicles.
In 1987, the overseas holding by Land Rover Leyland International Holdings Limited (LRLIH) was taken over by a joint venture between the Hinduja Group, the Non-Resident Indian transnational group and Iveco, part of the Fiat Group.
Hinduja Group bought out Iveco’s indirect stake in Ashok Leyland in 2007.