Ashok Leyland, one of the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, has been conferred with the Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen of the Year 2024 by the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA).

The recognition was on the back of the OEMs Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, Government of Tamil Nadu, presented the award to the Ashok Leyland CSR team.

The Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen was established in 1998 that recognises organisations for their contribution towards societal welfare and contribution towards environmental sustainability.

Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “At Ashok Leyland, we see corporate social responsibility as an integral part of our business philosophy. Our commitment to nation-building goes beyond manufacturing world-class vehicles, as we strive to uplift communities, protect the environment, and drive meaningful change. Receiving the Mother Teresa Award is a great honour and a reaffirmation of our efforts to create a sustainable and inclusive future. Our Road to School and Road to Livelihood programs continue to make a meaningful impact, now reaching over five lakh students. This year, we proudly welcomed 92,000 new students, and we are set to expand further by adding another 1,00,000 students in FY26, reinforcing our commitment to education and empowerment.”

Balachandar NV, CSR and Corporate Affairs, Ashok Leyland, said, “Our CSR initiatives focus on holistic and long-term impact, aligning with our vision of creating a better society. This award is an encouragement for us to continue driving positive change through education, healthcare, environment sustainability, and skill development. We remain very proud of our ‘Road to School’ project, an initiative that takes education to the last mile, focuses on holistic child development enabling them to realize their full potential. For us, 'Road to School' is far more than just a CSR program; it represents a company-wide commitment to driving real, meaningful change in the lives of students.”

Ashok Leyland initiated the Road to School (RTS) program in collaboration with Learning Links Foundation, which tries to bridge educational disparities among students in rural and underserved areas attending government schools across India. It provides both academic and co-curricular growth, encompassing health, hygiene, physical and emotional well-being and sports. Aligned with the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals the program works on improving the quality of education, scholastic and co-scholastic development including sports and art education and promoting good health and wellbeing amongst underserved children from government schools.

Initiated in 2015 with 36 schools in Tamil Nadu, has now expanded across 7 states encompassing 2505 schools and has impacted 418,121 students across Government Primary, Upper Primary and High Schools in the country. Ashok Leyland shared its mission is to impact a million students by ensuring every child in India has access to quality education.

Ashok Leyland, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, has inaugurated its 22nd Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) dealership in Uttar Pradesh. The new 3S facility located in Chunar, Mirzapur will further strengthen the company’s presence in North India.

The company’s LCV portfolio includes Saathi, Dost, Bada Dost, Partner and MiTR targeted for a wide range of customers and applications.

Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland, said, “Recognising immense potential of Uttar Pradesh as a key market for us, we are thrilled to strengthen our presence in the region. Our new dealership in Chunar (Mirzapur) would go a long way in reinforcing our presence in the state. The phenomenal success of our ‘Dost’, ‘Bada Dost,’ and the new ‘Saathi’ range underscores the robustness of our products - thanks to their best-in-class mileage, superior performance, and higher payloads. We take immense pride in our exceptional service retention levels, with nearly 70% of our customers returning to our dealer workshops even beyond the warranty period. This new dealership marks yet another milestone in our journey to provide the best possible experience to our valued customers.”

Ashok Leyland, one of the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nagaland Rural Bank for a strategic vehicle financing partnership. The partnership will see Ashok Leyland get access to customised financial solutions from Nagaland Rural Bank.

The MoU was signed by C Neelakantan, Head -Treasury and Direct Taxation, Ashok Leyland and Velayutham Sadhasivam, Chairman, Nagaland Rural Bank.

Balaji K M, CFO, Ashok Leyland, said, “At Ashok Leyland, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing customer experience and delivering greater value in our products and services. Nagaland Rural Bank is a regional rural bank with a strong presence in the state. With this partnership in place, our customers in the region will have access to comprehensive financing solutions with specially curated easy repayment plans”.

Sanjeev Kumar, President – MHCV, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland is looking forward to collaborating with Nagaland Rural Bank to offer our customers highly attractive financing solutions. This strategic partnership not only strengthens our market presence but also reinforces our commitment to innovation and customer success. With cutting-edge technology and industry-leading total cost of ownership, our products are designed to drive profitability and value for our customers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver exceptional customer experience and build long lasting relationships.”

Velayutham Sadhasivam added, “Nagaland Rural Bank is delighted to collaborate with Ashok Leyland to provide seamless vehicle financing solutions. This partnership underscores our commitment to meeting the diverse financial needs of commercial vehicle customers across the state. We are confident that this alliance will help us expand our reach and offer customized financing options, fostering the growth of businesses in the commercial vehicle sector.”

Eicher Trucks & Buses, a business unit of VE Commercial Vehicles, has announced that it successfully hosted the second Woman Transporters Delegation at its Bhopal plant.

The event saw women leaders in the transport industry exchange ideas, share insights and explore new business opportunities. The discussion revolved around a wide range of topics such as digitisation, alternative fuels and intelligent mobility solutions that provide challenges and opportunities.

The women leaders were given an exclusive tour of Eicher’s Bhopal plant, an interactive session with VECV Executive Management and test drive experience.

Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, said, “At Eicher Trucks and Buses, we firmly believe that inclusivity and diversity strengthen businesses and drives growth. Technology and digital solutions are transforming the industry, making businesses smarter and more efficient. While we are taking steps to improve diversity and inclusion internally through initiatives like an all-woman assembly line in Bhopal, we thank you for working with us to foster innovative approaches in the commercial vehicle industry."

Bhagwan K Bindiganavile, EVP, Strategic Planning, Brand & Communications, VECV, added, “The Indian CV industry is transforming rapidly, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Seven Cs for mobility solutions: Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean and Cutting-edge. We appreciated the women leaders focus on balancing the new technologies making logistics more efficient with a people-first approach.”

SS Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VECV; B Srinivas, COO, Eicher Trucks and Buses; Ramesh Rajagopalan, EVP, Customer Service, Retail Excellence and Network Development and Vimal Mulchandani, EVP- Manufacturing Operation, Eicher Trucks & Buses & Volvo Buses also engaged with the women transporters delegation.

Construction and off-road equipment major SANY has launched what it claims is India's first hybrid off-highway 100-tonne mining dump truck – the SKT130S – with localised manufacturing at its Pune factory.

The truck operates with a 925 kW engine, which generates 3200 Nm of torque, 100-tonne payload capacity and a 61 CuM heaped body capacity, designed for mining applications.

Deepak Garg, Vice-Chairman and MD, SANY India and South Asia, said, “The introduction of the SKT130S is a remarkable achievement in our journey towards driving innovation and self-reliance in India’s mining sector. As India’s first 100-tonne diesel-electric hybrid mining truck, the SKT130S demonstrates SANY India’s commitment to delivering high-performance, efficient and safe solutions to meet the evolving demands of the industry. Our focus on localisation not only supports India’s manufacturing vision but also ensures that we bring cutting-edge technology to enhance productivity in mining operations.”

The SKT130S is expected to achieve fuel savings of 20-25 percent compared to conventional mining trucks. A regenerative braking system enables the high-voltage battery to charge during downhill operation.

The truck includes an intelligent control module for operation management and a 10-inch central control screen for navigation and safety. The cabin meets FOPS/ROPS certification standards, aligning with global safety regulations.