Ashok Leyland has extended its corporate social responsibility programme – ‘Road to School’ – in partnership with Hinduja Leyland Finance to 352 schools in Erode, Salem and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu. 

By doing so the commercial major aims to improve the primary and middle school education in government schools in these three districts. It also aims to bring about social equality among the school students in the remote villages through the programme, which would reach over 1,700 schools and benefit 2,00,000 students in more than six states across the country.

In Ammapettai of Erode district, the collector there, Thiru Raja Gopal Sunkara inaugurated a new ‘Road to School’ programme. A similar programme in Konganapuram and Magudanchavadi blocks of Salem district was inaugurated by the collector there, Dr Brinda. 

The launch of expansion of Road to School programme in Palacode, Dharmapuri district was inaugurated by the collector there, Smt Santhi. 

Speaking regarding the new ‘Road to School’ programme developments, N V Balachandar, Consultant CSR and Corporate Affairs, Ashok Leyland, mentioned, "Ashok Leyland has proudly nurtured this initiative, witnessing its remarkable growth over time. 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. We firmly believe in the transformative power of education and its lasting impact on individuals. With the inclusion of schools in Erode, Salem, and Dharmapuri into our 'Road to School' family, we are thrilled to expand our impact and contribute to building our country’s future.”

“The programme has over the years has created a huge impact in the remote rural schools which has enabled children to improve not only in learning levels but important aspects such as life skills, sports and art, thereby improving their ability to be competitive. The programme's uniqueness is the social development initiatives that we do in these villages align with the sustainable development goals. The 'Road to School' is a programme beyond education and in the true sense focusses on holistic development,” he added. 

Road to School (RTS), Ashok Leyland's leading CSR initiative in collaboration with Learning Links Foundation, strives to bridge educational disparities among students in rural and underserved areas attending government schools across India. The Road to School Program envisions fostering holistic development and promoting inclusive education as a means of social empowerment. It supports both academic and co-curricular growth, encompassing health, hygiene, physical and emotional well-being, and sports. RTS program is aligned with the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals on improving the quality of education, scholastic and co-scholastic development including sports, and art education, and promoting good health and well-being amongst underserved children from government schools.

The Road to School program has made significant strides in improving educational infrastructure across Tamil Nadu. With this, Ashok Leyland Limited and Hinduja Leyland Finance Limited have extended their support to 352 primary and middle government schools across Dharmapuri, Erode, and Salem districts of Tamil Nadu. These schools are in blocks identified by the State government as educationally disadvantaged or in need of targeted interventions. This initiative aims to enhance the educational quality and holistic development of over 20,000 children enrolled in these institutions.

Since its inception in 2015 in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, the program has expanded remarkably. Today, it reaches over 1,700 schools and benefits 2,00,000 students in more than six states across the country.

Ashok Leyland is steadfast in its mission to impact 1 million students, ensuring every child in India has access to quality education. With a commitment to nurturing this vision, the company aims to make a lasting difference in the educational landscape in India.

Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of Hinduja Group and the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Bank to provide finance facilities for its M&HCV dealers.

Through the cooperation, Ashok Leyland's M&HCV dealers will have easier access to finance solutions, enabling them to improve company operations and effectively manage their working capital. Dealers may grow their operations with ease thanks to Indian Bank's customised financing alternatives, which offer better liquidity, quicker loan approvals and competitive interest rates. This partnership underscores Ashok Leyland's dedication to empowering its dealer network and promoting sustainable growth in the commercial vehicle sector by guaranteeing increased financial flexibility.

C Neelakantan, Head of Treasury and Direct Taxation at Ashok Leyland, and Saurabh Dalmia, Head of Cash Management at Indian Bank, signed the MoU in the presence of Madhavi Deshmukh, National Sales Head of MHCV at Ashok Leyland, Ashutosh Choudhury, Executive Director, Roopali Singh, DGM-CMS Vertical, and Munash Dalal, AGM-CMS Vertical, who were representatives from Indian Bank.

Balaji K M, CFO, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland is delighted to partner with Indian Bank to offer customised finance solutions to our valued M&HCV dealers. With Indian Bank’s expansive network of 5,880 branches across India, we can cater to our dealers in every region. This strategic partnership will strengthen Ashok Leyland's market position. We remain committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our customers.”

Madhavi Deshmukh, National Sales Head – MHCV, Ashok Leyland, said, “The strategic collaboration with Indian Bank will deliver exceptional financing solutions to our valued dealers, extending our market reach and reinforcing our commitment to innovation and partner success. This partnership will provide tailored financing solutions designed to meet the unique requirements of our dealers. We remain dedicated to fostering long-lasting relationship with our dealer network.”

Ashutosh Choudhury, Executive Director, Indian Bank, said, “Indian Bank is pleased to partner with Ashok Leyland to provide their dealers seamless and tailored financing solutions. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to supporting the diverse financial requirements of businesses in the commercial vehicle sector. With Indian Bank’s best-in-class processes, we are confident that more dealers will benefit from this partnership, enabling them to scale their operations and drive business growth.”

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.