Yes, Ashok Leyland is an Indian company. It is an Indian multinational automotive company headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Ashok Leyland is owned by the Hinduja Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate, with Hinduja Automotive Limited holding majority stakes in the company. The company manufactures a wide range of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses, light commercial vehicles and defence vehicles. Furthermore, Ashok Leyland also produces diesel engines for various applications and automotive components.
Ashok Leyland is the second-largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India and the fourth largest bus manufacturer in the world. The company has manufacturing plants in both India and abroad.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Raghunandan Saran |
| Headquarters | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| CEO | Shenu Aggarwal |
| Sector | Automotive |
Company History
Ashok Leyland was founded on 7th September 1948 by Raghunandan Saran as Ashok Motors. The company commenced operations by assembling Austin cars from Britain. In the year 1950, Ashok Motors partnered with British Leyland to import and assemble Leyland trucks in India, followed by manufacturing of Leyland’s Comet trucks and Tiger Cub lightweight buses at the company’s manufacturing facility at Ennore, Chennai.
Ashok Motors was rebranded as Ashok Leyland in the year 1955, following collaboration with British Leyland. In the year 1968, Ashok Leyland launched India’s first double-decker bus, Titan. Ashok Leyland expanded its production capacity and introduced new truck models in the 1970s. In the year 1980, the company launched India’s first 13-tonne truck.
In the year 1987, Hinduja Group bought significant stakes in Ashok Leyland, alongside Iveco, a part of the Fiat Group. Ashok Leyland launched India’s first CNG bus in the year 1997. The company launched modular vehicles in 2000, step-less buses in 2004, Super Stallion truck for Indian Army in 2012, Captain and Guru truck ranges in 2016 and Oyster Bus range in 2017.
Current Status
Ashok Leyland is the flagship brand of Hinduja Group, which owns 51.54% stakes in the company. It holds around 32% share in the Indian medium and heavy commercial vehicle market. The company operates seven manufacturing facilities in India and one each in UAE and Leeds, United Kingdom.
Ashok Leyland exports its products to over 50 countries worldwide. The company’s subsidiary, Switch Mobility, manufactures electric buses. In August 2025, Ashok Leyland opened a new LCV facility to increase production of its LCV models like Dost and Bada Dost.
Future Outlook
Ashok Leyland is seeking to achieve 25% EV sales by the year 2030, and is also focusing on CNG and hybrid vehicles. Upcoming launches include MHCV tippers, multi-axle vehicles equipped with advanced telematics and tractor trailers. The company is also expected to fulfil defence orders, including Stallion Mk-II for the Indian Army, by 2026.