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EV bus plant puts Lucknow on road to industrial acceleration
Rajnath, Yogi inaugurate Ashok Leyland unit at site where Scooters India Ltd had stood in Sarojini Nagar area of Lucknow
The state capital reached a new milestone on the road to industrial acceleration on Friday with the inauguration of Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle plant, spread over 70 acres in Sarojini Nagar at the site where the Scooters India Limited factory once stood.
Two buses manufactured at the plant were flagged off at the inaugural ceremony. The EVs manufactured in the state capital are gradually expected to hit the road across the country.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the plant in the presence of Union heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy and other dignitaries.
Friday’s event was held five years after Scooters India Limited, the state-owned manufacturer of the classic Lambretta and Vijai Super scooters and Vikram three-wheelers, was shut down in January 2021 due to persistent losses, marking the end of an era for the Lucknow-based company.
The ground breaking ceremony of the Ashok Leyland project was held on February 20, 2024.
The plant, which is expected to play a key role in skill development and employment generation for the local workforce, has come up with an investment of ₹252 crore, and will provide direct and indirect employment to thousands of people and boost economic activity in the state. The plant will also provide skill development training to 10,000 youths every year.
The plant will roll out 2500 EV buses every year in the first phase and the capacity will be later scaled up to 5000 EVs annually.
The inauguration of Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle plant in the state capital is proof of the improved law and order scenario and infrastructure development in the state, said Rajnath Singh, who represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha.
He said the Ashok Leyland plant was completed in 18 months, well ahead of the planned 60-month schedule.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the inauguration ceremony itself reflects the growing confidence of industries in the state. He thanked the Hinduja Group for having faith in the state government and selecting Uttar Pradesh for investment.
He said the project symbolises the commitment to industrial development and environmental protection, noting that electric mobility is crucial at a time when the world is grappling with challenges such as global warming.
With the country’s largest workforce, Uttar Pradesh, he said, is poised to redefine itself as a state of trust and transformation.
Ashok Leyland chairman Dheeraj Hinduja welcomed the dignitaries at the event, while MD and CEO Shenu Agarwal expressed gratitude.
Besides defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Union heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, cabinet ministers Suresh Khanna and Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, transport minister Dayashankar Singh, MLA Rajeshwar Singh, and other distinguished guests were also present.
