Ashok Leyland Limited Chairman Dheeraj G. Hinduja expressed his keenness on operationalising the company’s bus manufacturing plant at Mallavalli in Bapulapadu mandal of Krishna district, in his reply to a letter written by Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, on July 30.
Mr. Hinduja stated that it has been the company’s endeavour to continue manufacturing state-of-the-art buses at the Mallavalli plant, but it has been rendered inoperative for many years due to an unfortunate turn of events in the past. It now requires significant efforts and resources to get the plant back into operation, for which support of the State government is also needed.
He said that the company is interested in initiating discussions with the State government to reinstate the plant, while also pointing out that Ashok Leyland, through its subsidiary Switch Mobility, has forayed into manufacturing electric buses for private and public transport.
If the company could successfully operationalise the Mallavalli bus factory, it would also produce electric buses along with the traditional buses, Mr. Hinduja said, requesting Mr. Sivanath to facilitate the State government support.
The management team of Ashok Leyland has been trying to meet Industries and Commerce Minister T.G. Bharat in that regard, and company MD and CEO Shenu Agarwal has been asked to get in touch with the MP’s office to take it forward.
In his letter dated July 29, Mr. Sivanath said that the Ashok Leyland plant was inaugurated in 2015 when N. Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister and it became non-operational since 2019. The letter also requested Mr. Hinduja to revive it in order to provide jobs to 5,000 persons and spur the State’s economic growth.
