Ashok Leyland bags order for supplying 1,400 school buses in UAE

Indian company says deal win by distribution partners 'reaffirms faith' in its buses

Ashok Leyland, the flagship brand of the Hinduja Group, said on Thursday it would supply 1,400 school buses in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the company’s largest ever such deal in the West Asian nation.

The 55-seater Falcon and 32-seater Oyster models will be supplied from Ashok Leyland’s $50 million manufacturing facility in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, which is the only certified local bus-making facility in the entire GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).

The fleet deal has been bagged by Ashok Leyland’s UAE distribution partners, Swaidan Trading-Al Naboodah Group. Most supplies will be made to Emirates Transport and STS Group, said a statement from Ashok Leyland, the fourth largest bus manufacturer in the world.

“We are very happy to receive these orders, and this is a historic moment for Ashok Leyland in the UAE. This is a testament to the reliability, durability and robustness of our buses and reaffirms the faith that our customers have on our buses being the safest for transporting school students,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, executive chairman, Ashok Leyland.

“It will be apt to call it “The Emirati Bus”- Made in UAE, for the GCC. Our new electric vehicle company, Switch Mobility, based out of the UK, will help us fulfil our aspiration of zero carbon emission transportation. We see huge opportunities for growth through Switch’s expansion in UAE and the GCC and look forward to launching our electric vehicles in these markets soon,” he said.

The Ras Al Khaimah plant has an installed capacity of 4,000 buses a year and has rolled out 25,500 buses after starting work in 2008.

Amandeep Singh, Head- International Operations said “Ashok Leyland is one of the fastest growing brands in the Middle East with a growing market presence in UAE. Our lowest total cost of ownership and strong after-sales support differentiates us and has helped us win these orders. We are excited with the growth we are seeing in the UAE economy and the opportunity it provides. We have aggressive plans to further enhance our portfolio in light commercial vehicle space.”