Ashok Leyland ‘BADA DOST’

Ashok Leyland unveils light truck ‘Bada Dost’

Commercial vehicles manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) has rolled out ‘Bada Dost’, a light truck, in two versions. “It is the first company-made LCV product to be rolled out on a brand new platform developed in-house. Code named ‘Phoenix’, the project was conceived and developed within 24 months,” said COO Nitin Seth.

“In the LCV segment, we have a 18% market share. With the launch of the Bada Dost, our addressable market goes up to 65% from 34% in two-three years. We will be launching one new variant every quarter for the next two to three years,” he said.

“We have invested about ₹350 crore for developing the product on a brand new platform. We plan to build on this and expand the LCV market and increase our global foot print. We will start exporting these products soon,” said Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland.

According to him, LCV segment holds huge potential and accounted for 40% of the company’s sales volume in FY20. “The recovery of the commercial vehicle industry is being led by this segment in the current market. With Bada Dost, we will now address an important part of this market which has tremendous promise,” Mr. Sondhi said.

“The new in-house developed platform is a key part of our long-term LCV strategy aimed at positioning ALL as a serious and significant player in the segment. Plans are also on to introduce electric versions soon,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman, Ashok Leyland.

Bada Dost i3 and i4, the first two vehicles are being launched along with other current offerings. These are available in both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive options. Initially, the new models will be launched in seven States and in the next three months, will be rolled out pan India.

The ex-showroom prices (Mumbai) of these vehicles range from ₹7.75 lakh to ₹7.99 lakh, the company said.