Ashok Leyland breaks ground on Tamil Nadu battery facility

Ashok Leyland has broken ground on a greenfield battery pack manufacturing facility at Pillaipakkam near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with an investment of ₹4bn-5bn as part of a broader commitment by parent company Hinduja Group under a memorandum of understanding signed in September 2025. The facility is intended to localise electric vehicle (EV) battery pack production and strengthen India’s electric mobility supply chain.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who unveiled the foundation plaque, alongside Minister for Industries T.R.B. Rajaa and Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Ashok Leyland.

In a statement, Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman of Ashok Leyland, said: “The groundbreaking of the new battery pack manufacturing facility marks an important step in our electric mobility journey and reinforces our commitment to building a strong domestic EV ecosystem.”

Agarwal added: “This facility will enable us to build advanced battery pack solutions with greater efficiency, safety and reliability while supporting the battery supply chain localisation.”

Ashok Leyland and its subsidiary Switch Mobility are active in the Indian electric commercial vehicle market. The truckmaker has operated in Tamil Nadu for more than 77 years, with nine facilities spanning over 800 acres across the state and total investment exceeding ₹90bn since its first plant opened in Ennore in 1948.

Source: Ashok Leyland