LUCKNOW, Jan 9 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the inauguration of Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant here reflects growing investor confidence in the state under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy were also present at the event.
Adityanath said the plant’s current manufacturing capacity of 2,500 units would be scaled up in phases to 5,000 units annually.
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.
He added that the plant would generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the state. Congratulating the Hinduja family for choosing Uttar Pradesh for investment, Adityanath said the project underscored the transformation the state has witnessed since 2017.
“Uttar Pradesh has moved from being known for disorder to becoming a state that converts potential into results,” he said.
Highlighting infrastructure growth, the chief minister said the state now has extensive expressway networks, metro services, the country’s largest rail network, two dedicated freight corridors, logistics hubs, rapid rail and inland waterways.
Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals worth Rs 45 lakh crore over the past eight to nine years, with ground-breaking ceremony of several projects already done and several others in pipeline.
He added that the state contributes 9.5 per cent to the national GDP and is on track to achieve a gross state domestic product of about Rs 36 lakh crore this financial year.
The chief minister said the EV plant aligns with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives and exemplifies the fast-track approvals under the “double-engine” government.
The chief minister further stated that investor facilitation platforms such as Nivesh Mitra, Nivesh Sarathi, and Udyami Mitra are ensuring seamless interdepartmental coordination, timely approvals, and continuous handholding for investors.
As a result, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed rapid growth in the auto components and electric vehicle ecosystem, a momentum that the government intends to accelerate further by leveraging the state’s vast potential.
“In 2024, Uttar Pradesh accounted for 19 per cent of India’s total electric vehicle market. The state has also emerged as a major beneficiary of the FAME I and FAME II schemes, with 700 electric buses currently operating across Uttar Pradesh.”
Referring to the bus manufactured at the new plant, the chief minister said it is a 17-18 seater vehicle priced at approximately Rs 15 lakh, designed for school transportation and inter-city connectivity.
The manufacturing of such vehicles will receive a significant boost under the state’s Electric Vehicle Policy. The chief minister also announced that the Hinduja Group will sign an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government to provide skill development training to 10,000 youth annually at the facility.
He said the EV sector holds immense significance in terms of new skills, emerging technologies, and future-ready employment, and that ITIs, polytechnics, and engineering institutions are being strengthened to prepare youth for this transition.
With the country’s largest workforce, Uttar Pradesh, he said, is poised to redefine itself as a state of trust and transformation. (PTI)
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