Ashok Leyland EV plant reflects Uttar Pradesh’s industrial turnaround: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the inauguration of Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant reflects growing investor confidence in the state under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Heavy Industries Minister HD 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.

The chief minister 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 ceremonies of several projects already completed and many others in the 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 in the current financial year.

The chief minister said the EV plant aligns with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives and exemplifies fast-track approvals under the “double-engine” government.