Ashok Leyland to launch new product every 6 months: Official

Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland would introduce a new product, every six months till 2020 as part of it's growth plans, a top company official said here today.
The company which introduced light commercial vehicle 'Dost' six years ago, today launched 'Dost+', an upgraded model that could carry higher payload with a light kerb weight, Nitin Seth, president - Light Commercial Vehicles, Ashok Leyland said.
"Ashok Leyland is going aggressive in the light commercial vehicle business. We will be launching a new product every six months till 2020," he told reporters after unveiling 'Dost+', here.
The city-based company, as a first step would introduce left-hand driven 'Dost' range of vehicles, aimed at serving the left-hand driven overseas markets by January 2018.

Currently, the 'Dost' range of vehicles are shipped to various overseas countries including SAARC nations, Gulf countries.
"With the left-hand driven 'Dost' range of vehicles we will target markets like Russia, Ukraine," he said.

Currently, exports contribute 10 per cent of total light commercial vehicles sales, Seth said.
"Last year, we sold 32,000 units (of light commercial vehicles) of which 3,000 units were exports. This year we are expecting sales volume to reach 40,000 units of which 4,000 will be exports," he said.
Stating that the newly launched 'Dost+' costs Rs 30,000 more than the existing model, Seth said the company would retail both 'Dost' and 'Dost+' variants to customers as per their requirements.

"In this product, kerb weight is less, payload is more. It comes with bigger tyres and longer wheel base," he added.
Responding to a query, he said of the total commercial vehicles sold in the country, 60 per cent constitute light commercial vehicles.
The company would sell the 'Dost+' model in the four southern States and parts of Maharashtra, initially, and would expand it to other States in a phased manner.
"We hope to reach pan-India by end of December or first week of January," he said.
The new model is priced from Rs 5.74 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai).
Since the introduction of 'Dost' in 2011, the company sold 1.70 lakh units, he added.