Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and one of the world’s leading commercial and defence vehicle manufacturers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PT Pindad, Indonesia’s state-owned defence and industrial equipment manufacturer. The agreement was signed at Pindad’s headquarters in Bandung and marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Indonesia in sustainable mobility and advanced defence technologies.

The MoU establishes a strategic collaboration for the joint development and manufacturing of electric buses and defence vehicles to meet Indonesia’s evolving mobility and national security requirements. The partnership brings together Ashok Leyland’s expertise in commercial electric vehicle platforms and defence mobility solutions with Pindad’s engineering capabilities, local manufacturing strength and established role within Indonesia’s defence ecosystem.

The agreement was formalised in the presence of Prof Sigit P Santosa, Chief Executive Officer, PT Pindad, Amandeep Singh, President – International Operations, Defence, LCV & PSB, Ashok Leyland, and Lord Tariq, Advisor to the Board, Hinduja Auto.

Indonesia is accelerating its transition towards sustainable transportation and modernised defence capabilities. This collaboration aligns with the country’s focus on energy-efficient mobility, electric vehicle adoption and the development of locally manufactured defence platforms.

Under the MoU, the key area of cooperation will be the joint development of electric buses and defence vehicles.

Commenting on the partnership, Amandeep Singh, President – International Operations, Defence, LCV & PSB, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland has a longstanding legacy of delivering reliable commercial and defence mobility solutions worldwide. Our subsidiary, Switch Mobility, has developed a wide range of electric buses with global appeal. This partnership with Pindad enables us to jointly develop products tailored to Indonesia’s terrain, infrastructure and operational needs.”