New Delhi: In a move that blends sustainability with strategic muscle, Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and one of the world’s leading commercial and defence vehicle manufacturers, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PT Pindad, Indonesia’s premier state-owned defence and industrial equipment company.
Signed at Pindad’s headquarters in Bandung, the MoU marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Indonesia in the fields of sustainable mobility and advanced defence technologies — or in simpler terms, cleaner buses for the streets and tougher vehicles for national security.
The strategic partnership focuses on the joint development and manufacturing of Electric Buses (EVs) and Defence Vehicles, specifically tailored for Indonesia’s rapidly evolving mobility needs and defence requirements. The collaboration brings together Ashok Leyland’s global expertise in commercial EV platforms and defence mobility solutions, with Pindad’s deep-rooted engineering capabilities, strong local manufacturing base, and decades-long role in 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, which is actively accelerating its transition toward sustainable transportation and modernised defence infrastructure, sees this MoU as perfectly aligned with its national priorities. With electric vehicle adoption gaining pace and a strong push for indigenous defence platforms, the partnership arrives at just the right time — like a well-timed pit stop in a long-distance race.
Under the MoU, the key areas of collaboration will include joint product development, localisation of manufacturing, and technology sharing across electric bus platforms and defence vehicle architectures.
Speaking on the occasion, 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 now developed a wide range of electric buses with global appeal. Our partnership with Pindad allows us to jointly develop products uniquely suited to Indonesia’s terrain, infrastructure, and operational needs.”
With this collaboration, Ashok Leyland and PT Pindad are not just building vehicles — they are co-engineering the future of Indonesian mobility, one electric bus and one defence vehicle at a time. And if all goes as planned, Indonesia’s roads may soon be quieter, cleaner, and a lot more strategically prepared.
