Ashok Leyland and Minus Zero announce a partnership for autonomous trucking

On March 19, 2024, Ashok Leyland, a commercial vehicle manufacturer and part of the Hinduja Group, announced a strategic partnership with Minus Zero, an Indian startup specializing in autonomous driving technology. This collaboration aims to advance commercial trucking through the widespread implementation of autonomous solutions.

The partnership seeks to integrate Minus Zero’s autonomous driving platform, powered by AI technology, into Ashok Leyland’s commercial vehicle fleet. By combining Ashok Leyland’s product portfolio and safety standards with Minus Zero’s expertise, the collaboration aims to facilitate safe and scalable adoption of autonomous driving in commercial vehicles, as claimed by the official statement. As global regulations and infrastructure for autonomous driving continue to develop, collaborative efforts may expand to offer joint products on an international scale.

The official statement says, the initial focus will be on developing tailored autonomous trucking solutions for various industries such as ports, factory operations, and corporate campuses. Future plans may include expanding into hub-to-hub applications and long-haul trucking, with consideration for the regulatory developments in autonomous driving.

N. Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland said: “Ashok Leyland has been looking for ways to reduce the cost of logistics in India in line with the Government’s National Logistics Policy. We see a role for autonomous driving in select sectors in achieving this and we have been partnering pioneering startups in this area. Minus Zero’s capabilities and plans impressed us, and we are excited to be working with them to develop India-specific solutions, that can be scaled globally. We see spin-off benefits in developing cost-effective active safety solutions to reduce the road accidents”

Gagandeep Reehal, CEO and Co-founder, Minus Zero said:  “Ashok Leyland brings decades of experience in delivering high quality products at scale and we’re excited to partner with them in this journey of accelerating autonomous driving in India and globally. With our Nature-inspired AI, we are bringing a paradigm shift by building Foundational AI models for autonomous driving. This partnership marks the beginning of India’s Autonomous Driving story.”

Also read: Ashok Leyland delivers first 14T e-Truck at Bharat Mobility Expo 2024