en.Wedoany.com Reported - Ashok Leyland, India's second-largest truck manufacturer, expects the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&HCV) segment to grow by 5% to 7% this fiscal year, while launching a new series of AVTR heavy-duty trucks equipped with air suspension to fill the market gap in rigid trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from 42 to 49 tons.

Sanjeev Kumar, President of Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles at Ashok Leyland, stated that the first quarter performance was encouraging, with demand improving after the rationalization of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a market recovery after June, and replacement purchases becoming the biggest driver for the industry. He expects the second quarter to also outperform the same period last year, noting that fleet replacement, infrastructure spending, and private capital expenditure are key growth drivers, while exports, which were disrupted due to the conflict in West Asia, have largely returned to normal since June.

The newly launched AVTR series, equipped with air suspension, offers trucks with a GVW of 46 tons, whereas previously, multi-axle rigid trucks in this segment were only available in 42-ton or 49-ton configurations. Based on current regulations from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), vehicles with air suspension are allowed higher payloads, giving the new platform a 4-ton payload advantage while maintaining the same tire configuration as the 42-ton model. Kumar stated that this 4-ton advantage translates to approximately 500,000 rupees. The technology was developed over four years with extensive validation, and the vehicles have undergone trial runs of over 200,000 to 300,000 kilometers. The system was designed by the company's engineering team and is 100% localized.

Kumar stated that the new trucks could generate an additional profit potential of approximately 3 million rupees over a six-year financing period, with a purchase price premium estimated at 3% to 4%. Ashok Leyland is also evaluating the possibility of extending air suspension technology to more truck platforms based on customer feedback, but Kumar noted that future expansion depends on whether different configurations can provide sufficient payload gains within regulatory limits. Managing Director and CEO Shenu Agarwal said the company's product development strategy focuses on customer-centric, technology-driven innovation, and the company has introduced several new technologies in the commercial vehicle segment over the years.