Ashok Leyland clarifies battery investment: no CALB funds, phased over 10 years, pack production in 2027
Ashok Leyland has clarified that its battery ecosystem investment is fully self-funded, phased over 10 years, with pack production planned for 2027.
2025
2027
What Happened
- No investment from CALB: all funding comes from Ashok Leyland
- Investment phased over the next 10 years
- Battery pack production to begin in 2027
- Location of pack manufacturing in India still under discussion with state governments
- Import of cells from CALB; future actions to be finalized as progress is made
The announcement follows a previous press release from September 2025 that sparked interest. Ashok Leyland emphasizes that the scope with CALB is limited to cell imports for now, while pack assembly and eventual localization will be addressed in phases.
Why this matters
The clarification details Ashok Leyland's strategic move into battery manufacturing in India, a key step toward reducing dependence on imported cells and strengthening the domestic EV supply chain.
Terms in This Story
- CALB
- China Aviation Lithium Battery Co., Ltd., a Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer.
- battery ecosystem
- The network of production, supply, and recycling of batteries for electric vehicles.
- battery pack
- An assembly of battery cells and electronics that powers an electric vehicle.
- cells
- The individual electrochemical units that store energy in a battery.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.