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MOTORINDIA
l
September 2012
This is despite DOST having been
launched in only six States (Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat).
The vehicle, being sold through an
all-new dedicated distribution net-
work, continues to enjoy tremen-
dous pull, particularly for its high
end variants that offer extra features
such as power steering, air-condi-
tioning, etc. The company is ramp-
ing up production at its Hosur fa-
cility to meet the rising demand for
DOST. The dealer network will also
be expanded and the product will be
launched in other States this fiscal.
Further variants of DOST are in the
pipeline.
Group companies and JVs
Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd.
(HLFL) promoted by Ashok Ley-
land commenced its operations in
March 2010. HLFL now has op-
erations in 440 locations with an
employee strength of 1,199 (588 in
2010). In 2011-12, HLFL contin-
ued to grow rapidly and made a dis-
bursement of Rs. 2,107 crores, a rise
of over 70 per cent from the previ-
ous year, across a wide range of seg-
ments, including medium and heavy
commercial vehicles, light commer-
cial vehicles and three-wheelers.
Ashok Leyland John Deere
Construction Equipment Com-
pany Private Ltd., the 50:50
joint venture with John Deere
Construction & Forestry com-
pany of the US, successfully
launched its first product, the
435 Backhoe Loader in No-
vember 2011. It sold 221 units
in four months in the current
fiscal. Its product has been well
accepted by customers due to
its superior positioning as com-
pared to its competitors.
Development of the distribu-
tion system is apace, starting
with the southern market. As
many as 18 dealerships have
already been rolled out and an-
other 27 are planned in the coming
year. New service benchmarks are
being set with 100 per cent achieve-
ment of completing running repairs
on the same day and 100 per cent
parts availability within 24 hours.
The JV company is planning to
vehicle zone (cover story)