Click here for PDF

8
12
16
Valedictory
Function
AL-Nissan
LCV JV
Brain
Warriors
Ashok Leyland
Employees’ Journal
October 2008
Ashley News / October 2008
2
A colourful bunch of memories
At around 3.00 p.m. on August
27, 2008, men in orange were
moving around busily at Ashok
Leyland, Bhandara, making sure
everything was set. A covered up
area of 60,000 sq.ft was ready
and waiting to be occupied.
Without even waiting to be
accompanied by parents, kids
rushed to the 40 odd game stalls
to see what was in store for them.
Soon, they were happily jumping away on the bouncy castles
or were enjoying the spread of
chat items or were busily plotting
game-winning strategies.
The event began with the
lighting of the lamp followed by a
few witty moments from Deepak
Raja, the stand-up comedian.
Short speeches were followed
by a sizzling entertainment package. A spectacular Ultra Violet
(UV) dance thoroughly wowed
the audience.
For the team of volunteers who
successfully organized the show,
their long hours, sleepless nights
and sincere prayers to stop rains,
did pay off at the end. One can be
sure that this birthday will remain
in their hearts for a long time to
come.
Alwar
Where past and future made merry
One late August evening. The
stage was set and in fact provided a
befitting backdrop for the grand celebrations in store for Team Alwar.
It was great to have all those who
matter most to us: family members,
colleagues, retired colleagues, suppliers and all our well-wishers.
The spirited audience enjoyed the performance of Shibani
Kashyap and her dance troop. Raja
& Rancho, the laughter show comedians, had everyone in splits. From
our fold, talented Nakul and Ashish
sang “Dus bahane kar ke …” and
le gaye sab ka dil! What enthralled
and impressed one and all was the
Radha-Krishna dance by the senior
3
Ashley News / October 2008
girls’ group. A variety of formations
and use of props like matkas and
dupattas made it enchanting.
A medley of songs along
with the 60 years’ history in the
backdrop was a real surprise by
the talented group of YEs led by
Gaurav. Their energy level was
quite addictive!
As a fitting finale came a rather touching performance by 20
tiny tots. Performing for “a world
free from terror, fear and tears”,
those kids held us spellbound. It
was a special moment for all of
us – a moment of reassurance of
a bright future.
-Vinay Bharadwaj
cover story
Bhandara
news
cover
story
Chennai
A spectacle of music and fun!
No commercial breaks,
no power cuts, no transmission
errors. A live show under an open
sky was what Chennai-based employees of Ashok Leyland were
treated to at the Island grounds
on the July 7, 2008.
In the pre-function carnival
zone, employees from Ennore,
Technical Centre, Marketing HQ
and Corporate Office chased away
Monday blues along with their
families at various game stalls;
sampled pop corn, cotton candy
and astrology (mostly in that order)
and when the kids were away,
even rode merry-go-rounds!
With stand-up comedians Boski
and Badava Gopi providing a good
warm-up act, celebrity anchor Vijay Adhiraj soon announced the
entry of living legend SPB. “Hearing him live was undoubtedly a
great experience - better than what
the best dolby systems can ever
offer”, enthused L S Vasudevan,
DM-Payroll, Ennore.
Popular numbers, ever-green
melodies, disco rountines – SPB
was at it right from the start. Ably
accompanied by Sujatha and
Anuradha Sriram. Kollywood met
Bollywood in Karthik’s peppy numbers that got the crowds dancing.
Amidst all the music came a
5-minute-short display of ‘pyro
techniques’ that spellbound the
audience with its sheer visual
drama!
“The event took us to a new
zone altogether. It has left us with
some unforgettable memories”,
says Savitha Ramesh, Div Manager, Corporate Treasury. The
smile on the thousands of faces
that returned from Island Grounds
that night seemed to wordlessly
say that!
Marketing
Maha fun
in the Metros
Employees from the Marketing function had
their get-togethers at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkatta.
Complete with games, celebrated singers and dance
numbers, these occasions provided a wonderful opportunity for the families of executives to meet up
and celebrate!
Ashley News / October 2008
4
cover story
Ashok Leyland’s State-of-the-art Tech Centre Dedicated to
Excellence in Engineering
July 28, 2008 dawned dull and overcast and
almost throughout the day Ashok Leyland’s Technical Centre at Vellivoyalchavadi was buffeted by
strong winds and drenched by frequent downpours. But that in no way was going to dampen
the spirit of the Tech Centre employees because
they were ready to dedicate the Company’s R&D
facilities that day to excellence in engineering.
The driveways looked neat and clean and on
the spruced up lawns looking fresh and green
were arrayed a range of eye-catching vehicle
models – the newest offerings from Ashok Ley-
land’s stable. Then, amidst the test tracks, the
tanned, older buildings and the swanky new
Design Office with the futuristic glass façade,
suddenly arose a hangar with an inviting tunnel
to enter. Once inside, one was transported into
a world of light, color and technology.
Fortunately, the weather held and the guests
started to arrive. The media came first for a first
time exposure to Ashok Leyland’s state-of-the-art
R&D facilities and then followed the VIPs. Once
all were inside, the heavens opened and poured
its blessings! Inside the structure the audience
“There was an unmistakable sense of pride. We felt
elated when guests commended us for what they saw”
Mukul Mitra, Manager – PD.
5
Ashley News / October 2008
cover story
“As we interacted with several of these youthful faces buzzing
with that rare mix of enthusiasm and humility, it became clear
that the tech centre is a lot more than just a set of equipment
and facilities.”
– Sridhar Chari, Executive Editor, Commercial Vehicle
was held spellbound by the Adagio Acrobats
with an incredible show of strength, flexibility and
co-ordination.
S P Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group, in his
speech reiterated that India was well recognized
for having “the talent, skill, knowledge and wisdom to take on the world.” He was confident that
the young minds present at the function “will go
back inspired and encouraged to make lasting
contributions in your chosen fields of expertise.”
A plaque was unveiled by the Chief Guest, Dr.
R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to
the Government of India, marking the dedication
of the Tech Centre and then Ashok Leyland’s
newest development – the NEPTUNE engine –
was unveiled.
Dr. Chidambaram, in his keynote address
urged that with the automotive sector booming, it
was a good opportunity for direct basic research.
He was rueful that amounts spent by Indian firms
on research were even less than that compared to
South Korea. “India’s economic growth can only
be sustained if we can advance scientifically,”
he stressed “for which there should be a strong
and continuous interaction between academic
institutions and industry.”
The programme concluded with a dazzling
laser show after which the guests were given a
tour of the world-class facilities – the New Design
Office, the Component Test Lab, the test tracks
and the unique torture track simulator, the Six
Poster.
As the day ended, everyone carried home the
message from MD, R Seshasayee who summed
up saying: “This Technical Centre is all about the
future. Future challenges, future vehicle technology and the future of Ashok Leyland.”
“For a while
forgot that we
were actually
inside the same
VVC campus …
felt like some
dream land.”
- K. Hariharan, Senior
Engineer, Advanced
Engineering.
Ashley News / October 2008
6
Modular universal platform for all markets; NEXTGEN family of engines and cabs
At a press meet held on the
sidelines of the dedication ceremony, Ashok Leyland announced
that work was on to develop an
all-new full range truck platform,
to be introduced starting 2010.
Modular and designed to span
goods models from 16 ton GVW
to 49 ton GCW, the new platform
is codenamed ‘UNITRUCK’, reflecting its universal scope and
its versatility to address diverse
needs of the domestic and global
markets. Thanks to its intrinsic
modularity, this new platform can
create a range of on- and offhighway variants to meet different
geographies, road / load conditions, applications and legislative
requirements.
The project involves the development from a clean slate, of
a new family of 4- &6- cylinder
inline engines of 4.7 litre to 8 litre
capacity – Euro IV compliant and
protected for Euro-V, with cooled
EGR and SCR options. Quieter,
stronger and more reliable by design, higher power and torque
with better fuel efficiency are other
highlights of this range.
The drive train will feature 6, 8,
9 and 16 speed gear boxes. Coupled with rear axles of a wide range
of ratios, they can be optimized for
performance and fuel efficiency to
suit different duty cycles.
The UNITRUCK range will
feature the NEWGEN cab initially, before a next generation
of modular cabs takes its place.
The modular cabs will come in
multiple options of widths, heights
and lengths.
The weight-optimised frame
assemblies are entirely modular
and can cater to all W model variants, offering extreme flexibility
to accommodate aggregate options.
The UNITRUCK will form
the base for offering fully-built,
ready-to-use trucks. A high level
of electronics will manage the vital
aggregates, for easy diagnostics
and improved operating efficiency
and fleet management.
Commented R Seshasayee,
Managing Director: “UNITRUCK
reflects our global ambitions.
With higher power-to-weight ratio, superior cab ergonomics and
trim, UNITRUCK will conform to
European standards, and will
spearhead our entry into developed markets, with competitive
advantages in costs. It will also
answer evolving needs of the domestic market as they gallop towards international benchmarks,
thanks to the rapid infrastructural
development”.
Engine from NEPTUNE
platform unveiled
(From L to R) M Natraj, Chief Programmes Mentor;
M S Ananth, Director, IIT Madras; Dheeraj G
Hinduja, Co-Chairman; Dr Franz Mozer, Executive
Vice-Chairman, AVL ; R Seshasayee, MD; Prof
Helmut List, Chairman, AVL and R R G Menon,
ED-Product Development with the unveiled engine.
7
Ashley News / October 2008
‘Preethi’ – a 6 cylinder high-power,
high-torque engine from the new
engine platform of Ashok Leyland
code-named NEPTUNE was unveiled on stage.
NEPTUNE started with technical assistance from AVL Austria for
developing “an engine catering to
BS IV emission norms and above,
for futuristic applications in domestic
as well as export markets”.
The NEPTUNE team was formed
with cross functional representation
from all relevant streams, with full-
time core team members deriving
need-based support from functional areas – a ‘matrix’ organization
model.
Kicked off during 2006-2007,
NEPTUNE successfully test ran
‘Priya’ - an 8-litre, 6-cylinder, 240 kW
EGR - BS IV compliant engine in April
2008 at AVL Graz in a record 58week duration from concept stage.
The Neptune engines are not
only BS IV (Euro IV) compliant but
also protected for future Euro V
norms.
cover story
New goods platform to be unveiled in 2010
cover story
Glittering evening marks
60 years
September 7, 2008. It was time to celebrate the coming together of enterprise and
nationalism 60 years ago to the day. It was time for thanksgiving and for recognising
contributions that have made for the growth and success of Ashok Leyland.
Emceed by Kabir Bedi, the evening’s programme began with a theatrical presentation of a truck driver’s experiences,
presented by EVAM, a theatre group, set to foot-tapping music composed by Anil Srinivasan. A horde of children surging
down from the stage to spread their sweets (“Happy Birthday”) to the audience was a wonderful sight.
The official part of the evening then unfolded. Chairman, R J Shahaney, welcomed one and all and then S P Hinduja,
Chairman, Hinduja Group, made his address recalling the wonderful contribution made by Ashok Leyland to the national
cause, both, as he said, when India’s borders needed protection and when the country reached out a friendly hand to its
neighbour. He reiterated his faith in the Company’s bright future.
The President extends
her warm greetings and
felicitations to all those
associated with Ashok
Leyland and wishes the
celebrations all success.
– From the office of Smt Pratibha
Devi Singh Patil, President of India
In the last 60 years, Ashok
Leyland has responded very
well to the transportation
needs of a growing economy.
It has introduced products
and technologies for different
segments of our society. The
performance of companies like
Ashok Leyland has given India
a pre-eminent position in the
global automobile industry.
– Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
Ashley News / October 2008
8
The vehicles produced by Ashok Leyland have served
different sectors and contributed to the growth of the nation.
The factories have also spawned many ancillary business
units, offering employment opportunities for the youth.
Contribution of companies like Ashok Leyland have helped
Tamilnadu become the ‘Detroit of India’ and my best wishes
for you to continue earning laurels in the journey ahead …
- M. Karunanidhi, Chief Minister, Tamilnadu
9
Ashley News / October 2008
cover story
celebration
cover story
Mandolin Srinivas and
Amit Heri perform
at the function.
1
2
3
Ashley News / October 2008
4
10
The Ashok Leyland book of
history titled ‘Moving India on
Wheels’, penned by S Muthiah
and K N Gopalan, was released
by Honorable Union Finance
Minister, P Chidambaram, who
then spoke eloquently about the
role played by Ashok Leyland,
down the years: “Ashok Leyland
is poised for growth to become
one of the leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles
in the world … Ashok Leyland
has been one of the foremost
companies in India, which has
(Seated from Left to Right) R Seshasayee, MD,
Ashok Leyland; Ashok P Hinduja, Chairman,
Hinduja Group India; Prakash P Hinduja,
President, Hinduja Group Europe; Gopichand
P Hinduja, President, Hinduja Group; Surjit
Singh Barnala, Governor of Tamil Nadu; P
Chidambaram, Union Minister for Finance;
Srichand P Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group; R J
Shahaney, Chairman, Ashok Leyland and Dheeraj
G Hinduja, Co-Chairman, Ashok Leyland.
Seven ‘long associations’ received mementos from
Surjit Singh Barnala and R J Shahaney.
1. Uttam Khobragade, GM-BEST (Customer)
2. Bharat Sanghvi, AMPL ( Dealer)
3. Hemanth Contractor, DMD-State Bank of India
(Banker)
4. V K Viswanathan, MD-Diesel Systems Bosch Ltd.
(Supplier)
5. K N Gopalan, former Company Secretary, Ashok
Leyland (Employee)
6. Ms Geetha, D/o Ms Varalakshmi (Shareholder)
7. M K Rajan, M S Krishnaswami & Rajan (Auditor)
5
11
Ashley News / October 2008
6
7
cover story
S P Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group,
announced the Group’s plan to build a
250-300 bed hospital with an investment
of Rs 300 crore in Chennai similar to the
P D Hinduja National Hospital in Mumbai.
The new hospital would also have a
medical research unit and a college.
created wealth and shared that
wealth with its workers, employees and the Government. That’s
the only way to grow and I’m
sure that’s how Ashok Leyland
will grow even in the future.”
Reflecting the Company’s
belief in lasting business relations, its oldest associations
were celebrated, with a shareholder, an auditor, a banker, a
dealer, a customer, a supplier
and an employee being honoured by His Excellency, the
Governor of Tamil Nadu Surjit
Singh Barnala. Thereafter, the
Governor made his presidential
address: “There are not many
corporate houses in India that
have stood the test of time over
60 long years and can still boast
of an unbroken track record of
profitability. Ashok Leyland can
and that speaks of the maturity,
the sagacity and the wisdom of
the people who have led this
Company and made it what it
is today.”
The stirring strains of the National Anthem was followed by a
superlative recital by Mandolin
Srinivas and Amit Heri (the latter
on the guitar). A celebratory dinner brought the curtain down on
the day not before Mike Connor,
British Deputy High Commissioner, toasted to more success
for a company that is “60 and on
the GO”.