Ashok Leyland to enter construction equipment business in JV with John Deere

Ashok Leyland, India’s second-biggest commercial vehicle maker by sales is all set to make a foray this year into the booming construction equipment segment dominated by players such as Telcon of Tata Motors, JB, Escorts, L&T, Caterpillar and Komatsu.

According to the Ashok Leyland CFO K Sridharan, the joint venture with John Deere to manufacture construction equipment will take off in December this year. The company is setting up a facility near Gummidipoondi and has started testing products in the market. ALL floated the 50:50 joint venture in September 2008.