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Thu, Oct 10, 2024 | Rabi al-Thani 7, 1446 | DXB
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The Hinduja Group – Reinforcing India-UAE relations
Discover how the Hinduja Group's diverse business verticals have been instrumental in driving growth, innovation, and collaboration in the UAE's evolving business ecosystem
The transnational business conglomerate, Hinduja Group, stands a class apart with its presence in the UAE and the region for over three-and-a-half decades. As a global business leader present in 100 countries across 10 business verticals employing nearly 200, 000 people, the Hinduja Group has extensive footprints in the region and has been at the forefront of contributing to the tectonic business transformation, economic growth and social evolution of the UAE.
Over the years, the Group has been continuously reinforcing its businesses, and in the process cementing the bilateral bond between India and the UAE. This relationship between the two countries has been bolstered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and India is now the third largest trading partner of the UAE with non-oil trade alone at $72.87 billion.
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“The family has deep-rooted relationships in the UAE for long and by enhancing our businesses, we have also been a stakeholder in the growth of the national economy, as well as a catalyst in promoting India-UAE relationship. As a group, we have always believed that partnerships are the way forward for growth, be it government to government or business to business,” said GP Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group, adding that the Group’s time-tested strategy is to `Act Local, Think Global.’
Ashok Leyland reinforcing the UAE’s manufacturing sector
Among the Hinduja Group’s diversified businesses tapestry, Ashok Leyland stands tall in the UAE. Ashok Leyland’s bus manufacturing plant in Ras Al Khaimah in the Northern Emirates, is the only bus plant across the GCC, adding value to the UAE’s Operation 300bn industrial strategy. It envisages enhancing the UAE industrial sector’s contribution of AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion to the GDP by 2031.
Ashok Leyland has come a long way since the opening of the manufacturing plant in 2010 - from an initial 2,000 buses per annum at the time of setting up the factory, the capacity has grown three-fold now to 6,000, a significant indication and endorsement of the brand’s spectacular growth journey in the UAE.
Ashok Leyland now has a 70 per cent market share in the staff and school bus categories, making it a majority player in the market. The bus manufacturer has also been instrumental in developing an automotive ecosystem of local vendors in the UAE and currently over 50 per cent of the components are sourced from the UAE market, contributing to the UAE Government’s avowed mission of `Made in the UAE’ products. Consistent investment into the 100,000 sqm Ashok Leyland plant has helped the brand to grow beyond the UAE into regional export markets, particularly with a focus on Africa.
A significant indicator of Ashok Leyland’s contribution to the local economy is evident in the indigenization of the components, with 49 per cent of localization at the vehicle level, 81 per cent of localization of body parts and the development of 61 local suppliers.
Gulf Oil Middle East The Energy Push
Gulf Oil Middle East (GOMEL) is yet another Hinduja group entity with a longstanding presence in the UAE and the region. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf Oil International Ltd., GOMEL was established in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in the UAE in 1986.
GOMEL is an active contributor to the expanding manufacturing sector in the UAE with state-of-the-art lubricant blending plants in Jebel Ali and Ras Al Khaimah, producing a range of automotive and industrial lubricants. GOMEL also manages Gulf Lubricant’s business in the Middle East, Levant, Afghanistan, Pakistan and CIS region with a presence in over 20 countries.
— anam@khaleejtimes.com
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