Bengaluru-based startup Minus Zero partners with Ashok Leyland for autonomous trucking solutions

Minus Zero, a Bengaluru-based startup specializing in autonomous driving technology, has announced a strategic collaboration with Ashok Leyland, a commercial vehicle manufacturer under the Hinduja Group.

The partnership aims to revolutionize commercial trucking by integrating Minus Zero's innovative autonomous driving platform with Ashok Leyland's fleet, focusing initially on ports, factory operations, and corporate campuses.

A focus on safety and scalability

According to the company's statement, the partnership is set on ensuring the safe and scalable adoption of autonomous driving technologies in commercial vehicles. Minus Zero, known for its nature-inspired AI, plans to bring a significant shift in autonomous driving with foundational AI models.

"We're excited to partner with Ashok Leyland in this journey of accelerating autonomous driving in India and globally. We are building foundational AI models for autonomous driving and this partnership marks the beginning of India's autonomous driving story," said Gagandeep Reehal, CEO and co-founder, Minus Zero.

Expanding autonomous trucking solutions

As part of the partnership, Both companies intend to expand their autonomous trucking solutions to include hub-to-hub applications and long-haul trucking, contingent on the evolving regulatory frameworks surrounding autonomous driving.

Notably, the expansion is seen as a step towards reducing the cost of logistics in India, aligning with the Government's National Logistics Policy.

Offerings to international markets  

With global regulations and infrastructure gradually adapting to support autonomous driving, the partnership between Minus Zero and Ashok Leyland has the potential to extend their joint product offerings to international markets. 

“With global regulations and infrastructure evolving to support autonomous driving, this collaboration can extend to offer joint product offerings to international markets,” said the company statement.

"Ashok Leyland has been looking for ways to reduce the cost of logistics in India. We see a role for autonomous driving in select sectors in achieving this and we have been partnering pioneering startups in this area. Minus Zero’s capabilities and plans impressed us, and we are excited to be working with them to develop India-specific solutions that can be scaled globally. We see spin-off benefits in developing cost-effective active safety solutions to reduce road accidents," said N Saravanan, chief technology officer, Ashok Leyland.