Mani is currently serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Ashok Leyland.
Ashok Leyland had previously shared plans to invest Rs 500 crore into the holding company of Switch Mobility for capex requirement. Optare is the holding entity for Switch UK as well as Switch India, and a part of the fund is expected to flow into the Indian arm as well.
As per industry analysts, the Indian electric city bus market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21 percent by 2030 with an EV penetration of 70 percent.
It was earlier reported that Ashok Leyland will evaluate further investments in Switch Mobility, after a fund infusion of Rs 1,200 crore in the maker of electric buses in India and the UK, even as it remained open to external investments in the company.
The Hinduja Group flagship firm has invested Rs 537 crore so far in Switch Mobility, taking its total investment so far to £113 million.
Speaking of the plant's capacity, Hinduja said it will be a small facility with 2,500 buses which can be ramped up to 5,000.
When queried if the company foresees any impact on margins with more LCVs, Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said that he expects the same type of margins in light trucks as the company sees in M&HCVs
Magenta signed an initial pact with Switch Mobility to deploy 500 units of its recently launched eLCV leV4 pan-India over two years.
To launch two e-LCVs in the fourth quarter of this fiscal; the firm is yet to find a strategic partner for its EV division.
The funds will be infused over the next few months after necessary statutory approvals in one or more tranches, Ashok Leyland said.