Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu garu, Honorable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Shri Anagani Satya Prasad, Honorable Minister for Revenue, Registration and Stamps, Government of Andhra Pradesh, distinguished leaders of the government and administration, our partners in progress, friends from the media, all our other friends, all my family from home and many of you are here this evening, and my family from Hero MotoCorp.
As I stand upon this sacred historic soil of Thirupati, my heart is filled with profound pride and a deep sense of national purpose. Today we are not merely laying a foundation stone. We are anchoring a shared future — one where the destiny of our company, the transformation of Andhra Pradesh, and the rise of a modern India converge.
Today, on the 103rd birth anniversary of my father, our founder and chairman emeritus Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, we remember his core conviction that ethical enterprise is nation building in itself. Launching our second global parts center on his birthday on this sacred soil of Thirupati is a profound blessing. We do not just inherit his legacy, we advance it.
Honorable Chief Minister, our presence in Thirupati is a direct testament to our absolute faith in your forward-looking statesmanship and the progressive destiny of Andhra Pradesh. On March 23rd, 2018, you graced us with your presence to lay the foundation stone of our manufacturing facility right here in Thirupati. When commercial production began in 2020, it was a profound declaration of mutual trust. Your government believed in our capacity to build and we believed in the ultimate promise of this state.
True partnerships, however, are not tested during times of ease. They are forged in times of adversity. The pandemic years brought unprecedented disruption to the global automotive industry. Yet our company chose not to retreat. We embraced the challenge.
From sales of approximately 4.9 million units of motorcycles and scooters in the financial year 2022, we scaled to over 6.5 million units in the financial year 2026, reaffirming our position as the world's number one two-wheeler company for 25 consecutive years. Sir, since 2001, we have not let go of this position.
Amidst unprecedented global headwinds, our commitment to Andhra Pradesh stood firm. Powered by your steadfast governance, your leadership delivered the stability and confidence necessary for industry to thrive, keeping the wheels of progress turning without interruption. For this partnership and trust, I express my deepest gratitude.
Today, Andhra Pradesh stands out as one of India's most progressive, investor-friendly destinations driven by an uncompromising focus on ease of doing business, robust infrastructure, and institutional transparency. Your administration's vision, driven by Policy 4.0 and a bold roadmap for green energy, electric vehicles, and aerospace, shows that you are actively building tomorrow. Hero MotoCorp is proud to ride alongside you, shaping the future of mobility and beyond.
Since our inception here in Thirupati, we have invested over 1,500 crore rupees in the state. Our flagship greenfield factory here in Thirupati is an absolute marvel of modern manufacturing, managing a highly complex portfolio of 85 distinct stocking units, which is SKUs, across both internal combustion engines and electric platforms.
Our presence in Andhra Pradesh has transformed Thirupati into a global powerhouse of manufacturing. Just this March, we crossed the 1 million vehicle milestone out of this factory. And last week, we transitioned into a global export hub by flagging off our premium electric vehicle shipments abroad.
But our pride lies equally in how we manufacture. We are proving that heavy industry can be deeply inclusive and profoundly green. 100% of our electric portfolio is engineered, perfected, and manufactured here in this factory in Thirupati. Our shop floors boast a 38% gender diversity rate powered by nearly 1,000 remarkable women who completely run our critical assembly and inspection lines.
True to our ethos of absolute inclusivity, we also proudly employ 27 specially-abled team members who are vital to our success. We are setting global benchmarks for this planet — operating at 100% zero waste to landfill, an incredible 797% water positivity, and designing vehicles with 95% product recyclability. This is the future of industrial enterprise.
Our Thirupati facility is the birthplace of our premium electric brand VIDA, meaning life, a purpose to build a better world. Today, we also unveil the brand's new visual identity designed to redefine everyday mobility rooted in trust and alive with possibility.
In December 2022, we dispatched our very first VIDA vehicle from this plant. By March 2026, we scaled to produce 1 million cumulative vehicles. To support this explosive growth, our teams achieved another major milestone in April 2026, manufacturing five lakh cumulative battery packs right here on this site.
We are manufacturing not just at scale but with world-class quality. In March 2026, the VIDA VX2 was officially ranked highest in the scooter EV segment in the prestigious J.D. Power Initial Quality Study — a testament to the skill, precision, and dedication of our workforce here in Andhra Pradesh.
This brings us to the immense significance of today's milestone. Our new global parts center represents an initial investment of rupees 750 crore in Andhra Pradesh's future. This 85,000 square meter facility will be a state-of-the-art, highly automated, digitally integrated global hub catering to our domestic and international after-sales supply chain. Not just after-sales supply, but we are also planning to do a lot of accessories out of here.
Looking ahead, over the next three to five years, Hero MotoCorp pledges to invest over rupees 3,200 crores in Thirupati. We are committed to transforming this location into a premier global mega hub for automotive and EV components.
Following the launch of our advanced off-road dirt EK3 platform production last year, this massive capital infusion will scale our Thirupati manufacturing capacity to an astounding 1.2 to 1.5 million units annually while generating employment for over 4,000 additional citizens. And I'm thinking, Honorable Chief Minister, I'm thinking that sooner rather than later this plant of ours will probably become the biggest of our six factories in India.
This monumental endeavor aligns seamlessly with our Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji's national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 — building an India that is prosperous, self-reliant, and a dominant global leader. Concurrently, Honorable Chief Minister, it is our commitment to fuel your vision of Swarnandhra, a global golden Andhra Pradesh, by fostering industrial excellence, cutting-edge skill development, and sustainable economic wealth. We are setting the global standards that the rest of the world will follow. This is our contribution to an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
At Hero MotoCorp, we measure our success not just by corporate growth but by the shared prosperity of the communities we serve. Through our structured CSR initiatives, we empower thousands of lives across Andhra Pradesh. Today, as partners in progress with your government, we elevate this commitment by launching two transformative initiatives.
First, we stand with those who protect us. We are empowering the women police personnel of Thirupati with a fleet of advanced VIDA electric scooters backed by comprehensive road safety training to accelerate their mobility and safety.
Second, we invest in the minds that will build our future. To commemorate the 103rd birth anniversary of our founder, we are launching the Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal Heroes of Tomorrow Scholarship. This merit-based initiative will identify and fund top-performing technical education students across all 28 districts of Andhra Pradesh, nurturing the next generation of innovators.
Honorable Chief Minister, on behalf of the global Hero family and our partners, I express my deepest gratitude to you. Thank you for your profound vision, your unwavering trust, and for making Andhra Pradesh a land of progress, transformation, and purpose.
