Hindustan Motors was established during the pre-Independence era at Port Okha in Gujarat. Operations were moved in 1948 to Uttarpara in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, where the company began production of the iconic Ambassador. Equipped with integrated facilities such as a press shop, forge shop, foundry, machine shop, and aggregate assembly units for engines, axles, etc., along with a strong R&D wing, the company used to manufacture the Ambassador (1500 and 2000 cc diesel, 1800 cc petrol, and CNG and LPG variants) in the passenger car segment, as well as the light commercial vehicle Winner, a 1-tonne payload mini-truck (2000 cc diesel and CNG), at its Uttarpara and Pithampur plants.

The Uttarpara factory, popularly known as Hind Motor, the first and only integrated automobile plant in India, also manufactured automotive and forged components. The company also had operations in Pithampur near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, where it produced the 1800 cc CNG and other variants of the Winner. Hindustan Motors was committed to core values of quality, safety, environmental care, and holistic customer orientation. The shares of the company are publicly traded on the National Stock Exchange of India and BSE Limited.

Business area of the company

The company primarily used to be engaged in manufacture and sale of vehicles, spare parts of vehicles, steel products and components. The company also used to be engaged in trading of spare parts of vehicles.

Milestones

• 1942: Hindustan Motors Limited was incorporated at Port Okha in Gujarat as a small assembly plant for passenger cars.
• 1948: Hindustan Motors Limited shifted its activities to Uttarpara in West Bengal and set up facilities for manufacture of cars and trucks.
• 1971: Hindustan Motors Limited further diversified its activities by setting up an Earthmoving Equipment Division at Tiruvallur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu for the manufacture of Earthmoving equipment such as dumpers, front-end loaders, crawler tractors and so on.
• 1985: Hindustan Motors Limited commenced a Power Products Division at Hosur, Karnataka for manufacture of heavy duty transmission required for Earth moving Equipments.
• 1986: The Commercial Vehicle Division for the manufacture of Heavy Commercial Vehicles at Vadodara, Gujarat was commenced. Due to increase in project cost and material cost arising out of adverse exchange fluctuation, the project was abandoned. The company sold a part of the assets of this division to General Motors India Limited, for manufacture of 'Opel Astra' range of passenger cars in the premium segment.
• 1987: Hindustan Motors Limited commenced production of petrol engines and transmissions at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, in collaboration with Isuzu Motor Company, Japan.
• 1996: Hindustan Motors Limited modernized, upgraded and expanded its three existing divisions Earthmoving Equipment Division, Power Plant Division and the Uttarpara Plant.
• 1997: Hindustan Motors Limited began the production of the Road Trusted Vehicle.
• 1998: Commenced the Mitsubishi Lancer Car project.
• 2001: The Earthmoving Equipment Division plant was sold off to Caterpillar, USA.
• 2002: Launch of the Mitsubishi Pajero (in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors, Japan), in India.
• 2004: Components Business (PUP-Pithampur and PPD - Hosur) transferred to AVTEC.
• 2013: Commence contract-manufacturing of Isuzu’s MU7 SUV and DMAX pick-up truck at Tiruvallur.
• 2014: Chennai Car Plant of the Company was divested. Suspension of work was declared at Uttarpara Plant.
• 2025: 395 acres of Land of Uttarpara Plant was resumed by Government of West Bengal on July 11, 2025.