JCB to make India its global manufacturing base

NEW DELHI: World���s third largest earthmoving and heavy machinery maker JCB, plans to make India its largest global manufacturing hub to meet its worldwide export commitments, a top company executive said.

UK-based JCB, which operates in India through its wholly-owned subsidiary, JCB India Ltd has invested Rs 300 crore in the past one year to expand its Ballabgarh plant in Haryana into world���s largest backhoe loader manufacturing facility. The investment will double its daily production capacity to 100 backhoe loaders at the plant.

JCB, whose products are utilized for carrying out infrastructure projects, is banking on huge investments in various projects being carried out in the country.

JCB group CEO Mathew Taylor told ET, "We have already invested Rs 880 crore in the past few years and are finalising more investment plans for the Indian operations. India is our largest market, even bigger than China and the UK, which has prompted us to develop it as our global base and meet our commitments for Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia and other markets."

The firm has 18 plants in four continents, including 11 in the UK followed by three in India besides other locations in the US, China, Germany and Brazil employing more than 7,000 people worldwide.

In India JCB operates two other plants out of Pune in Maharashtra, which are used for making automotive components and
earthmoving and construction equipment industry products. "We are already sourcing components from India in a big way for our UK plant and the Pune facility will have a larger role to play in our global sourcing requirements. We would be sourcing components for our plants in China, Germany and Brazil," Mr Taylor said.

JCB has sold 80,000 heavy machines in its three decade operations in India. It competes with the likes of Caterpillar, Tata-Hitachi, Komastsu, L&T Case, Volvo India and Hyundai Construction Equipment India in the country and is further enhancing its distribution network in India.