JCB India Ltd, a manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment and fully owned subsidiary of JC Bamford Excavators Ltd (UK), has launched a 16-valve engine which it says will be used by many of its products, such as its backhoe loader and compacting equipment. The engine, called ecoMAX, is based upon JCB's Dieselmax, which in 2006 powered the world's fastest diesel-powered car and achieved a speed of 350 mph (563 kmph).
The company has set up a plant in Ballabgarh, Haryana, at a cost of Rs 135 crore to manufacture these machines in India. This new plant has a capacity to produce 40,000 engines per annum, if operated on a two-shift basis. Speaking to the media, Mr Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director and CEO, said, “Last year we sold around 21,000 machines and this year, we have a growth estimate of 15 per cent.”
Talking about the dealer network, Mr Amit Gossain, Vice-President - Marketing and Business Development, said, “We have over 370 outlets and around 100 of them have been added in the last 12 to 18 months.” Mr Sondhi said that the engine featured around 75 per cent indigenously built parts by value and was BS-III compliant.