Sanjeev Bajaj Chief Office, Construction Equipment Business Division, Escorts Kubota Limited
What are the features and applications of the new products showcased at bauma CONEXPO India 2026?
We showcased three new machines: the BLX75K Itanji Backhoe Loader, the F25 Fighter 25-tonne crane, and the Hydra 16 Plus crane with a 64-ft boom height.The BLX75K Itanji Backhoe Loader is developed jointly by the teams at Kubota Japan and India. It is powered by Kubota's globally renowned engine, which offers high reliability, good fuel efficiency, low operating costs, and a long service life. The machine features a spacious 6-pillar cabin that provides superior visibility, a high-comfort seat, and ergonomic controls for enhanced operator comfort.
The F25 Fighter is a high-end crane with a 25-tonne lifting capacity and reinforced structures. It delivers safety and reliability during heavy lifting and has an air-conditioned cabin for operator comfort.
The Hydra 16 Plus offers a boom height of 64 feet, helping customers achieve better working reach, and is equipped with a 4th powered boom, enabling operators to maximize machine productivity.
These machines are suitable for a wide range of applications, including material handling, earthmoving, road construction, industrial projects, housing, and infrastructure development. Customers are looking for equipment that delivers higher productivity, better fuel efficiency, enhanced safety, operator comfort, and easy maintenance. Our latest products have been developed to meet these requirements and provide dependable performance in tough Indian working conditions such as high temperatures, dusty environments, rough terrain, and long operating hours.
What is Escorts Kubota’s product development strategy to meet evolving customer demand and what new / innovative features or technologies have you introduced to improve their performance?
Today, customers focus on the overall lifecycle value of a machine rather than only the purchase price. Keeping this in mind, Escorts Kubota's product development strategy is focused on reducing the Total Cost of Ownership for customers.Our latest machines are equipped with fuel-efficient engines, optimized hydraulic systems, durable and heavy-duty components, and application-specific features that help improve productivity while reducing operating costs. We also focus on longer service intervals, easy maintenance, and machine durability, which contribute to higher uptime and better resale value.
At Escorts Kubota, innovation is aimed at making equipment safer, easier to operate, and more productive. Across our construction equipment portfolio, we are introducing advanced hydraulic systems and improved machine controls. Enhanced safety features, better operator ergonomics, and smoother controls reduce operator fatigue and improve working efficiency.
Connected machine technologies provide real-time performance information, helping operators and fleet owners make better decisions and improve jobsite productivity. The result is higher machine utilization, safer operations, and better performance in demanding applications.
How is Escorts Kubota strengthening its localization, dealer network, spare-parts availability and after-sales support to deliver faster service across India?
Localization remains a key strength for Escorts Kubota. Today, more than 95% of our components are sourced through a strong local supplier ecosystem, enabling us to develop products suited to Indian operating conditions while ensuring faster availability of parts and services.We have built a strong network of over 80 channel partners and more than 200 customer touchpoints across India. We are continuously strengthening our regional warehouse infrastructure, improving spare-parts availability, and investing in technician and operator training programs. These initiatives help us provide quicker service response, maximize machine uptime, and deliver superior ownership experience to customers across the country.
What is your roadmap for electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel road construction equipment?
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for the construction equipment industry, and EKL is preparing its portfolio for this transition through cleaner and more efficient technologies. Our current focus is on fuel-efficient equipment, CEV-V compliant technologies, advanced hydraulics, telematics, and connected solutions that help reduce fuel consumption and improve operational efficiency.At the same time, we are actively developing future-ready options such as electrification and alternative-fuel technologies. As these technologies mature and customer adoption increases, we will continue to align our product roadmap with evolving market requirements while ensuring that solutions remain practical, reliable, and commercially viable.
