Doosan Bobcat Opens Backhoe Loader Plant in India

With the opening of its new backhoe loader plant in India, Doosan Bobcat has marked its serious plans for the Indian market. The plant, which was commissioned last month, has a site area of 80,000 m², factory floor area of 15,000 ㎡ and capacity to produce 8000 machines a year.

Doosan Bobcat President and CEO, Scott Park, who visited the backhoe loader plant, said: “With government-led infrastructure investment increasing in recent years, the compact market is growing rapidly in India, making it a highly attractive market. Our mid and long-term goal, beginning with backhoe loaders, is to lead the Indian small construction machinery market.”

Doosan Bobcat entered the backhoe loader market with the aim of exploring new growth avenues. The company acquired idle facilities to produce backhoe loaders in India to minimize its risk of investment. By dramatically shortening the period from preparation time to shipping time, compared to the time taken to establish an entirely new plant, the company will be able to start releasing its first batch of backhoe loaders in the second half of next year. It will then focus on marketing the product in the Indian market and grow its market share.

India’s compact equipment market is the third largest in the world after the US and China, with an estimated worth of KRW 1.3 trillion, with backhoe loader sales accounting for more than 80%. Since 2014, India’s backhoe loader market has grown at an average annual rate of 9.7%.