Doosan Bobcat India (DBIN), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based Doosan Bobcat, has commenced operations from its first manufacturing plant in India, at Gummudipoondi near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The company will produce backhoe loaders, a product which sees huge demand in India, given the ongoing focus on infrastructure development.  

Doosan Bobcat is an industry leader in the engineering, manufacturing and marketing of construction equipment and represents the world-renowned Bobcat, Geith and Doosan brands.

The company has confirmed an investment of Rs 190 crore (US$ 26 million) for the next five years. The Doosan Bobcat India factory is spread across 21.6 acres and has an annual production capacity of 8,000 units. It is an integrated facility with fabrication, warehouse, assembly and paint shop and will initially manufacture backhoe loaders, which have been completely designed and developed by the engineering team based in Chennai. The backhoe loader is a new addition to the company's product portfolio  in India that comprises skid-steer loaders and mini-excavators.

At full capacity, the Chennai plant will employ more than 300 personnel. The new facility is equipped with modern manufacturing equipment, testing facilities, space for an R&D centre, vendor development and a training centre too.

Commenting on the new plant, Scott Park, CEO of Doosan Bobcat, said, “This new facility will cater to the increasing demand of backhoe loaders to support the development of India’s infrastructure and construction segment. India is one of the key markets for Doosan Bobcat to maintain global leadership in the compact segment. By opening the new factory in India, Doosan Bobcat has taken the next step forward to expanding its global presence and growth strategy. This facility represents our long-term commitment to Indian customers, employees and business associates in the nation through the development of vendors, promotion of local part procurement, technology transfer and export.”

Doosan Bobcat India plant inauguration –  [10th from left] Scott Park, global president and CEO, Doosan Bobcat; [5th from left] HW Park ( President, Doosan Bobcat Asia, Latin America and Oceania); Doosan Bobcat global executive committee members and chief guests – [9th from left] Prakash Govindasamy, IAS, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation and [8th from left] Hyung Tae Kim, consul of general, consulate general of the Republic of Korea in Chennai

B900 backhoe loader launch in October 
The B900 backhoe loader from Doosan Bobcat is to be officially launched in October 2019. Doosan Bobcat India claims that it has developed a comprehensive plan to support its customers through its 25 channel partners.

The company also plans to make this facility a global manufacturing hub for export and a regional centre of excellence. Other than backhoe loaders, the company is also looking to localise its other compact products to suit the Indian market requirement and potentially exporting that as well.

Doosan Bobcat India is also considering exporting its made-in-Chennai products.