JCB India, the leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment in the country, has produced its 500,000th machine. JCB, which has been in India since 1979, has six manufacturing facilities in India and exports ‘Made-in-India’ machines to over 130 countries.

The milestone rollout took place in the presence of JCB’s Group chairman, Lord Bamford at the company’s India headquarters at Ballabgarh.

Lord Bamford said: “India is today one of the strongest economies in the world. There has been a significant focus on infrastructure development over the past decade and we are proud to have been a part of this growth through our machines.”

He added, “We have continued to invest in India since 1979, when we set up our first factory at Ballabgarh. India now plays an important part in our global business, as it is one of our largest markets, and also contributes to the global supply chain for JCB”

The 500,000th machine – a telehandler – is a versatile machine for material handling and offers a new way to handle material at heights in a safer and more productive manner compared to traditional options.   

Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD, JCB India said, “It is only fitting that the 500,000th machine to roll out from JCB is Telehandler. This machine, ever since it was introduced in India, has made work sites safer and more productive with its superior design and engineering. JCB is a world leader in telehandlers and as India grows, we see opportunities for this machine in the material handling sector. Additionally, our brilliant machines such as backhoe loaders and excavators among others will continue to be used in the infrastructure sector.”

JCB manufactures over 60 different products in nine categories in India. The company has also created a benchmark for gender diversity in the construction equipment sector. Its Jaipur factory has 34% women on the shopfloor and the Vadodara facility, which opened in 2022, has 52% women on the shopfloor. JCB India also has a design centre in Pune with over 700 engineers who work on domestic as well as global projects.