The Hindu Business Line : Kobelco open to roping in partner for excavator plant

Mumbai, Oct 5 Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd (KCEIPL) is open to the idea of tying up with a local construction equipment company for a possible joint venture of manufacturing excavators locally.

There are certain local players who have shown interest in the possible joint venture, said Mr Kenji Sakamoto, Executive Director, KCEIPL.

Primary possession of land and expertise in the construction equipment market, especially on the administrative side, are some of the reasons for the company is looking at a local partner, he added.

“We expect to have the manufacturing plant by the fiscal year 2009-10,” said Mr Sakamato. Certain State Governments have shown interest, particularly the southern States though it’s too premature to give out their names, said senior officials.

The company has its headquarters in Noida. It expects to have a small stockyard-cum-assembly line facility in Chennai ready by December , said senior officials.

The company has undertaken a feasibility study for the proposed site of the manufacturing plant and the major component (any one of them - fabrication, engine aggregates, driveline or hydraulics) that it will manufacture at the forthcoming plant.

Fabrication of parts such as arm, bucket, boom, undercarriage and counterweight cabin are the most sought after products due to the country’s forte in fabrication. Moreover, one cannot rule out the possibility of India becoming an export hub for these parts in the years to come, said Mr Vikram Sharma, CEO, KCEIPL. Rest of the products are most likely to be imported, he added. Meanwhile, the company has introduced the launch of its SK-8 series excavators machines (20 tonne and 35 tonne class) in the Indian market. Models SK 200-8 SK 210Lc-8 are 20T class and SK 350Lc-8 is a 35-tonne class excavator. These are the latest 8th series machines currently imported through the CBU route from Japan.

Since the company started sales operations in April 2007, it has notched up sales of 100 units in a span of six months. It has set up its sales, service and spares support in 22 States and plans to expand to Gujarat in November.

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