Escorts Kubota Limited showcased an extensive inventory of products at Bauma Conexpo India 2023. This included the recently introduced backhoe loaders, mini excavators and pick-and-carry cranes. In order to comprehend the significance of Escorts Kubota for the Indian market, Rajesh Rajgor had a one-on-one conversation with the company’s CEO Sanjeev Bajaj
At Bauma Conexpo India, Escorts Kubota came into prominence with the display of its DIGMAX Super, a vehicle that is an addition to their fleet of DIGMAX backhoe loaders currently in use. Commenting on this occasion, the company’s CEO Sanjeev Bajaj said, “The new backhoe loader has a few more benefits. The roll-over protective structure (ROPS) and falling-object protective structure (FOPS) are integrated into the new and attractive cab to protect operators and provide a safer working environment. The equipment has a six-pillar cabin design that gives the operator more room and better visibility.”
The new loaders’ working ergonomics are enhanced by seat-mounted controls. Travel direction and speed are controlled via a multifunction joystick. The equipment comes with an excellent Kubota engine that delivers a considerable level of power and torque, making it an optimal choice for tough terrains. The company also showcased its pick-and-carry crane of 23 tonnes. The F 2322 model has features to ensure the safety of the operator as well as people around it. Less human involvement in machine functionality has been at the core of the company’s focus on producing high-end pick-and-carry cranes.
“Our high-end pick-and-carry crane has cutting-edge technology and anti-toppling features for increased site safety. With the help of audio-visual alerts and several sensors, the crane makes sure that the equipment is immobilised when it enters an area deemed to be dangerous. For greater endurance, this crane’s boom and chassis are constructed from high-strength structural material,” Sanjeev informed. In order to give customers peace of mind with respect to service and maintenance, Escorts Kubota has established a very strong network. “We have a channel network of 90+ dealers and 250+ outlets,” Sanjeev said.
“We are beefing up our channel network further and now with the mini excavators also being sold through this channel, we will further strengthen our offerings. We believe that customer experience at every touch-point will become very critical for us and we are internally working on making quality and customer experience as our key priorities going forward,” Sanjeev elaborated. The speed at which infrastructure projects are moving this year, it is creating demand for high tonnage cranes along with demand for high specification and safer machines. Meanwhile, the requirement for mini excavators is also picking in an industry that is still small but growing rapidly.
Earlier, it was only concentrated in the southern region but its presence is now being felt pan-India. Escorts Kubota is therefore gearing up to make available its mini excavators in all the regions. “We believe that the industry is poised to grow at a fast pace. There is some pent-up demand which we can see in this quarter but going forward the next fiscal year will probably witness a spurt in demand which will be higher than the last couple of years. In fact, it is quite possible that we may touch the peak witnessed in FY 2018 and FY 2019,” Sanjeev said. Formerly Escorts India, Escorts Kubota operates in the sectors of agricultural machinery, construction machinery, material handling and railway equipment. Its headquarters are located in Faridabad, Haryana.