Developed jointly with the Central Road Research Institute and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the machine will be of particular use to contractors engaged in road maintenance activities
India’s leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment, JCB India Ltd., showcased its all new pothole repair machine at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in New Delhi in presence of officials from various organisations, including the National Highways Authority of India, New Delhi Municipal Council, and others. Developed jointly with inputs from the CSIR-CRRI, the pothole repair machine, the company claims, is a one-stop solution for roads and highway maintenance. Based on the popular JCB 3DX backhoe loader, the machine, along with its set of multifunctional attachments, has been developed indigenously over a period of one year.
It is a solution that has been driven by the needs of the sector, offering industry-first features designed to transform traditional roads and highway maintenance operations in the areas of safety and productivity. In his opening remarks, Dr. Shekhar Mande, Deputy General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), appreciated the collaboration between CSIR-CRRI and JCB India Ltd. He appreciated the idea of demonstration of the prototype machine to all the stakeholders and getting their feedback to improvise the machine further.
Prof. Satish Chandra, Director, CSIR-CRRI, in his welcome note, stressed upon the need of such mechanism for road maintenance agencies in India and indicated that this is the first attempt to develop an indigenous pothole repair machine in the country. Subir Kumar Chowdhury, Managing Director and CEO of JCB India, said: “Ever since we started our operations in India four decades ago, JCB India’s machines have contributed immensely towards the creation of roads and highways across the country. There is a need to develop a modern, productive and viable solution for the repair of roads that have been built over time.”
“This new product developed by us with the support of the CRRI is based on our popular 3DX backhoe loader. We feel that it will have significant utility in improving infrastructure in India. It will also help in improving safety through the reduction of accidents caused due to potholes,” he added. This new model has been designed to specifically meet the needs of roads and highway contractors, the local administration and rental companies. The machine has a set of JCB attachments and controls integrated on a 3DX backhoe loader to carry out pothole repairs. This innovation was conceptualised a year ago with CSIR-CRRI at JCB India. CRRI has provided its emulsion-based recipe for the filling mix.
Further, it does not alter the standard hydraulics, engine power, circuits and electrics of the basic 3DX machine. The electrical circuits for the compressed air and the compactor attachment are fully integrated. The machine will also be fitted with JCB India’s advanced telematics technology called Livelink. This will help in exact monitoring of progress of repair projects as it will enable real-time updates of the machine movement, location and its operations. The machine will be made available through JCB India’s dealer network in the construction equipment industry with over 60 dealers and 700 outlets spread throughout India.
Top-level shuffle at JCB India
With Vipin Sondhi moving to take up another position outside JCB India, the company will have in place Subir Chowdhury as its new MD and CEO
According to an announcement made by the company, Subir Chowdhury has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at JCB India. Chowdhury, who is currently JCB India’s Chief Operating Officer, will take up the position by the end of the year, replacing Vipin Sondhi, who is leaving after 13 years’ service as Managing Director and CEO to take up a position outside the industry. Chowdhury joined JCB India in 2005 as Executive Vice President – Operations and was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2017, having successfully spearheaded the expansion of JCB India from a single factory operation in New Delhi in 2006 to a network of five factories today in Pune, Jaipur and New Delhi. A sixth factory is currently under construction in Gujarat, which is due to open in 2020.
JCB Group CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “I would like to thank Vipin Sondhi for his exceptional contribution to the JCB Group. Under his leadership, JCB India has cemented its position as a major player in the Indian construction equipment industry, and I wish him well for the future. Meanwhile, Subir Chowdhury has a proven track record at JCB and I am delighted he is taking up the position as MD and CEO. He has been directly responsible for delivering the additional manufacturing capacity needed to keep pace with the phenomenal growth in the Indian construction equipment market. JCB India is in very safe hands and is perfectly positioned for future growth.”
Before joining JCB India, Chowdhury was Director – Manufacturing for Whirlpool based in New Delhi from 2001-2005. Sondhi is leaving JCB to take up a senior position with Ashok Leyland, one of India’s leading bus and truck manufacturers. The Sondhi family has a long association with Ashok Leyland. Sondhi’s father served as Chairman of Ashok Leyland for 12 years.
JCB India Ltd. is a fully-owned subsidiary of JC Bamford Excavators Ltd., UK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of earthmoving and construction equipment. It has 11 factories in the UK, five in India and other factories in Brazil, China and North America. JCB India’s three manufacturing facilities include the world’s largest backhoe loader factory in the world located near New Delhi.