Escorts Ltd., India’s leading engineering conglomerate, has joined hands with the world leading mobile crane manufacturer, the Tadano Group of Japan, to locally manufacture smarter and innovative products for the high-end hydraulic mobile crane segment in the country.
The 51:49 joint venture aims to leverage the cost-effective frugal engineering excellence of Escorts and the advanced Japanese technology from Tadano to cater to an expanding market for heavier capacity, sophisticated and efficient truck and rough terrain cranes in the 20 to 80 tonnage category.
The agreement on the joint venture was signed by Mr. Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director, Escorts Ltd., and Mr. Koichi Tadano, President and CEO, Tadano Ltd. The JV will enable both partners to optimize their current and future capabilities in the segment globally.
Tadano-Escorts is expected to commence its manufacturing at Faridabad in the third quarter of this financial year. The product offerings are expected to find a ready market with big construction companies servicing oil refineries, metro rail projects, smart city and other urban construction, power projects, airports, seaports, etc.
Aligned to ‘Make in India’
Speaking exclusively to MOTORINDIA, Mr. Nikhil Nanda said that his company’s new venture with Tadano is a step towards catering to market demand for smarter, safer and bigger mechanized infrastructure solutions in the higher tonnage category.
“Our vision has always been to bring the world’s best to India and take India’s best to the world. We are confident that the joint venture will enable us to tap the opportunity in market segments and reinforce our leadership in the construction equipment space.”
The company said that its Faridabad facility has a monthly capacity of 600 machines. Based on the market demand for the new products of the JV, its production capacity will be determined, it added. “The JV involves most frugal investment and lean production processes, which in turn will make the products more competitive”, observed Mr. Nanda.
Mr. Koichi Tadano noted in this regard: “Escorts has a strong technology legacy, manufacturing capacity and diversified portfolio in the CE market. Tadano has a proven global technology, combining which we can cater to growing economies like India which require safe, efficient and quality products and smarter construction technology.”
Developing suitable products for India
Asked about the export potentials for new products, Mr. Tadano replied that the JV’s focus is on the domestic market initially. Although, he did not rule out the possibility for exports in the future, he asserted: “We are now developing suitable products for the Indian market, although we look forward to locally manufacture all our global products in India in future”.
Apart from the latest JV, Tadano India, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Tadano Group, is already a notable player in the country’s premium crane segment. It started its direct operation in 2012 by shipping parts and products from its assembly lines in Japan and Germany.
“The Tadano brand has been steadily selling and successfully marketing rough terrain cranes in a highly potential local market, and has already established its name in the market”, the company observed.
It has a vast population of about 250 units of rough terrain and truck cranes (all terrain) across India, along with after sales service to support customers on product technical support and spare parts sourcing in the shortest possible time.
Globally, the Tadano Group is now aiming to achieve a new growth trajectory by expanding the scope of its business to become the world’s top leading manufacturer of lifting equipment, a field that includes not only cranes but a variety of machinery and equipment embodying the concept of mobile, gravity-defying equipment for aerial work.
Escorts launches India’s first Automated Concept Tractor
Escorts’ annual innovation platform this year – ‘Esclusive 2018’ – saw the company debuting ‘Automated Farming Solutions’ with the launch of the country’s first automated concept tractor. The smart tractor brings the power of next-generation digital vehicle technologies aimed at precision-based farming.
To be able to deliver this, Escorts has collaborated with seven technology giants, namely, Microsoft, Reliance Jio, Trimble, Samvardhana Motherson Group, WABCO, BOSCH and AVL.
The company believes that such partnerships will enable development of next-generation farm machines with electric transmissions, autonomous operations, remote vehicle management, data-based soil and crop management, and sensor-based guided farm applications.
The ‘Esclusive’ platform was also used to showcase the company’s collaborated technology with Tadano for high-end cranes under the newly announced JV. The annual innovation platform is scheduled for September 6 every year to announce unique technology innovation and disruption in areas like agriculture, construction and Railways. It started in 2017 with the launch of the world’s first compact electric tractor.