JCB India Taps Rural Entrepreneurs Amidst Pandemic
It is a known fact that rural entrepreneurship engages the masses in manufacturing output, by providing employment opportunities, assists in the industrialization of rural & backward areas, thereby, assures regional balanced development and reduces migration of youth to urban areas. It also plays a pivotal role in the distribution of income & wealth at the grassroots level in developing countries like India. And there are companies that are leveraging massively on such schemes and initiatives of the government. For instance-the value, which a JCB machine offers, is turning many people in rural areas into entrepreneurs.
In the words of Deepak Shetty CEO and Managing Director of JCB India, “We are looking at a new set of rural entrepreneurs who are coming forward and buying our machines. In fact, after the first wave also, around 65-70% of our machines were being purchased by our customers from rural areas This is an additional stream of employment for our customers in rural areas,” adding, “In addition to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the whole emphasis on rural healthcare after the second wave looks very promising. We anticipate more rural roads and other infrastructure being built in rural areas. All our machines such as telehandlers, wheel loaders, backhoes, etc., will stand in good stead when rural infrastructure is being developed.”
As the Modi govt coaxes and cajoles multinational OEMs to make India their production base and make it integral to the global value chain, UK-based Joseph Cyril Bamford ( JCB) is upping its ante in rolling out its all-new range of CEV Stage IV compliant Wheeled Construction Equipment vehicles The launch of these machines make JCB India the first company in the Industry to have brought in the CEV Stage IV Emission Standards across its range of Wheeled Machines.
When asked about the potentialities from mini-excavators as its backhoes are getting pricier, Shetty added, “The Backhoe (segment) has been the bellwether of the industry. It has been a product that has been used across various geographies. I don’t think a mini excavator can come close particularly in a country like India with varied terrains and soil conditions that we have. 25% initial productivity during the loading and all these add value to the backhoe customers vs mini excavators, which is in a sense, single-use on excavation side.”
Meanwhile, the company is betting big on the infrastructure sector and is also hoping for the construction equipment sector to come under the ambit of PLI schemes, “Right from the time the budget announcement was made, the government has continued to focus on the Infrastructure Sector. We could see announcements that were focussed on this sector. For example, govt has announced the setting up of the DFI. Similarly, capital expenditure and the focus, “maintained Shetty, adding, “Unfortunately the present announcements of the PLI scheme do not cover the construction equipment market. Our association is making requests to the govt and I am sure construction equipment industry from across the world can play a very important role.”
When quizzed about the availability of its Hydrogen-powered CEVs in India, he maintained, “We look at various streams from alternate fuels points of view. Based on the infrastructure which is available in the country, we are focused on the CNG platform. We are one of the first companies to roll out a dual tech backhoe loader and have found that customers across the country have liked this product. We have sold a lot of machines in India and have even exported these machines to Russia. As a company, we will review, from time to time and move forward.”
When asked about the projected numbers, he replied, 'As a company, we would not speculate on the volume but I am very confident that the numbers will start improving as move forward.' Over exports, Shetty said the company is witnessing a 'massive growth' on the construction equipment side in the global market. “We export machines to 110 countries around the world. The make in India has been the embodiment of Atmanirbhar Bharat as we speak about. From the Jaipur facility itself, we are exporting to 59 countries. Almost 15% of the machines that we produced is exported. As we move up the value chain from an emission standards point of view, more and more markets across the world will become open for Indian machines.”
