JC Bamford Excavators, one of the world's largest manufacturers of construction equipment such as backhoe loaders and telescopic handlers, plans to increase exports from its India unit to 45% of total output this year, up from 10% five years ago, according to a top executive.
JCB's largest market outside of Europe is India, one of the world's fastest-growing major economies. Lord Bamford, chairman of the Bamford family-owned company, told reporters at the company's global headquarters in Rocester, UK, that the company is also looking to test its recently developed hydrogen combustion engine here.
JCB is also planning to manufacture electrolysers that will generate hydrogen from water for testing its zero-emission jcb loaders, a first in the construction equipment industry, according to Bamford, who added that the electrolysers will be produced for captive consumption.
The electrolysers will be manufactured at the company's UK facility within the next 18 months. It will then be manufactured in India, according to Bamford. "We are constantly investing in India - more than in any other part of the world." "We try to replicate everything we do here, in your country, and we are pleased," Bamford said. "If we make hydrogen engines commercially here, we will also make them in India." Given India's reliance on imported fossil fuels, he believes the urgency of finding a solution should be greater.