Sinha: Global dreams

Calcutta, May 30: Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company — a joint venture between Tata Motors and Japan’s Hitachi Construction Machinery — is eyeing a total investment of Rs 300 crore in its Kharagpur plant from vendors in the next two to three years.

“As of now, about six vendors are looking to set up their units. Construction work is expected to start from September. We can expect another four or five in the next two to three years,” a senior company official said.

The company has earmarked 90 acres at Kharagpur, adjacent to its manufacturing facility at the Vidyasagar Industrial Park, for the vendors.

The vendors will manufacture fabrication components and construction machinery equipment as the company plans to make the Kharagpur unit a global source for small and medium-sized excavators.

“We want to make the Kharagpur plant a global manufacturing hub,” managing director of Tata Hitachi, Ranaveer Sinha, said.

The company, which has launched a 20-tonne class hydraulic excavator, plans to export to Africa, West Asia and Southeast Asia.

The decision comes at a time the company has suffered contraction because of the economic slowdown in the domestic market.

The company has two other facilities in Jamshedpur and Dharwad in Karnataka. The three plants, which manufacture excavators, cranes and back-loaders, have a total capacity of 15,000 units per annum.

Yuichi Tsujimoto, president and chief executive officer of Hitachi Construction Machinery, said India would be a major manufacturing hub for Hitachi, which has a 60 per cent stake in the venture.

“There is a great opportunity for us in India as many projects will take place in the infrastructure sector,” he said.