Mahindra & Mahindra forays into construction equipment business

EarthMaster backhoe loader launched

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India’s leading utility vehicle and tractor manufacturer, has announced its entry into the construction equipment business with the launch of the Mahindra EarthMaster backhoe loader. The Mahindra EarthMaster is available at Rs. 20,98,400 (ex-showroom Maharashtra). The project cost of the construction equipment business is around Rs. 300 crores.

Speaking at the launch of the construction equipment business, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, said: “I am pleased to announce Mahindra’s entry into a large, fast growing and profitable construction equipment industry with the launch of its first product in this category, the EarthMaster backhoe loader. This is an outcome of 36 months of development and is loaded with technology not hitherto seen in this product segment in India. With EarthMaster we are ushering in a new era of performance, comfort and ease of operation in backhoe loaders.”

“The Mahindra EarthMaster has undergone over 20,000 hours of rigorous testing in the harshest of terrains and for the toughest of applications. It has been validated on all performance, safety and reliability parameters. It is backed by Mahindra’s dealer network, which will have unparalleled reach across the country. India is the world’s largest backhoe loader market with over 25,000 units expected to be sold in this fiscal, and we hope to create a mark in this fast growing segment,” said Mr. Kairas Vakharia, Business Head, Construction Equipment, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

The Mahindra EarthMaster will be manufactured at Mahindra’s state-of-the-art facility at Chakan, Pune.

Mahindra’s product development team has utilized extensive consumer insight and feedback to develop this product which is built to withstand India’s rough terrain and heavy usage. In addition, the product offers cutting-edge features using the latest vehicle systems and technologies at prices that are within reach of the mass market.

The Mahindra EarthMaster comes with a two-year unlimited hours warranty which keeps contractors free from anxiety about expensive repairs that are normally associated with earthmoving machinery. The company has put in place a dedicated sales and service network to cater to its construction equipment customers. This will include over 200 dealer sales, service and spare parts outlets, over 200 service vans to reach customers at their sites, 12 area offices, one central parts warehouse and 10 regional parts warehouses to supply dealers and a call center supporting nine languages.
The equipment is powered by Mahindra’s DITEC engine, a compact 3.3 litre engine which delivers best in class 83 hp (Ps) power. The construction of the DITEC engine combining direct injection (DI) with turbo charger & intercooler (TCI) delivers over 10 per cent fuel savings per hour allowing earthmoving contractors to lower their operating cost in a very competitive contracting and hiring business. The engine is packed with the latest technology for minimizing emissions that even meets USA Tier III emission norms.

With the Mahindra EarthMaster, effortless is redefined. Primitive, tough to operate levers are a thing of the past. The machine has a new age digital cluster that helps the operators identify and trouble-shoot problems. Operators in different regions of India can read messages and listen to warnings in six different languages, in addition to the standard warning indicators.