UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson officially opened JCB’s newest factory in India as the company strengthens its global manufacturing presence. With 11 factories in the UK employing more than 7,500 people, JCB first began manufacturing in India in 1979 and is now the country’s leading producer of construction equipment.
The £100 million investment plant in Gujarat will fabricate parts for global production lines. The new factory is located in Vadodara near the port city of Surat on the West Coast of India.
Joining the Prime Minister at the opening was JCB Chairman Lord Bamford, who led JCB’s expansion in India in the late 1970s, including the opening of its first factory in Ballabgarh, near Delhi. Today, JCB has six factories in India at locations including Jaipur and Pune.
India has been JCB’s biggest market every year since 2007 and one in two of every construction machine sold in India today is made by JCB. The new facility, which is on a 47-acre site, will be capable of processing 85,000 tonnes of steel annually.
The new plant will be a gender diverse manufacturing facility employing 50% women. JCB India has also set up a skills centre at the plant where young professionals will be trained to work on diverse job roles in manufacturing.