Claas India Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Germany-based agri machinery manufacturer, Claas Group, is targeting export of 150-180 multi-crop harvesters in 2008-09 from India, as compared to 130 machines last year.
Further, with the new plant at Morinda (Punjab) operational, the company is eyeing a growth rate of 20 per cent over the last financial year.
Speaking to Business Standard, Claas India Ltd President & Managing Director Pradeep K Malik said, “Indian multi-crop harvesters will now be exported from the new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility of Claas India Ltd at Morinda. With our two manufacturing facilities in India (second one in Faridabad), and the locational advantage, in terms of proximity to the Asian and African markets, we are expecting to leverage exports in these markets even further. We are hoping to export 150-180 harvesters this fiscal as compared to 130 machines last year”.
The company has flagged off the first combine harvester to Sudan from its new facility. Equipped with the latest paint shop, manufacturing and fabrication technology, as well as fully integrated process and quality control, the new factory has the capacity to produce 900 combines annually.
Depending on the market demand, this can be increased to more than 1,200 units in phase-2.
The company has invested about Rs 100 crore in the new facility.
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According to Lothar Kriszun, member of the group executive board, and responsible for global sales, this gives Claas the oppurtunity to not only serve the increasing demand of the Indian market, but also to meet the requirements of Asian and African countries like South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Iran, Sudan, Tanzania, Republic South Africa etc.
In the last fiscal (October 07-September 08), the company’s turnover was Rs 130 crore and this year it is hoping to achieve a growth of 20 per cent.
Malik added that India was a big marker for harvesters. The exact demand of harvesters from India could not be ascertained, as it was a totally unorganised sector. But as per the estimates, there was an annual demand for 2,500 harvesters, including self-propelled in the country.
The company's new machine CROP TIGER 60 delivers is capable of harvesting wheat, soybean, mustard, variety of rice including high-valued basmati, muchhal and other crops.
It is worth noting that since 1991, Claas has been running a combine harvester factory in Faridabad. The company which was a previously a joint venture between Claas and Escorts, is now a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Claas Group. Currently the production capacity at the Faridabad unit is 700-750 units per annum and it produces small rice harvesters for the Asian market.
Claas is one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery in the world. Approximately 40 per cent of combine harvesters sold in Europe are produced by the company, headquartered in Harsewinkel, Germany. The group has seven factories in Germany and seven more in other countries, including the US, Argentina, France and India.