DOOSAN BOBCAT Enters India’s Backhoe Market

Hyunsoo (HS) Kim, Director Commercial, DOOSAN BOBCAT INDIA, shares his views on the current market scenario of the CE industry and why the Backhoe Loader will continue to see sustained demand in the coming years as well

Compared to 2018, the Backhoe Loader market is seeing a slowdown in demand. The Indian economy is on a slow growth path and this has impacted the CE industry at large. The Backhoe Loader market is expected to be down by 30-35% compared to last year’s sales figures as per industry insiders. Unsold inventory of housing units, more supply than demand in new housing projects, and government delay in paying contractors for completed projects are also affecting the CE industry.

However, we see this as a short-term impact on construction equipment as the economy is likely to rebound, given the various government initiatives for rural and urban infrastructure development. In view of this, we are geared up to launch our backhoe loader and are confident of gaining a market share when the market rebounds.

Aims to become #1 player in compact CE Market in India

The reason why DOOSAN BOBCAT is launching the Backhoe Loader because we want to expand our product offerings in the Compact construction equipment market of India. We envisage that with increasing development of rural and urban areas, and with labor costs rising, there will be greater demand for Compact equipment. In such a scenario, the Backhoe Loader is likely to become an annual industry size of 40,000 units again.

Globally, BOBCAT is the No.1 player in the Compact equipment market and our vision is to become a key player in India as well. Our entry in the Backhoe Loader market will give us the desired place in the market and with sustained demand we will be in a better position to manufacture some more models of Backhoes and other compact equipment.


In the Middle East too, the Backhoe Loader market was seen as cluttered, but this did not deter BOBCAT from making an entry into the market, and within two years of its launch, it was positioned amongst the top suppliers of the country. We believe that if we can supply reliable and efficient equipment along with the necessary service, the customers in India will be willing to support us.

B900 Backhoe – Best in Class Features

Fuel efficiency, performance, durability, operator comfort and low operating cost have been our focus areas while designing and developing our B900 Backhoe Loader. It has some of the best in class features such as digging depth, higher dumping height, maximum torque, and superior ground clearance. In addition to a fuel-efficient engine, its hydraulic system ensures low power consumption by redirecting excess hydraulic flow to the tank when the ongoing application does not require more flow.

Another unique feature is its Hydraulic Distribution Box, which minimizes hose movements in the hydraulics and increases hose durability by avoiding hose rubbing and reducing the hose length. B900 Backhoe Loader has a large cooling system with high efficiency fans for increased cooling efficiency to enable uninterrupted operations. A cushioning cylinder for boom and swing ensures smoother operation while reducing noise and vibration, which in turn help increase the durability of the major components.

Our aim is to enable customers achieve total cost of ownership of our Backhoe Loaders through regular maintenance, timely parts replacement, fuel efficiency, and high-quality components for a longer life of the machine. As downtime of the machine affects customer’s overall productivity, quick solutions and service through our wide dealer network shall be provided to our customers.

Versatile Machine

The Backhoe Loader is one of the most versatile machines. While preference is for multi-purpose machines due to different job applications, the Backhoe Loader also comes with higher engine power options, 4-wheel drive, and productivity mode of operations, which improve the pace of work. It can be driven on road and within sites faster, thus making its transportability better. In our view, the BHL has an edge over excavators and wheel loaders due to these attributes.

Rural Potential

The Backhoe is more popular in urban areas, but as a very versatile machine that can be driven, we feel that it has a huge potential in rural regions as well. It can be applied in development works such as power connectivity, internet connectivity, roads, piped water supply and infrastructure. However, there is a need to create awareness amongst potential customers about our product and the attachments for different applications.

Going by the annual sales volume, the Backhoe Loader is amongst the highest selling construction equipment. We are confident that the Government initiatives and its focus on infra development across the country, will create a strong and sustained demand in the coming years.