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JCB, the world's largest manufacturer of construction equipment, has opened a new factory in Gujarat with a 100 million pound investment. The plant, which will be located in Vadodara, Gujarat, will manufacture parts for global production lines and will be capable of processing 85,000 tonnes of steel annually, according to a statement from JCB.

Construction equipment manufacturer JCB announced the opening of its newest factory in India on Thursday, at a cost of 100 million pounds (nearly Rs 995 crore), with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson officiating.

The plant, which will be located in Vadodara, Gujarat, will manufacture parts for global production lines and will be capable of handling 85,000 tonnes of steel annually, according to a statement from JCB. The company began mass production operations in India in 1979, with its first factory in Ballabgarh near Delhi, and now has six factories in the country, along with Jaipur and Pune.

Lord Bamford, Chairman of JCB, stated that in its first year of full production, JCB India manufactured only 39 machines and that "by next year it will have made a total of half a million." This country is now a major engineering power, and our presence here has transformed our company. It's been a huge success, with so much more room for expansion. Such progress is only possible through continued investment, and the opening of our new Gujarat facility is an important step in expanding our business here and around the world, "he said.

Since 2007, India has been JCB's largest market, and the company claims that one in every two construction machines sold in India today is made by JCB. Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD of JCB India, commented on the new unit, saying, "When completed, this new facility will create around 1,200 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain." JCB India stated that its new plant will be a gender-diverse manufacturing facility that employs 50% women. At the plant, the company has also established a skills centre where young professionals will be trained to work in a variety of manufacturing job positions.