Ashok Leyland, the flagship of the Hinduja Group, and John Deere announced their entry into the rapidly growing Indian construction equipment business through their 50:50 joint venture, with the launch of their first product, the 435 Backhoe Loader. The products will be marketed under the brand LEYLAND DEERE.

The new brand symbolizes the coming together of two strong partners, each bringing to the association their unique individual strengths and competencies. John Deere brings in their advanced technical knowhow and vast experience in the global construction equipment space while Ashok Leyland lends in-depth knowledge of the Indian market, proven expertise in manufacturing, sourcing and distribution, to this strategic partnership.

A product set to re-define benchmarks

The first product from this combine - the LEYLAND DEERE 435 Backhoe Loader (BHL) - has been designed to transform the nature of the construction equipment business in India as well as re-define the way construction equipment products are perceived and used.

Exceptionally well-engineered and feature-rich, the 435 BHL will deliver superior value to the ever-evolving construction equipment customer by addressing the critical considerations of lower operating cost, higher productivity and greater uptime. It is rugged in structure, powered by an Ashok Leyland engine of proven pedigree from the 'H'-Series platform and replete with USPs like power shift transmission, best in class cabin with larger space and higher visibility, higher breakout forces and greater dig depths. 

To ensure that customers get higher uptime, the LEYLAND DEERE 435 BHL will be supported by an innovative customer care package called the C.A.R.E. Programme which will be delivered through the efficient LEYLAND DEERE channel network developed. The C.A.R.E. Programme will include an extended warranty of a year after the first year of warranty, committed restoration time for the equipment and regular and periodic engineer visits to the customer during warranty period and also an insurance cover of Rs. 2 lakhs for the customer's operator. 
State-of-the-art manufacturing facilities
The 435 BHL is being manufactured at LEYLAND DEERE's brand new facility at Gummidipoondi, 50 kms from Chennai. This facility incorporates globally-benchmarked manufacturing processes like robotic welding, CNC cutting, state-of-the-art paint shop to ensure the highest standards of product reliability and durability supported by international standard quality processes and systems. 
Executive comments
Dr. V. Sumantran, Chairman, Ashok Leyland John Deere Construction Equipment Company Ltd. and Executive Vice-Chairman, Hinduja Automotive Ltd.: 
"This JV marks a marriage of experience with expertise, global vision with local relevance, technological leadership with market presence. Cognizant of India's huge appetite for construction and infrastructure development, we are well-placed and well-equipped to tap the huge potential that exists. While we seek to redefine the benchmarks with our first offering, we are well on our way to both extending our range with additional products as well as scaling up our operations beyond this start." 
Mr. Michael J. Mack, President, Worldwide Construction and Forestry Division, Deere & Co.: 
"Our first product represents a triumph for the joint venture in terms of collaborative development. We have used our intimate knowledge of ground realities and specific customer requirements as touch stones while engineering the product which, we believe, will be well-accepted in the Indian market. The single-minded focus, constancy of purpose and perfect understanding between the partners have held the joint venture in good stead and positions us well for the exciting journey ahead."
About John Deere
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity.  For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.
About the Hinduja Group 
Hinduja Group is an investment and banking group with a diversified global portfolio of holdings across the manufacturing services and banking sectors. The Group, founded by Shri P.D. Hinduja in 1914 has activities across three core areas: Investment Banking, International Trading and Global Investments. It also supports charitable and philanthropic activities across the world through the Hinduja Foundation. As part of its Global investments, the Group owns businesses in Automotive, Information Technology, Media, Entertainment & Communications, Banking & Finance, Infrastructure Project Development, Chemicals & Agri business, Energy, Real Estate, Trading and Healthcare. www.hindujagroup.com.
About Ashok Leyland 
Ashok Leyland is the flagship of the Hinduja Group and a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India with 2010-11 turnover of US $ 2.5 billion. The Company has seven manufacturing locations at Chennai, Hosur (three plants), Alwar, Bhandara and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Ashok Leyland has associate companies in the Czech Republic and the UAE and a joint venture in Sri Lanka, besides exports to over 30 countries worldwide. www.ashokleyland.com