Mahindra & Mahindra, India’s leading utility vehicle and tractor manufacturer, this week entered the construction equipment business with the launch of the Mahindra Earthmaster backhoe loader.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, president of M&M’s automotive and farm equipment division, said the Earthmaster is the result of 36 months of development and 20,000 hours of rigorous testing in harsh terrains. “It has been validated on all performance, safety and reliability parameters,” said Kairas Vakharia, business head, construction equipment. “It is backed by Mahindra’s dealer network, which will have unparalleled reach across the country. India is the world’s largest backhoe loader market with over 25,000 units expected to be sold in this fiscal year and we home to create a market in this fast-growing segment.”

The machine features a new age digital cluster that helps operators identify and troubleshoot problems. Operators in different regions of India can read messages and listen to warnings in six languages. The Earthmaster uses a hydraulic system typical to crawler excavators.