Kobelco Cranes India Private Limited (KCI), part of the Japan-based Kobelco Cranes, has commenced commercial production of its hydraulic crawler crane manufacturing plant in India at its new facility in Sri City at TADA in Andhra Pradesh, about 60 km from here.

The new facility at Sri City would produce 90 units comprising 100 Ton, 150-Ton and 250-Ton class cranes during the current year.

The facility spread over 40,000 sqms, features the high-tech facilities suitable for enhanced production.

The Indian plant was Kobelco's first production facility outside Japan.

Kobelco Cranes, among the world's major Crawler Cranes makers in Japan, United States and Europe, was the first foreign company to own a facility in India that specializes in the manufacturing of complete Crawler Cranes.

Kobelco Cranes, Japan, President and CEO Aida said the annual production of hydraulic crawler crane units of KCI was expected to be around 90 units in 2012.

The plant's capacity in India was 100 units per year.

The company was planning to achieve 35 per cent of localization in 2012 and increase it to 50 per cent in near future.

The Indian facility would soon cater to the markets in the neighbouring countries and help in sustaining and increase the market share in the growing construction equipment market in India.

The company was expecting a market share of more than 20 per cent by 2015.