HD Construction Equipment launches excavator line for emerging markets

HD Construction Equipment's new 20-ton excavator is part of its DEVELON brand. Courtesy of HD Construction Equipment

HD Construction Equipment, a Korean heavy machinery maker, unveiled a new 20-ton excavator Wednesday under its premium DEVELON brand, launching a direct bid to capture greater market share across the Middle East, Africa and other rapidly expanding emerging economies.

The company held a launch event at its manufacturing plant in Pune, India, where dealers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman were shown the new model and given a live demonstration. Officials also touted the facility's production capacity and quality standards to the visiting dealers.

The new excavator is designed for price-sensitive buyers in emerging markets, where 20-ton machines represent the largest segment by volume. HD Construction Equipment said it leveraged economies of scale at the Pune plant to reduce component costs while maintaining performance and durability suited to local working conditions.

The Pune facility has recently expanded its annual production capacity to 9,000 units to meet rising demand from emerging markets. The plant produces both HYUNDAI and DEVELON branded equipment, and the company plans to scale capacity to 12,000 units annually by 2030.

According to Off-Highway Research, a British construction equipment research firm, the combined Middle East and Africa excavator market is expected to reach approximately 23,000 units per year by 2030.

The launch follows strong momentum in India, where HD Construction Equipment recorded a 20.5 percent market share in May, ranking first, ahead of Japan's Hitachi and Britain's JCB.

HD Construction Equipment was formed on Jan. 1, 2026, through a merger of HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and HD Hyundai Infracore, both units of the HD Hyundai group. It operates two equipment brands — HYUNDAI and DEVELON — and sells through a dealer network spanning more than 140 countries.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.