Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has announced that they are preparing to expand its wheel loader portfolio in India with the introduction of locally developed, Volvo-branded medium wheel loaders in 2027. The upcoming range is expected to fill the gap created by the company’s transition away from SDLG products while strengthening its position across India’s construction and infrastructure equipment market.
Dimitrov Krishnan, Managing Director, Volvo CE India, said ahead of bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2026 in Greater Noida that the company’s Bengaluru Technology Centre is working on products tailored to Indian operating requirements. The new machines will be developed using Volvo’s global wheel loader platforms and adapted for the domestic market.
Volvo CE currently sells around 100 Volvo-branded wheel loaders in India each year, with most of the demand coming from mining and other heavy industrial applications. The company’s earlier association with SDLG enabled it to participate more extensively in the medium wheel loader segment, which has a wider customer base and different price positioning.
With the SDLG transition approaching completion, Volvo CE plans to bring its own products into this segment. The company has indicated that the new medium wheel loaders will arrive during 2027, following the completion of the existing transition arrangements.
Volvo Group ended its 18-year partnership with SDLG, which began in 2008, as part of its broader restructuring of China-based joint ventures. In India, Volvo CE has continued assembling and distributing SDLG equipment from its Bengaluru facility during the transition period. This arrangement is expected to run through the end of 2026, while SDLG is building its own distribution and assembly operations in the country.
The company’s product portfolio has undergone changes in other areas as well. Volvo CE transferred its asphalt paving business to Switzerland-based Ammann Group in 2024. The decision reflected Volvo CE’s strategy to concentrate on areas where it could develop a broader ecosystem rather than continue with paving equipment alone.
After a 12-month contract manufacturing phase, Ammann moved paver production to its Gujarat facility. Volvo CE has retained its road compaction business, including soil compactors, double-drum rollers and pneumatic tyre rollers, allowing it to continue serving customers in the road construction segment.
Powertrain localisation is another part of Volvo CE’s approach to its Indian portfolio. The company has introduced Volvo Asia CV5 electronic engines, including the 494 and 483 models also used in Eicher commercial vehicles, in selected equipment such as compactors and the EC210E2 excavator. The integration is intended to support operating efficiency while helping manage maintenance requirements.
Mining equipment remains a key area of focus for Volvo CE in India. At bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2026, the company commercially introduced the EC650 mining excavator, positioned in the 65-tonne class and powered by a 435-horsepower Volvo D13E engine. Its exhibition line-up also included construction and compaction equipment as well as electric machinery such as the L120 electric wheel loader.
According to Krishnan, the increasing scale of India’s mining activity is creating demand for machines that can combine high operating capability with fuel efficiency. He also highlighted the growing preference for larger equipment among contractors, alongside opportunities arising from railway and urban infrastructure development.
With a railway project pipeline estimated at Rs 16 lakh crore and continued investment in urban infrastructure, Volvo CE expects India’s equipment market to evolve towards higher-capacity machinery. The planned medium wheel loader range will form part of the company’s response as it develops products specifically for the changing requirements of the Indian market.
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