Kalmar reach stackers work together to get the job done in Mumbai, India.

Kalmar is committed to playing an integral role in developing India's port industry with the acquisition of Indlift, its Indian agent since 2000.

Indlift will now be Kalmar's new subsidiary, Kalmar India.

Vijay Kumar, Indlift's previous owner, becomes Kalmar India's managing director. The company employs 18 staff and has operations in Mumbai, Khandla, New Delhi, Vizag and Bangalore.

Kalmar Industries president and CEO Christer Granskog said the acquisition fitted Kalmar's strategy of boosting its involvement in sales and services in its major markets.

"Kalmar has enjoyed a successful partnership with Indlift. The company's longstanding experience and dedication to customer service will form a basis from which Kalmar can establish its own operations in India," he said.

"India is opening up and becoming a key growth market for containers and heavy materials handling equipment and related services."

Total container volume in India is estimated to be more than four million TEUs this year, a number that has increased 10 per cent a year for the past few years, a Kalmar statement said.

Kalmar has about 200 machines, ranging from RTGs and reachstackers to terminal tractors and forklifts, working in India's ports and terminals industry.

In March 2005, Kalmar received one of its biggest single RTG orders from Gateway Terminals India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai (Forkliftaction.com News #201).