The world’s first digger powered by a hydrogen combustion engine was taken out on a royal outing at the weekend in a parade marking the Queen’s 70-year reign.

The JCB backhoe loader – in beautiful green and white livery – was applauded as it made its way along The Mall in London towards Buckingham Palace driven by JCB Test Site Operator Georgina Williams, 30.

It has been developed in top secret by Staffordshire-based JCB and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant was its first it first major public outing on a world stage. JCB Chairman Lord Bamford is leading the project to develop JCB machines powered by hydrogen.

“I was immensely proud to see JCB’s first hydrogen powered product take centre stage at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 70-year reign,” said Bamford. “So much has happened over the past seven decades and the jubilee has now focused minds on the need to take greater care of the environment in the future. I was so pleased to share at the Pageant how we are focusing on the development of JCB machines powered by hydrogen, which will help drive us towards a zero-carbon future.”

JCB India, India’s leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment,i ntroduced the industry’s first completely electric excavator, the JCB 19C-1E at Excon, Bengaluru.

The organisation also launched a 22 ton hydraulic excavator on the NXT platform that is specially designed for Indian applications.

A 4 ton telescopic hander, an articulated boom lift AJ48 D and two new mini excavators for smart infrastructure, the 35Z HD and the 37C HD were also introduced, along with JCB’s natural gas genset, the G125 NG.

“Innovation and Sustainability have always remained critical to our operations, and we continue to introduce products that significantly limit their impact on the environment. The JCB 19C-1E is the industry’s first fully electric excavator in India and is integral to JCB’s ‘Road to Zero’ initiative, a programme that we have been working on for the past few years,” said Deepak Shetty, CEO and Managing Director of JCB India.

“The machine has been tested extensively and has various built-in features that enhance safety and performance. With Zero Emissions and low noise, this new machine is ideal for Infrastructure development in Urban Areas and Indoor working,” Shetty added.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai, has launched a drive with a motive to create awareness among manufacturers of medical equipment to obtain voluntary licences for various products.

According to the BIS officials, there are 1,512 standards related to Medical Equipment and Hospital Planning. There are around 1,114 standards for various medical products. Only some manufacturers have opted for BIS licence and ISI mark for their products because only three products are covered under compulsory BIS certification, said the officials.

While two of the compulsory standards were related to clinical thermometers, there is one standard for diagnostic medical x-ray. There were standards for prosthetics and instruments such as braille shorthand machines and hand propelled tricycles.

G. Bhavani, director and head, BIS (Chennai branch office I and II), said nearly 246 licences had been provided for 56 standards (both mandatory and voluntary) across the country. Out of these, seven were in Chennai. “We are planning to sensitise the manufacturers on the importance of obtaining a BIS licence to ensure quality and gain more authenticity for their products. We will approach the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation and associations of medical practitioners asking them to seek medical equipment with BIS licences in tender documents,” she said.