Indian machine tool makers commonly offer a warranty of about a year against manufacturing defects. Some offer longer terms on structures or specific parts, and bought-in components such as controllers often carry their own maker's terms. Wear parts, misuse and poor installation are usually excluded.
The period is only one part of the warranty. What it covers, when it starts and how claims work abroad matter just as much. For general machinery warranties, see Indian machinery warranty.
When the warranty starts
Some warranties start from the invoice date or the shipment date. Others start from installation, often with a limit such as a set number of months after shipment. If sea freight and installation take months, a warranty from shipment can be partly used up before the machine runs.
Ask for the warranty to start from commissioning or site acceptance, with a clear upper limit after shipment. That is fair to both sides.
Also check whether a repair extends the warranty on the replaced part. Some makers restart the period on the new part, while others keep the original end date for the whole machine.
What is usually covered and excluded
- Covered: defects in materials and workmanship in the parts the maker builds, such as castings, gearboxes and spindles.
- Often covered through the component maker: the controller, drives, motors and other bought-in electrical items.
- Usually excluded: belts, wipers, filters, fuses, lamps and other consumables.
- Usually excluded: damage from wrong installation, unstable power, poor lubrication, crashes or unauthorised changes.
- Usually excluded: transport damage, which is a matter for your cargo insurance.
How claims work across borders
This is where many disputes start. A part may be free, but freight, customs duties and engineer travel are not. Agree in writing who pays for each of these during the warranty.
- Agree how fast the maker must respond to a fault report, and how it diagnoses faults remotely.
- Agree whether the maker ships replacement parts first, or waits for the faulty part to be returned.
- Agree whether it sends an engineer if remote diagnosis fails, and who pays travel.
- Agree who pays air freight on urgent parts, and who handles import formalities.
Protect your position
Keep the test reports from the factory trial, the installation report and a log of faults with photos and alarm codes. Good records make claims faster and harder to dispute. Some buyers also hold back a small retention until the machine has run well for an agreed period.
Follow the maker's maintenance schedule and keep a simple record of oil changes and checks. A maker can refuse a claim if it believes the machine was not maintained, and a log answers that quickly.
For more on handling claims, see cross-border warranty claims.
Next step
We review warranty wording before you sign, check what is covered and keep the trial records on file. To start, book a free sourcing review.