India’s construction equipment industry has come a long way from its dependence on imported machinery and technology. Today, it is the world’s third-largest construction equipment manufacturing country, exporting to more than 125 nations. As the sector looks towards a projected $15-billion market by 2030, the focus is shifting from manufacturing capacity to indigenous innovation, technological ownership and international competitiveness.

This transformation formed the backdrop of the BKT Tyres 14th Equipment India Awards 2026, held on October 15 at Aurika, Mumbai, as part of the India Construction Festival 2026. Instituted by FIRST Construction Council in 2013, the awards recognised excellence in manufacturing, innovation, sustainability, market performance and industry leadership.

The evening brought together leading equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, infrastructure professionals and industry veterans, with honours spanning individual achievements, bestselling equipment and outstanding contributions across the construction equipment ecosystem.

Delivering the welcome address, Pratap Padode, Founder and President, FIRST Construction Council, and Editor-in-Chief, Equipment India, highlighted the industry’s remarkable expansion from approximately $3 billion in 2008 to an estimated $10 billion in FY2025.

“For years, people spoke about Make in India. This industry is now demonstrating something even more ambitious: Make in India. Engineer in India. Innovate in India. And sell to the world,” he said.

His remarks captured the larger significance of the awards: recognising not merely the companies selling machines, but those building the engineering capabilities that will determine India's place in the global construction equipment industry.

A legacy built on Indian engineering

One of the evening’s highest honours, the Equipment India Lifetime Achievement Award 2026, was conferred upon Prakash Pai, Founder, Puzzolana, recognising his pioneering contribution to India's construction equipment manufacturing industry.

Known as the “Crusher Man of India”, Pai’s journey began as a young chemical engineering graduate from Manipal who arrived in Bombay in search of opportunities. From a modest facility in Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, he helped transform Puzzolana into Asia’s largest crusher manufacturer.

At a time when sophisticated heavy equipment technology was largely associated with international manufacturers, Pai championed indigenous engineering. The development of India’s first indigenous cone crusher became a defining achievement, demonstrating that Indian manufacturers could develop advanced equipment technologies domestically.

His contribution extended beyond product development. Through Puzzolana, he helped build a manufacturing enterprise grounded in engineering expertise, innovation and the development of Indian talent. His achievements have previously been recognised through honours including the Vikas Ratna Award in 1995.

Accepting the honour, Pai thanked Equipment India, ASAPP and the jury, reaffirming his commitment to contributing to the growth of India’s construction industry. His recognition served as a reminder that India's manufacturing ambitions rest on decades of entrepreneurial conviction and sustained investment in indigenous engineering.

Shaping the industry’s future

The Equipment India Person of the Year 2026 honours recognised two leaders whose contributions represent different but equally important dimensions of the construction equipment industry: components and original equipment manufacturing.

Kennady V Kaippally, Managing Director, Bonfiglioli Transmissions, received the Person of the Year award in the Components category.

With more than three decades of experience across manufacturing, production, sales and operations, Kaippally has held leadership positions at Ashok Leyland, Delphi Automotive Systems and Federal-Mogul Goetze before joining Bonfiglioli in January 2010.

Under his leadership, Bonfiglioli has strengthened its presence across Industry and Automation, Off-Highway Mobility and Wind, with a focus on engineering-led solutions, operational excellence and customer relationships.

During his acceptance speech, Kaippally recalled that Bonfiglioli entered the construction equipment industry in 2010, with its first order coming from Schwing Stetter. The recognition was therefore particularly meaningful, reflecting a relationship with the sector that has grown over more than 15 years.

The award acknowledged his contribution to strengthening India’s power transmission and drive technology ecosystem, an increasingly important part of the industry’s move towards advanced, efficient and reliable machinery.

In the OEM category, V Senthilkumar, Managing Director, Propel Industries, was named Equipment India Person of the Year 2026 for his contribution to indigenous equipment manufacturing, product innovation and international expansion.

An industrial and production engineer with approximately three decades of experience, Senthilkumar has led Propel’s development into a major Indian manufacturer of crushing and screening equipment for construction and mining applications.

The company has a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees and a portfolio of more than 350 equipment offerings, with capacities ranging from 75 TPH to 1,000 TPH. Its products are exported to 26 countries, reflecting the growing international reach of Indian equipment manufacturers.

Propel has also ventured into electric mobility for mining applications, launching smart electric dump trucks designed for off-road operations. Its engineering capabilities extend to machinery for producing manufactured sand, offering an alternative to river sand in construction.

Unable to attend the ceremony because of a ministerial meeting, Senthilkumar shared a recorded message expressing gratitude to the organisers, jury and industry stakeholders. The award was received on his behalf by his brother Vengadesh D, Joint Managing Director, Propel Industries.

Together, the recognition of Kaippally and Senthilkumar highlighted the importance of both component technology and finished equipment manufacturing in developing India’s next generation of globally competitive machinery.

Bestsellers underline market leadership

While the individual awards celebrated leadership and long-term contributions, the Bestseller Awards recognised manufacturers that established leading positions across key construction equipment categories.

The awards reflected the competitive landscape of an industry serving diverse infrastructure requirements, from road construction and urban development to mining, material handling, concrete production and large-scale industrial projects.

Sany Heavy Industry emerged as a major winner, securing honours in crawler cranes, piling rigs, rigid dump trucks and truck-mounted cranes. Its performance reflected the company’s presence across lifting, foundation and mining equipment segments.

Schwing Stetter India established its dominance across concrete equipment, winning Bestseller awards in batching plants, concrete pumps and truck mixers. The company also secured two separate innovation and sustainability-related honours during the evening.

Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery received awards in crawler excavators and mini excavators, reflecting its position across important earthmoving categories.

In road construction equipment, Ammann India won for asphalt plants and asphalt finishers, while Action Construction Equipment (ACE) secured recognition in mobile cranes and tower cranes.

Other category leaders included LiuGong India in wheeled loaders, AJAX Engineering in self-loading concrete mixers, BEML Limited in crawler dozers, Doosan Bobcat India in skid-steer loaders and Caterpillar India in motor graders.

These results demonstrated the depth and diversity of India’s equipment market. They also highlighted the importance of product reliability, customer relationships, service capabilities and competitive performance in securing market leadership.

Innovation recognised

Beyond sales performance, the awards recognised organisations making notable contributions to sustainability, innovation, skills development and customer support.

Schwing Stetter India received the Green Factory of the Year award for its Industry 4.0-enabled Global Manufacturing Hub at Cheyyar, which integrates energy efficiency, environmental management, waste circularity and digital monitoring. The company also won Innovation of the Year – OEMs for its S36X Hybrid concrete pump, combining diesel-powered mobility with electric onsite pumping.

Volvo Construction Equipment secured the Best Sustainable Construction Equipment award for its DD40 Electric battery-electric compactor. The machine can save approximately four litres of diesel per operating hour, demonstrating the potential of electrification in construction operations.

Bonfiglioli Transmissions won Innovation of the Year – Components and Accessories for its new-generation drum drive solutions for concrete mixers, developed for demanding Indian operating conditions.

Metso earned two recognitions: CSR Company of the Year and Best After-Sales Service Provider. Its CSR initiatives covered healthcare, education, water, sanitation and environmental programmes, supported by a budget of approximately ?5.64 crore during FY2025-26. Its service recognition acknowledged its nationwide support infrastructure.

Escorts Kubota received the Integrated Solution Provider award, while AGGCON Equipments International was recognised as Best Rental Equipment Company for its pan-India operations and fleet of approximately 500 machines.

Alltech India won Emerging Company in the Construction Equipment Sector for expanding its road construction technology portfolio through its 4M strategy of Melting, Modifying, Mixing and Maintenance.

The Trainer of the Year honour went to L&T Construction & Mining Machinery, recognising its training infrastructure and programmes for developing skilled equipment professionals.

These awards reinforced the industry's growing emphasis on capabilities beyond machinery sales, particularly technology, sustainability, service and workforce development.

The selection process was guided by a distinguished 15-member jury comprising industry veterans and experts from equipment manufacturing, infrastructure, engineering, finance, skill development and industry associations. The jury convened on September 23, 2026, to evaluate the findings and recommendations presented by FIRST Construction Council and Equipment India. The evaluation drew on equipment sales data collected from manufacturers, along with assessments of innovation, sustainability, operational excellence and industry contributions across the nomination categories. Bringing together diverse industry perspectives, the jury reviewed and endorsed the winners, reinforcing the credibility and transparency of the Equipment India Awards.

The evening also marked the unveiling of the 19th Equipment India Annual 2026, themed MISSION 2030: Can India Build the World's Next Construction Equipment Powerhouse? Launched by Padode alongside the jury members, the edition explores the capabilities required to strengthen India’s position in global manufacturing, technology development and exports.

Padode summed up the direction of the industry through a clear call for transformation:

“From volume to value. From assembly to engineering. From localisation to technological ownership. From exports as an additional market to exports as a core strategy.”

The BKT Tyres 14th Equipment India Awards demonstrated that India’s construction equipment story is no longer just about rising demand or manufacturing volumes. It is increasingly about the ability to engineer better products, develop indigenous technologies, strengthen service capabilities and compete internationally.

As the industry looks towards 2030, the achievements of its manufacturers and leaders offer a glimpse of the opportunities ahead — and the capabilities India must continue building to become a global construction equipment powerhouse.

TABLE 1: WINNERS OF BKT TYRES 14^TH EQUIPMENT INDIA AWARDS 2026

Bestseller Awards

Nomination Awards