Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, presented the Union Budget 2016-17, explaining the backdrop of global economy slowdown from 3.4 per cent in 2014 to 3.1 per cent in 2015; battered financial markets and contracted global trade. Amidst all these global head winds, the Indian economy has held its ground firmly, thanks to our inherent strength and policies of the government, a lot of hope continues to be built around India.

The Budget is built on nine pillars: Agriculture & doubling income of farmers; Developments in rural sector; Social healthcare; Educational skills & job creation; Infrastructure investments; Financial sector reforms; Governance and ease of doing business; Prudent management of government finances; and Tax reforms. In all these areas, an array of schemes, investments and budget allocations were announced by the minister followed by new tax structure and reforms. In Toto, the fiscal deficit has been contained within 3.5 per cent.

Anand Sundaresan, President, ICEMA, hailed the Budget to be good for the CE industry in light of huge investments presaged for infrastructure, airports, irrigation, railways, affordable housing and in particular, roads sector. He said, ?Thrust on PM?s Gram Sadak Yojana and connectivity to Northeast region is a golden opportunity for small CE manufacturers and Make in India. The construction industry as a whole will be benefited by the proposed reforms of quick resolution of disputes, provided the government is successful.?

The Make in India Week held in Mumbai witnessed participation of 17 states and many foreign countries for different industry sectors ranging from food to c. MoUs exceeding 2,000 were signed during the event.

Lifting, shifting and placement of loads of all weights, dimensions and shapes are part and parcel of a vibrant economy, like India. Mobile cranes are the major enablers to achieve the purpose across the country. Our Cover story, which is a survey of this equipment, reveals that despite many hurdles, in the low lift capacity segment, HYDRA is the most popular crane and its market is consistently growing. We are also bringing out a Feature on vibratory compactors: soil, tandem and pneumatic tyred types as they are hot sellers in light of the acceleration in the number of road projects underway and the speed of road construction nearing 100 km per day.

Mechanised recycling of asphalt roads and pavements will fast become a necessity in India,due to many significant factors. As such, use of cold milling machines will substantially increase in the near future. Our Focus reveals that although there are limited players present in this segment, others are bound to follow.

Machine control technologies are the backbone of modern, high productivity, safe, fuel-efficient and operator-friendly new-generation construction equipment. Breaking the earlier paradigms, many indigenous suppliers have emerged offering world-class technologies and products. Read more in our CASH Special Focus.

The 3rd Annual Equipment India Awards and CEO Forum on Fuel Infra has been scheduled on March 16, 2016 in New Delhi. We seek your best wishes and blessings for our further success.