The Indian hydraulic hose market is experiencing significant growth, fuelled by several key factors such as the expanding construction and manufacturing sectors, along with the introduction of advanced agricultural technologies. Additionally, a major driver for the industry is the growing demand for dredging services in both major and non-major ports across the country. The dredging sector's importance is further highlighted by recent efforts to promote local manufacturing through initiatives like Make in India and the government's focus on enhancing the Indian maritime sector.

The Indian market for hydraulic hose is segregated on the basis of product type and industry. Based on the product type, the market is further classified into articulated, reinforced, coiled, and other (corrugated). The reinforced segment is projected to have a considerable share owing to the growing application in various industries such as construction and mining. Based on the industry, the Indian hydraulic hose market is further segmented into agriculture, construction and mining, manufacturing, and others.

The requirement of hydraulic hoses for high-pressure hydraulic oil lines in agriculture, machine tool and construction industry are likely to contribute to the growth of the market.

In the mining industry, the hydraulic hose is used in different equipment such as dozers, hydraulic shovels, scrappers, drill rigs, haul trucks, hydraulic shovels, and water trucks. The hydraulic hose provides the required working pressure to different machines.

The hydraulic hose is used for both surface mining and under-growing mining processes. The growing mining industry is anticipated to contribute to the significant growth of the hydraulic hose market. The main application of the hydraulic hose is to surge pressure as required according to the work conditions.

The hydraulic hose is used by hydraulic machines to create low-speed torque and maintain the speed and movement of the machines. Hydraulic hoses are used for different purposes including the reduction in the effects of vibration or providing the movement gap between two port locations. Moreover, the hydraulic hose can also be used for ease of installation or availability of hose manufacturing equipment.

Selecting the right hose
It's not as easy to make a superior hose; it needs complete know-how about the materials used. The quality of the hose is dependent on the design and quality of the rubber compounds, reinforcements used in the hose, fitting design, and compatibility. The hoses should be able to withstand severe pressure cycling, flexing, elevated temperatures, and abrasion of the hose against the machine body or other hoses. All these have an impact on the life of the hose. The hose is typically constructed of three parts: an inner tube that conveys material, reinforcement and a protective outer cover. The cover protects the tube and reinforcement from heat, abrasion, corrosion, and harsh environmental conditions. It is made of rubber, fibre braids, polymers, or a combination depending on the application.

Reinforcement determines working pressure and impulse resistance. Wire reinforcement provides the hose with the necessary strength to resist internal and external pressures.

Braided hose is typically made of wire or textile, with one or multiple layers, and is typically used for medium- to high-pressure applications.

Spiral hose, made of four or six alternating layers of high tensile steel wire handle high to extremely high pressures for longer service life on high impulse applications.

Helical hose, coil reinforcement prevents the hose from collapsing during suction transfer from the reservoir to the pump.

There are many types of industrial and hydraulic hoses “ all designed for a particular application or several related applications. Selecting the right hose for a particular application is crucial for the smooth functioning of equipment. Proper hose selection is the first step in preventive maintenance. Selecting the best product for the application will allow obtaining the maximum life expectancy from the product for the most value. Various factors to be considered are: where is the hose used, what kind of machinery is used, what's the ambient temperature, what is the required bend radius: along with various external conditions. To ease out, Gates recommends following simple steps to follow STAMPED, an acronym, which means Size, temperature, application, material to be conveyed, Pressure, Ends or couplings, and Delivery (volume and velocity).

Speaking on the challenges faced in the industry, Aiyer said, Considering that most of our customers manufacture high-value products, during a demand drop or slump, the first to get impacted are usually our customers and also, they are the last to recover. Hence, any recessionary or downward trends are felt the longest in our industry.

On the basic application requirements, the spokesperson from Gates adds, Usually in construction equipment, mining equipment and forklifts, where the relative motion among the components such as the boom, bucket and forks, vibration and pressure surges are the basic requirement of application where hose plays an important role. Fittings provide the convenience of routing with different bend angles, sealing methods, etc.

Types of hose and applications
According to Gates spokesperson, in high or extremely high-pressure applications spiral hoses, which meet the SAE 100R12, R13 & R15, or EN856 4SH and 4SP hoses are used. For medium-pressure applications, wire braid family hoses which meet SAE 100R1, R2, R16, R17, R19, or EN853 1SN / 2SN or EN857 1SC / 2SC hoses are used. For low-pressure applications, yarn braid family hoses which meet SAE100R3 and R6 hoses are used. For suction application, the helical family hose is used. SAE100R4 meets these requirements.

Hose manufacturers have been continuously working on the development of hoses and fittings with innovative features and material technologies to meet the emerging demands from the user industry. For example, Gates has developed innovative MXT, Multimaster and MXG hoses which are compact and can be used for multiple applications.

Safety
Lack of awareness among customers about a hose assembly may lead to premature failure. 'The awareness of the importance of safety in hydraulic hoses has increased significantly and customers are preferring quality products.

Most of the leakages happen at the interface of the hose and coupling, but some people resist changing, preferring local fittings available in the market at cheaper prices over a validated coupling from the manufacturer. Gates offers a high-performance and safe hose and coupling system, which we insist our customers buy to get maximum output and to reduce downtime. It is always preferable to buy fittings directly from hose manufacturers, which are manufactured and validated as per industry standards for leak-free performance.

Looking ahead
The Indian government's focus on infrastructure development, including roads, bridges, metro projects, airports, and smart cities, has boosted the demand for construction equipment, including machines that rely on hydraulic hoses. The expansion of the construction industry in both residential and commercial sectors has led to an increased demand for construction equipment, thereby driving the need for hydraulic hoses.

The hydraulic hose market in India is likely to continue growing as the construction industry and infrastructure development projects expand.