Volvo CE offers a range of equipment across the infrastructure equipment segment such as mining and earthmoving, road building and general construction. Dimitrov Krishnan, Vice President and Head, Volvo CE India, shares his thoughts on how his company is gearing up to meet market demands.   

Industry scenario
In terms of demand volume, 2017 will be the peak year in India. The total market demand is high this year. We will cross more than 2,000 machine sales this year for the first time. In India, we are seeing most activities in the road building sector with numerous projects progressing. Understandably, we are seeing the highest levels of demand for excavators, compactors and pavers for this application and its associated industries. For other sectors, such as mining and general construction, activity levels have not been so high and so has the demand for equipment.

Infrastructure development continues to be the key growth driver in our economy and while the country is making strong progress, there is still much to be done. We remain the only major manufacturer present in all equipment sectors: Mining, road building or general construction. Whatever the demands of the job, Volvo's equipment offer the company's hallmark qualities: industry-leading fuel efficiency and productivity levels.
 
Product innovations
Volvo CE is at the forefront of technological development and, each year, our parent company, the Volvo Group, invests billions of dollars in research and development to drive new innovations. The newer models in our D-series excavators are equipped with G4 work modes that optimise fuel efficiency and performance. These work modes - 
Idle (I), Fine (F), General (G), Heavy (H) and Power max (P) - are integrated within the throttle control, so that operators can easily select the best one for the task at hand. In addition, an ECO mode automatically switches off the engine, further reducing fuel consumption.

Two of our biggest excavators, the EC950E and the EC750D, also come with an electro-hydraulic system, which enhances fuel efficiency while increasing productivity and performance. The electro-hydraulic system uses intelligent technology to control on-demand flow and reduce internal losses in the hydraulic circuit. This provides superior digging force, shortens cycle times, and increases controllability.

Our sensor pavers have intelligent operating technology that help control the machine in terms of mat thickness as well as the level of the mat and the grade required in the finished road. The paving quality of any road is defined by the ability of the paver to satisfy these three requirements in line with the highway design. 

Response at Excon
The new EC200D excavator was the star of our lineup. We also saw great interest in the 21.5-tonne-rated excavator tailored for heavy-duty applications whether mining or quarrying. Our largest excavator, the 90-tonne rated EC950E, earned the title of 'Selfie Machine' on the first day at Excon, drawing large crowds to our Mining Pavilion. Excon was not only a great way to conclude 2017 but also a great way to mark the 20th anniversary of Volvo CE in India.