Rental is a fast-growing opportunity
Sunil Chaturvedi, Group Chairman, Gainwell Group
How do you see construction and mining equipment demand evolving over the next 12 to 18 months? Which segments are driving growth?
Construction equipment demand is showing a clear bounce-back after a few sluggish quarters. Large investments across railways, roads, airports and other infrastructure segments are translating into fresh project announcements and improved sentiment. Structural issues around tendering and risk sharing have largely stabilised, which is restoring contractor confidence.
Mining equipment demand, in contrast, has remained consistently strong. Mines auctioned in recent years are now moving into production phases, driving sustained demand for large excavation and hauling equipment. Excavation, in particular, has emerged as a major growth segment, with India now the world’s largest market due to the scale of infrastructure investment underway.
What new products are you showcasing at Excon 2025, and how are they addressing efficiency and uptime expectations?
Caterpillar has introduced three new excavators in the 20-tonne class—321, 322 and 323—each offering a distinct value proposition tailored to Indian operating conditions. Beyond products, a key focus is service assurance. We are rolling out a nationwide service commitment ensuring next-day parts availability and machine restoration within 48 hours, failing which customers are financially compensated.
This global-first service framework reflects the growing importance of uptime and lifecycle support in customer decision-making.
How is your long-standing partnership with Caterpillar evolving to meet expectations around productivity, fuel efficiency and technology?
Over our 81-year partnership, innovation has remained central. Current priorities include smarter machines, higher fuel efficiency and deeper digital integration. Fuel efficiency is critical in India, and some models now come with fuel guarantees backed by dealer commitments.
Digital technologies are also reshaping customer engagement—covering machine monitoring, service support, parts access and financing—creating a more seamless ownership and operating experience.
With increasing focus on sustainability and connected equipment, how are you helping customers adopt newer technologies?
Customer expectations now extend beyond fuel efficiency to sustainability and emissions reduction. Alongside introducing more productive machines, we invest heavily in operator training programmes, including CSR-led initiatives that build skilled manpower.
All equipment is digitally connected, enabling predictive maintenance through real-time data access for customers, dealers and the OEM. This helps prevent failures, reduce downtime and improve asset utilisation. Rebuild and refurbishment programmes further extend machine life, lowering lifecycle costs and supporting sustainability goals.
How important are rental and rebuild programmes in today’s market?
Rental is a fast-growing opportunity, particularly for customers with short-duration or variable project requirements. Gainwell currently operates around 200 machines on rent and plans to scale this further across construction and mining equipment.
Rebuild and buy-back programmes complement rentals by strengthening the value chain. Refurbished machines are redeployed at significantly lower costs, improving affordability and asset sustainability.
Can you briefly outline the key product launches from TIL at Excon 2025?
TIL has introduced three specialised machines addressing clear market gaps: a pick-and-carry crane that replaces multiple handling stages, an 85-tonne truck crane tailored to specific customer needs, and an empty container handler designed for cost-efficient container logistics on uneven terrain. These launches reflect a focus on application-specific solutions rather than generic capacity additions.
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