'Infrastructure 2.0' was the theme of our 10th Annual issue of Equipment India. The 5th Annual Equipment India Awards &amp; CEO Forum held on February 16, 2018 in Delhi also hovered on the same theme. The presence of Arun Goyal, Special Secretary, GST Council, added great value as he gave an insight on how the GST regime will progress in future and make things simple for the industry. We have also put forth recommendations made by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers' <br /><br />Association (ICEMA) to his office for further simplification of tariffs, after discussions with Arvind K Garg, President, ICEMA. Though there are speculations about the GST rates on certain equipment class, Goyal in his speech gave a positive outlook on GST going easier in the coming days. Interest from other countries was evident with the participation from Russia, China, Republic of Ghana, Germany etc. This year, the event took place immediately after the Budget 2018, where infrastructure has already claimed a higher share of Rs 1 trillion towards additional spending. The panel discussion at the CEO Forum seemed to agree on the overall trajectory of the economy and was lively with the active involvement of all stakeholders ranging from NHAI to infrastructure finance, equipment rentals, accessories and so on. We congratulate all the award winners and thank everyone who participated and supported the 5th Annual Equipment India Awards &amp; CEO Forum 2018 to make it a grand success. The 'Cover Story' provides a glimpse of the whole event.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Backhoe loader is considered as the super star in earthmoving and construction equipment, with a market share of almost 50 per cent in units. The demand for backhoe loaders is expected to grow further due to a lot of thrust by the government on rural development where backhoe loaders are the ideal machines to perform multiple jobs. The 'Feature' on backhoe loaders provides the latest market and technology scenario in this popular equipment segment. <br /><br />Safety is of utmost importance, especially while working at heights. From the age-old manual means of accessing heights, new mechanical solutions have come up globally to work safely, without the fear of fall or accidents. Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) provide a completely safe working base at heights which improve overall efficiency and productivity of workers. The concept, however, is still to pick up in India. The 'Focus' elaborates on the importance of AWPs in this era of urbanisation and infrastructure development.&nbsp; <br /><br />Machine control technologies are no more luxury in today's equipment industry. They help improve the efficiency of a machine and provide overall economy to the contractor in a project. The CASH Feature deliberates on the importance of machine control technologies in the current scenario. Also read other columns for more insights on the industry developments.<br /><br />The year ahead is likely to see a race between executing agencies and government on one side, and between contracting firms on the other, to access material and equipment for timely execution of projects. Race is also likely in scaling up execution rate from 25 km per day to 35 km per day and beyond for roads; while for project execution in airports, coastal roads, metro rail, clean Ganges and so on. The race has begun and only efficient organisations will score.<br />