The current construction equipment industry scenario is essentially a mix of domestic and global developments. On one hand, with the impending revival of the infrastructure sector, sales are expected to see an upward spurt. With substantial investments have been lined up over a five-year horizon in the sectors of roads and highways, power, ports and railways, the outlook is surely quite positive. On the other hand, recent sectoral developments - by way of very low crude prices, MSP on imported steel, new capex by the cement industry, innovative funding avenues like the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and a recent shift in the mode of project awards from the conventional PPP to the Hybrid Annuity Model ? should all translate into good sales growth over the next few years. Several project developers had been facing liquidity issues over the last few years and the government has been taking a lot of policy action to revive stuck projects and activate others on the ground. Owing to these policy changes, the infrastructure sector as a whole is expected to see a lot of fresh investment going forward. And that spells good news for the equipment industry scenario.

At Bauma
This year at Bauma, we have our technology partner, ASTEC Industries, as our co-exhibitor. On display at our booth - H2.L42 - will be a model of the ASTEC Voyager 120 - a highly compact and portable hot mix asphalt plant - unique in its class for its ability to run up to 30 per cent RAP, backed by TIL?s unmatched service support. The ASTEC Voyager 120 is built around a counter-flow drum featuring ASTEC v-flights, which provide greater uniformity of the aggregate veil during the drying process, resulting in better heat transfer, reduced fuel usage and increased productivity.

Our focus at the Bauma will also be to create awareness about our crushing and screening solutions and the new range of truck cranes from TIL. We have recently introduced the TMS 855, the truck crane in the 55 tonne category, and the TM 825 in the 25 tonne category, with the longest boom in its class. This is the first time a ?formed? boom is being manufactured in India.

Expectations
This is the second time that TIL is exhibiting at Bauma in India. It is one of the largest trade fairs in India dedicated to the construction equipment industry, and TIL Ltd - along with co-exhibitor ASTEC Industries expect substantial footfall of right target audience. We plan to leverage the expo as an ideal platform to showcase and enhance awareness about our entire product portfolio and service offerings that include -hot mix asphalt plant, crushing and screening solutions, new improved truck crane range among others. This will also be a fantastic opportunity for our product and service experts to engage in close interactions with visitors - our existing as well as potential customers, suppliers and business associates. Going forward, we are confident that the leads generated during the show will translate into positive business opportunities for the company.

Looking forward
Like I said, we plan to follow up on the contacts and potential leads generated over the course of the four days of the exhibition with utmost diligence. With an overall revival of the infrastructure sector on the cards, we are extremely hopeful that many of these leads will be successfully converted into long-term business relationships.