Brief us on the core strength and competencies of your company.
We are dealers for Swedish-based Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) and Terex Powerscreen. We have been a dealer for Terex Powerscreen crushing and screening products since 2009. With Volvo CE, we have a very long association. With them, we started construction our equipment dealership business way back in 1990s. We were distributors for Samsung brand hydraulic excavators in India till 1996. Samsung Heavy Industries, the manufacturing company of hydraulic excavators, were taken over by Volvo CE worldwide in 1998 to widen their product range, and by virtue of that we became their dealers for entire Indian operations.

To what extent the prevailing economic slowdown has impacted your sales performance?
Normally, we were selling 200-225 machines on a year-on-year basis from the last five years, but this year, we don?t think we will be able to reach even close to our 2013 sales performance, which means a drop of almost 30-40 per cent.

So, as a dealer, how did you sustain during these troubled times?
We have streamlined the manpower in order to get maximum efficiency from the present team members. We have also put in efforts to generate business more effectively by cutting down operational cost and improve effectiveness of after sales team.

With the new government at the Centre, how do you look at the future potential for the product that you deal with?
The government has taken some steps to start the stalled projects. However, at the moment, these are announcements only and nothing concrete has come to the implementation level. What we feel is that may be in the next 3-4 months, the Roads Ministry will come with the schemes for the projects. The first preference will be clearing stalled projects.

Which markets do you operate in and what is the demand-supply scenario from these markets?
We cater to the markets of Delhi NCR, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The market in UP has shown considerable improvement in terms of infrastructure projects as compared to other markets. The major demand for construction equipment from UP will be from stone crusher industry, and power projects apart from road projects. The market in Uttaranchal is currently very low with business coming down by almost 70 per cent. In Delhi NCR region, new projects like cleaning of Yamuna river may usher the demand of our equipment. But this will happen only by the end of 2014. As Haryana is going for their assembly elections later this year, the mining activity may start with the formation of the new government.

Which are the largest selling brands under your company?
Today, in case of Volvo, the demand is probably for mining excavators. We have maximum market share in this segment, which is in high-end excavators of 48T and 70T class. Powerscreen has been largest selling crushers and screens in track-mounted specially used in road projects in our area of operation.

What financing options do you provide to your customers?
Volvo has tie up with major financial institutions and banks operating in providing finance for equipment sales to end users. This working arrangement with financial companies and banks creates a win-win situation for both dealers and customers.

Which verticals drive the demand for the product range that you deal with?
Mining sector in coal OB and stone aggregate is the vertical, which is doing pretty good. This sector has grown by 10 per cent compared to last three years. Roads sector in UP under the preview of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) segments are faring better in terms of awarding small projects to local contractors.

What are your future plans?
Apart from Volvo and Powerscreen, we would like to add at least one more business connected to construction and mining sector, product which has synergy with our existing product range today. We would like to see our company as one of the largest distributors of construction and mining equipment in next 4-5 years.