Suresh KV, Country Head, ZF India.
The current equipment industry scenario is a positive eco-system for construction equipment industry and commercial vehicles. Policy initiatives by the present government such as Make in India, Smart City Mission and Sagar Mala Project have given a boost to the manufacturing and infrastructure industry in India. The demand for construction equipment has increased to execute these policy initiatives. Our construction equipment components such as gearboxes for mining applications, travel gearbox GPTs used in excavators, crawler cranes, etc are much in demand.

Market challenges
The construction equipment industry is a volatile industry, which is demand driven. There is no stability in demand owing to the fluctuations in the market and policy changes, thereby making capacity planning difficult for the equipment suppliers. The availability of trained operators to operate heavy machinery is a challenge in this sector. The supply of labour is not at par with the demand.

A platform of opportunities
Construction equipment expos like Excon are great places to display the best of technology and innovations in the field. It also plays a significant role in bringing together all the key industry players on one common platform for networking with potential suppliers/customers. Interacting with various industry experts gives people a better understanding of the construction equipment sector. It gives us great pleasure to be displaying ZF's top class technology for construction machinery and vehicles in one of South Asia's largest construction equipment exhibitions.

Key focus
With advanced technological solutions like additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and augmented reality, this year's Excon will see a lot of disruptive ideas and innovations in the construction equipment space. All the industry players present there will showcase their latest and up-to-date products to tell their customers that they are well equipped and future ready.

The visitors would come with the mind-set to discover the latest technological advancements and disruptive ideas in the field of construction equipment. Visitors this year will get to see many innovative products equipped with the latest technology.

Showcasing innovation
ZF has strong technical expertise and depth in developing and producing drives and axles for construction machinery. This year at Excon, ZF will be showcasing a wheel loader driveline with the latest transmission and axle technology. The proven and tested powershift transmission system ZF Ergopower WG 98 has been optimised for wheel loader applications and offers high performance shifting quality and comfortable and easier handling.

The ZF axles MT-L 3055 for wheel loaders are designed for heavy duty cycles and highest reliability due to their robustness. The electrical wheel drive ZF eTRAC with three-phase asynchronous motor is another highlight at our booth. This well-known technology for electric forklifts can now be applied for the electrification of compact off-highway machinery or auxiliary equipment.

ZF eTRAC offers improved traction, increased driving safety and ground conservation.

Expectations
Excon would be one of the largest platforms for us to meet potential suppliers and customers. In the five-day exhibition, we hope to get the best of our innovations on display and hope to procure good business.

At ZF, we see the Indian construction industry as an opportunity for us to grow. Having established and streamlined the production facility in our Coimbatore plant, it is our endeavour to see the possibilities of utilising the capacity to a much higher level. With this view in mind, we took a decision to re-participate in Excon.