Sunil Saksena, CEO, Escorts Construction Equipment.

We are expecting a revival of construction equipment industry in the third quarter of this financial year, but expect a flat growth for the entire fiscal, says Sunil Saksena, CEO, Escorts Construction Equipment.

How is the construction equipment industry shaping up vis-a-vis last year?
The construction equipment industry is the only one in the country which has witnessed a continuous decline for the last five years. We are still witnessing a marginal decline in the first half of this financial year. Q2 of this financial year has started off on a slightly better note as compared to last year. Current financial year might turn out to be somewhat flat for the entire industry. We are expecting a revival in the third quarter of this financial year, but expect a flat growth for the entire fiscal. Among all the segments of the industry, the only one which could see a positive growth is road building equipment such as compactors and motor graders, in addition to crushing and screening plants. In the earthmoving segment, we are seeing growth in the excavator segment. Aggregated, the entire industry has not shaped up to the expectations.

How does Escorts ensure that it is a brand delight vis-a-vis your competitors?
For us, we have an edge in pick-and-carry cranes where we have a stronghold. Customers are loyal to our brand.

We are definitely seen to be better over our competition.

What are your views on the forthcoming Excon?
There are many exhibitions being held at various locations in India, but Excon remains the most prestigious of them all. It would be absolutely unfair on our part to comment about Excon 2015 since we are not participating. Having said that, what I have learnt is that many big players have backed out due to market conditions and escalating costs.

What are your future course of action in terms of new product introductions?
We are definitely enriching our portfolio and entering new segments. We will share with you at the appropriate time once we are ready.

Can you comment on the skill development programmes you offer?
We are one of the lead participants in the NSDC spaces both on our own and under the aegis of iCEMA. We are continuously offering various training programmes to improve safety, productivity, fuel efficiency, etc of machines. As the technology is evolving, there is a dearth of skilled operators in the country and we are working on that front. It will generate employment and help them earn more.

What is your long term vision for the company?
We have been among the top five players in a crowded industry for quite some time. We would love to maintain that in terms of growth. We will maintain our position in the material handling segment. Escorts? backhoe loader Digmax II is going steady and the road compaction equipment will give us a formidable position in road construction sector. Escorts will continue to contribute to the infrastructure development of India.