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2013 was a tough year but it is behind us. We must now look to the future

The year 2013 was a forgettable one for the construction equipment as well as the concrete equipment sector. With construction at a virtual standstill, the demand for concreting machinery fell by 15-20 per cent year-on-year

Government should set up an independent commission for PPP regulations

It is a clich? now that the infrastructure sector is a critical enabler for sustaining economic growth as well as for ensuring its inclusiveness. This alone could enable a two per cent growth in GDP.

Mandate for action

The CE sector, for its part, needs to look ahead. Looking back, it would seem, everything possible for a new growth story has been done, put in place. Looking forward is the only way; the pace may be painfully slow but is expected to be steady.

Road 2 recovery

Despite the present day gloom in the market, the future for the construction equipment sector, especially for the road equipment segment in India, still holds much potential as this sector has a profound and immediate impact on the country?s economic growth. Off-Highway Research is optimistic about the growth in demand for road equipment and forecasts growth at a CAGR of 12.67 per cent over the next five years. Agith G Antony finds out more about the positive vibes in the industry.

The government should award projects only after securing key sovereign clearances.

With the government planning for a major infrastructure boom in the North-Eastern states, we foresee a lot of potential for businesses to grow and flourish. The government plans to make investments in roads, railways, air connectivity, cyber and telecom connectivity and power in this region, says Amit Gossain, Vice President - Marketing and Business Development, JCB India. Excerpts of the interview.

CCI nod sought for expediting mine development

Approval of Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI)is being sought by the Ministry of Coal to expedite development of allocated mining blocks where no cases or FIRs have been filed by the CBI.

Looking Ahead with Optimism

Despite the economic slowdown and contrary to initial apprehensions from the major stakeholders, Excon 2013 turned out to be a success, with OEMs and aggregate and components manufacturers launching a new range of machines and components, and some of them even announcing further investment to augment capacity, in order to meet the expected demand spurt in the coming years.

Getting back on track

Growth prospects in the current fiscal, 2013-1314, were expected to be sluggish, with no clear indicators towards a surge in demand for construction equipment. However, the recent developments in otherwise depressed business sentiments are something to cheer about.

Coal ministry counters charges of NTPC

Union coal ministry refuted the charges levelled by union power ministry and NTPC that Coal India (CIL) was supplying inferior quality coal to the power producer. The power ministry took its grievances against CIL to the Cabinet Committee on Investments (CCI) and this move irked the union coal ministry

Environment ministry clears 18 coal projects

The union environment ministry cleared 18 coal mining projects of the monopoly coal miner Coal India (CIL), Minister of State for Coal Pratik Prakashbapu Patil informed the Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of Environment and Forests gave environmental clearances (EC) for 14 projects and stage-I forestry clearances (FC) for four projects of CIL soon after the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Inve

SAIL may produce more ore due to Gua mine clearance

The government's move to give forest clearance for mining by Steel Authority of India (SAIL) in the Gua iron ore mines in Jharkhand may boost raw material supply for its steel plant. The company plans to increase the production of iron ore, which is a key raw material for steel making, as part of its steel capacity expansion projects

Environment ministry clears 18 coal projects

The union environment ministry cleared 18 coal mining projects of the monopoly coal miner Coal India (CIL), Minister of State for Coal Pratik Prakashbapu Patil informed the Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of Environment and Forests gave environmental clearances (EC) for 14 projects and stage-I forestry clearances (FC) for four projects of CIL soon after the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Inve

The Budget's impact

Industry captains analyse the Budget's implications on the CE sector. According to Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India, the Finance Minister has rolled out a well-balanced and realistic Budget.

CE Industry to benefit from Budget's focus on infrastructure

The initiatives announced in the Budget and the measures taken outside it together will impact the demand for construction equipment. DK Vyas trains his thoughts on the likely impact of the recent Budget on the CE sector.

CCI gets request to streamline approval process

The Cabinet Committee on Investments (CCI) received a request from the union coal ministry for streamlining approval process for mining projects. In a letter written by the union coal ministry to CCI, it suggested parallel processing of environmental clearance (EC) and forest clearance (FC) for coal proj

Hits & misses

Even though the recent Budget left much to be desired, the initiatives announced in it and the measures taken outside it, together are expected to boost the demand for construction equipment (CE). To our surprise, the Budget was non-committal on the reduction of import duty for critical equipment and machinery.

Govt to ease norms for road builders

Seeking to attract developers to new construction projects the Union Roads Ministry has proposed easing norms for road builders. The Ministry has sent a note to the Cabinet Committee on Investment suggesting an early exit for road developers.

Reform in approval process

Some industry observers are not satisfied with the setting up of the Cabinet Committee on Investments (CCI) by the Central Government as they find it to be a watered-down and relatively toothless body.

We are virtually the best in fuel average and productivity in the 20T excavator segment.”

We are looking forward to a lot of regulatory reforms. For new projects, the approach towards environment clearances needs to be more pragmatic, GOI has to ensure that no retrospective taxation happens, GST needs to be introduced even if some states do not play ball initially. Such actions will get the CE industry going, says Vikram Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Kobelco India. Excerpts from the interview.

We keep our customers at the heart of all our initiatives and endeavour.

JCB has recently announced its plan to set up its fourth world class manufacturing facility on a 70- acre site in Jaipur. The approximate investment of Rs 500 crore has been planned to set up this facility in phases. Our idea is to keep pace with future economic growth and strengthen our position as market leader in the construction equipment industry both in India as well as APAC & MEA, says Vipin Sondhi, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, JCB India. Excerpts from the interview.

India showcase

Look at the slew of dismal facts. There has been an overall slowdown in Indian infrastructure activity due to lack of clearances of new as well as ongoing infrastructure projects. Even L&T chief AM Naik has indicated that the project pipeline is drying up. Many projects have not progressed even after being approved of by the central government and after achieving financial deal closure, too.

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