LDA to use controlled demolition technique for illegal structures

Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will now explore controlled demolition techniques for demolishing high-rise buildings.

Srei receives EoI for capital infusion from Cerberus

The board of directors of Srei Infrastructure Finance and its wholly-owned subsidiary Srei Equipment Finance held meetings announced that it has further received an expression of interest for capital infusion from Cerberus Global Investments.

The D-factor

Where the demand will be coming from for the construction equipment industry?

Mining opportunities and challenges

Ritabrata Ghosh, Associate Head, Corporate Sector Ratings, ICRA writes on the mining scenario in India.

Mechanised scavenging to be made mandatory

Government will amend the Manual Scavenging Act to make mechanised cleaning mandatory.

Mining Gains

The recent policy initiatives by the Central Government are expected to boost the mining activities in the country, providing new opportunities to private and global miners, and equipment and technology providers.

Mining Needs a Leg-up

For India to achieve its full potential in the mining sector, policymakers need to give a leg-up in lifting the mining sector on a high growth path. Jayanta Roy elaborates on the mining industry scenario in India.

Looking for a Turnaround

We expect Excon to be more vibrant and industry-specific

With the revival of road construction projects in India, the market for construction equipment (CE) and road building equipment- such as crushing and screening plants and RAP-mixing asphalt plants - is expected to open up in a big way.

More engines of growth needed

Off-Highway Research reports a turnaround in the global construction equipment (CE) market, which is expected to grow 16 per cent this year.

FROM RECOVERY TO GROWTH

The construction market in India is the second largest in Asia-Pacific Countries (APAC) region and is expected to become the fastest growing market in the region by 2025.

ICEMA Wins,Ban Dropped

Recently, the Supreme Court heard an application by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers' Association (ICEMA) and the Tractor Manufacturers' Association (TMA) as they sought a clarification on the ban on the registration of BS-III vehicles after March 31, 2017.

Equipment & Technology for Infrastructure is no Luxury!

The Supreme Court's recent clarification that construction equipment and agricultural equipment are not included in the BS-III vehicle ban was a sigh of relief to the concerned industry.

INFRA INFRA INFRA

The growth of the infrastructure industry is expected to drive the global construction equipment market. Sounds familiar? Global experts believe that this increase can be attributed to upcoming construction projects around the globe, primarily in developing nations.

Equipment India awards & ceo forum 2017

It was 6.15 p.m. with 15 minutes more to go for the mega event of the infrastructure equipment industry. Meanwhile, the Viceroy Hall at the heritage Claridges Hotel located in New Delhi's famed Lutyen's Zone was already filled to capacity.

BS-III ban will not apply on farm, construction equipment: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has clarified that farm equipment and construction equipment vehicles (CEVs) will not come under the BS-III ban and the manufacturers of these equipment can continue to sell BS-III range of farm and construction equipment.

Mayday! Mayday!

Misinterpretation of Supreme Court BS III ban has brought the construction equipment and tractor industry on its knees.

The new norms

Lok Sabha has passed the GST Bill, clearing the deck for its smooth rollout from this July. Termed as independent India?s biggest reform initiative, the GST Bill is expected to bring together the entire nation on a single platform of taxation.

Caterpillar India wins Golden Peacock Award

Caterpillar India has won the ?Golden Peacock Award? for Sustainability for the year 2016. The company has been declared as the winner of this award by the Jury under the chairmanship of Justice MN Venkatachaliah, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India.

Caterpillar India wins Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability

Caterpillar India has won the ?Golden Peacock Award? for Sustainability for the year 2016. The company has been declared as the winner of this award by the Jury under the chairmanship of Justice MN Venkatachaliah, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India.

Exceeding Expectations

According to a report released by ICEMA, the current market size of the construction equipment including backhoe loader, concrete mixers excavator is around $2.8 billion. Further, the Indian construction equipment industry

Ready for the Big Boom

Large capacity concrete batching plants are to piggyback upcoming 100 new concrete roads and other infrastructure projects. Mass concreting is expected to be a major constituent of upcoming infrastructure projects in roads and highways, railways, sea ports, airports, power plants

Graded Up

If tightened completion time is demanded as in the case of Delhi peripheral ring road by Supreme Court, it will sure to up the demand for advanced, high capacity motor graders.

CE Sector to Grow

Among the major global markets for construction equipment, the demand of construction equipment in China suffered a steep decline after peaking in 2011. This trend continued in 2014; however, future demand forecast is expected to be stable.

?We have demand for excavators from mining companies?

We provide services like buyback, workshop services, AMC of machines, on-site repairs, operator training, different types of parts promotion, and credit facilities to major corporate customers, says Pramod Patwardhan, Managing Director, SVP Mining. Excerpts from the interview.

CE industry is to grow in the long term at a CAGR of 17.5%

The construction equipment (CE) market in India will be driven by increased activity levels in every sector as there are massive infrastructure gaps yet to be bridged, says Samir Bansal, General Manager, India, Off-Highway Research.

Catalysing Growth

Winds of change are here to stay! Investment in the construction development sector has a multiplier effect on the economy by way of infrastructure creation; substantial employment generation over the entire spectrum,

Supreme Court orders shut down of 26 mines in Odisha

Illegal mining activities in various states of India has led to the downfall of the minerals and mining sector. Supreme Court had imposed ban on mining activities in Goa, Karnataka and Odisha. On May 16, the Supreme Court ordered shutdown of mines involved in Odisha which are involved in irregular mining activities. This is going to hit hard at the Indian steel industry which is already reeling down due to the shortage of iron ore. The Supreme Court has imposed restrictions on the operation of 2

A Fresh Lease of Life

Crushers and screens address the supply requirements of the core infrastructure raw material inputs. The de-growth in the mining sector and the prevailing slowdown in the road sector has had a negative impact on the crushers and screens equipment (CS&E) segment. Like in many other equipment segments, the original equipment manufacturers in CS&E also have been busy with upgradation of existing range and new launches. The recent lifting of the ban on iron ore mining by the Supreme Court is expecte

The crack of dawn

The recent decision of the Supreme Court lifting the ban on iron ore mining in Goa has implications beyond this state as the mining sector's woes have added to the economic slowdown along with low growth in manufacturing. Over the past two years, due to the ban on iron ore mining in Goa, Karnataka and Odisha, the iron ore export fell by 85 per cent or 100 MT and as a result, India, once the world?s third-largest exporter, turned a net importer of the commodity in recent times. The closure of iro

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.

Minor mineral mining projects needs environment clearance from state authorities

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has informed the Supreme Court in an affidavit, that the government has made it compulsory for any kind of mining activity to be undertaken only after proper sanction is taken from the concerned authorities.

Streamlining the mining process

The year that went by - in fact, the last two years - put the country?s mining sector through one of its toughest tests. The Supreme Court ban on iron ore mining in Karnataka in 2011 and in Goa in 2012, alongside the Coalgate scams and environmental restrictions severely impacted this sector, and led to a considerable dent in the growth of the CE sector during this period.

Karnataka's plea to SC to permit mining

Seeking permission to allow mining in Karnataka to ?a limited extent and period? to meet the current shortfall in iron ore, the State government on December 2 approached the Supreme Court.

Private power firms violating coal block norms

Many private power companies in the country were violating the terms and conditions of coal block allocation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court (SC) and the Union Power Ministry (MoP) have found in their probe. These companies had been allocated coal blocks as they had submitted that they planned to set up power plants and sell power to distribution companies (discoms).

Govt expects to solve Goa ore mining ban issue sonn

Expecting a rise in iron ore exports, which would help to lower the current account deficit, the Union government hopes to get relief on iron ore mining in Goa by November. Union Minister for Mines Dinsha Patel hoped that the legal and environmental issues in Goa's iron ore mining will be resolved by October-end or November first week.

Govt submits report on missing coal files

On the missing files related to coal reserves? allocation, the Union Coal Ministry on September 16 gave its report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI is likely to register more First Information Reports (FIRs) in the coal scam investigation. The Ministry has reportedly stated in the report that a few files were untraceable.

Govt submits report on missing coal files

On the missing files related to coal reserves? allocation, the Union Coal Ministry on September 16 gave its report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI is likely to register more First Information Reports (FIRs) in the coal scam investigation. The Ministry has reportedly stated in the report that a few files were untraceable.

Centre wants to revive iron ore mining

The Union government is very keen to restart iron ore mining in the country and export more quantity of ore, said Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on August 22. He added that the government need to find a way to export iron ore. Production of steel is vital for the country's manufacturing sector, he said.

Plea for resumption of mining in Goa

Seeking immediate resumption of mining in Goa, the Goa Mining People's Front (GMPF) on August 3 said it would hold a week-long bandh in Goa's mining belt. Mining has been stayed by the Supreme Court, following PILs about rampant illegal mining in the state. GMPF held a meeting in Panaji and resolved to hold successive bandhs from August 21 to August 28.

Metso India aims 20% revenue from exports

Metso India is aiming to increase share of exports to revenue to around 20 per cent by 2015 by focusing on Asia Pacific, European Union and the Middle East markets. Metso India is a technology provider to the mining sector. Sudhir Srivastava, Senior vice president, Mining and Construction, Metso Asia said that the company's Indian operations clocked 200 million euro in revenue (Rs 1,574 crore) in 2012.

FM asked to facilitate mining in Goa

Sesa Goa, in a letter to Finance Minister P Chidambaram, requested the latter to facilitate early resumption of iron ore mining in Goa. PK Mukherjee, Managing Director of Sesa Goa said in the letter that that one-third of Goa's population is dependent on mining. He further said the state government and the industry have already initiated several steps to stre

Karnataka to consider KIOCL plea for mining in Tumkur district

The Karnataka government will take a decision on processing the application by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL)?on seeking a 116.55 hectare mining lease at Hosahalli in Chikanayakanahalli taluk of Tumkur district after it prepares a framework for mining iron ore and allied minerals in the State,?Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the State Legislative Assembly on July 25. Replying to a call attention notice by JR Lobo?(Congress) Siddaramaiah said KIOCL?had applied for the mining lease in 2008.

Mining picks up in Bellary area

In Bellary district of Karnataka, mining activities have resumed gradually after lifting off the blanket ban imposed by the Supreme Court in July 2011. As many as 13 mines (11 in forest land and two in revenue lands) listed in categories A and B have started extraction of ore after implementing reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) plans and obtaining all the statutory clearances.

Bitumen roads around Taj may harm its foundations: ASI

Building bitumen-based roads around the Taj Mahal will harm the foundation of the beautiful monument, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has cautioned on July 15. ASI cautioned the Uttar Pradesh government against carrying out any such infrastructure development project around Taj Mahal. It contended that raising bitumen roads around the 17th century structure could lead to stagnation of water, affecting its foundation.

Sesa Goa awaits green nod to restart mining

Sesa Goa is awaiting the clearance of the union environment ministry to resume operations in its iron ore mine in Karnataka. Recently, the forest advisory committee (FAC) of the environment ministry recommended conditional clearance for the mining operation by the firm. In its recommendation, the panel opined that the company should be mandated to comply with all cond

Metso invests Rs 40 cr to raise supply capacity

Media reports indicate that Metso Group is enhancing its capability to supply wear parts to mining and construction companies by investing about Rs 40 crore for expansion of its foundry in Ahmedabad. The group acquired the Ahmedabad foundry, a greenfield project, in 2000 and it began operations in 2001. The foundry would meet about 50 per cent of the company's global requirement. The group has about 12 expo

Officials record claims of villagers

Government officials are recording the claims of the villagers in the Rayagada and Kalahandi district of Odisha following the direction from the Supreme Court. On April 18, the apex court directed the government to provide the villagers with basic forest rights in the form of land titles. Further, the court said it is only these villagers who can decide whether the proposed Rs 40,000-crore baux

Karnataka miners struggle to resume operation

Most mining firms are unable to start operation at their mines in Karnataka even though the Supreme Court allowed them to resume mining three months ago. Some reports indicate that of the 117 mines falling in the category A & B areas, only about 10 mines are currently operational. The apex court allowed mining in areas falling in these two categories

Goa govt to apprise SC on action against illegal mining

Goa government is taking steps to address the issue of illegal mining in the state and it would apprise the Supreme Court about the measures taken by when the matter comes up for hearing on July 10, reports indicate. Among the measures initiated by the state are adoption of differential global positioning systems (DGPS) mapping, regularization of dumps, e-filling. The state government is learnt to have addressed mining issues in four areas out of the six areas of conc

Our crushers work within the permissible noise levels

Our machines are designed in such a way to reduce the friction on the bushes and bearings. Naturally, the noise will get reduced, says H Sankaranarayanan, Director-Operations, Taurian Engineering

Tough times for C&SE sector

One year ago, to be precise, EQUIPMENT INDIA in its May 2012 issue, came out with a cover story on the growth potential of crushing and screening equipment (C&SE) segment. We interacted with most of the major C&SE manufacturers to get the actual pulse of the industry

Director urges termination of mining leases

Even as the Supreme Court allowed mining in category A and B mines in Karnataka, the Director of Mines and Geology of the state government recommended premature closure of 14 mining leases falling under these two categories. In a letter to the Commerce and Industries ministry of the state government, the Director of Mines and Geology recommended premature closure of these mines noting that they too have committed ?serious irregReal estate body CREDAI requested government to promote housing part

Firms sold 45.5 mn t ore via e-auction

Data from the Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), Karnataka shows mining firms sold 45,544,000 million tonne (mn t) iron ore out of 77,268,000 mn t earmarked for e-auction as on May 18 in the state. Of the total sale amount of Rs 10,496 crore, the DMG gets Rs 979.26 crore as royalty, Forest Department gets Rs 978.26 crore as Forest Development Tax while Rs 501.52 crore goes to Com

Odisha govt gets suggestion from union ministry

The Union ministry of tribal affairs (MoTA) Secretary Vibha Puri Das asked the Odisha government to arrive at the exact number of villages where gram sabha was to be conducted for restarting the bauxite mining project of Vedanta Group. Das asked the state government not to restrict the gram sabha to only 12 villages of Niyamgiri hill s

SC lifts ban on K'taka iron ore mining

The Supreme Court lifted the omnibus ban on iron ore mines in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts of Karnataka and permitted 81 lease owners, who had committed minor violations, to resume mining after compliance of stringent conditions laid down by the courts.

Steel makers to benefit

The Supreme Court order lifting the mining ban on mining in Karnataka?s category-B mines may benefit some steel companies in 2014-15, India Ratings said. The rating gency said the positive impact of mining in Karnataka will be reflected in JSW Steel, Kalyani Steel and Sesa Goa financial in 2014-15.

CEC may discuss re-allotment of mining lease

The proposed re-allotment of mining lease areas in the Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka may be discussed by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) soon. The mining lease may be alloted through international competitive bidding which may fetch several thousand crore rupees to the state. Meanwhile, the panel discussed reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) plan for mining regions in these distr

Official expects SC to allow ore mining in Goa by end of 2013

Prasanna Acharya, head of Directorate of Mines and Geology in Goan government, informed a news agency that the state government expects iron ore mining and exports in the state to resume by December 2013. He is confident that the Supreme Court would be satisfied with the regulatory measures put in place by the state government for the mining sector. Acharya expects around 60 mines to be able to reopen without much difficulty as they are away from fores

Vedanta expects Sesa Goa to restart mining

By June 2013, Vendanta Resources expects its subsidiary Sesa Goa to resume mining in Karnataka and the firm is said is in the process of securing necessary clearances. This information was shared by MS Mehta, CEO of Vedanta in a conference call, while announcing the annual results of the company. Pointing out that Sesa Goa does not plan to export the raw material from the state, Mehta said there is a "sign

MSPL resumes operation in iron ore mine

Leading iron ore miner MSPL's flagship open cast mine Vyasanakere Iron Ore Mine in Karnataka resumed operation recently after it completed the rehabilitation and reclamation measures prescribed by the central empowered committee (CEC). It may be recalled that the Supreme Court allowed category 'A' and Category 'B' mines in Karnataka to resume operation after completing Reclamation and Rehabilitation (R&R) works prescribed by the Monitoring

Vedanta expects to resume operation in Lanjigarh unit soon

The annual financial statement 2012-13 of Vedanta Resources shows the company expects resume operation at its alumina refinery in Odisha's Lanjigarh by July 2013. The firm stopped operation at the 1-million tonne Lanjigarh refinery in December 2012 owing to paucity of bauxite -- the key raw material used to make alumina (the intermediate product for making aluminium

India's import of steel scrap, coal set to rise

Some analysts expect import of steel scrap and coal to rise because of shortage in the domestic availability of iron ore and coal. Decline in domestic iron ore production on the back of ban on mining in Karnataka and Goa prompted consumers of ore to import steel scrap from abroad. Some reports suggest that India's import of metal scrap almost doubled from $7 billion in 2009-10 to $13 billion in 2012-

Sesa Goa confident of early nod for mining

Following the lifting of ban on mining in some areas in Karnataka by the Supreme Court, Sesa Goa hopes to secure forest clearance for its mine in Chitradurga district in some days. PK Mukherjee, Managing Director of the Vedanta group firm expressed hope that the company would secure the (forest) clearance in matter of days considering the ir

SC allows mining in 63 blocks in Bellary

Considering the shortage of iron ore faced by steel makers, the Supreme Court allowed lease holders of 63 'B' category ore mines in Karnataka's Bellary district to resume mining operation. But the court maintained the suspension order for all mining along the Andhra-Karnataka border till the border dispu

Resumption of mining may enable JSW to attain high output capacity

Sheshagiri Rao, Group Chief Financial Officer of JSW Group informed that the company could attain 80 percent capacity utilisation at its facility once the category B mines resumes operation. When mining of iron ore was banned in Karnataka since July 2011, the company's 10 million tonne per annum (mn tpa) steel plant at its flagship factory at Vijay

Panel to examine 42 mines in Goa

Speaking in the state legislative assembly, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed that the Justice RMS Khandeparkar committee would investigate illegal revival of 42 mines 17 years ago. Last year, Goa government appointed the committee to investigate and examine the findings of the Shah Commission report on illegal mining which exposed a Rs 35,000 crore scam in the sector

Linden Comansa luffers in Singapore

The year 2015 will see the opening of the new National Art Gallery, Singapore, which will be the region?s biggest museum, at 60,000 sq m in size. Two adjacent buildings at Singapore?s Downtown Core, the City Hall and the former Supreme Court, will be transformed to host a large collection of Southeast Asian art.Takenaka-Singapore Piling Joint Venture has been appointed as the main construction contractor for the works.