Limited market awareness hinders rental service penetration

Mukesh Sharma, Country Manager, Atlas Copco Specialty Rental Division in India, speaks on the current landscape of the construction equipment rental market, and the latest trends in the market.

Budget 2024: Key highlights

Key highlights of Interim Budget 2024

A Resounding Success

Gujarat Conex 2023 served as a gathering hub for prominent figures in the industry and policymakers, engaging in discussions aimed at advancing infrastructure development in Gujarat.

Mining opportunities and challenges

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

We have the widest range of oils to meet all requirements

GS Caltex India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of GS Caltex, which is a 50:50 joint venture between GS Energy of South Korea and Chevron Corp of USA.

Riding on infra push

Pick-up in infrastructure spending and construction activities is expected to drive the demand for tipper trucks in the coming years.

Indian CE Market Overview

The market for construction equipment will follow an upward trend in the next five years.,

On a Smooth Path

As roads and highways construction continues to be on the top gear, more mechanisation is taking place in rural roads with motor graders finding more traction in the coming years.

Managing risk in a highly competitive industry

With a strong but volatile outlook for the mining sector, the industry is focused on future growth through expanded production, without losing sight of operational efficiency and cost optimisation.

Equipment insurance sector will continue to grow

Considering the current scenario of infrastructure developments, there isa substantial growth potential in equipment insurance.

GS Caltex's offerings for Infrastructure Sector

Nearly every business in construction sector is under increasing pressureto lower operating costs and increase efficiency. This often means doing more with fewer people and using equipment for longer duration.

Indian CE Market: AN Overview

Strong domestic demand generated by ongoing infrastructure development projects resulted in the construction equipment market rising to an all-time high of 72,197 units in 2011.

Digital Platform for efficient CE Sourcing

With markets being overcrowded and competition more intense than ever, coupled with a flurry of information in this digital age creates a lot of distractions.

GS Caltex's offerings for Infrastructure Sector

Nearly every business in construction sector is under increasing pressure to lower operating costs and increase efficiency. This often means doing more with fewer people and using equipment for longer duration.

Ultimate reliability lubricants

OEMs have been under considerable pressure to offer engines that are more durable, more fuel efficient and produce less emissions than before.

Ingersoll Rand launches new rotary screw air compressors in India

Ingersoll Rand, a global leader in compression technologies and services, introduced new models to its line of Next Generation R-Series oil-flooded rotary screw air compressors, which provide a more energy-efficient solution for customers with high capacity air requirements.

Metallurgy Trends in Construction

Steel and metals play a major role in the construction industry. Alireza Moghaddam explains on the use of metals in construction and the new trends and the emerging market opportunities.

DhOLA-SADIYA bridge will propel intense development of the region

The making of Dhola-Sadiya Bridge across the River Brahmaputra was a different task altogether, considering the location and an unpredictable flood situation. This mega structure was constructed by Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd.

We have a long term vision for Indian market

On a global level, we have come out with two product categories: drum cutters and grapples. We want to be careful with what we do in India because we have a long term vision for this market. Considering the GDP prospects, most players are entering India but it is a demanding market.

Government should fast-track the procurement

After a lull in the past three years, mining, especially coal, is set to show significant growth in the next few years. Coal India (CIL) is doing its best to increase coal production quickly, from the current 568 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 927 mtpa by 2020.

Buoyant Future

An unprecedented and the highest-ever, $1 trillion has been earmarked for investment in infrastructure development by Government of India in the current Five-Year Plan period (2012-17). Speeding along the guidelines set forth by the government, the infrastructure construction activity is rapidly growing in roads and highways, bridges, airports and power, while realty sector is yet to catch up.

Mining, Construction to Lead Growth of Tyres

The current market for mining and construction is growing and with the initiatives taken by the new government, it is poised to gain momentum in the coming years. Continental India foresees this as a key growth enabler for tyre industry.

The Road Ahead

The need for better infrastructure is pressing with India?s rapid urbanisation and burgeoning middle class. Some 590 million people will live in cities by 2030, and could account for 70 per cent of Indian GDP, according to a McKinsey report.

We provide quality filtration solutions across the industry

We commend the ?Make in India? campaign by our Prime Minister and hope to see a lot more quality Indian filter manufacturers that assist development across the various industries in which filters play a role, says Ravinder Singh Anand, Proprietor, New Era Engineering

Lifting Solutions

The future trend in material handling systems will be towards lighter, higher-efficiency equipment. The power consumption, material of construction, operating noise levels and eco-friendly features of this equipment will play a big role while introducing

Asphalt Recycling

Millions of tonnes of asphalt have being wasted in the country, when these could be properly treated and recycled for rehabilitation of road projects and new pavements.

The Road Ahead

The need for better infrastructure is pressing with India?s rapid urbanisation and burgeoning middle class. Some 590 million people will live in cities by 2030, and could account for 70 per cent of Indian GDP, according to a McKinsey report.

Piling Deep for Solid Growth

In a highly competitive market space hitherto rigged with challenge, the piling industry has responded positively by developing and launching advanced rigs. The piling technology with latest monitoring features could help increase productivity and reduce overall cost of a project.

Tata Motors will continue to develop new products and upgrade its existing ones.

At Tata Motors, we strive to enhance our customers? experience, offering the unmatched benefit of a Tata truck, with best lifecycle cost, longer service runs and enhanced levels of driver comfort, resulting in best-in-class profitability and lowest payback period for operators, says Vinod Sahay, Head (Sales and Marketing), Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors. Excerpts of the interview.

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.

We are positive about the near future

There will always be competition regarding rates and credit. Then again, how effectively you will be clear and open to the customer in understanding his needs and matching it with your schemes are key components,

Concrete moves

Despite the Rs 2,500-crore concrete equipment industry registered nearly 40 per cent fall in the market and is under severe pressure, there is tremendous growth opportunities in the long term.

Our marketshare has improved substantially in the last six months

When it comes to capacity, product range, manpower and servicing, we are quite comfortable and all geared for the upturn. For the past two years, the situation was really bad but we suddenly witnessed a spurt in demand; orders which used to take months and months for closure were getting finalised faster.

We have the best products, the best services and of course, the best quality

Putzmeister has been in India for more than seven years and we are here to stay. We are committed to India, its people, its future and we are continuously developing new products for our valuable customers

Our products meet the stringent off-road Tier-4 emission norms.

We position ourselves as a premium player offering the lowest environmental impact and total cost of ownership with the help of technology, added with durability and reliability, says S Prabhakaran, Vice President - Industrial & Marine Power Systems Volvo Penta. Excerpts from the interview.

Intelligent Lifting Solutions

Steel industry has the toughest and most demanding operating conditions. Equipment India finds out intelligent lifting solutions offered by major players. Lifting equipment in the steel industry is subject to the roughest conditions like extremely high and variable ambient temperatures, difficult and heavy loads

Our cranes have some of the best safety features.

Demag is probably the only company among crane manufacturers with the largest field force. Our services include installation and commissioning, warranty and post warranty services and support through parts, says Vidyakant Miraje, Business Head - Process Cranes, Demag Cranes and Components (I). Excerpts from the interview.

German companies are planning more investments in India.

German investors are taking a positive long-term view of Indian market and continue to invest in their operations to tap growth opportunities. Maharashtra, with around 39 per cent share of German investments, remains the most attractive destination, says Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India. Excerpts from the interview.

Realising the mining potential

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.

The Rupee Impact

The depreciation of the Indian rupee has had its adverse impact on the manufacturing sector, especially OEMs who import various components. To the extent possible, OEMs are trying to localise production, but that is just a part of it. What the industry is looking is for concrete measures that can bring life back into the economy and trigger growth in a sustainable way.

We offer the best quality tower cranes and passenger hoists.

Our main focus has always remained on service support to every customer; we offer project -specific and very economical solutions till the completion of the project, says PV Ramdev, Managing Director, Everest Engineering Equipment. Excerpts from the interview.

We are coming out with newly designed cones and jaws by March 2014.

We are gearing up to offer 500 tonne/hour at our plant by 2014 March. We expect a sea change in the crushing industry and we are hopeful that India will soon see large crushing plants, says VP Mundra, Director, Core Crushing Equipments. Excerpts from the interview.

We expect a huge spurt in demand for construction equipment from Q4 2014.

Low downtime of the machine is a major factor under consideration while buying new equipment. We have a very strong and focused after sale service with a very efficient and trained service staff. We are also looking into new initiatives like SAP enable part support in all our design and mobile service, says Anil Bhatia, Director Sales and Marketing

We are introducing a coal burner to enhance the hot mix plant's fuel efficiency.

The slowdown has made us more focused on servicing existing plants and we have taken on the operation and maintenance of hot mix plants, says VP Mundra, Director, Basic Engineering Equipment. Excerpts from the interview.

Staying close to our customers is our priority.

We have a very strong research and development team that is striving to provide break?through technologies on our equipment. Our focus is now on providing solutions to our customers to keep the operating costs at the minimum level. I will consider this as our value for money proposition in hard times, says Viraj Parthi, India Country Leader

We plan to launch multi-functional man and material handling hoists at Excon 2013.

Spartan has always been a trendsetter in bringing hoists with world class designs and internati?onal safety features. Our multi-functionality approach to hoists has put us in the big league of innovative, value added products, says Vikram Mehta, Managing Director, Spartan Engine?ering. Excerpts from the interview.

SAES promises utmost quality products with upgrading range to meet growing market.

We are keen to expand our business and find new opport?unities. One of our main obje?ctives is also to become a dealer or franchise for some of the top companies at national as well as an international level, says Vimal Shah, Chief Executive Officer, Shah Auto Earthmoving Spares (SAES). Exce?rpts from the interview.

Our focus is to be a solution partner rather than the mere supplier of a plant.

Development of products is a part of our manufacturing pro?gramme to suit to the changing needs of the construction and mining industry. Our focus is on sand plants, quality sand production machinery, says V Venkataramana, Vice President (Marketing), Puzzolana. Excerpts from the interview.

The group will invest over EUR one billion to further strengthen and expand ZF's position.

ZF is a leading worldwide autom?otive supplier for driveline and chassis technology, with 121 companies in 27 countries. In 2012, the group achieved a sales figure of EUR 17.4 billion with about 75,000 employees. ZF was founded in 1915 for the development and production of transmissions for airships and vehicles.

The new generation of Dash-3 pavers from Vogele will be launched at Excon 2013.

n addition to production, we are also focusing on optimising our process, improve efficiencies in operations and at the same time, stepping up investment in sales and service network for the future, says Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director and CEO, Wirtgen India. Excerpts from the interview.

Stalled but Hopeful

In spite of the present slowdown and resultant sluggishness in the CE market, the long- term growth prospects are still intact; and experts view the huge infrastructure deficit as a major growth driver and prudent steps from the government can bring India back on the growth trajectory.

An upward trend

Over the years, the manufacturing sectors have made remarkable progress in integrating the latest and most advanced systems of material handling into the manufacturing process. There is a perceptible shift towards third-party logistics providers, increased focus on integrated supply chain

Escorts represents fassi gru, Italy, for its complete range of knuckle boom cranes.

Escorts have had the advantage of first mover. The consequent visibility of Escorts-Fassi cranes are high and the quality of these cranes are extremely good, bringing in the good reviews and repeat business. Our current range of cranes includes cranes from 0.8 Tm to 195 Tm in over 60 models and more than 30000 configurations

BHL Continues to Rule the Roost

The world over, construction practices and methodologies determine the selection of the type of equipment, to a great extent. However, in India, backhoe loader (BHL) controls the lion's share of the total equipment sale; it is wheel loaders that dominate the Chinese CE market and crawler and mini excavators that control the European and American markets.

We strive for low levels of emissions and optimum fuel consumption.

We have incorporated the optimum engine working temperatures to minimise emission. These engines are fitted with high pressure rotary type fuel injections, IEGR, turbocharger and heavy-duty silencers to keep the emissions low, says Anil Bhatia, Director Sales and Marketing, Case India. Excerpts from the interview.

We will soon expand our product range for high-end customers.

We expect fuel efficiency will be the prime driving force behind the demand for BHL in the near future, says Sunil Tiku, Senior Director - Sales & Marketing, Terex India. Excerpts from the interview.

JCB constantly keep upgrading the machine to meet the growing requirements.

The JCB backhoe loader continues to be the most widely used equipment in India and we constantly keep upgrading the machine to meet the growing requirements of our customers, says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director and CEO, JCB India.

We work very closely with OEMs.

In the economic slowdown techno?logy plays a role where one becomes more profit conscious and looks for someone like Shell. Our solutions are based on delivering value, says Akhileshwar Jha, Vice President-Technical, Lubricants, Shell India Markets.

We are one of the first major players in India to get into cold forging.

We were the first company in India to successfully develop a fracture split connecting rod and this was a major breakthrough at that time. Our engineering capability is what differentiates us from others because of which we can produce very high quality and high precision products for the customers, says Viraj G Kalyani, Executive Vice President, Kalyani Forge. Excerpts from the interview.

We plan to develop new products like jaw crushers, cone crushers and mobile plants.

We do not sell standard plants as we consider each crushing or screening task as different from the other. We aim to offer custom-built plants which will make us a cut above the others. Also, we are tapping export markets in certain areas, which keeps us busy in the present market conditions, says VP Mundra, Director, Core Crushing Equipments.

Speco JV with the basic group will have a manufacturing set up in India soon.

Speco is the only company which is constantly upgrading the techno?logy by introducing an air automised burner to reduce the fuel cost. The new design dryer has reduced maintenance. The new vibrating screen design ensures good quality, says VP Mundra, Director, Basic Engineering Equipment.

Navigating through turbulent times

Overall slowdown in demand for new equipment, absence of new channels for the deployment of equipment compared to the overall availability, plummeting value of currency, lack of clarity on private coal blocks, highly depressed rental rates - all seems to have had its negative impact on the equipment finance segment.

In search of a strong foundation

Absence of big ticket projects such as greenfield power and steel plant projects, crashed out rental rates and surplus of idling equipment, and the cash flow crisis - the overall scenario of the foundation equipment market from the micro point of view seems to be grim, even though from the macro point of view few metro projects seem to have given a bit of relief to the industry.

Intelligent compaction

Road construction experts as well as OEMs, vouch for the efficacy of intelligent compaction technology lauding the way it has led to improved roads. It is one of the most significant technological developments for the road construction sector

Case leads the vibratory compactors market with proven models

With over 3,000 units working in a variety of applications ranging from bituminous roads and runways to concrete pavements, the Case 752 model leads the market, says Anil Bhatia, Director Sales and Marketing, Case New Holland Construction Equipment India.

On a recovery mode

The construction equipment industry is experiencing a slump due to the slowdown in the mining industry as well as delays in infrastructure projects and governmental clearances, shortage of funds, environmental concerns. EQUIPMENT INDIA interacts with some of the major players to get the pulse of the industry.