We plan to exhibit our new Smart+Excavators

Rajiv Chaturvedi, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, After sales and Parts, Hyundai Construction Equipment India

The Indian CE industry crossed 1,00,000-unit sales in 2022-2023

Sandeep Singh, Managing Director, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery, speaks on the growing market for construction equipment in India.

The Indian excavator market stands at around 25,000 machines

During the recently-held JCB Excavator Day in Pune, Deepak Shetty, CEO and Managing Director, JCB India, speaks on the current market share of excavators in the Indian construction equipment industry and JCB’s position within it.

Pushing new boundaries

As the market for excavators experiences increased demand, OEMs are innovating by introducing new features aimed at enhancing both the efficiency and productivity of these machines.

On a high growth path

The government's focus on infrastructure development is expected to drive the demand for mini construction equipment.

On a high growth path

The government's focus on infrastructure development is expected to drive the demand for mini construction equipment.

Hitachi launches Ultra-Short Tail-Swing Excavators

Hitachi upped its versatility with a trio of "ultrashort tail-swing" excavators at ConExpo-Con: the ZX135US-7, ZX245USLC-7 and the ZX345USLC-7.

With WX175E SR, Case CE strikes the wheeled excavator market

New short-radius wheeled excavator can traverse streets up to 22 mph

Tata Hitachi launches NX30, the next-gen mini excavator

Tata Hitachi launched the all-new 3-tonne mini excavator, NX30.

Tata Hitachi launches NX30, the next-gen mini excavator

The all-new Tata Hitachi NX30 is the first of the new NX series of hydraulic excavators

Heading towards a new high!

After two years of lull, the excavator market should grow again and reach 25,000 units in 2022.

Deere, Wacker Neuson Ink Deal for Compact Excavators in North America

John Deere has announced a collaborative supply agreement with Wacker Neuson to produce and distribute compact excavators for the North American market.

Infra push for mini equipment

According to Arizton’s latest research report, India’s construction equipment market will grow at a CAGR of 8.9 per cent during 2022-2028. Mini excavators hold a decent share in the overall construction equipment industry.

We have launched 14 new products

Being a pioneer in the construction equipment manufacturing industry, Schwing Stetter India has been growing exponentially during the pandemic.

We will be having six new launches during Excon

VG Sakthikumar Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India.

Chasing Growth!

Despite rising input costs and transition to CEV stage-IV engines, the CE market is expecting a growth of over 11 per cent in 2022-23.

Opportunities galore

The construction industry across the globe is anticipated to present significant opportunities for construction equipment.

Sakthi Kumar of Schwing Stetter: Market for excavators should grow by 10%

VG Sakthi Kumar, MD, Schwing Stetter (India), speaks on the present size and growth rate of the hydraulic excavators market in India.

Restart of govt flagship programmes will lift up excavators market in 2021

According to the Off-highway Research, the sale forecast for crawler excavators from 2019-2024 is 24 per cent whereas the mini excavator market is expected to grow by 39 per cent during the given duration.

In 2022, the market for hydraulic excavators may touch 25,000 units

Last year, the excavator market touched 18,000 units. The start of last year was good. Later on the numbers dipped due to Covid-19 pandemic. However from September onwards, the market picked up.

We expect the market for hydraulic excavators to grow by 20%

The excavator market peaked in FY2018-19 following three years of sustained growth led by increased government focus and investment in the infrastructure sector.

Digging deeper

The government’s various initiatives on revival of the infrastructure sector and favourable policies have driven the growth of Indian hydraulic excavator market.

Dheeraj Panda of Sany: Restarting govt flagship programmes will lift up excavators market in 2021

Dheeraj Panda, Director – Sales, Marketing and Customer Support, Sany Heavy Industry India, speaks on how market has evolved for hydraulic excavators in the last couple of years.

Rahul Shorey of Tata Hitachi: We are working on excavators meeting next-gen emission norms

Rahul Shorey, National Head (Construction), Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company, speaks on the opportunities and major challenges faced in the hydraulic excavator segment.

Mini Machines, Maximum Demand

The demand for compact equipment from urban projects is expected to continue.

The growth of mini excavators will be much faster

Tata Hitachi pioneered the mini excavator market by introducing the first indigenously developed 2T TMX20, way back in the 1990s. Rahul Shorey, Head Sales – Construction, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Co, shares more on the market trends.

Challenging Terrain

The hydraulic excavator market in India has been impacted by the slowdown after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.

SANY launches new ultra-large excavators

SANY announced an expanded product portfolio for the ultra-large excavators.

Indian CE Market Overview

In spite of the short-term ups and downs in the market volumes, the construction equipment (CE) industry is expected to touch close to the volume of 140,000 units by 2024-25.

Our plan has always been to localise our manufacturing in India

CASE Construction Equipment is built on the principle that simple is better. Sharing more on the company's operations and recent launches is Neil Woodfin, Vice President, CE AMEA and CE Global Alliance, CASE International SA.

TECH-MOVES

With the government plans to invest Rs 102 trillion in infrastructure development in the next five years, the demand for construction equipment will be immense.

Schwing Stetter India launches XCMG excavators

Schwing Stetter India (SSI)announced the launch of its new generation of XCMG crawler hydraulic excavators - XE80C, XE140I and XE215 C.

Super Performer

Doosan Bobcat India has been the consistent performer, winning the EQUIPMENT INDIA Bestseller Award in Skid-steer loaders for the past five successive years.

MINI EQUIPMENT have huge growth opportunities IN INDIA

Bobcat is a global leader in compact construction equipment, having a wider portfolio of equipment on offer.

Schwing Stetter India launches XCMG excavator range

Schwing Stetter India (SSI), one of India?s leading concreting equipment manufacturers announced the launch of its new generation of XCMG crawler hydraulic excavators - XE80C, XE140I and XE215 C

Hyundai Construction Equipment strengthens dealer network in India

Hyundai Construction Equipment India, a top player in the Indian construction equipment sector, has further strengthened its sales and service network by appointing new dealers in the states of Manipur, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

We are positive about the future of mini excavators

Bobcat is currently offering three models of mini excavators in India. S Manjunath, General Manager-Sales, Doosan Bobcat India, elaborates more on the product range and market opportunities.

Bigger Digger

Optimum utilisation of excavators is of utmost importance for the economic operation of the machine. All hydraulic excavator OEMs have introduced matching technologies for the optimum performance of their machines.

Wipro-Kawasaki plant to start production from April

The new plant of Wipro-Kawasaki joint venture to manufacture hydraulic pumps and motors for construction machinery was inaugurated at Bidadi, near Bengaluru.

We aim to achieve 10 per cent market share in wheel loaders

While Tata Hitachi is maintaining itself as the market leader in excavators in India, the company is aiming to have a decent market share in wheeled equipment segment also. Sandeep Singh, Managing Director, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Co, shares more about the market and the company's plans.

Getting back on track

The verdict is out! GDP growth at 7.7 per cent is the highest in nine quarters. Construction growth at 11.5 per cent, manufacturing at 9 per cent apart from agriculture have been positive contributors.

Pushing Boundaries

With the demand for excavators growing in the market, OEMs are introducing new features to further improve the efficiency and productivity of the machines, helping in quick and qualitative project execution.

New leadership at Hyundai Construction Equipment India

Hyundai Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd announced Eun Soo Lee as the new Managing Director for India operations with immediate effect. He succeeds JY Kim who will be taking over as the Global Head ? Direct Sales & Service and would be operating from the head office at Seoul, South Korea.

Excavator sales set to jump 24 per cent in 2017

According to Off-Highway Research?s new report, The Global Hydraulic Excavator Industry, the world excavator market is set to jump 24 per cent to almost 461,000 units this year, thanks to robust growth in Asia. Excavator sales in China are set to more than double in 2017 from the low of 2016, while demand in India will see robust growth, third year in a row.

Show of Faith

After using Kobelco excavators, model SK210 and SK350, and other brands, Naidu's Infracon is equipped itself with the latest Kobelco excavator Generation 10, SK220XDLC-10.

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.

Excavators Excel

Driven by the infrastructure development activities in the country, hydraulic excavators recorded a sharp growth in 2016 compared to the previous year. The positive trend is continuing this year also with a 26 per cent growth in the first four months.

MTU engine to power KATO excavators

For the first time, Rolls-Royce is supplying MTU-brand engines to Japanese construction machinery manufacturer KATO for use in its excavator segment. The engine ? a 6-cylinder inline Series 1000 unit delivering 210 kW ? will be used to power a 30-tonne hydraulic excavator from KATO?s HD range. Equipped with an SCR system, the MTU engine meets the specifications of Heisei 26 - the emissions stage in effect in Japan since last year.

Volvo CE posts improved performance in Q4

Volvo Construction Equipment registered a strong performance by the end of 2016, with market share gains in the larger, more profitable machine segments and net order intake increased by 35 per cent, while deliveries were up by 19 per cent to 10,639 machines.

Volvo CE sees improved performance in Q4

We continue to introduce technologically advanced products in India, which promises great opportunity and significant growth in 2017

We are launching globally renowned CASE Crawler Dozers in India with three new models ? 1150L, 1650L and 2050M in the 13 T, 18 T and 20 T operating weight range powered with FPT Industrial engine, significant for the roads and mining sector.

LiuGong excavators can create value for customers

Wu Song who took over as Managing Director of LiuGong India Pvt Ltd on April 1, 2016, after relinquishing his earlier position as CFO of the company, shares his thoughts on the companys plans with EQUIPMENT INDIA.

Used excavator market has a huge potential worldwide

Based on revenues, earth moving holds the largest share in the construction equipment industry (62.1 per cent). Major market Players in excavator market are CAT, L&T Komatsu and Tata Hitachi.

Impressive Showcase by CASH Industry

Excon 2015, in CASH domain, witnessed a plethora of equipment aggregates, sub- assemblies, components and IT solutions for OEMs in their equipment, as original suppliers and in the aftermarket space, descending on the scene of action.

Diggies to Scoop the Growth Pie

Market indicators show visible signs of economic recovery and infrastructure development. Crawler excavator segment is expected to witness resurgence in sales from 2015 and is expected to grow to 26 per cent.

Used excavator market has a huge potential worldwide

Based on revenues, earth moving holds the largest share in the construction equipment industry (62.1 per cent). Major market Players in excavator market are CAT, L&T Komatsu and Tata Hitachi.

LiuGong is planning to set up its financing arm and the process is on

The growth potential largely depends on the opportunities coming up in the market and is driven by the announcement of different projects by the government.

Excavators to Dominate

Within the Indian construction equipment industry, the crawler excavator segment is the largest by value and the second largest, after backhoe loaders, in terms of number of units sold.

Excavator market to grow at 22 per cent

A TechNavio analysis forecasts the excavator market in India to grow at a CAGR of 21.98 per cent over the period 2013-2018. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increased government support.

Moving Ahead

The growth potential for earthmoving equipment in India has never been disputed. All sectors like power, roads, ports, etc. will drive demand. With increasing investment in the infrastructure sector, the earthmoving equipment industry foresees huge demand for CE in the coming years.

Excavator market to grow

A TechNavio analysis forecasts the excavator market in India to grow at a CAGR of 21.98 per cent over the period 2013-2018.

EX200LC Super Series

Hitachi?s original optimum hydraulic system, at the core of the EX200LC Super, allows for easy, smooth and swift combined operations.Tata Hitachi, which has the widest range of hydraulic excavators with more than 30 models starting from 2T to 800T capacity catering to mining, construction, quarrying and other infrastructure applications, has now introduced the EX200LC Super series. The better and more reliable an excavator?s hydraulics, the better and more efficiently it gets the job done at

Excavators Ready to Ride the Slump

Within the Indian construction equipment industry, the crawler excavator segment is the largest by value and the second largest, after backhoe loaders, in terms of number of units sold. Now, the shrinking market and intense competition have forced OEMs to focus more on value additions. Concepts like low lifecycle cost, faster ROIs, lowest cost per tonne all have made it imperative for OEMs to innovate, both on the product design and service fronts. Agith G Antony takes a peek at the prevailing t

Our efforts have always been to make the most fuel-efficient machines.

The LiuGong excavator provides the highest productivity in its class, with its effortless hydraulic controls and spacious cabin. LiuGong lays lot of emphasis on operator comfort in order to increase operator efficiency. The machine operates at a higher pressure and hydraulic flow which results in better breakout force and faster cycle time, which further leads to better fuel efficiency, says Rohit Punjabi, Assistant Director (Strategy & Planning), LiuGong India. Excerpts of the interview.

Our products have features that directly boost productivity to the customer.

The LeeBoy 523 is the result of intensive first-hand dialogue with customers and other stakeholders, to not only enhance productivity and operational efficiency, but also deliver a product that surpasses customer expectations. The findings from the customer dialogues enabled us to focus strongly on meeting three key expectations shared by the customer a reliable and rugged product, effective Post Sales Care (PSC) and lower running and maintenance costs. These have been kept in mind at all stages

The demand for crawler excavators will reach 23,000 units by 2017

In view of the government's resolve to contain the fiscal deficit within the planned target, it will be difficult to spend heavily on infrastructure at the moment; however, the situation is expected to improve after the 2014 elections

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.

Gates India stellar show at Excon

Gates India, an active participant right from the first edition of the exhibited the latest in their portfolio to meet the challenging demands of the customers and also launched three new products. Gates exhibited a range of hydraulic and industrial hoses and power transmission belts used in the various segments of the construction, earthmoving and mining machines. The MegaSys range of hoses and couplings, the micro V and synchronous belts used on large engines attracted the visitors attention a

Excavator Market Looking at Boom

As per Off-Highway Research, crawler excavators will be the fastest growing product of the near future, and its demand should grow to over 30,000 units in the next four to five years.Excon 2013 bears testimony to the fact that OEMs are gearing up for the anticipated demand for excavators. Some of the leading players either launched new models or showcased upgraded versions. Volvo CE launched two productive and powerful models in the D Series - EC220D and EC300D; JCB showcased its completely

JCB Excavator provides best-in-class productivity and fuel efficiency.

In the excavator segment, JCB offers an unmatched range starting from 8T operating weight (JS81) to 22T operating weight (JS 220LC), to serve the plant hirers, earthmoving and quarrying customer base. At Excon 2013, JCB introduced the JS30 mini excavator and JS360 LC which like all other JCB excavators, offers excellent fuel efficiency, says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India. Excerpts from the interview.

Our excavators are highly fuel-efficient and drastically reduce cost-per-tonne.

Anjali Pandey, Engine Business and Components Business Leader, Cummins India, speaks on the key products on display during Excon.

The excavator market will double in the next four years.

The need of the hour is higher productivity and lower fuel consumption; at Volvo, we want to bring in technology, higher efficiency, higher productivity and lower fuel consumption, too, says AM Muralidharan, President, Volvo Construction Equipment, India. Excerpts from the interview.

Our excavators are highly fuel-efficient and drastically reduce cost-per-tonne.

LiuGong offers excavators from 2Tto 70T and we recently launched the 70T excavator. In India as of now we are selling in the 6T, 8T, 26T and 36T class. We are quite optimistic on the growth potential and at end of the next year we will probably come out with more models in excavators for the Indian market, say Rohit Punjabi, Assistant Director Strategy & Marketing, LiuGong India. Excerpts from the interview.

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.

Earthmovers on buoyant swell

Earthmoving equipment currently constitutes nearly 73 per cent of total construction equipment sales, and happily, this structure of sales is expected to continue. The cumulative sales of backhoe loaders, crawler excavators and wheeled loaders have been growing at a CAGR of over 20 per cent for the last ten years.

Earthmoving Equipment

Owing to the overall slowdown in the Indian economy, the current fiscal year has been bit sluggish for the construction equipment industry. The industry will gain momentum if the government starts implementing the delayed projects and carries out active review and monitoring to ensure timely completion.

The Volvo Group is planning to make an investment of Rs 2,000 crore in the next few years.

As a market leader, Volvo CE will continue to invest in new technologies backed by innovation. The mantra behind our success is our innovative way of thinking, active investment in R&D and our close relationships with our growing family of customers and employees, says AM Muralidharan, President, Volvo CE, India. Excerpts from the interview.

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 have one of the best productivity and fuel consumption figures in the industry

In the global excavator markets today, Hyundai is positioned at Number 5. There are about 11 developing countries and emerging markets where Hyundai holds the largest market share, like Russia, Brazil and some African nations, where Hyundai controls a market share of 44 per cent, says Dheeraj Panda, Head - Marketing & KAM, Hyundai Construction Equipment India

Sany aims for 15% market share

Sany Heavy Industries India said it aimed to capture 15 per cent of the Indian excavator market in the next three years. Sany has invested about $60 million in its Chakan plant near Pune and launched its 7-23 tonne range of excavators last October. The company has sold about 200 units as compared with the current market size of 16,000 units. The market for excavators is expected to reach 20,000 units a year in the next three years, of which the company aims to sell 4,500 units, Richard Deng, Man

Volvo CE sales up by 15%

Continued momentum in most markets reinforced a self-assured quarter for Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), one that saw the company post strong earnings and strengthen its position in the Chinese wheel loader and excavator market.

We provide extensive training to operators on the finer points of operation

The vision statement of Vev Ventures goes like this: To be a dependable distributor for con?struction equipment and attachment in the market,

Fuel and Energy Efficient Machines

In an intensely competitive market, OEMs are no more just technology providers; rather, they are keen on providing total solutions specific to a project.

We offer complete breaker solutions and customised service support

Doosan has a widespread sales and service network across India and provides sales, service and parts through a 27-dealer network spread across all states. In a chat with Equipment India, Neeraj Sharan, Director ? Product Support, Doosan Infracore India,

We have exciting product launches planned for this year

LiuGong excavator provides the highest productivity in its class due to effortless hydraulic con?trols, and spacious cabin. Liugong lays lot of emphasis on operator comfort in order to increase operator?s efficiency,

ZAXIS 50 ? Works Where Others Can't?

The newly launched Zaxis 50 hydraulic excavator is ideal for the burgeoning needs of the urban and rural utility applications segment. Telco Construction Equipment Company (Telcon) offers a full range of constructive solutions which include hydraulic excavators

Low fuel consumption, high productivity and lesser maintenance cost is Hyundai's USP

Hyundai excavators operate on CAPO (Computer Aided Power Optimisation) technology whi?ch offers better matching of hydraulic circuitry with engine torque curve,

We have exciting product launches planned for this year

LiuGong excavator provides the highest productivity in its class due to effortless hydraulic con?trols, and spacious cabin. Liugong lays lot of emphasis on operator comfort in order to increase operator?s efficiency,

JCB gives utmost importance to safety and our tracked excavators are the safest choice

All JCB excavators are fitted with a unique filtration system which increases hydraulic oil and filter life resulting in huge cost savings and better emissions.

The Big Ones Get Better

Sales of crawler excavators, which grew until 2008, declined by 20 per cent in 2009 but recovered strongly to 11,453 units in 2010, a growth of 44 per cent.

Our backhoes are highly fuel-efficient, with the unique Smart UC Hydraulics

Terex Backhoes perform faster while digging and loading at lower operating costs, with durability through quality and tech?nology innovation.These products have been developed in India for the Indian market, says Vijay Sharma, Executive Director, Terex Equipment.

The upgraded CAT 424B backhoe has set a new benchmark

Despite the market becoming more competitive with many new players entering the indu?stry, TIPL has continued to grow through value selling and with an objective to garner profits for customers, says Arunava Ghosh Dastidar, AVP & Business Head?BCP, TIPL.Backhoe loaders in India started as multipurpose equipment, cutting across various sectors, both in urban as well as rural areas.

Digmax offers better reaches and dump height, and superior hydraulics

Escorts has been constantly evo?lving and refining their product offerings. The current basket has four variants in the backhoe loader segment:the standard two-wheel drive equipment ( Digmax ),a four-wheel drive variant (Digmax 4 X 4 ), the 90 HP Engine Variant (Digmax XP )and loader version (Digmax .

M&M brought to India first the telematics in backhoe loaders

The Mahindra EarthMaster back?hoe loader is designed for effi?cacy in today?s competitive sce?nario. The EarthMaster allows the cus?to??mer to do his work with higher productivity because of its third gene?ration hydraulic system which allows operator to operate the boom, dipper and bucket at the same time.

STILL NUMBER ONE!

The sales forecast for backhoes by Off-Highway Research is pegged at a target of 36,000 units by 2015, up from 30,000 in 2011, whereas for the crawler excavator alone, the forecast is 35,000 units, up from the 2011 figure of 14,500.There is the school of thought that points to the visible drift from the backhoe market towards the wheel loaders market.

Our 2020 vision is half-a-billion USD sales from India

?Our business model is very different by way of which we will be seen as a very different player altogether. We are bullish on that and we feel we are removing the pain points of our customers, too,? says Kamal Bali, Chief Executive & Managing Director, LeeBoy India.

Doosan opens second production plant

Doosan Infracore held a tape cutting ceremony to inaugurate a second production complex in Suzhou in Jiangsu province,China.The plant has been established to cope with surging demand for small sized excavators,and will form one of the company?s two pillars of mass production of excavators in China.

Religare enters CE Financing

Within a period of two years, Religare has built a customer base of over 12,000 and a portfolio of Rs 1,500 crore, plus a collection efficiency of over 99.5 per cent.

The LiuGong D series of excavators is set to meet all challenges

LiuGong has always been at the cutting edge of technology to provide the latest, the most cost- effective solutions and returns-on-investment to the Indian customer.

Kobelco machines are known for its fuel efficiency

Everywhere in the world we are amongst the top four players; we expect to do the same in India, says Vikram Sharma, Managing Director and CEO, Kobelco Construction Equipment, 0 - - 15135 14 162 2011-04-01 00:00:00.000 Equipment India Eurotire is dedicated to the mining industry

?The combined product and services capability of GmmcoEurotire allows us to provide our Indian customers with world-class OTR tyres and service,? says Kent B Henschen, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Eurotire Inc, while speaking about the company and its strengths to Equipment India. Excerpts from the interview.

How do you look at the potential of off-the-road tyres, especially for large-sized tyres?
Eurotire's focus is on supporting OTR tyre customers in the world's emerging mining markets and we believe India holds a huge potential for our products. Our products include not only OTR tyres but also our unique approach to providing service and support for large OTR tyres that we call EuroCARE. Our total focus is on creating and supporting large-sized tyres for the mining industry. As a result, we have the knowledge and expertise to help our customers maximise the value they receive from their large OTR tyres.

We believe that the potential for our products is growing and will continue to grow. There are many in the industry who also believe that it is only a matter of time before there are widespread global tyre shortages again as there was just a few years ago. Many large OTR tyre manufacturers, including Eurotire, have increased manufacturing capabilities in preparation for this next increase in demand. There has been consolidation in the supply side as well. Whether the net increase is sufficient to meet that next round of high demand is yet to be seen.

Tell us about Eurotire, its global footprint, and your tie-up with Gmmco?
Eurotire is focused on the support of the world's emerging markets and can be found on six continents. We have recently opened an office in Kolkata and have partnered with Gmmco to form GmmcoEurotire. This partnership combines high quality Eurotire products with Gmmco's expertise for providing service and support and includes more than 40 Gmmco locations strategically located throughout India's mining regions. The combined product and services capability of GmmcoEurotire allows us to provide our Indian customers with a world-class OTR tyres and support programme.

Could you brief us about the investment part?
Eurotire has taken substantial actions over the last few years to ensure that we are able to support the growing global demand for our products. We have invested over $70 million in major upgrades and expansion of our bias tyre plant in Ukraine. The increased capabilities of that plant will certainly help us in continuing to meet growing customer demand for bias tyres.

How strong is Eurotire's presence in radials?
We have invested over $300 million and nearly three years in building a ground-up, state-of-the-art radial tyre design and manufacturing facility in Romania. In fact, the plans for the new facility were expanded while in process to further increase our capabilities for meeting the needs of our customers during the next increase in demand. The OTR radial tyre product from this plant is state-of-the-art with materials compounded and tested in-house by Eurotire engineers. We began radial tyre testing in 2009 and full manufacturing of specific sizes began in 2010. We are continuing the creation and field testing process to expand our radial tyre line with tyre sizes being added over the next years. Our final goal is to have a complete range of radial tyre products from 18? to 63?. Eurotire will be in a very good position to meet our customer demand.

What about the replacement market?
Eurotire is strongly positioned in the replacement market with the majority of our products replacing the installed products of our larger, primary competitors. Our focus is value-driven, not replacement- driven. In other words, we are not only able to replace the products of our competitors because we have a quality, competitively priced, but because we sell the product to the customer that they need for the application and then stay with the customer after the sale to ensure that they receive maximum value from that product. This is EuroCARE, our start to finish value- adding service programme. Eurotire is also an approved tyre supplier for haul truck and loader OEMs. In fact, the CAT trucks purchased by CIL in 2010 carried Eurotire OTR tyres on them.

How do you look at the competition in this area?
Eurotire has formidable competition throughout the world, from large multinationals to well-entrenched regional manufacturers. In India, we have an advantage by partnering with a market leader, Gmmco, to ensure that we are able to provide world-class OTR tyres and tyre services to our Indian customers. Our dedication to bringing product value to our mining customers is what differentiates us from others.

How do you look at the retreading segment?
Retreading is not a viable longterm solution in mining applications where high temperature, medium to long hauls, rough haul roads and difficult loading conditions are a concern.

Tell us about your products and services and future expansion plans, if any?
Eurotire is dedicated to the mining industry. We design, manufacture, service and support OTR tyres for 60-tonne and larger haul trucks and large wheel loaders. There are two primary approaches that Eurotire takes which we believe are unique to the tyre industry. The first is that we are addressing the needs of emerging market customers. We believe that during the last peak demand period for large OTR tyres, there were markets that were under-served by the large tyre companies. In addition, as the emerging markets continue to grow in number, they will again be under-served by those same companies during the coming upturn in global demand. Eurotire will be there to provide the support that the emerging market customers need to succeed.

The second approach is that Eurotire is not only supplying a tyre product, we are partnering with our emerging market customers to provide full lifecycle management of our tyres. We provide supply and then work with the customer on an ongoing basis to maximise the life of the tyres. Essentially we are with our customers from start to finish, taking the burden of lifecycle tyre management from the customer and allowing them to maximise the production they receive from their tyre products. In India, Eurotire has taken a major step to ensure that our customers are well supported by partnering with Gmmco. The GmmcoEurotire alliance will support world-class OTR tyre service and support in India.

MILESTONES

* Eurotire's history dates back over 50 years. The Eurotire Ukraine facility was established in 1959 as a Tire Research Institute dedicated to the development of large OTR tyres. The Research Institute has been directly responsible for the creation of over 250 OTR tyre patents as well as development of the designs and equipment to manufacture the largest tyres in the world.
* In 2004, the Eurotire brand was established. In 2005, the first Eurotire branded tyres began shipping to the world.
* In 2007, Eurotire embarked on the creation of a new radial tyre facility in Romania and has invested over $300 million in its creation. Today that state-of-the-art facility is producing world-class radial tyre products and the product line will continue to expand.
* Eurotire is dedicated to the mining industry and through our unique approach and dedicated and experienced employees we are changing the face of the mining tyre industry.