Road construction leaders launch RAHSTA Expo 2024 in Delhi

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

RAHSTA to showcase cutting-edge road construction tech, says NCC Director

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

RAHSTA will drive road construction innovation: Sundaresan

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Trimble MD champions digital solutions for industry growth at RAHSTA

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Vipin Sondhi: Indian infra booms with road construction opportunities

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

RK Pandey promotes safe road development at RAHSTA launch

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

RAHSTA to pave the way for innovation in road construction: AK Singh, NHAI

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Road construction leaders launch RAHSTA Expo 2024 in Delhi

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Road construction industry launches RAHSTA Expo 2024 in Delhi

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Road construction industry to launch RAHSTA Expo 2024

14th RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) Expo - India’s biggest road exhibition - will be held as a part 10th India Construction Festival 2024 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, from October 9-10, 2024.

Arvind K. Garg is EI Person of the Year 2021

Garg was awarded at the 9th Equipment India Awards.

Ashok Leyland to reduce carbon footprint by 60%

Ashok Leyland, the flagship Company of the Hinduja Group and India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, announced that it has increased the sourcing of clean energy to 60 per cent for its countrywide operations.

Auto Expo 2020 Components

Around 400 companies launched over 1,200 new products, which exhibits the preparedness of component industry to support the transformation in automotive space.

Technology rules the roost at Auto Expo 2020 Components

The 15th edition of Auto Expo 2020 Components organised jointly by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), concluded successfully on February 9.

Excon 2019 to demonstrate smart technologies for infra growth

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will unveil the 10th edition of South Asia?s largest construction equipment (CE) trade fair Excon 2019 tomorrow in Bengaluru.

JCB India appoints new MD & CEO

JCB has announced the appointment of Subir Chowdhury as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at JCB India.

JCB opens new dealership headquarters at Kochi

JCB India inaugurated the new headquarters of its dealership, Popular JCB at Kochi in Kerala. Spread over 40,000 sq ft, with built-up area of 24,000 sq ft, the dealership employs over 200 trained personnel.

JCB to set up sixth factory in India

JCB will invest Rs 6.50 billion in a new plant in India as the company prepares to celebrate 40 years of manufacturing in the country.

Our products are an outcome of what our customers in India want

JCB INDIA For JCB India, continued focus on integrating digital technology in construction equipment was the focus at bauma this year.

6th AnnuaL EQUIPMENT INDIA Awards 2018

The Annual EQUIPMENT INDIA Awards are here again. In its sixth edition, the Annual Awards to be held on October 25, 2018 in New Delhi, will honour the top performers of construction equipment industry.

JCB India supports Kerala with Rs 10 million relief package

JCB India Limited made an employee contribution of Rs 2.8 million for relief and rebuilding work in Kerala. The cheque made in favour of the Kerala Chief Minister?s Distress Relief Fund was handed over to EP Jayarajan, Minister for Industries and Sports, Kerala by the JCB India team. This is in addition to the 30 JCB machines which have already been deployed in the districts of Palakkad, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Alappuzha and are helping the local administration with the rebuilding of public in

JCB organises ?Made in Rajasthan? event

JCB India, the leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment in the country, organised a ?Made in Rajasthan? event at its state-of-the-art Jaipur facility. The event showcased JCB?s commitment to world-class manufacturing in the state.

Budget 2018-19: Infrastructure, Rural Development key

Infrastructure development has been one of the top priorities of the Union Budget 2018-19 presented by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in Parliament on February 1. Major investments and allocations are in roads, railways and rural development including agriculture and rural economy. Urban infrastructure development has also received a boost with the allocation for Smart Cities mission.

JCB India opens new dealership facility in Kozhikode

JCB India and its dealer, Kadoor JCB inaugurated a new dealer facility in Kozhikode. Spread over 15,000 sq ft, this facility has been set up with an aim to provide a unique experience to JCB customers for all their equipment requirements related to Sales, Service and JCB Genuine Parts.

Excon 2017 to attract over 1,000 exhibitors

The 9th edition of Excon, India's premier and South Asia's largest construction equipment and construction technology trade fair, which will take place in Bengaluru during December 12-16, 2017, is expected to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors, including around 300 companies from abroad

JCB India inaugurates dealership facility in Jabalpur

JCB India and its dealer Frontier Commercial Vehicles inaugurated a new dealer facility in Jabalpur. Spread over 37,536 sq ft, this is the largest facility for construction equipment by Frontier Commercial Vehicle and will also be their new Head Office.

JCB India opens dealership facility in Mohali

JCB India Ltd along with its dealer Krishna Automobiles inaugurated a new dealer facility in Mohali. Spread over 24,560 sq ft, this is the largest construction equipment facility by Krishna Automobiles and will also be their new Head Office.

Excon 2017 to attract over 1,000 exhibitors

The 9th edition of Excon, India?s premier and South Asia?s largest construction equipment and construction technology trade fair, which will take place in Bengaluru during December 12-16, 2017, is expected to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors, including around 300 companies from abroad.

The Complete Infra Equipment Partner

JCB India demonstrated the performance of its vast equipment range, announcing its commitment towards a complete infrastructure equipment partner for project development.

JCB showcases new range of equipment at ConMac 2017

JCB India showcased its new range of product line up at ConMac 2017. This included the recently introduced products which focus on infrastructure development: the JCB 220LC Xtra (22T tracked excavator), the JCB116 (11T soil compactor), and the JCB 30Plus (3T mini excavator).

JCB India commits focus on road construction

JCB India showcased its range of Made-in-India road construction solutions at an event held at its state-of-the-art factory in Pune. Through this day-long event, JCB established its transformation into a full range infrastructure equipment partner, especially in the area of road construction.

A Constructive Budget

The construction equipment segment in India has something to cheer about from the Budget measures such as more fund allocation to rural roads and highways construction, and announcement of infrastructure status to affordable housing.

JCB India showcases new range of equipment at ConMac 2017

JCB India showcased its new range of product line up at ConMac 2017. The range on display included the recently introduced products which focus on infrastructure development: the JCB 220LC Xtra (22T tracked excavator), the JCB116 (11T soil compactor), and the JCB 30Plus (3T mini excavator).

Budget Reactions | JCB India

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has presented a well-balanced and constructive combined budget, focusing on the most critical aspects of the economy, such as Infrastructure, Agriculture and Rural India.

Momentum in ECE industry needs to be sustained | Vipin Sondhi

Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India Ltd, in his pre-budget expectations, said that the forthcoming budget needs to have concerted policy efforts for the earthmoving and construction equipment (ECE) industry. ?The importance of infrastructure sector in the overall progress of the economy is critical.

FOCUSED BUSINESS - Optimism

The BAUMA CONEXPO INDIA 2016 held during December 12-15 reflected the positive sentiments of the equipment industry on the floor. A detailed report on the expo, interaction with exhibitors and details of products and technologies showcased.

Close to 30,000 JCB machines are connected to JCB LiveLink

We have set up a global manufacturing hub in India. JCB machines are not just designed for India?s emerging markets, but are exported to over 65 countries. What also sets us apart is our world class product support network with 63 dealers and 650 outlets.

JCB launches seven new products

JCB India unveiled seven new products at the BAUMA CONEXPO INDIA 2016. In the excavators, it launched the JCB 30Plus (3T mini excavator), the JCB 220LC Xtra (22T tracked excavator), the JCB 305LC (30T tracked excavator) and the JCB 370LC (37T hydraulic excavator).

May visits JCB India plant

During the first leg of her tour of India, The UK?s Prime Minister Theresa May met 10 of the ground-breaking women engineers at JCB who are driving the change of equal opportunity employment in heavy engineering, which is traditionally a male dominated industry.

May visits JCB India plant

During the first leg of her tour of India, The UK?s Prime Minister Theresa May met 10 of the ground-breaking women engineers at JCB who are driving the change of equal opportunity employment in heavy engineering, which is traditionally a male dominated industry.

India to become cashless economy

With reference to the recent development where the government has demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in the country, Mr Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, JCB India says, "The announcement by the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes is a very bold and ambitious step by the Government to curb black money.

Imparting Versatility

Use of job-centric attachments converts conventional construction equipment into multipurpose machines, making them more productive, thereby ensuring better utilisation and job site economy. As rightly mentioned by industry veteran, Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director, JCB India Ltd, ?India is a country where jugaad is a way of life for providing engineered solutions for achieving desired objectives which are seemingly impossible many a time.

JCB Showcases ?Made-in-India? Material Handling Solutions

JCB India has geared up to transform the industry with its three revolutionary products - Telehandlers, Skid Steer Loaders and Super Loaders. JCB India Ltd showcased its world-class range of material handling product solutions in an event at New Delhi.

Rajya Sabha passes GST Bill

Stepping closer to the concept of ?one nation, one tax?, Rajya Sabha passed the Goods & Services Tax (GST) Bill. The constitutional amendment will enable both the Centre and the states to simultaneously levy the GST, which will include all indirect taxes currently levied, including excise duties and service tax.

JCB India showcases its ?Made-in-India? range of Material Handling solutions

JCB India Ltd showcased its three world-class range of material handling product solutions - Telehandlers, Skid Steer Loaders and Super Loaders - in an event at New Delhi.

Mining & CE sector bounces back on infra push

The domestic mining and construction equipment industry (MCE) is on a recovery after a period of sustained contraction for about four years.

British High Commissioner visits JCB factory in Delhi

The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, visited JCB India Headquarters on June 16, 2016.

On Course for Success

Road construction is driving the Indian compactors market. This is expected to continue. ?Most of the current demand for both soil and tandem compactors is for road projects,? says Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director & CEO, Wirtgen India.

SAP ACE Award 2015 recognises JCB India

JCB India has won the prestigious SAP ACE Award 2015 in the Adoption of ?Internet of Things (IoT)? category.

JCB showcases 25 Made in India machines at Excon 2015

JCB India showcased a line up of 25 Made in India machines along with technology innovations at Excon 2015.

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

CE Industry Buoyant

It looks like all the initiatives by Narendra Modi?s government to accelerate infrastructure: Bringing in reforms to create ease of business in India

JCB India rolls out 100,000th ecoMAX

JCB India set a production landmark by rolling out its 100,000th JCB ecoMAX engine in its fifth year of production.

JCB India rolls out 100,000th ecoMAX engine

JCB India set a production landmark by rolling out its 100,000th JCB ecoMAX engine in its fifth year of production. The company started manufacturing its own range of engines in India in 2011.

JCB unveils Livelink

JCB India unveiled JCB Livelink, an innovative technology which allows the user to remotely monitor the machine.

JCB Unveils Livelink

JCB India today unveiled JCB Livelink, an innovative technology which allows the user to remotely monitor the machine. JCB Livelink provides alerts on real time location, maintenance alerts, machine and fleet hours etc.

JCB launches ?Made-in-India? gensets

JCB India announced its entry into the Indian genset market by introducing diesel generators in the range of 63-100 kVA.

JCB?s Made-in-India machines for the world

JCB India recently introduced 12 new and innovative Made-in-India, made-for-the-world machines.

JCB opens new facilities in Jaipur

It took an investment of Rs 500 crore, an area of 115 acre of land situated 35 km from Jaipur city for JCB to come up with its single largest manufacturing footprint in India.

JCB introduces 12 new machines

JCB India recently introduced 12 new and innovative Made-in-India, made-for-the-world machines. This is the biggest launch ever held in the construction equipment industry in India, according to a company press release.

Budget bites

The Union Government recognising the need for revival of investment cycle had already extended the excise duty cut on capital goods for another six months in June 2014 itself.

8,500 km by March 2015: How Realistic is the Target?

The Union Finance Minister has set a target of 8,500 km of roads to be completed during the current fiscal year, which simply means construction of about 35.5 km of road per day! In the last couple of years,

Touching Thousands of Lives

JCB training centres have enabled to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of new talents and trained operators to improve the productivity of the machines for better ROI.So runs the proverbial phrase - ?Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.? One can debate on the origin and true meaning of the oft-quoted saying, but one may not fail to understand the very basic suggestion that it makes prepare one to meet the challenge

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.

1st Annual Equipment India Awards 2013

Poised to become the third largest market for construction equipment, India is now a major hub for manufacturers globally. The Indian industry, to its credit, has also remained ahead of the demand curve and has brought in the latest technologies and a variety of equipment to fit all sorts of applications. A report on the first-ever Equipment India Awards held in New Delhi on 14 November 2013...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Raising the Innovation Bar

JCB India redefines excavation with the launch of its JS205LC tracked excavator. Developed and manufactured in India, this machine has best-in-class fuel consumption and ergonomically designed operator controls.

JCB expects to post Rs 59 bn revenue in current year

Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of JCB India expects the construction equipment maker to post a gross revenue of about Rs 5,900 crore in 2013-14, the same as last year. Sondhi does not expect growth in revenue this year because of poor economic conditions. Speaking to reporters, he informed that the unfavourable domestic conditions caused the cons

JCB to set up 4th manufacturing facility in India

The UK-based construction equipment maker JCB said it will invest Rs 500 crore in India over the next five years to set up its fourth manufacturing facility. The company's wholly-owned subsidiary JCB India will set up the plant on a 115-acre area

JCB to the fore

Spread over 115 acres, JCB plans an investment of Rs 500 crore in the next five years. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, laid the foundation stone for JCB India's fourth manufacturing plant at Jaipur, Rajasthan

50,000th JCB Engine

JCB India has rolled out its 50,000th JCB engine at its Ballabgarh facility in India. In 2011, JCB launched its first domestically built world-class, fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art, BSIII, 16- valve diesel engine which is high in fuel efficiency.

Improving Cost-efficiency

Improvements in cost-efficiency, noise control, environmental design and ergonomics - the construction industry is facing such demands on many fronts. The good news is that not only the OEMs.

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.

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.

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.

JCB India facility in MWC Jaipur

Mahindra World City (MWC), Jaipur has signed an agreement with JCB India to set up a manufacturing plant in 70 acre within the MWC, Jaipur. The signing of the agreement on the occasion of JCB?s 67th anniversary marks the beginning of a new expansion phase for JCB India. The total investment for this new manufacturing facility, which will be JCB?s fourth factory in India, will be to the tune of Rs 500 crore.

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.

JCB India to explore new markets

Construction equipment maker JCB India will focus on expanding presence in new markets in the country this year as it sees sales to remain flat in a tough environment.

The all-new JCB 3DX

With the launch of the new 3DX backhoe loader, JCB plans to strengthen its share of the backhoe loader market in India and extend its reach even further to the developing rural markets.

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.

Budget Quotes

The Budget 2012-13 aims at sprucing up the country?s infrastructure and readying it for higher growth. Stalwarts from the construction equipment industry respond to the budget.

JCB always keeps customers at the heart of everything it does

?We focus on both process innovation as well as product innovation. We have dedicated teams working on each of our product lines with the sole purpose of increasing efficiency through value engineering," says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, JCB India.

Is the growth story sustainable?

It is crystal clear, to reach world-class levels, infrastructure needs a tremendous boost for the next several years; this will augur well for the CE sector where most of the major players continue to upgrade capacity and widen product lines.

Centennial Celebrations at Gates India

As Gates Corporation step into a new century of innovations, their centennial year was celebrated by the wholly-owned subsidiary Gates India.

Raising the Benchmark of Quality

With over 220,000 sq m of display area and participation of over 630 exhibitors, including 200 foreign companies, Excon 2011 exceeded expectations as the largest exhibition on construction equipment in South Asia.

We have doubled our distribution outlets over the last five years

With strategic investments in place, we have the right kind of facilities and can upscale our production whenever required, says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India,

JCB to boost India sales

JCB aims to boost sales in India by 15 percent this year as it taps demand in the nation?s rural areas. The company plans to increase sales outlets in Indian villages after more than doubling its nation?wide stores to 400 in four years, Vipin Sondhi, CEO, JCB India, said.

Engines of growth

Studies show that at present as per 2010 figures, diesel engines in India emit a total of 357,959 tonne of pollution. If we were to use diesel engines with lower emissions, then this figure would be reduced to 116,325 tonne. Couple this with the fact that there are over 400,000 diesel powered vehicles being produced every year and 250,000 diesel powered gensets

Service is the key differentiator; for us, therefore it is a major focus area

It is up to the industry to take up the opportunity of the growth, build capacity across the value chain and then scale up, says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India, while sharing his views on the construction equipment industry.

JCB inaugurates new dealership facility

JCB India receantly announced the opening of its Bilaspur dealer - Dynamic (CG) JCB's facility. This facility has been made as per the JCB Corporate Identity norms and is equipped with JCB standardized systems to provide a one-stop solution for its customers.

JCB is numero uno in backhoe loaders worldwide

JCB's backhoe loaders are the machines that promise versatility and high performance with their fuel-efficient engines and superb manoeuverability.

EcoMAX is optimised for JCB construction equipment to offer maximised fuel efficiency

The JCB engine ecoMAX is on the same platform as the JCB Dieselmax, the record breaking engine that powered the car which holds the world's land speed record, says Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, JCB India. 0 - - 16072 14 188 2011-06-01 00:00:00.000 Equipment India Volvo-Srei BNP Deal

Volvo India and Srei BNP join hands to launch Volvo Financial Services.

Volvo India and Srei BNP Paribas have announced the formation of an alliance to launch a private label retail financing programme branded as Volvo Financial Services in India with immediate effect. This will strengthen the Volvo Group's ability to provide full service financial solutions to Volvo Group customers in India and customers of its joint venture (JV) with Eicher Group, viz, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd (VECV). With the launch of the Volvo Financial Services offering, the Volvo Group will accelerate its business growth in India across all of its products by packaging its product offerings with financing through its alliance with Srei BNP Paribas. By engaging the two companies at the sales, marketing and operations levels, the alliance will allow both companies to address new growth opportunities by developing co-branded financing programmes and services for customers of the Volvo Group and Srei BNP Paribas.

Being a part of the Volvo Group, Volvo Financial Services in India is aimed at building a reputation for attractive customer financing services to the external and internal customers of the Volvo Group and VECV. Volvo Group's brands include Volvo trucks, Volvo construction equipment and Volvo buses, while VECV's brands include Eicher trucks and Eicher buses. Srei BNP Paribas is India's largest construction equipment finance company and with this alliance, Volvo Financial Services will leverage Srei BNP Paribas's expertise of over 22 years coupled with a network of 87 offices across India, strong underwriting capabilities and an asset base of over Rs 12,000 crore to increase its penetration and give complete financing solutions to customers buying Volvo products in India.

John Rakocy, President of Volvo Financial Services for Region Asia/Pacific comments, ?After a comprehensive review process, we are excited to ally with Srei BNP Paribas for Volvo Financial Services in India. The Volvo Group and its distributors will benefit from leveraging Srei's expertise and financial capabilities in credit underwriting, funding, and sales and marketing effectiveness through a private label programme under the Volvo Financial Services name. We look forward to continued growth within this key Asian market.?

D K Vyas, CEO, Srei BNP Paribas, says, ?We have a partnership approach in all our businesses and we are happy to join hands with Volvo Financial Services, in their endeavour to provide financing solutions to Volvo Group customers. We have been financing Volvo Group products since their entry into the country but through this formal association, we will complement each other's strength and further cement our relationship. Srei BNP Paribas' dominant leadership in this business, consistency, innovative financing products, and its distribution should help the Volvo Group increase its market share and participate in the India growth story.?

Volvo Financial Services is the global finance arm of the Volvo Group. The Volvo Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and is the world's leading producer of heavy-diesel engines (9-18 litre). Volvo Financial Services was formed in 2001 and is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. The company has assets of over $14 billion, more than 1,200 employees worldwide, and conducts business in over 40 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Volvo Financial Services provides a full range of financial services for the truck, construction equipment, bus, marine, and aerospace industries. The primary brands that Volvo Financial Services supports are Mack Trucks, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Buses, Volvo Penta, and Volvo Aero.

The alliance will strengthen the Volvo Group's ability to provide full service financial solutions to Volvo Group customers in India.

The invention of backhoe in the early 50s by Joseph Cyril Bamford changed the face of construction across the globe. From a historic perspective, the growth of backhoe loaders in India has happened at the cost of mini excavators and mobile excavators; mainly on account of the first mover advantage. The affordable price and multi-application versatility made backhoe a popular machine. Even though the global trend shifted towards specialised equipment, in emerging markets like India which is slowly moving towards the same trend of usage of specialised equipment and attachments, backhoes still dominate the sale.

As per the data collected by Equipment India, India is the world's largest backhoe loader market with over 30,000 units expected to be sold in FY 2011-12. This momentum is expected to continue with the increased spending on infrastructure development. No wonder, many domestic and global OEMs have entered this market segment, and have augmented the capacity. JCB invested during the downturn to upgrade its backhoe facility to the world's largest backhoe manufacturing plant with a capacity to build 100 machines per shift. Escorts is doubling the capacity for its Digmax; Mahindra & Mahindra which has recently forayed into this segment has built a capacity of 2,000 units per year; Terex has a production capacity of 2,500 machines per annum, that can be ramped up as per demand; ACE also is in the process of doubling the capacity to over 4,000 units per year. As per inputs, the first quarter of CY2011 has seen a robust growth of 40 per cent over last year. Though the market has seen a slight slowdown due to the implementations of BS III regulations, the overall backhoe market will grow by another 15 per cent this year.

But how long backhoe market will be able to dominate?

Three different reasons: firstly, the shift towards specialised equipment for speicalised jobs; secondly, the wheel loader market is getting more and more aggressive, especially below 10T class; thirdly, the high possibility of an expanding market for mini excavators.

As Indian government is pushing for higher investments for the development of infrastructure, more and more global players are establishing their base in India to exploit the opportunity. This has led to tremendous competition and benefitted the customer with enhanced quality and better performance on the offer. One noticeable trend is the India-centric design of machines, and efforts put into the continuous improvement of machines as per the feedback from the customers. Major players extensively use consumer insight and feedback to further develop the product which is built to withstand India's rough terrain and heavy usage patterns. In addition, most of the players offer products with cutting-edge features using the latest vehicle systems and technologies at prices that are within the reach of the mass market. More importantly, there is more
and more emphasis on service, and no wonder, most of the OEMs are investing on service and spare network to reach the customer as fast as possible.

The earthmoving segment is driving the overall industry with strong demand emanating from the government-backed infrastructure projects. The segment is poised for an unprecedented CAGR of around 18 per cent during FY 2011- FY 2014, as per a research report from Putzmeister.

The outlook for India's construction industry remains largely unchanged between the financial years of 2010-11 and 2011-12 and the growth tandem would remain same till fiscal 2015-16. This relatively high growth figure indicates that there are a large number of projects available to the infrastructure companies throughout the country in the forecasted period. The research sees certain sectors, such as the power and airport sectors, presenting more growth opportunities than others. However, there are significant risks preventing the realisation of returns for these projects and these risks are inhibiting upside movement to our construction growth forecast.

The latest statistical data from India's Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that the real growth for the Indian construction industry reached 9.6 per cent year-on-year for April-September 2010. While this suggests that there is upside potential to the FY 2010-11 construction forecast, The report is maintaining the projections due to persistent concerns about the sector's ability to filter investment through the intended projects. Among these concerns, India's nebulous business environment remains the most pertinent.

The forecast

Even though India is experiencing a slower growth rate due to the current economic downturn, it is expected to rise again within the next three to four years thanks to its resilience to the world markets' conditions. The growth rates forecasted for the construction industry sectors will exceed the overall GDP growth. The commercial and industrial construction sectors are growing at an annual rate of approximately 10 per cent, compared to 6-7 per cent for residential construction.

Spike in construction industry growth

Rapid growth in the construction sector is creating enormous sales potential for manufacturers of construction machinery. The increase in sales of earthmoving equipment by 17 per cent and construction vehicles and mining equipment by 53 per cent demonstrates the immense potential for all sectors of the construction industry.

Construction equipment

World's seventh largest country by area and second biggest by population makes India one of the most dynamically growing and still, largely untapped construction equipment (CE) industry. The country has witnessed massive investment in the construction industry from both public and private enterprises in recent years. Multi-billion dollar investments made in constructing roads, ports, power plants, telecommunication sector, urban infrast­ructural developments, etc, have paved the way for construction equipment dem­and to grow substantially in recent years.

According to research report from Putzmeister, the CE industry in India has witnessed consistent double-digit CAGR growth over the past few years. The global economic slowdown had its moderate effects on the industry, but it regained growth momentum in FY 2010 and showed positive year-on-year growth. Particularly, the earthmoving segment is driving the overall industry with strong demand emanating from government-backed infrastructure projects. The segment is poised for an unprecedented CAGR of around 18 per cent during FY 2011?FY 2014.

Over the last 3-4 years, various new entrants made inroads in the Indian CE industry. Some of the biggest names belong to Japan, the US and Korea. Besides, a number of domestic companies are either expanding their domestic capacities or diversifying their product portfolio. With the emergence of new market players and expansion plans underway, the industry is expected to become more competitive and fragmented. However, these new capacities will find their home quite comfortably in the domestic market amid growing mechanisation and proposed large infrastructural projects.

The report provides profound research and rational analysis of the Indian CE industry. It provides information/statistics of all prominent market segments including earthmoving, material handling, concrete equipment and road building equipment. Analysis of past, present and upcoming industry trends provide balanced market intelligence on the concerned industry. In addition, we have covered key industry players and their business description to examine industry's competitiveness and growth potentials.

As per the report, there are five trends that will shape the evolution of the industry and highlight the imperatives to realise this opportunity. Of these, four are growth opportunities ? investments of $750 billion in infrastructure development; the increasing dominance of price-and-value-focused customers; deeper engagement of global equipment manufacturers in India; and increasing opportunities for exports. However, the trend of increasing competition from product imports from other low-cost countries like China could potentially challenge the industry growth and is forced that players need to address proactively.

Conservative estimates suggest that 'as usual' growth will create a market of $8 billion by 2015. But a concerted push by the industry and government alike could result in an additional $4 billion opportunity, equally split between exports and the provisioning of India-specific products.

A study says, for the industry to achieve its full potential, players need to embark on three strategic initiatives ? (i) introduce India-specific products that include introducing low-priced multi-purpose equipment to attract new customers and to increase mechanisation in important areas, adding features to products that make suitable for use in India and launching new applications and products for missing applications; (ii) improve cost positions to better deal with the onslaught of competition from LCCs; and (iii) pioneer efforts to boost exports in areas like engineering and design services that leverage India's technical prowess.

In addition, companies need to pursue four growth-enabling initiatives to expand the market. These include enhancing the quality, delivery and price of after-sales services to increase the share of service revenues from 2 per cent of total revenues to the global average of about 8 per cent; addressing key gaps in financing to catalyse latent demand particularly in rural areas and small towns; expanding dealer and channel network coverage to address buyer fragmentation and quality and proactively strengthening supplier capacities and capabilities.

Construction equipment players have a unique opportunity to help realise the potential of this sector and, in doing so, garner their share of the $12-13 billion revenue potential.

The Indian economy:

? More than EUR 140 billion invested in energy and infrastructure.
? Construction-industry growth rate is higher compared to the overall growth rate in India.
? Ten per cent expected annual growth for commercial and industrial construction (2010-15)
? Indian economy quickly regains the momentum.

Industry trends:

? Investment of $750 billion in infrastructure.
? Increasing dominance of price-and-value-focused customers.
? Deeper engagement of global OEMs in India.
? Increased opportunities for exports.
? Increased competition from product imports from LCC.

Infrastructure investments:

? India has one of the world's biggest purchasing power and ability to attract large investors from all over the world. Investments in various infrastructure sectors are projected to reach impressive EUR140 billion in 2010:
? EUR 100 billion for the energy sector.
? EUR 17-21 billion for road construction.
? EUR 5.7-7 billion for ports
? EUR 10.7-14.3 billion for airports.

?Mahindra & Mahindra has entered the construction equipment business with Mahindra EarthMaster backhoe loader. In the next 3-4 year, Mahindra Construction Equipment division would have full range of construction equipment,? says Kairas Vakharia, Senior Vice President and Business Head, Mahindra Construction Equipment Business. Excerpts from the interview.

Mahindra is the latest entrant in the highly competitive backhoe segment. How do you look at the present scenario of backhoe market?
India is the world's largest backhoe loader market with over 30,000 units expected to be sold in FY 2011-12. This momentum is expected to continue with the increased spending on infrastructure development. However, the backhoe loader customers have become more demanding in terms of getting more value from the investment made in their equipment. Mahindra intends to make a strong foothold in BHL market by offering Mahindra EarthMaster with a host of benefits/features which are unheard of in this industry. This will help our customers break-free from old technology and enable them to ?rise'.

Tell us about the response Mahindra has received after the launch of EarthMaster?
There has been a tremendous response for Mahindra EarthMaster. We have been doing demonstrations of Mahindra EarthMaster pan India and there is a very positive wave among customers regarding the various unique features it offers to customers. Some of the features that are most appreciated are high fuel efficiency of Mahindra DITEC engine, Remotecare, crawler excavator like hydraulics, fatigue-free joystick operations, stylish cabin and two years of unlimited hours warranty. All of these features are new for backhoe loader customers.

What is the existing manufacturing capacity for backhoes?
The Mahindra EarthMaster is manufactured at our state-of-the-art facility at Chakan, Pune. The current production capacity of the plant is 2,000 units per annum which can be easily ramped up.

Which segment contributes to the maximum share for backhoes in India?
The hirers constitute the largest segment with more than 50 per cent market share.

What differentiates Mahindra from competition?
Mahindra's Product Development team has utilised extensive consumer insight and feedback to develop this product which is built to withstand India's rough terrain and heavy usage. In addition, the product offers cutting-edge features using the latest vehicle systems and technologies at prices that are within the reach of the mass market.

Are these products complying with emission norms Bharat Stage III?
The Mahindra EarthMaster is powered by Mahindra's DITEC Engine, a compact 3.3-litre engine which delivers best-in-class 83 HP (Ps) power. The DITEC engine is packed with the latest technology for minimising emissions that meet BS3 and also USA Tier III emission norms, the most stringent in the world. The construction of the DITEC engine combining Direct Injection (DI) with Turbo Charger and Intercooler (TCI) delivers over 10 per cent fuel savings per hour.

Tell us about your strength in providing training and service network in India?
The company has put in place a dedicated sales and service network to cater to its construction equipment customers. This will include over 200 dealer sales, service and spare part outlets, over 200 service vans to reachout to the customers at their sites, 12 area offices, one central parts warehouse and 10 regional parts warehouses to supply dealers and a call centre supporting nine languages. We also have a dedicated training set-up for training machine operators/technicians.

?Terex backhoes perform faster while digging and loading at lower operating costs, with durability through quality and technology innovation,? says Vijay Sharma, Executive Director, Terex Equipment. Excerpts from the interview.

What is the demand-supply scenario for backhoes in India? What is Terex's market share in backhoes, and growth envisaged?
We don't see any demand-supply gap in India at present. The first quarter of CY2011 has seen a robust growth of 40 per cent over last year. However, since the implementations of BS III regulations, the market has seen a slight slowdown. Still, we believe that the overall loader backhoe market will grow by another 15 per cent this year. We strongly believe that this trend should persist for another couple of years before stabilising henceforth. In terms of value, there does not seem any major jump as Indian customer still believes in value for money concept and is still not ready for paying higher for enhanced features in machines. As far as Terex is concerned, we are growing at a steady pace and hopefully, we should be able to achieve double digit market share in another couple of years.

The various factors, which will enable this sound growth for coming times, are mainly government's continuous focus on development of infrastructure by pumping and inviting more and more investment, better credit facilities and preference of Indian customer for Made in India brand of backhoe loaders.

Tell us about the range offered by Terex?
The new range of backhoe loaders ? TLB 740S with 76-hp Kirloskar engine and TLB 844S with 90 hp Kirloskar engine - is a result of continuous up-gradation in innovation and technology. In compact loader segment, we manufacture HEMAN 175 skid steer loader, having option of 65-hp or 80-hp engine, making us the only local manufacturer in this space in India. This machine, which has more than 50 standard attachments, is more like an engineering marvel. Further enhancing its product offering to Indian customers, Terex recently introduced RL 4000 light towers, which addresses the requirement of construction houses and builders to work efficiently even during night time.

Tell us the unique features of backhoes offered by Terex?
Terex backhoes perform faster while digging and loading at lower operating costs, with durability through quality and technology innovation. Highlights of this product are fuel efficiency through unique Smart UC Hydraulics. These products have been developed in India for Indian market from application and maintenance points of view. These machines are almost completely indigenous. Tougher, stronger structural parts such as boom and dippers, heavy-duty stabilisers with adjustable wear pads have been introduced to achieve longer service life than competition in Indian tough applications. Improved protected hose routings and other hydraulics are designed in segments to achieve lower replacement costs and longer uninterrupted working.

What is the existing manufacturing capacity for the backhoes?
At present, we have a production capacity of 2,500 machines on annual basis. However, foreseeing the tremendous potential and opportunity available in future, we may plan to ramp up our capacity to address the increasing demand for our products.

Which segment contributes the maximum share for backhoes in India?
According to our estimates, major chunk of the industry is contributed by first-time user/first-time buyer segment. This segment accounts for nearly 50-55 per cent of the total industry followed by retail/repeat buyers (25-30 per cent) and corporate customers (15-25 per cent).

What is the rental scenario for these products?
The rentals are more or less stagnant over the least 2-3 years. This is mainly due to increased number of machines available in the market. However, the rentals are also dependent on the topography of the region, ie, in hilly terrains; the rentals are always 20-25 per cent higher than the rentals in plain areas. We also consider it very seriously that with the entry of big rental companies, the rent would go up in near future.

What is the return on investment on a backhoe?
At present, due to enhanced competition among backhoe owners, the rentals have been stagnant in spite of increase in owning and operation cost over the last few years. Hence, it has affected the return on investment for these machines. Nowadays, we can safely assume that an average customer is able to recover his investment in 3-3.5 years, which used to be 2-3 years in the past.

Tell us about the attachments offered along with backhoe?
Nowadays, the main attachments being offered with backhoe loader machines are rock breaker, 6-in-1 shovel, ditch cleaning bucket, and trenching bucket etc.

How do you look at the competition in this segment, and what differentiates Terex from competition?
As Indian government is pushing for higher investments for the development of Indian infrastructure, more and more global players are establishing their base in India to exploit the opportunity. This has led to tremendous competition and benefitted the customer with enhanced quality and better performance on the offer. Terex is also on the threshold of becoming a serious player in this space. We offer world-class technology at the customer's doorstep and that too at an affordable price. Our products comprising backhoe loader, skid steer loader, wheel loader and light tower are continuously setting higher benchmarks in terms of reliability and productivity. More and more customers are becoming our repeat buyers on account of value for money proposition products are being offered.

Are these products complying with emission norms Bharat Stage III?
Of course, all our products are BS III compliant. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise for us as our machines have become more fuel-efficient and environment-friendly.

Tell us about the footprint created in India. What are your plans on expanding dealer network, service stations etc?
Terex Equipment, even though being a new entrant in Indian CE industry, has been able to establish a vast distribution network all across India and neighbouring nations. The company has 49 committed dealers who sell, service and provide parts round-the-clock with the help of a workforce of over 600 trained engineers and technicians. However, as we see a spurt in demand for Terex products in coming times, we are continuously enhancing our distribution network which includes adding branches to existing dealerships as well as appointing new dealers at strategic locations.

To what you attribute the success Terex has registered so far?
The success of Terex in India can be attributed to the two main factors ? excellent work environment at our workplace and indelible trust of our customers. We recognise that to accomplish our goals, we need diverse perspectives and inclusive work environments that enable us to attract, develop, motivate and retain the very best people. We believe that being a great place to work means creating the kind of workplace where great people can do great things.

Diversity at Terex is about respecting and embracing more than our tangible differences, like gender, ethnicity, national origin and race. We value diversity of thought, experience, culture, background and style. It is those unique characteristics that make each Terex team member a vital contributor to our competitive advantage. We celebrate that each and every one of our team members brings something unique and beneficial to our workplace. Due to these attributes, we are able to roll out the best machines in terms of reliability and performance which eventually wins the trust of our customers.

JCB launches ecoMAX

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