CASE India has been offering 75% indigenous equipment for the domestic as well as foreign markets for over three decades

– Alok Jha,
Director, Sales & Marketing, India & SAARC, CASE Construction Equipment

What are your views on making India as a global construction equipment manufacturing hub?

We believe in and are firmly committed to contributing to making India a global manufacturing hub. There are growing opportunities for OEMs here with supportive Government schemes and initiatives like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI), Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and other such initiatives. Furthermore, programmes like Sagarmala by the Ministry of Shipping benefits companies looking at producing in India for domestic as well as foreign markets. This programme will improve last mile connectivity with the ports, thereby helping to export heavy construction equipment to overseas market as well. 

CASE India has been manufacturing construction equipment in India and offers 75% indigenous equipment for the domestic as well as foreign markets for over three decades. We are in-line with Indian government’s various initiatives and are looking towards making our Pithampur plant a global manufacturing hub for CASE products.

Give us details about your manufacturing facilities in India and how technologically advanced are your manufacturing facilities in India? Also, what are the safety features incorporated in these facilities?

Located in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, CASE India’s plant, built in the year 1989, is spread across 40 acres of land. The state-of-the-art infrastructure manufactures world-class quality, made-in-India equipment for over 30 years now. The highly automated facility with robotic technologies helps us to cater to over 75 markets beyond India.

The plant is a Bronze-certified World Class Manufacturing site. WCM is a pillar-structured system based on continuous improvement, designed to eliminate waste and loss from the production process by recognizing accomplishments such as zero injuries, zero defects and Zero breakdowns and waste. The plant has also won Platinum and Gold (for Low Cost Automation) in 2021 at the CII National Level Competitions in the MURI Category and the KARAKURI Kaizen Category respectively. Adapting to sustainable practices we have consciously installed solar panels at our Pithampur plant that will help provide upto 25% of plant’s energy through natural source.

What are your company’s initiatives in skilling and training?

CASE India provides operators the skills and required training to use the equipment safely and efficiently. At our Pithampur plant, we have a training centre wherein each engineer is required to attend training classes on engines, transmissions, etc. We also provide self-training modules so that engineers may periodically brush up on their knowledge while earning points and moving through different skill levels. Operator training is an ongoing process at CASE and we are planning partnerships with major training organisations to create more skilled operators.

Recently, we have also inaugurated a Skill Development Center to provide a good understanding and training on Loader Backhoe operation at the plant. The initiative will train 240 professionals each year, contributing to the Central Government’s Skill India Mission. The 1200 sq. ft. facility comprises two classrooms dedicated to theory class and counselling.

Furthermore, we collaborate with top educational institutions in and around Pithampur for student engagements. These students work on several projects at our manufacturing facility related to artificial intelligence, digital aspects, manufacturing processes, etc. in order to contribute fresh perspectives while finding solutions for a series of real-life problems. 

How do you make use of robotics in your facilities?

Our Pithampur facility is designed with cutting edge automation technologies to manufacture superior quality products that caters to both national and international markets. The automation includes Robotics Welding that gives welding joint superior strength and robustness. This helps in repeatability of same welding, minimizes human error and maintains consistency in quality. Our ultra-modern paint shop uses both Manual and Automated Paint operations providing aesthetically appealing products. It also boasts of an eco-friendly Next Gen technology ensuring that the paint lasts longer. Additionally, we use automation in laser cutting, gas cutting and in our machining center.

Tell us on your export market and important initiatives to cater to the requirement of International market?

We export Made-in-India equipment to over 75 countries across the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Russia, and Bhutan. In the last four years, we have doubled our exports and we are also continuously exploring new opportunities in the overseas market including LATAM and NAFTA.

What are your future plans to cash-in the infrastructure boom in India?

The focus on infrastructure development has led to a definite rise in construction projects. Roads, highways, ports, railways, building construction and mining projects are being aligned with this new outlook towards infrastructure building in India, especially with multiple projects aligned with the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the Bharatmala project, the Sagarmala project and the PM Gati Shakti Framework. We believe this will create increasing demand for construction, mining and earthmoving equipment. We, at CASE, look forward to contributing to this growth by catering to the needs of the industry with our full range of smart equipment.

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