Eimco Elecon prioritizes environment sustainability in design and operations of all our products.

Prayasvin Patel
Chairman & Managing Director, Elecon Group of Companies

What are the current trends in the mining equipment market that you believe are shaping the industry?

As we all know well and I perceive there will be coal demand for the next 2 to 3 decades since dependency of the Power sector on coal is huge. It is also felt that the high cost of environmental and land acquisition issues will encourage more underground mines. This is also evident from the Coal India Limited’s ambitious target to increase the underground production from 4% to 10%.

We feel that the Underground mining equipment market will be dominated by the manufacturers, who are having one stop solutions for all the customer needs.

Well we have in Eimco Elecon a major stake of products serving coal segment underground mining equipment’s and we have adopted with agility the new technological changes and are ready with full bouquet of blast free continuous miner technology.

Consistent high metal prices and more participation of the private players in mining has boosted the growth of the underground mining equipment in the hard rock sector also. We are also growing rapidly our product lines in this segment.

Definitely battery-operated vehicles for both coal and Non-Coal UG mines offers many operational advantages in underground mines we see surge in demand as expected. The productivity and safety boosting solutions like the passenger carriers and the utility vehicles will also see increased demand. We are happy to inform that we are going to launch suitable products soon to meet the demands in India.

What products or solutions are you showcasing at this edition of IMME? What is your focus during the exhibition?

Our main focus in IMME will be Continuous Miner, Roof Bolter, Feeder breaker and shuttle car as one stop solution for all the customer need, we also want to assure customers that we are ready to do customise the solutions a bit to meet the local regulatory and operational challenges quickly.

Eimco Elecon is celebrating 50th Golden jubilee year now and from last 5 decades we had contributed to Indian Mining industry by providing sustainable products as per the need of the industry. As the underground coal industry is now moving towards blast free technology, we were the first to take initiative and come out with indigenously made Continuous miner equipment’s set.

We have in our portfolio LHD’s, LPDT’s for non-coal mines and loading, hauling, drilling equipment for coal mines since long. We are also highlighting our man riding and multiutility solutions for both type of mines.

How does your company differentiate itself from competitors in the mining and machinery sector?

Underground mining always has been challenging and our machine are manufactured to meet the most rugged conditions of mining environment. We are known for providing most rugged, reliable easy to operate and maintain machines for the tough mining conditions. Service support is the backbone our organisation and we have unmatched network for it in India.

Our products are designed and manufactured locally, which gives an edge over others for quick response to customer’s special operational needs or fast changing regulatory requirements.

Our group companies have state of the art manufacturing facility and engineering expertise in one campus, of most of the domain required for designing and making these high-quality machines. They all are contributing to offer reliable, world class products consistently, and also quick after sales support, training etc. 

We have 50 years of experience and knowledge base of Indian mining conditions and challenges, which are imbibed into our products and services. Our agility in implementing the various feedbacks/suggestions provided by the customers is also unmatched. 

In what ways do your products address environmental concerns and sustainability during mining operations?

Eimco Elecon prioritizes environment sustainability in design and operations of all our products and our concern in this field is evident from the fact that most of the direct power used in our plants are from renewable source. We have set our internal targets to cut our own carbon footprint also.

 Our machines are engineered to not only surpass most of the regulatory requirements but also help customer to operate in optimised way. Energy efficiency and high productivity of the machines helps customer in maintaining consumptions in control.

We are using latest technologies with high energy efficient and productivity and also developing battery operated machines for underground to reduce customer’s carbon foot print also.

We also work with the customer to maximise the recovery of the minerals from the hazardous areas, which otherwise will be left, through developing special solutions.

What are your expectations for participating in IMME 2024? How do you plan to engage with visitors and stakeholders at the exhibition? Are there any specific goals or outcomes you are hoping to achieve from this event?

IMME provides the best platform for all mining equipment manufacturers to showcase at one place the new trends and new product launches, networking with our customers and suppliers.

We will be using this platform to showcase to the entire cross section of customer about our new products. Visitor’s queries and suggestions are the most valued knowledge for us.

Our main goal this year is to inform our customers about the products we have launched and the developments in pipeline. We are also expecting to meet few new or aspiring mining operators and stakeholders.

What future trends do you foresee in mining, and how is your company preparing for these changes?

The future of mining in India lies in innovative, more environment friendly methods and meeting the nation’s self-reliance and sustainable growth. The demand profile of the metals and strategic minerals are fast changing due to rapid changes in energy, transport and communication sectors. This will definitely create new mines and need expansion of the existing ones.

We feel and foresee that customer will expect equipment with more automation and digitalization which enhances overall mining efficiency, safety and minimizes environmental impact. Eimco Elecon is fully geared up to take these challenges.

Coal mining will be the largest consumer for the equipment and innovations in India as our thirst of energy especially electrical cannot be quenched through other options in immediate future.

What are the major challenges and opportunities in mining equipment space?

The biggest challenge for mining equipment manufacturers in India is the govt. support. Due to unavailability of the local supply chain many of the critical components are to be imported. In some cases, we also face inverted duty structure discouraging local manufacturing. 

We perceive that our customers are facing big challenges in the form of time taken to start and complete the regulatory requirements. We also feel with the development of new coal blocks for commercial mining lot of skilled manpower will be required, which has to be industry ready and prepared to face challenges of rapidly upgrading technologies. We are trying our best by providing rigorous training to the customers. Collaboration among the mining industry, policymakers, regulators and researchers is crucial to resolve these issues.