Innovation has been the cornerstone of JCB’s operations around the world.

– Deepak Shetty

CEO & Managing Director, JCB India Limited

What is the current state of the Industry?

Infrastructure development and the growth of the economy are interlinked. We feel that the opportunities for our Industry will significantly open with the continued thrust on building Infrastructure. This was also reflected in the Budget 2021-22 announcement and it was heartening to note that the two key areas which needed strong focus have been given the impetus. These being Infrastructure development and Health care.

The outlay for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the highest ever this year. The capital expenditure allocation for FY 2021–2022 is also much greater than the previous years. Encouragingly Railways is set to emerge as a growth driver in addition to Roads and Highways, which was long overdue. A record allocation for Railway Corridors and other Structural Developments has been made. This will certainly help in generating on-ground activity in the sector.

With the formation of a Development Finance Institute (DFI), the stress in Capital Requirements for long-term infrastructure projects should significantly ease out. This was also critical to infrastructure development and was a long-standing request of the Industry.

At a national level, large projects like Sagarmala and Bharatmala would drive demand for construction equipment. Additionally, the creation of 100 new airports, Smart cities and Metro projects will certainly open up newer opportunities ultimately resulting in improved demand. Rural roads will also contribute significantly as the rural economy is set to be another growth driver.

All these projects will not only require the best quality output but will also need work to be completed in tight timelines thus, creating a need for specialised, intelligent & technologically advanced construction equipment.

About the JCB range of Mini Excavators, their features etc?

Urban development, rejuvenation of towns and cities, solid waste management, pipelines and trenching work are among the many sectors which are set to grow. These will have to be executed in space-constricted urban/semi-urban areas, and this is where mini excavators will find great utility.

As cities and towns expand, the compact design of the machine makes it useful in trenching, cable laying, power, irrigation, and housing. The concept of mini excavators is gradually gaining momentum as customers are today seeing value in the product.

JCB India has a comprehensive range in the 3T to 5T category of excavators with the models 30 plus, 50Z and 51R. These machines offer high fuel efficiency and excel in productivity and operator comfort. They are aimed at intensifying urban infrastructure and come with features like superior structural stability and our advanced Telematics Technology – Livelink to help achieve high productivity and connectivity. The range is compatible with multiple attachments like soil drill, rock breaker etc and gives operators the option of customised mode selection – Light, Eco, Heavy and Heavy+, depending on the work.

The 30 plus is a 3T compact Mini Excavator with a maximum bucket capacity of 0.076 cu.m, engine power of 24.7 hp (18.4 kW) and a maximum operating weight of 2,870 Kg. It has been designed to perform several applications in space-restricted areas, making it an ideal choice for multiple industries.

The next in the range is the JCB 50Z. A compact excavator powered by a 48 hp (35.7 kW) engine, it has been built for the challenging needs of the urban landscape of India. The machine has a compact size, zero tail swing, high-end structural stability, 8 operating modes and auto-idle & one-touch idle feature. The intelligent display with dial-type throttle control makes it capable of handling numerous applications like plantations, pipe laying, narrow drainage cleaning, canal sediment removal, trenching work, railway cable laying and utility work in industrial plants etc. The 50Z has an operating weight of 4.95 tonnes, a 2.7 m boom and a 1.45 m arm.

The 51R has Industry-leading digital screen technology that lets users tailor and store optimum settings which provide total control of the machine. Its compact size, high-end structural stability, higher lifting capacity, uncompromised safety & security features, make it a great business decision.

It is fitted with a 2.7m boom and 1.57m arm combined with a reduced tail swing, which makes this machine an agile and dependable performer. The 51R has a maximum operating weight of 5,266 Kg and an engine power of 48hp (35.7kW).

The 50Z and the 51R come with Bucket Capacities ranging from 0.10cum (trench), 0.14cum (standard) and 0.17 cum & 0.22 cum buckets (for lighter material) the JCB 50Z offers quality, strength, and excellent performance.

What are the latest in terms of JCB India’s Technology & Digital Interventions?

JCB India has pioneered the integration of digital technology in its range of machines through advanced Telematics called ‘LiveLink’. These machines work in off-road and often remote locations and LiveLink helps in remote monitoring and fleet management on key parameters of Service, Operations and Security of equipment.

This technology today helps over 1,80,000 JCB machines communicate in real-time on machine location, operations, performance, downtime, service alerts and security. It enables better site management and equipment utilisation, thereby improving operational efficiency and cost-saving. Features such as geofencing and time-fencing have significantly enhanced the security of these machines.

Technology has been transforming the way machine-to-machine and machine-to-customer communication is being done. All vital information about the machine is available to customers on their mobile devices through a web browser or also through the ‘LiveLink’ mobile application. Additionally, the system also sends out alert SMSes to registered mobile numbers.

It incorporates GPS, telecommunications, machine electronics and IoT, enabling the equipment to remain in contact with the owner, dealer and JCB.

Accurate monitoring of machine-hours and service alerts improve maintenance. Technical alerts and maintenance history data helps customers manage the machine’s health for maximum uptime and return on investment. Early warnings with detailed machine history enable users to plan work effectively.

This cutting-edge technology can help lower servicing and running costs by ensuring machines are operated to their optimum performance, reducing fuel consumption and unnecessary machine wear. By monitoring idle-time and real-time fuel consumption, LiveLink helps manage the whole life cost of ownership, driving down costs, driving up productivity. It also helps keep machines safe and improves control over machine misuse.

JCB India’s commitment to Make-In-India and an Aatmanirbhar Bharat

The ‘Make in India’ programme was launched with a focus on making India a manufacturing hub for the world. Today, it has dovetailed into ‘Vocal for Local’ and an ambition to become ‘AatmaNirbhar’ or Self Reliant. JCB India is an embodiment of the Prime Minister’s vision of an ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’. Our machines have been contributing to the building of world-class infrastructure in the country for over 40 years and we are proud that these made in India machines have been exported to over 110 countries today. They are building infrastructure the world over.

We today have five state-of-the-art factories in Delhi-NCR, Pune and Jaipur, all of which operate on the principle of ‘One Global Quality. Our Jaipur factory is also a gender diverse facility, with almost 33% of the workforce on the shop floor being women. Our sixth factory at Vadodara which will focus on exports of components is currently being constructed.

Innovation has been the cornerstone of JCB’s operations around the world. In India, we have a full Design and Innovation centre at Pune which is our largest outside of the UK. This facility develops exciting and new technologies for the future for Global and Domestic projects. We thus, innovate, design, manufacture, sell and export from India. JCB is focusing on the greater adoption of technologies like telematics, IoT, big data, and data analytics along with machine learning in its products.

What are the latest trends in Product Support?

‘After-Sales Support’ is one of the key deciding factors in the overall buying cycle of a product. Infrastructure development projects demand specialised, intelligent and technologically advanced construction equipment. This has to be supported by consistent, quick and effective after-sales services to achieve the best quality output on tight timelines.

With a wide distribution network of over 60+ dealers and over 700 outlets across India, JCB India provides an unmatched distribution and service network to its customers. It is imperative that well-connected product support minimises downtime and maximises productivity. Our dealers employ about 8,000 professionally trained personnel in India and the dealerships provide vital product support to customers for their equipment.

JCB also invests in the skilling and training of its dealers and product support teams. Additionally, five strategically set up parts warehouses at Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Guwahati and the recently inaugurated warehouse at Bhaproda near New Delhi, which is the industry’s largest parts warehouse with an area of about 160,000 sq ft, support these dealerships for parts supplies. As we go ahead, we will continue to invest in smart technologies and bring in more innovation to offer unmatched benefits to customers and end-users. JCB has pioneered the integration of digital technology for customer support which is an industry first. The JCB genuine parts application enables customers to order parts for their JCB products online. Further, an internal tool – Smart Serve has been developed to help dealerships support engineers to improve efficiency and productivity, thereby improving profitability.

Industry outlook for the next couple of years

Leading up to the budget we had made key Industry recommendations, especially since we are just beginning to come out of a very difficult time due to the pandemic.  It is thus heartening to note that the two key areas which needed strong focus in the budget have been given the impetus. These being Infrastructure development and Health care. The outlay for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the highest ever this year. The capital expenditure allocation for FY 2021–2022 is also much greater than the previous years.

Encouragingly, Railways is set to emerge as a growth driver in addition to Roads and Highways, which was long overdue. A record allocation for Railway Corridors and other Structural Developments has been made. This will certainly help in generating on ground activity in the sector.

With the formation of a Development Finance Institute (DFI), the stress in capital requirements for long-term infrastructure projects should significantly ease out. This was critical to infrastructure development. The Government has shown a strong intent towards generating funds by proposing a privatisation drive and Monetisation of assets. Another positive in the budget announcement is focus on Hydrogen Energy and the aim to create an ecosystem for Alternative Fuels.

Infrastructure development has a multiplier effect in the creation of jobs and livelihoods. We feel that the budget will support the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and other Large Scale Infrastructure projects, thus creating more opportunities for Construction Equipment Manufacturers.

With the Government’s increased thrust on infrastructure development, two key sectors are set to emerge in the coming years – the first being infrastructure development in both rural and urban India and the other will be the creation of world-class healthcare infrastructure across the country. Rural India is set to emerge as a strong growth driver, especially with the recent push by the Government through programmes such as PMGSY. Schools, colleges, industries will need to be created and segments like municipal waste, village roads, rural infra are set to grow.

From a healthcare infrastructure perspective, we need to revolutionise the sector with world-class on ground healthcare facilities built across the country. Hospitals, institutes, research facilities etc. will need to be scaled up, all of which would again require the use of smart construction equipment. This must continue as infrastructure creation also opens up opportunities for allied industries like raw material, quarrying, equipment manufacturing etc. while also creating jobs and livelihoods.

Encouragingly the modernisation of Railways, Interlinking of Rivers and Canals and programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission can become significant growth drivers for the Construction Equipment Industry.

At JCB with a wide range of products, we look forward to being a part of the Infrastructure growth story for India in the coming years. JCB products deliver a combination of value, new digital technology and world-class quality and aim to continue to bring global technologies and skillsets to India, through indigenous manufacturing.

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