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Excavator or hydraulic excavator is one of the important heavy duty construction equipment that plays vital role in construction equipment market. Excavators are commonly used in applications such as commercial construction, mining and residential construction. Equipment Times highlights the positive factors impacting excavators to stay ahead in the earthmoving equipment market, latest trends in the cab design, advancement in engines and future outlook and growth prospect of this machine.

India Excavators Market is expected to grow due to rising urbanization, population, industrialization, and construction sector across India. Investment of foreign direct investment in the country, rising government spending in smart cities, infrastructure and construction projects are some of the key growth drivers of the Indian Excavator market. However, the Chinese products were the major threat for the growth of excavators in India but from the last few months Indian buyers are avoiding to purchase Chinese products and it’s a good sign for the growth of the Excavators market in India.

The incursion of novel corona virus had impacted the growth of the construction and transportation sector in India which acted as a hurdle in the growth of the India Excavator market over the coming years. Growing private and public infrastructure projects, increasing economic development activities as well as increasing government focus on certain key projects such as Golden Corridor, Housing for all, Smart City, an extension of metros, rail and road network across the country are some of the major factors which would drive the demand for construction equipment in Indiaover the upcoming years.

Investment of foreign direct investment in the country, rising government spending in infrastructure and construction projects are some of the key growth drivers of the India Excavator market. However, the lack of product differentiation and the threat of low-cost Chinese products are the major restraint factors behind the slow growth of excavators in India. The incursion of novel coronavirus would impact the growth of the construction and transportation sector in India which may act as a hurdle in the growth of the India Excavator market over the coming years.

An excavators consists hydraulic arms, digging bucket and controller cabin on rotating platform. Excavators are multipurpose heavy construction machines which come with various attachments that can be used for land leveling, trench digging and steel cutting. 

Advancement in technology

Today’s hydraulic excavators are of course much more advanced. There are a variety of electronics incorporated into them and their construction is more durable. They offer a variety of operational features and comfortable, often enclosed operator cab to ensure the safety of operators. And they are available in a range of sizes from mini to several hundred tons.

But one thing remains the same, the use of hydraulic power. It is still considered to be the most efficient and powerful means of providing movement, particularly in heavy-duty machinery such as construction, agriculture and mining equipment.

Of course, this doesn’t mean there isn’t room for technology advancements. Incorporation of electronics into hydraulic systems and components is seen as a way to help improve the efficiency and performance of hydraulics. This is probably one of the biggest changes occurring in the fluid power industry. Incorporating more electronics enables not only improved performance but also information to be retrieved from the component or system to aid with aspects such as maintenance planning. 

Industry on a high…

Speaking about the technology trends in the excavator segment, Vivek Hajela, Vice President and Head, CEB of L&T, said, “Information and communication technology (ICT) have impacted lifestyle of the entire mankind, with excavators being no exception. Komatsu machines provide full benefits to operators and owners alike. Gone are the days when the operator console would have four or five analogue gauges to indicate the machine service meter reading, engine oil pressure, coolant temperature and battery charging indicator. Today, most of the excavator monitor panels comprise electronic screens with digital display of not just the basic details but a whole lot of added information. Monitor prompts operators to adopt energy saving operations that make the machine more efficient.”

Rahul Shorey, National Head – Construction, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery, said, “In terms of capacities, the mini excavator is driven by increased mechanization for higher productivity. This segment will also be supported by increased allocation for the implementation of rural water supply programme. We also anticipate some migration from backhoe loaders since it has become costlier post CEV-IV emission norms implementation this year. Similarly, the 7-Tonne market is driven by rural infra initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), irrigation and brick industry.”

Sandeep Mathur, Brand Leader, CASE New Holland CE, said, “The infrastructure sector has received a lot of attention in the Budget 2021-22. The government’s aim to expand road and highway projects to 7,400 new projects is a positive step that will assure a stronger year for the infrastructure sector as well as the construction equipment business. Furthermore, as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the government auctioned out 41 coal blocks with easy terms and conditions for commercial mining in order to ensure competition, transparency, private sector engagement, and ease of doing business.”

V.G. Sakthikumar, Managing Director at Schwing Stetter India, said, “Demand for hydraulic excavators has remained consistently high in the domestic market during the last decade. It grew steadily from 16,488 units in 2016 to peak at 25,474 units in 2018 before dropping to 16,382 units in 2020. The active population of hydraulic excavators is estimated at 162,061 units at the end of 2020. Sales of excavators are expected to reach 22,000 units in 2021 due to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and an increase in economic activities. Furthermore, against a backdrop of an increase in infrastructure development activities, demand for hydraulic excavators is predicted to grow in the long term & is forecast to reach 32,000 units by 2025. Cabin is one of the important part of every product. If cabin is comfortable then operator will work happily & continuously. Latest trend cabin equipped with comfortable high backrest operator seat, HVAC, latest music system and informative instrument clusters.”

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