MARCHING Towards EXCELLENCE!

EXCON endeavors to build India’s infrastructure in an ecologically sustainable manner, enabling infrastructural projects, promoting skill development and positioning ‘Make in India’ as the national agenda for achieving holistic growth in the infrastructure and related sectors thereby facilitating growth of Construction Equipment manufacturers.

Infrastructure sector is a key driver for the Indian economy. The sector is highly responsible for propelling India’s overall development and enjoys intense focus from Government for initiating policies that would ensure time-bound creation of world class infrastructure in the country. Infrastructure sector includes power, bridges, dams, roads, and urban infrastructure development.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s Premier Industry Association is organising Excon 2021 which is scheduled to be held from 17th – 21st May 2022 at Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Excon is expected to attract over 1,000 exhibitors from India and abroad, including from USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, UAE, South Korea, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The 5-day exhibition is expected to attract over 40,000 business visitors from all over the world.

Aiming for a high…

The Government of India is expected to invest highly in the infrastructure sector, mainly highways, renewable energy, and urban transport

In April 2020, the Government set a target of constructing roads worth Rs 15 lakh crore (US$ 212.80 billion) in the next two years.

In May 2020, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) achieved major milestone by digging up a 440-metre long tunnel below the busy Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH 94).

Indian energy sector is expected to offer investment opportunities worth US$ 300 billion over the next 10 years.

NHAI will be able to generate revenue of Rs one lakh crore (US$ 14.31 billion) from toll and wayside amenities over the next five years.

In the Union Budget 2020-21, the Government has given a massive push to the infrastructure sector by allocating Rs 1,69,637 crore (US$ 24.27 billion) to develop the transport infrastructure.

Communication sector has been allocated Rs 38,637.46 crore (US$ 5.36 billion) to develop post and telecommunications departments.

Indian Railways has received an allocation of Rs 72,216 crore (US$ 10.33 billion) under Union Budget 2020-21.

Pavilion on AI, IoT & Automation

In the construction industry, the use of technologies (AI, IoT, Big Data, ML, Deep Learning, NLP, Cloud computing, and so on) has risen dramatically to support initiatives such as smart cities, urban air mobility, and climate change programmes, as well as to generate new revenue streams, improve internal operating efficiencies and performance, identify costly mistakes, lower costs, reduce injuries, increase margins, and improve training, logistics, and customer relationship management. The increasing demand for AI-based solutions and platforms in the construction business is being driven by the potential of AI solutions and services.

The global artificial intelligence in construction market is anticipated to reach USD 1831 million by 2023 and USD 3.5 billion by 2027. The global construction and engineering market is predicted to reach $10.5 trillion by 2023, with India’s construction sector expected to be the world’s third largest, growing at a rate of 7.1 percent per year. The industry employs 51 million people and accounts for 9% of India’s GDP. Against this backdrop, CII is hosting an exceptional pavilion on AI, IoT & Automation.

Focus on efficiency, productivity, environment and safety.

Indian construction equipment companies, at Excon 2021, will represent a wide gamut of construction equipment and technology spectrum turned this mega event a truly international construction equipment trade fair in this part of the world. An overwhelming participation from major national and international companies that Excon witnessed will be enough indication that this exhibition will emerge as an excellent platform for global players in construction equipment industry to tap the huge business opportunity in India’s infrastructure sector.

The exhibition is set to attract visitors who will witness latest advancements in equipment for earthmoving and construction, lifting, material handling, concrete mixers, crushers and screens, road construction and foundation piling rigs, asphalt, compactors, compressors and generators, components, accessories and consumables besides service facilities like leasing, financing, and equipment rentals.

The specific focus of the exhibition will be on efficiency, productivity, environment, and safety.

The event will provide a real on-ground experience to the visitors, business delegates to network and create B2B linkages and forge business and trade linkages, nationally and internationally. The visitors will be able to benchmark product features of different products exhibited, interacted about their requirements with technical heads and negotiate deals with the chief executives present at the exhibition.

Road Show to promote EXCON… 

CII also organised a road show in Mysuru to announce EXCON, which witnessed participation of senior officials from the Karnataka Government along with industry leaders and stakeholders from the infrastructure and construction equipment sectors. The road show in Mysuru was to promote the event.

Dr Bagadi Gautam, Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru, said India is projected to become the third largest construction market globally by 2022, with a plan to spend $1.3 trillion on infrastructure during 2019-23, focused on sustainable development. India will be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, the start of a long-term trend. He believes that India will definitely overtake China within 10 years.

A panel discussion — moderated by Pavan Ranga, Immediate Past Chairman, CII Mysuru and addressed by Arun Pandit, Treasurer, CREDAI Mysuru and M G Somashekar, Chairman, IGBC Mysuru — on ‘Reimagining the Construction Industry’ reiterated the need of enhancement of technology in the construction industry. Infrastructure industry has been comparatively fast in utilising technological innovations to the fullest, like Artificial intelligence (AI), advanced data analytics, pre-fabrication, modular construction, new materials, renewable energy technology, and fintech. Adoption of technology in the construction sector is less than 5%. Green building concepts and affordable housing are the new mantra of the construction industry these days.

BEML’s showcases with latest technologies

BEML Limited a Schedule ‘A’ company under Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India, is participating in a big way by showcasing its products at outdoor pavilion during EXCON 2021.

Amit Banerjee, CMD, BEML, said, “In the Trade Fair, BEML is exhibiting its construction equipment models of different capacities embedded with latest technologies. The equipment being showcased are Model ‘BD85’ and ‘BD50HST’ in Dozer Category, Model ‘BG505I’&‘BG405A’ in the category of Motor Graders with emission norms compliant BSIV engines and Model ‘BL30-1’ in Loaders category.”

The following are the technical features of the construction equipment being displayed:

(a) Dozer Model ‘BD50 HST (Hydro-Static Transmission)’: India’s first Heli-portable Dozer powered with 90 FHP (67 kw) @ 1750 rpm BEML diesel engine and Hydrostatic Transmission. The equipment can be carried with the help of Helicopter to higher altitude areas.  The total dismantling and assembling of the equipment can be carried out in 15 minutes.

(b) Dozer Model ‘BD85’: Powered with 230 HP BEML turbocharged direct injection powerful diesel engine fitted with Power-shift transmission and Straight Tilt Dozer Blade

(c) Loader Model ‘BL30-1’: This Loader is powered by Ashok Leyland BSIII Engine developing 220 HP @2200 rpm, turbocharged, water cooled, 4 stroke, direct injection diesel engine and fitted with Power shift transmission of 4F-3R speed. The bucket size varies from 1.5 cum to 3.3 cum based on the density of the material being handled.

(d) Motor Grader Model ‘BG405A’: Motor grader fitted with 10 feet blade for small width road construction work. This motor grader is powered by BEML diesel Engine, developing 125 HP, Fitted with power shift Transmission with 6F & 3R speed, Scarifier attachment.

(e) Motor Grader Model ‘BG605I’: Powered by 146.8 HP @ 1800 rpm BEML model diesel Engine, turbocharged, water cooled, four stroke, six cylinders, fitted with hydro shift transmission having 6F & 5R speed and with Blade length of 12 feet.”

Excon – A flash back!

The 10th Edition of Excon  was held from 10 – 14 December 2019, at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru. Excon 2019 was supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Government of India. State Government of Karnataka was the ‘Host State’, The Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (ICEMA) was the ‘Sector Partner’ at the event and was ‘Supported by’ Builders Association of India (BAI).

Excon 2019 had kick started with positive momentum and Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, who graced the occasion by delivering at Inaugural Session in the presence of B S Yedurappa, the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Government of India, Govind Karjol, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, Government of India, Jagadish Shettar,  the then Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries, Government of Karnataka, Vikram Kirloskar, President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Chandrajit Banerjee, DG, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council & Chairman Excon 2019, Azim Premji, Founder, Chairman Wipro Limited and Sandeep Singh, Managing Director, Tata Hitachi Construction Equipment Pvt Ltd.

The inaugural session celebrated women in infrastructure by introducing, ‘Women Building India Equal Opportunity Awards’ and recognized companies from the Infrastructure sector who have taken proactive steps to enable women to participate in the workforce. A report titled “Women in Infrastructure” was released during the inaugural ceremony. The report uncovers the current status of women participation in the sector and best practices that can enable the sector to include more women as it continues to develop. Excon had emerged as one of the world’s largest shows in construction equipment and machinery sector. The 10th Edition of Excon 2019 concluded successfully with preponderance of over 390+ international exhibitors. Excon 2019 had exclusive international pavilions from China, Germany, Italy, UK, South Korea and Turkey. The overseas companies identified partners for inward investment in India to set up their manufacturing & trading facilities.

Leaders speak…

Deepak Shetty, Chairman of Excon 2021 and CEO & MD – JCB India, said, “Excon will also be showcasing the growth and the penetration of digital technology, in not only construction equipment, but also in the way the entire infrastructure ecosystem is developing in India. For instance, the recently announced Gati Shakti is a very strong digital platform. The event will also highlight the competitiveness and growth of India’s CE Industry over the years. India is poised to become the second largest market for CE, and it is important that we remain competitively strong as regards the quality of our products & our customer service. Many OEMs have made advancements in their manufacturing too, so much so that many made in India products are being exported all over the world.”

Rahul Shorey, National Head, Construction, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company, “Our emphasis has always been to keep the customer foremost in our mind. We have therefore, laid special emphasis on customer-friendly solutions that are easy to adapt to and help in enhancing usability and serviceability. With this focus, we have worked towards hydraulic efficiency enhancement and engine power optimisation. This goes a long way in ensuring that our machines are some of the most fuel efficient across specific classes. In addition, use of better materials like coated steel and alloys, as well as better manufacturing technologies have led to overall improvements in the engine in terms of performance, reliability, and durability. Apart from this, in line with the direction of the government to go green, we are migrating our engines to ensure emissions compliance as per CEV-IV norms. This will further enhance the fuel efficiency of our machines.”

Alok Jha, Director, Sales & Marketing, India & SAARC, CASE Construction Equipment, said, “Today’s customer has evolved with changing times and are looking for compact and automated equipment. Construction companies are looking at machines that reduce higher dependency on labour and/or any additional factors. Equipment that are highly productive with better fuel efficiency and low cost of maintenance are high in demand in the segment. Additionally, there is an increased preference for active after-sales services, now in the industry. CASE construction has always offered equipment that resonates well with the new-age customers. Our current set of product-line offer highly efficient and innovative machines that can support operators in carrying out their tasks with ease and comfort. Most CASE machines are powered by world-renowned FPT Engines that deliver power, performance and fuel efficiency.”

Dheeraj Panda, Chief Operating Officer (Sales, Marketing & Customer Support) Sany Heavy Industry India, said, “We became an export hub of excavators for Africa, Middle East, South & South East. Our company has been profitable since 2016, has been gaining market share for the last 5-6 years and now leads the domestic crane and piling rigs market. Having contributed to various infrastructural projects in our country, Sany India’s success story has been admirable. With the country’s progress and development being our focal point, we are contributing towards many major developmental projects by offering products that are unmatched in the industry as far as technology, productivity and efficiency is concerned. With long term and satisfied customers, Sany India has established a firm foothold in the Indian market with several new projects likely to commence in the next few months.”

V. G. Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India, said, “Schwing Stetter India will be showcasing its latest launches in the ensuing Excon 2021 such as Boom Pumps and Batching Plant (Dry Mortar Plant) in the concreting segment, Excavators for mining segment and newer version of HDD for trenchless underground cutting equipment. We will also be launching new products in the road construction segment in the EXPO. We will be displaying close to 50 products in the Excon of which at least 6 new launch ceremony will happen at the venue. In the technology front, we will be introducing equipment embedded with IOT, telematics and improved hydraulics in almost all range of equipment, which will considerably improve performance, productivity and reduced labour involvement.”

Debasis Bhattacharya, Head, Sales and Marketing – Product Support, AJAX Engineering, said, “We at Ajax offer the complete range of next generation 360-degree concreting solutions which address the requirements of Infrastructure and Housing sectors, across rural, semi-urban and urban geographies. We are the only company in India manufacturing the entire range of concreting equipment used for production of concrete, transportation of concrete, placement of concrete and paving of concrete. And we are not only catering to the Indian market but currently exporting to 17+ countries worldwide and expanding further.

Indrabhushan Gokhale, Country Manager, Powerscreen Sales, Terex India, said, “India is witnessing rapid urbanization and so is the crushing & screening industry, fuelling demand for faster and smarter construction, a major driver for customers to move towards mobility. Digitization & automation have a significant impact on construction projects. The demand for machines that are cost-effective, with policies for lower emissions is compelling construction equipment manufacturers to opt for electric and hybrid vehicles over the traditional ones. Customers are cost-sensitive, but they are willing to pay for features which bring efficiency in costs and quality. Our Hybrid technology and Telematics are the perfect examples for this. Recently, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, highlighted the importance of telematics, which allows operators to monitor construction equipment from anywhere, remotely as well as safely. Powerscreen Pulse has recently been launched for its products manufactured at the Terex India facility at Hosur, meaning that its customers in India can now avail of actionable information with customised reports & suggested actions for more fuel-efficient operation.”

Rajiv Chaturvedi, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, After-Service and Parts, Hyundai Construction Equipment, said, “EXCON being largest construction equipment Exhibition brings together key stake holders. As this is first construction equipment exhibition after pandemic so the excitement among the exhibitors and visitors is even more. Hyundai is continuously developing product & services to meet customer expectations. EXCON provides excellent opportunity to showcase our new products, attachments & services to larger audience. Hyundai wide range of products on display will reflect the latest technology on telematics and advanced hydraulics and mechatronics system which are offered to India.”

According to V. Senthilkumar, Managing Director, Propel Industries, “IoT, AI and Big Data are proving to be real game changers for the entire Construction Equipment industry. At Propel we have incorporated IOT technology to primarily improve equipment uptime and to optimise plant performance. A system of sensors and alarms alerts our service crew or the end users so that preventive action us taken before any major breakdown. Big Data received from continuous monitoring of plant performance is used to better optimise the performance of the plant. With the machine operational data, we collect we are able to give customers MIS reports giving them complete machine performance data and areas to improve productivity.”

Sooraj Cherukat, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing, Hailstone, said, “More automation and IOT enabled machineries which helps in increasing availability of the machines and energy efficiency of the machines are the latest technological developments. In case of range we have machineries from 100 TPH to 500 TPH Capacity. R&D Superiority and being first in the market to bring the latest trends and customer friendly updations differentiates us from all our competitive players.”

Vishvaroop Anand, Managing Director, Titan Crushing Equipment, says, “Our company is in this field for last 60 years. We started with a small factory in Mumbai. From time to time various sizes and types of crushers were developed by us and introduced in the market. Crusher market received a boost during late 90s and early 2000, due to Government’s focus on improving infrastructure of India. Since that time, we have been growing with the market, with development of higher sizes of crushers, different types of crushers such as Cone Crushers, VSIs and Crushing Plant. We have developed infrastructure as well as organizational abilities to manufacture and execute highly complex equipment as well as high value projects. Today, we have 3 factories at different locations with total covered area of 1, 25, 000 Sq ft. We are biggest Indian equipment manufacturer in this field with capability of delivering more than 700 equipment every year. We are one of top 5 companies in this field. We are proud of our journey in this field.”

Debabrata D Chakraborty, Senior General Manager, Marketing, Concrete Division, Pakona, said, “Pakona is a pioneer in manufacturing of pre-cast machinery for concrete elements like Pipes, Culverts, U-Drains, Cable Ducts and Manholes etc. Our machines are made 100% at our works at Vadodara, Gujarat and adhere to the highest quality controls in sync with European technology and standards. As on today, we have manufactured and supplied more than 75 plants all over India. The market for precast concrete is growing and with government impetus on building highways for economic growth, demand for construction equipment is going to be positive.”

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