The ‘Cat Connect’ makes smart use of technology and services.

Vivek A. Vanmeeganathan
Country Head – India Region, & Managing Director,
Caterpillar India.

We want technology to enable us to move away from just offering standalone equipment or machinery to offering end-to-end solutions driven by integrated technologies.

How do you assess the evolution of the CE industry from the inception
of Caterpillar in India?
Caterpillar has been active in India since the 1930’s. Over the last 90 years we have witnessed significant change in the CE industry. In the early days domestic demand was met by imports. Then in the 1964 the Government of India set up Bharat Earthmovers Ltd that manufactured dozers, dumpers, scraper etc. for defence purpose. And now we have almost all CE companies present in India as joint ventures companies or on their own setting up manufacturing facilities or marketing companies.

What has been the contributing role from Caterpillar India?
Caterpillar in India principally operates through its three product segments -Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. We aspire to set the best in class benchmark in everything we do in India from manufacturing to after-sales customer services. Our machines have built everything from roads and airports to pipelines and buildings. Our engines power generators in remote locations and oceangoing ships. Our financial services make it easy for our customers to get the machines and engines they need to build a better future for their businesses and communities. We are committed to offering our customers in India a wide range of quality products, services and solutions that help make progress possible. Cat® products that are manufactured in the India facilities are ‘Built in India’ for India and also for export.

Could you spell out your company’s philosophy of innovation?
We have always embraced the latest technological opportunities in the development of our machines and equipment. Our philosophy on innovation is determined by our assessment of how and where our machines will be working over the long term. Caterpillar’s Enterprise Technology Strategy was conceived in 2011 and was introduced in 2012. It defines the key technologies and areas of research and development investment necessary to meet our customers’ needs and sustain our competitive advantage well into the future. The technology strategy focuses on four themes: (i) Energy & Transportation, (ii) Machines & Machine Systems, (iii) Automation & Enterprise Solutions and (iv) Factory Technology Solutions. Each of the four themes includes bold, customer-focused goals against which development progress is measured.

What are the current technology trends in the products that CAT is presently dealing with?
We want technology to enable us to move away from just offering standalone equipment or machinery to offering end-to-end solutions driven by integrated technologies. For instance, the ‘Cat Connect’ program makes smart use of technology and services to enhance the operational efficiency of the machine being used. Using the data from the technology-equipped Cat assets, this program provides our customers a range of benefits – from cuttings costs to enhancing operational efficiency to improving safety of people and equipment to reducing risks.

In the mining sector, Caterpillar offers ‘Autonomous Technology’ which is capable of offering solutions encompassing full unmanned mine site operations – a system in which machines, technologies, communication networks, safety systems and software work seamlessly, resulting in huge gains in productivity. Currently, this is being used in mining in remote areas in parts of Australia and Latin America.

Fuelled by its success in ‘Autonomous Technology’, Cat has recently signed an agreement with Australia-based Fortescue Metals Group to supply self-driving trucks, a technology developed by Caterpillar Inc. at its Tucson, Arizona division headquarters. The deal includes retrofitting about 100 Cat and Komatsu trucks and expanding the Cat autonomous truck fleet at two operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Please elaborate on the growth trajectory of your R&D?
Caterpillar has a large number of qualified engineers in India engaged in product research and development, and application engineering related activities. Our India Engineering Design Center has a highly competent team of engineers who partner with more than 40 business units across the globe and provide comprehensive product development and associated engineering services (Design, Virtual Validation and Virtual Manufacturing). The India team is an integral part of the enterprise strategy in the global research and development footprint in the areas of machines, energy and power systems and advanced components
and systems.

Could you give an insight to us on your road map for year 2020?
We have been working on plans to expand our presence in India and maintain investments to support our growth plans here. The government’s focus on infrastructure development and upgradation of roads and highways will spur a lot of construction activities, as a result of which the demand for construction equipment will also increase considerably in the coming months. Our strategy is to expand our operations in line with the emerging opportunities and requirements of the market. In line with this strategy, we have been making investments as well as launching products consistently in India. We will continue the strategy and invest to expand our business here.

Hits: 122