We are deeply invested and committed to reducing our carbon footprint using eco-friendly technology and practices

Siddharth Chaturvedi
General Manager, Marketing, Tata Hitachi

How was your overall experience at IMME 2024? Could you share your thoughts on the exhibition in terms of participation, networking opportunities, and visitor engagement?

Overall, IMME 2024 has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The exhibition successfully brought together key players from the mining and construction industries, offering a comprehensive platform for collaboration and innovation. The participation this year was remarkable, with a strong presence from industry leaders, government representatives, and technology providers, reflecting the dynamic growth of the sector.

Networking opportunities were abundant, allowing us to connect with diverse stakeholders, including potential customers, suppliers, and partners. The atmosphere was highly conducive to meaningful discussions, helping us explore new business avenues and strengthen existing relationships.

Visitor engagement was also a highlight, with an enthusiastic response and meaningful discussions. The level of interest and interaction exceeded expectations, underscoring the relevance of the solutions and innovations we brought to the exhibition. IMME 2024 has once again proven to be a key event for advancing industry dialogues and fostering partnerships that will drive the future of mining and construction.

How do you view the market demand for mining equipment and component in India and globally?

The mining sector continued to perform well even during and post pandemic.

Coal, which contributes to over 50% of the overall mineral production in India, has grown steadily at 7 to 8 % on a year-on-year basis, primarily driven by requirements in the power sector. Reduction in the import of coal also fuelled growth in domestic coal sector. Metal minerals like iron ore registered growth, along with non-metallic minerals like limestone. However, minor minerals, especially granite, faced some challenges as exports for these faced several issues, which are now gradually getting resolved.

The demand for mining equipment – which includes loading tools like excavators, hauling tools like dumpers as well as support equipment like wheel loaders – has also accelerated due to the increased production of the minerals.

Regarding Construction, the industry is modernizing and mechanizing at a fast pace by adopting newer technologies, due to shortage of trained manpower. Driven by tighter deadlines to complete the projects and to keep the construction cost lower, the requirement of construction equipment has also been changing.

Sustainability is gaining traction in the mining industry. How is your company adapting to the increasing emphasis on sustainable mining practices and ESG requirements in your product offerings?

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Tata Hitachi. We are deeply invested and committed to reducing our carbon footprint using eco-friendly technology and practices.

Tata Hitachi promotes the eco-friendly design of our products and services. Apart from ensuring that our wheeled equipment adheres to the regulatory requirements of CEV-4 emission norms, we are also working to ensure that our excavators are compatible with futuristic emission norms.

In addition, we also maintain the target of improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the maintenance cost for all our products and models through engineering innovations. With our TL 340H PRIME, we are also the first and only manufacturer in India of hydrostatic wheel loaders that assure fuel savings to the tune of 20% over conventional wheel loaders. Also, Tata Hitachi excavators are very well-known in the market for their fuel efficiency, and we continue to enhance their productivity. Our machines also come with lead and chrome-free paints.

Moreover, our parent company, Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) in Japan, has led the way in electric excavator development. Hitachi Construction Machinery has pioneered electrical excavators ranging from 190 to 800Tonne, which have been operational globally for over two decades. This includes the remarkable EX 2600-6E, (260-tonne class excavator), which is actively deployed in Indian coal mines. These excavators are directly powered by electricity and AC motors are used as prime movers to operate the equipment.

Hitachi Construction Machinery also offers high-capacity dump trucks in the 190-290Tonne class, equipped with AC drive technology utilizing AC motors to propel the trucks. Notably, a fleet of EH 3500AC-3 (190-Tonne dump truck), has been operating successfully in India, showcasing its technological superiority within the Indian mining sector

What are the market dynamics of Heavy Construction Equipment Market?

The heaviest categories of construction equipment are primarily used in the mining sector. In this sector, over 90% of mineral ore extraction is done through open cast mining. The mining equipment market is therefore dominated by high payload excavators and dumpers, among others.

The majority of machines used in mining start with a 45 to 50-tonne class excavators which ranges from 2.8 to 3.4 cum bucket capacity which is used along with 35-40T class of tippers/dumpers. Of late we have been seeing that these capacities of equipment also have been upsizing to the next bigger classes with an objective of reducing the fleet size as well as better cost economics. The large miners in India like Coal India Ltd., NMDC, SCCL, Tata Steel etc., has also invested heavily on high-capacity excavators and dumpers.

In the wheel loader market, Tata Hitachi's ZX series wheel loaders are aimed at the premium mining and construction segments. Despite the dominance of low-cost economy products in the current market, we predict a shift towards the premium segment in the future. As customers become more discerning, they will increasingly prioritize high-quality and advanced wheel loaders over other cheaper alternatives.

How Tata Hitachi is contributing to the growth story of Indian Construction & Mining Equipment Market?

We at Tata Hitachi, along with our principals, Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) Japan, have been at the vanguard of developing latest technologies, ascertaining customer needs, and working on incorporating the same in our equipment. We expanded our product line, pioneered Mini Hex equipment with the launch of 2T (TMX 20), 6T (EX 60) and opened up Mini Hex market in India. The hydraulics used in our machines are industry-leading and best in class. Our latest machines also come equipped with advanced telematics that provide customers with a snapshot of the performance of their machines in their computers or smart phones. Our machines are fitted with remote monitoring systems through which customers are able to access information on their equipment from anywhere in the country. This helps provide granular-level data for customers regarding aspects like machine health, its utilization and efficiency, among other parameters. This ensures an advantage to customers through better machine utilization, uptime, and lower operating costs.

Tata Hitachi has introduced its ZW series wheel loaders to the Indian market to meet the evolving needs of our customers. The ZW series comprises Hitachi wheel loaders ranging from 5-ton to 11-ton class, suitable for use in both construction and mining applications. These wheel loaders have been specifically designed for heavy usage and high productivity, incorporating the latest features to enhance performance and operator comfort.