iCEMA CE Industry

Addressing the audience including industry captains, think tanks, policy makers, and bureaucrats at the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (iCEMA) conference held recently at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, President, Amit Gossain, in his address, said that things have started looking up in the country's equipment sector as 'Make in India Campaign' launched by the Central Government has drawn the attention of both domestic and global players engaged in equipment manufacturing and allied infrastructure activities. Adding to the momentum, he added, in yet another welcome move the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has recently approved the long standing demand of iCEMA to set up a testing and certification centre for construction equipment and earthmoving machineries. In this connection, the Department of Heavy industries has played a pivotal role in the entire process of approval and that a detailed proposal to this effect has already been submitted by the industry body to the government, which has also cleared a sum of Rs. 400 crore for the proposed testing and certification centre.

Elaborating further he said adding that in view of the fact that road and highways sector is the focal area of the government's investment, the demand for the construction equipment is likely to pick up fast once the government speeds up the pace of project execution. Currently, things are not moving fast enough on the grounds and global investors are still in a wait and watch mode and waiting for the government policy initiatives to reflect on the ground. Ensuring this, the government must prioritize projects of national importance and ensures their speedy implementation and execution. After allocating adequate funds in its budgetary proposals for national highways and rural road sector, speedy execution of projects on the ground is the need of the hour, he insisted, stressing that currently there is a dire need of adopting speed, scale and skill in infra development, project implementation and that the industry must explore the emerging business opportunities in the recently launched initiatives like cleaning Ganga drive, Swachh Bharat and smart city concept as these initiatives are going to open up huge business avenues for both the construction equipment manufacturers and the infrastructure builders. He also welcomed the recent decision of RBI allowing banks to be flexible in lending loans to existing infra projects, which will go a long way to speed up infra building process across the country.

Addressing the conference, the Director General, (Road Development) Special Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, S N Dass, said that India is currently in the midst of building huge road infrastructure across the country. The two flagship programs of the Government of India namely the National Highways Development Program (NHDP) and the Prime Minister's Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) have been under implementation for quite some time now. He added that the success of NHDP, under which about 20,000 Km of National Highways were constructed in a span of about 14 years, averaging about 4 Km of road construction per day, was made possible only due to the adoption of mechanized construction techniques and the induction of modern equipment. Developing about 15 Km of road length per day and the plan to scale up and speed up this development program to much higher levels of 30 km of road length per day is a challenge. This means that there will be even more emphasis on road/bridge equipment. The Infrastructure Equipment Industry should factor this Government initiative in its growth and expansion program and come up with business plans to ensure that the supply meets the demand of the road sector. He said that not only the quantity but also the quality of equipment is a vital aspect, without which durable and sustainable development will not be possible, particularly at the speed of program delivery the government is planning. He urged the Indian Equipment Industry to focus on product quality, skill development, smart technology and become partners in developing capacity and expertise in construction, operation and maintenance of road infrastructure including concrete roads.

Speaking at the conference Chief Engineer (Mechanical), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Kaushik Basu, said that India, which has one of the largest road and highway networks after US and China, needs to match the burgeoning infrastructure deficit. In fact, huge investment in infrastructure will lead to higher demand for construction equipment as the road construction equipment account for about 70% of the country's construction equipment market. In view of this, the equipment industry's revenue is also expected to touch about $22.7 billion by 2020 from $5.1 billion in 2012. Similarly, the unit sale of construction equipment is also anticipated to go up to 83,000 by 2016 from 61,746 units in the 2012 financial year. Adding to the momentum, the central government has recently de-licensed the material handling equipment industry and gave a green signal for 100% FDI and all these developments will eventually not just give fillip to equipment manufacturing but will also lead to higher demand for the construction equipment sector.

Giving detailed overview of the huge business opportunities for the construction equipment manufacturers in the upcoming 100 smart cities, Head Center for Excellence and Futuristic Development, Rajan Venkateswaran, said that building new cities is a way to deal with the rapidly urbanizing population of the country. The targeted investment worth $1.2 billion in these cities over a period of time will eventually open up huge business avenues for both urban infrastructure builders and equipment makers across segment. Currently, work on several smart city projects is in full swing including in the state of Gujarat. The major chunk of investment for smart cities will likely come from private developers and from countries like Japan. The Singapore government has already offered to build one smart city and the UK also extended a 1£billion credit line to help UK companies in building infrastructure in these smart cities and the infrastructure builders and equipment makers must exploit these business opportunities to the hilt, he insisted.

In his vote of thanks address, Vice President, iCEMA and Vice Chairman and MD of Schwing Stetter Inida, Anand Sundaresan, expressed his gratitude to Director General (Road Development), S N Das, for his views and comments on Government's initiatives for the growth and development of roads and highways in the country. He said that iCEMA conference provides a perfect platform to equipment makers, users, consultants including project agencies and technical experts. Indian infrastructure building targets have opened up huge business opportunities for the equipment makers across segment. In fact, the government plans to build concrete roads across the country and has opened huge business avenues especially for concrete equipment makers. That apart, even developers and builders are also increasingly going for high strength concrete especially for the highrise buildings and multistory structures, which in turn is resulting in higher demand for high tech batching plants and concrete boom pumps and also for concrete placer booms normally used for highrise constructions. But keeping the price sensitivity of the Indian customers in mind the equipment makers must roll out eco-friendly high tech products at the lowest possible price adhering to safety, quality, and environmental standards. Inaugural Session of the conference, which was attended by over 230 delegates, was followed by sessions on key infrastructure projects and equipment financing.
Global Maritime India Summit 2023 Modernizing Logistics and Coastal Shipping
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the third edition of Global Maritime India Summit 2023 held in Mumbai, remarked that India has a vast coastline, a strong riverine eco-system, and a rich cultural

Read more ...

India Warehousing & Logistics Show A key platform for knowledge sharing in Warehousing & Logistics Industry
The 10th-anniversary edition of the India Warehousing & Logistics Show (IWLS) is scheduled to take place for three days at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (E) in Mumbai from November 21st

Read more ...

Excon 2023 - Propelling India’s Technological Prowess & Global Stature
Preparations for the upcoming Excon 2023 edition are in full swing, with organizer CII, in collaboration with various departments of the Karnataka state government, planning key activities for the attendees. No doubt, given the impressive stature of the

Read more ...

Terex India Hosts TEXCON 2023
Terex India’s TEXCON 2023 event, held at its Hosur facility in Tamil Nadu, showcased an impressive line-up of Technological and Sustainable Solutions for Construction and Recycling Industries. P.P. Basistha reports. Terex, global manufacturer of materials

Read more ...

JCB India: Growing its Excavator Business Across Sectors
JCB India is leveraging its design and manufacturing capabilities to market its excavators as it aims to meet the rising demand from infra development projects. P.P. Basistha witnesses the company’s manufacturing prowess and wide range of products at the

Read more ...

Crane Owners Association of India Organizes 11th AGM
Cowners came together for the 11th Annual General Meeting of Crane Owners Association of India (COAOI) on 29th September 2023 at the Taj Palace Hotel, Mumbai. The gathering included esteemed members of COAOI. SANY India was the event’s partner

Read more ...

ICEMA: Laying the Foundation for a Transformative Future
ICEMA’s CE Technology Summit brought together industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries to identify key challenges in the development and adoption of advanced in-house technologies. “The Technology Vision Roadmap developed by the Construction

Read more ...

Demtech: Bigger & Better in 2023
The second edition of Demtech 2023 Conference and Exhibition, held at Bengaluru on the 28th and 29th September 2023, played host to 450 delegates, representation from 10 countries, and 45 exhibitors. The success of Demtech 23 has once again proved

Read more ...

CCMA to organize 4th International Suppliers Conference 2023 on “Construction Chemicals for Next Gen”
The 4th edition of the International Conference of Suppliers for leading manufacturers and suppliers of construction chemicals is being organized by the Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Association (CCMA). The conference will be held on 4th and

Read more ...

Mumbai to host 3-day India Warehousing & Logistics Show from November 21st
The 10th-anniversary edition of the India Warehousing & Logistics Show (IWLS) is scheduled to take place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (E) in Mumbai from November 21st. This event, organized by RX India, a part of RX Global (www.rxglobal.com)

Read more ...

CVF Off Highway 2023 - Wraps Up with Remarkable Success
In a whirlwind one-day event featuring 10+ sessions with 40 esteemed speakers, over 35 partners, and a turnout of 350+ delegates, CVF Off Highway 2023 marked a triumphant close of its 3rd Edition. CVF Off-Highway has solidified its position as the

Read more ...

Green Compliant Office Buildings Boom in India
The recently released CBRE-CII joint report titled ‘Indian Real Estate: Taking Giant Strides - 2023 Mid-Year Outlook’ highlights the growing focus of developers and occupiers on sustainability, green-certified office stock in India, which has increased by over

Read more ...

ICEMA Organizes Annual Session on CE Industry
The 2023 Annual Session of ICEMA (Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association) focused on Innovation, Investment, Sustainability and Localization as key imperatives for growth and presented perspectives of industry experts. Union Road

Read more ...

CVF Off Highway Forum - Shaping the Future of Indian Off Highway Equipment Markets
The highly anticipated CVF Off Highway Forum set to take place on August 24th, 2023, at Eros Hotel, New Delhi, will provide a platform for industry professionals to exchange ideas, explore collaborations, and drive innovation. This event will bring

Read more ...

First edition of Construction Tradeshow ‘Gujarat CONEX 2023’ to be held from 21st to 23rd September
Gujarat CONEX 2023, an international trade fair for Construction Machinery, Building Materials & Machines, Mining Machines, and Construction Vehicles is being organized by K and D Communication and Messe Muenchen India in collaboration

Read more ...

CSIR - CRRI Organises ‘One Week One Lab’ Campaign Highlights Waste to Wealth Initiatives
CSIR - CRRI (Central Road Research Institute) hosted a week-long celebration across four major cities - Delhi, Hyderabad, Odisha, and Shillong, during 16 July to 22 July, that showcased the technological breakthroughs and innovations of the CSIR

Read more ...

NATCON 2023 - Fostering knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation within the construction sector
ACCE(I) - the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India) recently organized NATCON 2023 (National Convention of Civil Engineers), a conference titled ‘Building Tall and Resilient’ hosted by the Hyderabad Centre. The event witnessed an overwhelming

Read more ...

Thermax Construction Chemicals hosts गपशप 2023
Thermax Construction Chemicals hosted an innovative forum in the construction space on June 8, 2023, bringing together numerous professionals, industry leaders, and distinguished guests at The Westin in Koregaon Park, Pune. The event served as an

Read more ...

Niftylift’s HR17E wins HAE Product of the Year
The Hire Association Europe (HAE) runs the Hire Awards of Excellence, which took place on 22 April, 2023 at the Grosvenor House in London. The awards celebrate the achievements of hire and supply companies across UK’s plant, tool, equipment, and event

Read more ...

Fintech and Data Analytics to enable Future-Ready Financing Ecosystem for CE & Infrastructure: ICEMA
ICEMA (Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association), an affiliate body of CII, organised the 4th Annual Finance Conclave in New Delhi, based on the theme ‘Bringing a Paradigm Shift in Financial Eco-system: Digitalisation and Beyond

Read more ...