Strong demand to drive Manitou's long-term investments in India

Manitou, which sees high growth of India’s construction sector during the next 5 to 10 years, had displayed, at the recently concluded Excon, a new range of telehandler, boom, and backhoe loader, along with attractive service and support packages for their customers.

Anticipating demand for advanced equipment and machineries given India’s highly dynamic construction sector, Michel Denis, President & CEO, Manitou BF averred the company’s expansion and investment plans. “For the booming Indian infra construction industry, we will continue to offer new products which will be the outcome of Manitou’s extensive R&D on local manufacturing of product verticals at competitive prices. Investments will also be made for strengthening product support capabilities in India to meet local requirements and for building up our export volumes from India.”

The French equipment conglomerate sees sales rising for telehandlers in India and is promoting its telehandlers on their greater safety features and affordability compared to competing brands. “Our new telehandlers with their enhanced safety features will usher in safer work practices in India,” says Bernd Freudenmann, Vice President-Sales, APAC & Managing Director, Manitou Asia PTE. “Manitou’s core expertise lies in offering technologically advanced telehandlers and aerial work platforms which can work at greater heights and with a very high level of safety. They will find usage in the construction of pillars on roads and metro bridges, and in niche applications like setting up of pier caps.”

He is confident that despite the presence of mobile truck mounted and all terrain cranes with the capacity to work at higher heights and carry higher loads, Manitou telehandlers are highly capable of carrying out these jobs most efficiently and safely. “Our high-capacity telehandlers with a strong telescopic boom, are designed to work at great heights and provide material handling solutions across various key applications.


According to Arnaud Boyer, VP Marketing & Product Development, Manitou BF, crane hiring rates continue to remain compressed in India, which, however, will not deter sales of telehandlers. “Our telehandlers, despite having a higher initial cost owing to their high-end technology and premium origin, are very reliable, have a longer life, and provide safety and operator comfort. They have a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Moreover, they are highly versatile due to the multiple attachments, and very mobile too, which makes their deployment at various rental applications & opportunities. I am confident that the rental industry will find these features very favourable, and we therefore expect to see demand rising from this segment as well.”

To meet local requirements, Manitou has begun indigenising MXT 840 (8m / 4 Ton) and MXT 1740 (17m / 4 Ton) telehandlers, which have been designed to suit local application requirements in India. “These telehandlers have a hydraulic cut off for safe management of loads and operation, and a lower turning circle with the 4WD & Crab Steer, which enables them to maneuver at constricted job sites, and safety with brakes on all 4 wheels,” informs Bernd Freudenmann. The company is also considering local production of higher capacity telehandlers.

Manitou is equally bullish on demand for its backhoe loaders. It has recently launched a 74.5 hp, naturally aspirated, two models of backhoe loaders, and a 745 Ranger with banana boom, which comes in three variants, naturally aspirated, high torque and high torque+. Says Hafeez Khan, Managing Director, Manitou South Asia, “Our locally produced backhoe loader with the new BS IV engine in the new MBL (Manitou Backhoe Loader) Series features new Bosch braking system, new cabin, DCPD bonett and features of export versions made as standard in our domestic offering.” Besides, the machine has higher and faster front and back-end loading. It has a robust structure and a fuel-efficient engine that delivers higher productivity with lower operating cost. In addition to the above, MBLs are being offered with 2 Years Warranty to the customers.”

For working at heights, Manitou has introduced the industry best Rough-terrain aerial work platform model 200ATJ-E, which is 100% electric. “With a working height of 20 m, horizontal working outreach of 11.57 m, and a platform capacity of 230 kg, the 200ATJ-E is the safest and the best solution for working at heights,” avers Khan. The design of the chassis is well-suited for off-road use given the high ground clearance, 4-wheel drive, and the active oscillating axle that guarantee excellent handling on off-road terrains, and in the most difficult conditions, while the tyres are well adapted to work indoors.


“Choosing an electric aerial work platform that is powerful, robust, offers optimum safety, and is cost-optimized, is a promise from Manitou to reduce the overhead costs of our customers’ investment, and users can also enjoy the benefits of electric power,” says Khan.

He informs that Manitou Group’s Easy Manager Telematics is now standard along with the Indegnised machines and this will help dealers provide and manage services through the data generated from these connected machines. Through My Manitou App, customers can gain live information on their machine’s running hours, fuel consumption, predictive maintenance etc, and take timely action to prevent machine downtime. Manitou has installed a Connected machines control backoffice in India to monitor the status of the machines in the field and send live updates to the dealers to proactively offer aftermarket support.