Tata Hitachi's SHINRAI Backhoe Loaders Delivering Fuel Efficiency

“Tata Hitachi is working on several marketing strategies: we are expanding our backhoe loader product line, diversifying our product portfolio by introducing new types of equipment and entering related markets, and are also increasing our presence in export markets.”
BKR Prasad, General Manager Marketing, Tata Hitachi

Wide ranging solutions

Tata Hitachi has been offering backhoe loader solutions to the Indian market for more than 20 years. We have two main variants in our stable: SHINRAI Pro 49HP and the CEV-IV-compliant SHINRAI Prime 74HP. The latter comes in multiple variants like the Loader version, the AC version, and a 4WD version. Both SHINRAI Pro and Prime are offered with a variety of options like rear general-purpose and heavy-duty tyres, front wider tyres, standard and 6-in-1 loader bucket, general purpose bucket, heavy-duty backhoe bucket, trench bucket, and ditch cleaning bucket.

Tata Hitachi also offers a comprehensive range of attachments like the jib crane, forklift, auger, rock breaker, quick coupler, mulcher, ripple tooth, grapple, dozer blade, booster loader bucket, long backhoe arm extension, hedge trimmer, trencher, and bale handler. These are designed to work across applications like rental work, municipal work, garbage handling, crusher, hopper loading, quarrying, earthmoving, ditch cleaning, trenching, optical fibre laying, pipe laying, lifting, log handling, loading, unloading, road construction, well digging, and building construction, etc.

USP of SHINRAI range

Tata Hitachi has designed the SHINRAI Prime, SHINRAI Power, and SHINRAI Pro machines to cater to the needs of different customers, with a focus on delivering fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, and longer component life. All these machines have hydraulic oil change interval of 4,500 hours - the highest in the industry. This is achieved due to the superior hydraulic components, the EHS (Excellent Hydraulic System), and a filtering system. The advanced hydraulic systems ensure that the system always has sufficient flow and pressure to handle tough jobs.

SHINRAI Prime, SHINRAI Power and SHINRAI Pro have Japanese technology to deliver fuel efficiency. SHINRAI Pro offers lower ownership and maintenance costs, making it ideal for rental businesses.

The choice of equipment should depend on the specific needs of the application and usage pattern. FTBs (first time buyers) or STBs (second time buyers) can select their machines based on their utilisation. Applications like crusher loading, quarrying, road construction, RMC plants, and steel plants require higher power machines, such as 74 HP and above. Overall, the SHINRAI range offers a variety of value propositions that are tailored to meet the needs of different customers across the machine’s lifecycle.

Value propositions of SHINRAI backhoe loaders

Tata Hitachi SHINRAI backhoe loaders come with various improved features that enhance machine rigidity, faster duty cycles for digging, loading, breaking with hydraulic jack hammers, stability, and operator comfort. One of the key design principles is ensuring that all components and structures last throughout the life of the equipment. Compared to other backhoe loaders in its class, SHINRAI machines are typically around 500 kg heavier due to their rigid structures, which provide smooth operation and machine stability.

In terms of productivity and efficiency, SHINRAI machines boast some of the best digging and cutting forces, a higher loading height, and superior reaches. This means they can handle tough jobs with ease, resulting in higher work output.

To further enhance stability, SHINRAI uses a heavy stabiliser with a unique play adjustment system. This system provides a longer life for adjusters and lower maintenance costs. Additionally, the Welton plates on the stabiliser lower the wear pattern, allowing the machine to work without play for a longer period of time. Overall, these features make SHINRAI machines suitable for a wide range of applications, while providing superior performance and comfort for the operator. Our superior product design and testing have resulted in trouble-free operations in the field and repeat purchases in the market, and we will continue to innovate and improve our services.

Marketing Strategies

Short-term: SHINRAI means trustworthy, reliable, and capable. We are focusing on building a strong brand that resonates with our target audience’s needs and product demands. This involves creating engaging content, showcasing customer success stories, and participating in industry events and conferences. We have identified our target customers, and we create marketing campaigns that appeal to their needs and pain points. We use social media, email marketing, and other digital channels to reach out to potential customers.

Offering attractive financing options to buyers is yet another strategy to build sales. Given the extended payment cycles, we offer competitive financing options, such as low interest rates or deferred payments, to encourage customers to make a purchase. We partner with banks to provide easy solutions for customers.

We also leverage our partnerships to cross-promote other products and services. This helps us tap into a wider network of potential customers. We approach key accounts, mining, and other product segments and sell our well-known SHINRAI brand through cross-selling.

Long-term: We invest in R&D to stay ahead of competition, improve the quality, performance, and features of our products. This helps us differentiate from other manufacturers.

We introduce new types of equipment/models and expand into related markets. For example, we developed SHINRAI Prime, SHINRAI Pro and now we have come up with SHINRAI Power. All three models cater to different customer requirements. For hirers, FTBs (First Time Buyers) and economy class, we offer SHINRAI Pro; for our premium, institutional, and high demand customers, we offer SHINRAI Prime; and for 4WD high-capacity bucket and reaches, we offer SHINRAI Power.

Expanding export markets

Tata Hitachi remains committed to expanding its export market and increasing its presence in countries outside India. In the last few years, we have started exporting our flagship product, the SHINRAI Power, to countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

To cater to these export markets, Tata Hitachi is offering products that comply with the specific emission and other regulations in those countries. Currently, the company is offering BS-III regulated engines for its export markets, but it also has the SHINRAI Prime, which comes with a BS-IV engine, available for export. However, the company is cautious in selecting the machines for sale in different countries, taking into consideration factors such as fuel quality and grade.

Tata Hitachi ensures that all products meet international requirements, so that they can be sold both in India and abroad without any challenges. In addition to complying with local regulations, the SHINRAI Power also comes with a variety of attachments that can be customised to meet customer requirements.

Customer support and service

We understand the importance of ensuring that our products are well-supported in the field, which is why we take special care when launching new products, such as the SHINRAI BS-IV backhoe loaders. To ensure that our dealers are fully prepared to support our products, we provide rigorous training for their technical support teams. We also ensure that all necessary parts are stocked before product launch, and we create float aggregates in all regions to support machines and minimise any disruption to customer work.

We are also committed to providing ongoing support to our dealers, including the establishment of a green channel for machine services and parts to prevent any breakdowns. Our dedicated team is always available to provide technical support and assistance to them.

With our telematics system InSite for connected machines, we provide all relevant information like fuel consumption, location, operation hours, alarms, alerts, etc. on the mobile devices of machine owners. This enables them to get the best RoI from Tata Hitachi machines.

Furthermore, we are also continuously expanding our dealership network, with more than 275+ touchpoints across India, and identifying focused pockets where we can open parts outlets and create dedicated teams of sales and service support in talukas and villages.