Kobelco's CKE 2500 hydraulic crawler crane
According to Mr. Nilesh Bhorkar, Manager-Product Sales & Marketing, Kobelco Cranes India Private Limited, “CKE 2500 is the best selling segment in India and we have sold 86 units so far. Seventeen of CKE 2500 were sold to Bharat Heavy Electricals for power plant construction and also to rental companies. The crane got good response due to its versatile lifting capabilities.” Kobelco sells hydraulic crane with a capacity variants of 60-550 tons. The company has sold the cranes capacities ranging from 60 to 135 tons to EPC contractors in India. Voltas Limited is the distributor for Kobelco hydraulic crawler cranes in India.
Kobelco handed CKE 2500, 250ton crawler lattice boom crane over to crane hiring company Samarth Lifters Pvt Limited during the event. According to Mr. Prakash Shah, Director Samarth Lifters, the company will rent out the crane to EPC contractors executing liquefied natural gas projects and power projects.
According to Mr. Nilesh Bhorkar, “to take on pricing along with expanding and consolidating market presence, Kobelco initially would manufacture hydraulic cranes from 80 to 100 tons at its upcoming plant at Sricity near Chennai in Tamil Nadu whereas 250 tons would be taken up at a later stage. Sixty percent of the components would be of local origin comprising crawlers and fabrication parts whereas 40% of the components comprising engines, boom would continue to be imported. We would also strengthen customer support for our cranes through our distributor Voltas.” There has been a steep appreciation of Japanese Yen at the rate of 25-30% making the Kobelco cranes dearer in India.
NBM&CW March 2011
