CASE Construction Equipment: Sandeep Mathur - India & SAARC
All CASE products have cutting-edge features that enhance productivity and efficiency and simplify their usage.
CASE has always focused on incorporating the latest technologies - be it in our internal manufacturing processes or providing the latest features in our equipment. Buyers have evolved over the years and want ‘smart’ machines that can increase productivity and decrease downtime, and also make their work easier. Hence, our efforts have always been to continuously innovate and provide consumers with machines that are simple to use and add that extra level of convenience to their operations. For example, the CASE Intelligent Hydraulic System in the CX 220C Excavator offers higher breakout forces, improved swing speeds, and a greater swing torque, resulting in faster cycle times and 5% increase in productivity.
A unique multi-radius moldboard design in our Graders, a bigger pump for more flow and speed in our Backhoe Loaders, enhancements in engine power, torque, auxiliary hydraulics in the Skid Steers, and such other features, lead to higher productivity while saving time.
The powerful and reliable FPT engine helps our machines deliver optimum performance with minimum fuel consumption during construction and mining activities. The hydraulic system and quality of the engines bring greater efficiency. We will soon be introducing machines with CEV Stage 4 engines which will give more efficient performance and more mileage, besides being environment-friendly.
Our R&D team puts special focus on providing cabins with outstanding visibility with wide, glazed, and openable window on the top. Digitisation has further eased the operation of our equipment and enhanced operator control. Our Crawler Dozers, Compactors, Graders and Excavators are also equipped with a closed HVAC cabin with ROPS for operator comfort and safety.
Our machines are rugged and have a longer service cycle since they are made of high-quality materials and components. In fact, CASE India’s equipment ensures lower cost of ownership and comes with longer service intervals. Another plus is the easy maintenance from the ground level.
With Sitewatch technology in all our machines, the after-market team can take timely action in case of any potential disruption in the machine’s working. Eagle-Eye-Telematics in collaboration with BOSCH - a real-time vehicle tracking and communication system based on GPS technology – helps keep track of our customers’ machines’ performance, security, and fuel consumption.
Uncertainty about labour availability coupled with the fast pace of infra development has shifted demand for advanced equipment with minimum downtime – a situation that calls for robust after-sales support.
We offer customers extended warranties (optional) and service support throughout the machine’s lifecycle. CASE Care is a cost-effective service contract under which we monitor the machine, which helps in preventive maintenance. CASE Protect is a comprehensive extended warranty which ensures expert care, round the clock availability, and hassle-free operations.
For fleet owners, we offer Maintenance Contracts with dedicated service personnel at site to ensure machine uptime. Our vast and bankable network of 60 dealers and over 200 touchpoints across the country keep a ready stock of spares for timely delivery. They are supported by our centrally located 75000 sq.ft warehouse in Indore (which holds 13,000 skus at any given time) and our depots in Faridabad and Guwahati. Even during the pandemic, we were delivering parts and scheduling services, while adhering to all the safety protocols.
Securing finance is becoming a challenge so there could be a possible surge in the rental market. CASE is also coming up with a rental platform.
The Indian construction equipment rental market is anticipated to register a CAGR of about 5.1% during 2020 - 2025. Equipment renting will help users in cutting down equipment acquisition cost, protection from market fluctuations, and eliminate storage and transportation issues.
To meet rental demand from our customers, we are coming up with a rental platform which will help them to operate a CASE machine without incurring capital investment. This way, we will not leave any customer behind - whether small or large. Also, through our financial arm CNHi Capital, we are making capital available for customers who want to buy our machines. The value propositions offered to our customers translate into higher loan to value ratio for their investment.
ICRA has predicted 15-20% growth in the CE market despite a 39% decline in H1 CY2020 due to Covid-19.
Budget 2021-22 has put a lot of focus on reviving the infrastructure sector and the government is planning to announce additional measures to support infra development related spending. These investments will have a cascading effect on the CE industry.
The coal mining sector is also going through a major reform. Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the government has auctioned 41 coal blocks for commercial mining to ensure competition, transparency, participation of the private sector, and ease of doing business. This too will impact the performance of the CE industry positively.
The long-term trend for the excavator industry remains positive; demand is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16% during 2021-2023 and reach 28,000 units, as per the Off-Highway Research report. Excavators account for a bulk of revenue in the CE segment and with the government focus on infrastructure development to fuel economic growth, demand of excavators is expected to increase significantly.
Adapting to the pandemic-induced lockdown reflects our ability to rise to any challenge and build a better and safer environment.
We adapted to using digital technologies to conduct our trainings, claim processes, dealer interactions etc to ensure continuity and care. We even managed to launch one of our newest products – a 22-ton crawler excavator using a virtual platform! It was a first for CASE CE in India and across the world. Looking back on how we evolved and overcame our challenges, I think we embody the thought ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going!’
Our primary responsibilities were to our employees, dealer partners and customers. We ensured social distancing at our workplaces, frequent sanitization of facilities, and invested time and resources to ensure complete adherence to safety norms. Our corporate employees were asked to operate from home and our plants’ workforce was organized into shifts to ensure distancing and safety.
We rolled out several policies to alleviate those affected by the virus. We extended extra medical cover, inclusion of parents in the mediclaim program at CNH Industrial, and announced a compensation package to ensure a comfortable recovery process. Our partnerships with medical care facilities were also leveraged so that our employees could receive the right care at the right time. We have also been organizing webinars on mental health, breathing techniques, relaxation, yoga, meditation etc.
For customers, we extended the warranty period for all our products, and offered a moratorium on payments for loans taken through CNHi Capital. Our teams on the ground worked tirelessly to ensure critical care of the working machines such that services to the customers were not affected. Our phone-lines continued to operate as normal and we ensured a stockpile of all essential parts and components to mitigate any trouble to our customers.
NBM&CW July 2021
