Rohit ReddyDy. GM - Earth Cutting Tooling Business Kennametal India
What products and solutions is Kennametal offering for infra development across various sectors in India?
Driven by significant government expenditure in India, demand remains highest for products serving road construction and urban infrastructure development. To cater to the various sectors, we have developed advanced and precision engineered products for severe duty applications across road construction, foundation drilling, surface mining and trenching.For road construction tooling, Kennametal showcased its next generation Road King™ series. It has a redesigned body geometry for increased wear protection, upgraded retainers for optimised rotation, and thicker washers to extend overall component life.
For foundation drilling and trenching, we have highlighted our portfolio of conical tools for varying cutting conditions, new quick change core barrel flat teeth, and dedicated trench cutter tools, designed for diaphragm wall applications.
Our surface mining solutions include surface miner conical tools with plug, narrow bottom & cap tip options tailored for varied cutting conditions in coal mining. To extend equipment component life in high-abrasion environments, we are offering Kencast™, a proprietary composite technology.
How does Kennametal leverage its material science expertise to deliver long-lasting, high-performance tooling solutions?
For more than 85 years, Kennametal has applied advanced materials science to develop high-performance solutions for some of the world’s most demanding applications. Our deep expertise in tungsten carbide and other advanced materials enables us to deliver wear-resistant solutions that help customers improve productivity and performance in challenging operating environments.Our products are engineered to withstand demanding cutting conditions in India and other markets, delivering high performance through advanced materials science, particularly in cemented carbide. This enables us to provide long-lasting performance, extended tool life and, ultimately, higher productivity for our customers. We follow stringent quality assurance processes, and our products undergo rigorous inspections and testing before they are delivered to customers.
What are the key challenges Kennametal faces when working with customers across road construction, foundation drilling and mining?
We focus on the value we deliver to our customers. Our solutions help customers lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) and deliver long-term value. We therefore work closely with customers to demonstrate the overall cost benefits of our solutions. Through customer testimonials, field demonstrations and proven performance, we show how our products can deliver long-term benefits, including extended tool life, improved productivity and lower operating costs. This value-driven approach helps us build confidence and earn business.How do customer priorities in India differ from those in global markets, particularly in terms of price and productivity?
Globally, labour shortages have made customers more focused on productivity. In India, customers have traditionally focused more on the initial cost of products than on productivity. However, this is changing. As job volumes continue to grow in India, securing quality labour is becoming increasingly challenging. As a result, customers are placing greater emphasis on productivity to achieve higher efficiency and performance. This is why they turn to Kennametal for wear protection solutions which help them achieve better operational efficiency and lower cost.In this respect, India is moving towards a market dynamic that Western countries have already experienced and are currently navigating.
What sustainability initiatives and after-sales support does Kennametal provide to its customers?
We assist customers with product selection by assessing their specific cutting conditions, applications and operational requirements. We have a broad portfolio of products, and customers may not always have the technical expertise to determine which solution is best suited to a particular application.
Our field teams therefore work closely with customers at their job sites, understand the challenges they face and recommend the right product and configuration. This application-focused support helps customers maximize product performance, efficiency and service life. These practices align with our environmental standards.
How does Kennametal address wear and tear in its cutting tools and components?
Our products are consumable cutting tools and are therefore will eventually wear over time. The objective is to maximise their performance and longevity before replacement becomes necessary.Tungsten carbide is fundamentally about materials science. The grades we develop, along with our tool designs, are engineered to enhance performance and extend tool life for as long as possible.
With infrastructure and mining activity increasing in India, how do you see the demand for Kennametal’s products evolving?
Demand has been strong. India is investing significantly in construction, including road and urban infrastructure, as well as in the mining sector. India has also set a target of producing 1.5 billion tonnes of coal by 2030, which is driving significant investment and increasing the need for advanced tools and equipment. At the same time, the nature of infrastructure and mining projects is becoming increasingly complex, creating demand for a wider range of high-performance tooling solutions.Kennametal is a global company with manufacturing facilities across multiple locations, which enables us to scale production and meet the growing requirements of the Indian market.
How do you see the mining segment in India, particularly coal mining?
Significant investments are being made in mining equipment and mechanisation, which are supporting the expansion of coal mining operations.The increasing number of auctions for new coal blocks being awarded to private contractors, for both commercial and captive mining, is an important development. This is supporting higher domestic coal production and contributing to India’s efforts to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on coal imports.
More broadly, the Indian infrastructure industry has been witnessing rapid growth, driven by extensive road construction and urban infrastructure development over the past three to four years. As the market continues to expand, Kennametal remains focused on developing innovative tooling solutions that deliver continuous value to our customers.
What role does R&D and innovation play in the development of Kennametal’s products and solutions?
Innovation is at the core of Kennametal. Our design engineers and R&D teams continuously work on developing new products and improving existing solutions. At every industry event, we aim to showcase advancements in our product portfolio. For example, our Road King™ products represent an advancement over our previous generation.Our innovation is driven by developments in materials science and product design, as well as by the evolving requirements of our customers. As infrastructure standards and operating conditions change, the tools required to build and maintain them must evolve as well.
The performance requirements of modern roads are very different from those of the past. As vehicles operate at higher speeds and infrastructure becomes more demanding, new technologies and tooling solutions are required. We therefore continuously innovate our materials, designs and products to meet these changing requirements.
What differentiates Kennametal in an increasingly competitive market?
Our deep expertise in tungsten carbide as a cutting-tool material is a key differentiator. While many companies in this space source their products from third-party manufacturers and market them under their own brands, Kennametal has expertise in manufacturing tungsten carbide and developing it specifically for cutting-tool applications.This combination of materials science expertise, in-house manufacturing capabilities and a deep understanding of tungsten carbide enables us to develop high-performance tooling solutions tailored to demanding applications.
India plays a significant role in supporting Kennametal’s operations with strong design engineering expertise and a well-established manufacturing presence. With capabilities spanning both design and manufacturing, we continue to evaluate localization opportunities for construction tools based on market requirements and customer needs.
