Mr. Nitin Lall, General Manager, Atlas Copco (India) Ltd.
How do you see infrastructure development activities this year in India? Do you think enough projects have been awarded to various sectors, especially roads, which will bring sustainability in the CE sector?
India has a great potential to grow. Especially, when lots of work needs to be done in infrastructure, mining and other segments, the scenario is now taking a positive turn.
With the government’s 100 Smart Cities plan announcement, there is a big boost in infrastructure projects like Metro-rail, BRTS, high-speed internet, new flyovers, hospitals, Foot on Board bridges etc. On a broader aspect, there will be speeding-up of NHAI project rollouts, which along with the boost in the state and rural road projects, will help companies like Atlas Copco tap new business opportunities.
We foresee a new bright future for all contractors in India. Whether small, medium or large scale, all will be active.
Constructing 40km of roads a day needs a higher level of mechanization and expertise. It entails technically sound equipment on one hand, with expertise and more skilled workforce with the contractors on the other hand. Is the industry well equipped to handle such a daunting task?
For companies like Atlas Copco that believe in innovation for better quality of roads, continuous improvement in present technology is a must. Not only is it necessary to improve innovation but it is also imperative that we adapt new technologies being used in developed countries. In terms of our strategy we foresee:
- More production:
- We have increased production by 50% for the Indian market in the last 1 year & have more aggressive plans in the coming years
- New product development for the Indian road industry is planned in our Indian production plant for the coming years
- New technology to achieve more productivity
- Dynapac already has many proven road construction equipment for other countries which can be introduced in India now. Looking at the production demand and the pace, such products will be useful
- Service set-up
- More products, better service set-up & expertise is needed. We are investing in developing more resources directly & indirectly
- Continuous training & development for the team.
By virtue of increased demand, I think there is going to be increase in the business for all equipment manufacturing companies. We hope good growth continues till 2019 and beyond with the present government keen to prove its effectiveness and reassure that the decision to be elected by a majority has been a good choice.
If the demand for construction equipment increases at the expected good pace, then in 2017, equipment manufacturers will invest in increasing production capacities in India to cater to the reinforced and continued product requirement in the Indian market.
Year on year, we expect growth of 10-15% for the next two years.
In view of greater emphasis of the government on infra development in the North-East and sub-Himalayan regions; how do you see market potential for your products in these regions and what is your strategy to garner a major share?
Specifically in the North-East, remote sites where temperatures range from 2o to 10oC, with rough roads or no roads, reaching these sites is a challenge in itself.
There is an increased demand for infrastructure development where products such as Atlas Copco Soil compactors, Tandem rollers, Pneumatic tyred-rollers and Pavers, all with Dynapac technology have been and will continue to be deployed in these extremely challenging terrains.
Atlas Copco India has the infrastructure, resource, ability, and the attitude to serve these areas properly even in such remote locations. While the Atlas Copco equipment’s impeccable performance onsite builds credibility in the market, our strong service support is a demonstration of our reliability. The service team is a dependable partner for any service support requirements which differentiates the product experience.
What are the major challenges of working in these regions? How well are you positioned to support the needs of your discerning customers with quality products and prompt after-sales service?
Biggest challenge is availability of finance in the North-Eastern states and also the approachability. Skilled labour is also one of the major hurdles all parties are facing which of course can be sorted in due course of working together with the local population.
What is Atlas Copco doing to achieve higher level of energy efficiency of its products?
The Atlas Copco’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chakan, Pune, has been manufacturing industrial and portable compressors and will also shortly produce the portable range of generators. The plant is built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design principles (LEED) that consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
The manufacturing plant at Chakan uses lean manufacturing technique. This ensures priority to simple, small and continuous improvement which leads to a higher level of efficiency.
Further at Atlas Copco, the aim is always to introduce reforms which will reduce the cost to the customer and improve the environmental footprint that our products leave behind.
Our portable air compressors offer higher CFM and pressure which ensures 10% lower fuel consumption.
With our portable generators, the compliance with CPCB II brings strong design constraints on silencing and cooling performance. Atlas Copco, portable generators are CPCB II approved equipment which ensure noise level average lesser than 75 decibels. Further, the modern aesthetically appealing gull wing design canopy ensures low noise pollution. ARAI approved equipment is required to ensure low emissions. Atlas Copco ensures this with its Stage II engine in its on-site portable generators.
Additionally, in the hydraulic breakers segment, Atlas Copco strives to work on the weight-power ratio and we continue to focus on products with lower weight on the excavator which gives higher blow energy.
As one of the largest constru- ction equipment manufacturers in the world, what does Atlas Copco think about knowledge sharing and training for the Indian customers to ease their jobsite challenges?
Currently, we do road shows and service camps very frequently along with on-site training to operators. At times, based on the population, we gather all operators on the same site and advise them on the do’s and don’ts to maintain the good health of the Breaker and get maximum returns. We strongly believe in updating the operators who are closest to the equipment so that the customer always gets the best returns from their investment.
Making equipment owners acquainted to carry out appropriate maintenance so as to get the benefit of minimal total cost of ownership, is a challenging task in India, especially with the unskilled labour operating the machines. We are continuously organizing trainings at site so as to build enough competence, which will contribute to the customer’s overall business, and in turn, give us goodwill in the long run.
NBM&CW December 2016
