Sany India: In Sync With Changing Trends
How can the CE fraternity and the Government help India’s construction reach world standards?
With construction activities on the rise across India, the demand for steel and other input costs is likely to steep in the coming months. The government’s support is required to combat this problem.
Other challenges pertain to interstate movement of equipment, skill gaps, emissions/pollution, and the high operation and maintenance costs of equipment. The toughest problem is that of idling equipment. Further, thrust on public private partnerships can be a possible solution to these issues.
How is Sany India gearing up to meet the high forecasted demand in 2023-24?
Equipment sales in 2023-24 will certainly go up given the big-ticket infrastructure projects in the pipeline. We have seen in the recent past that demand for construction equipment is fuelled by government initiatives in several projects, public-private infrastructure development, mining reforms etc. Since we expect this trend to continue, Sany Bharat has joined hands with the government in building a NayaBharat.
This year, the government increased the budget for the development of roads, metro rails, flyovers, and commercial complexes, which has benefitted the infrastructure sector and created growth opportunities in the market. We are already observing high demand for construction equipment like hydraulic excavators, mobile cranes, piling rigs, motor graders etc. Our manufacturing unit in Pune has the best R&D facilities and a great team who are geared to meeting the surging demands of our customers.
What will be the highlights of your product display at bauma Conexpo India 2023?
Our products will continue to surpass the expectations of our customers and stakeholders alike as we stay true to our high-quality standards. Sustainability will also be our focus area to improve efficiency and quality of construction.
Use of telematics and machine control technologies in our equipment have helped our customers become more productive and efficient. Be it safety, operator comfort, or ease of operations, we pay special attention to details while maintaining top notch quality. This approach has helped us create world-class equipment for our customers which is not only easy to use, but also scores high on productivity, fuel efficiency, and versatility.
What efforts is Sany India making to develop smart construction equipment with electrification and digitalization for a more eco-friendly environment?
The future of the Indian CE industry is definitely looking bright. According to a report, it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 23.3% during 2021-27, and Sany India is proud to be a part of this amazing growth story.
To adapt to change, it is necessary to embrace and incorporate modern technologies into our machines and we have been successfully doing this, including finding ways for zero emission machines.
Our B-V biodiesel machines are a significant step towards sustainability. With regards to technologies being developed, we have worked with different engine manufacturers on biodiesel and our machines are capable of B-V biodiesel. I strongly believe that biodiesel can replace fossil fuels as a clean energy source.
We view the electrification of the CE segment as an essential update to the industry and have started testing electric technologies for dump trucks and excavators in our manufacturing plant.
With the evolving demands of the construction industry, we have been enhancing our product efficiency with cutting-edge technologies to meet customer needs. Our unit in Pune has an integrated facility with modern manufacturing equipment, testing facilities, an R&D centre, and a training centre - all under one roof. Our strong R&D team is primarily focused on customization of global technologies for Indian requirements. We have already developed our EVI app which helps customers to monitor and analyse real-time performance of machines on site and act accordingly. The app helps manage a single or a fleet of machines and getting real-time updates of their performance, which is tracked by GPS installed hardware.
Our mobile-based applications eliminate the need for physical interaction with customers. Telematics in our machines help owners to know the service intervals, the hour of operation, location of their machine, etc which helps them to monitor the key operational parameters and provide timely intimation to the owners.
Machine performance versus cost: can OEMs strike a balance between the two to attract buyers?
We have never faced a problem with striking a balance between machine performance and cost, as our focus since inception has always been on quality. This has helped us to maintain high standards in machine performance, efficiency, and give our customers true value for their money.
Do you think that the entry of OEMs into the rental business will impact the rental companies?
I believe that rental companies and OEMs can coexist as long as they both deliver professional services that include end-to-end transactional tracking, competitive pricing, flexibility in leasing hours, and support to customers with an operations monitoring mechanism. Our efficient machines and impeccable services definitely give our clients an edge over others.
What services and support does Sany India provide customers?
We have opened over seven 4S offices in various locations across India, which, as the name indicates, provide sales, services, spare parts support, and skill training to customers. There has been an increasing demand to open more such offices in other cities and towns.
As part of our services, we have a Call Centre for customer assistance, on-site support for resolution of services, and provision of Machine Health check-up by experts once in 90 days. We impart onsite training to operators and technicians and to the maintenance staff on basic machine troubleshooting. We ensure Sany Genuine Parts availability at 42 dealerships and 219 outlets across India and South Asia. Our Service Vans give timely delivery of spares at remote locations, plus we have Parts Warehouses at strategic locations.
Sany India is represented by over 42 dealers and more than 219+ service branches across India and South Asia. Our certified engineers and service teams ensure that our customers’ machines are always up and running.
How is Sany India addressing the issue of skilled worker shortage, especially for operating its new, automated, and digitalized machines?
Skill development is very important role for efficient machine operation. People with industry knowledge and the right skill sets are better equipped to face challenges and work efficiently. Hence, at Sany, skill building is an integral part of our ecosystem, wherein digital fluency, resilience and adaptability, emotional intelligence, and other skill-based learning techniques are imparted on a regular basis.
Sany Bharat has designed a detailed training course for equipment operators and technicians which is certified by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). We are also the Vocational Training Provider (VTP) / partner of NSDC. After the training is complete, the Government issues IESC certificates to the participants based on a third party assessment.
Simulation, automation, data analysis are some of the latest technologies used in our operator training programs. We will continue to improve and upscale our operator training activities to meet the evolving technologies and be in sync with the changing needs of the market.