SANY India Promising Times Ahead

Mr. Dheeraj Panda, Director and Head, Excavator Business Unit, SANY India

SANY India, which is being developed as an export hub by the SANY Group, is also the largest investment by the Group outside of China. Mr. Dheeraj Panda, Director and Head, Excavator Business Unit, SANY India, discusses the company’s market potential in India with Maria R.

What growth potential do you envisage for the construction and mining equipment in India?

The current growth potential of the Indian construction and mining equipment industry is extremely promising. One of the main demand drivers for us and the industry in general is the emphasis on infrastructure development by the government. In fact, the Infrastructure sector is under intense focus with development of roads and ports, enhancement and modernising of the railway network, building new airports in tier II and III cities, expansion of irrigation projects in select states, water supply projects, Swachh Bharat, river cleaning and inland waterways, etc. This has led to a huge demand for machines that are efficient as well as cost effective, as expectations from the project participants are extremely high. This momentum is likely to be maintained at least till 2024, and we are optimistic of the growth prospects of the construction equipment sector.

The promising Indian CE market will create a huge demand for efficient and cost-effective machines as expectations from project participants are extremely high. This momentum is likely to be maintained at least till 2024.

Indian market has gone through various major transformation such as - denomination, then emission norm and now GST in the last one year; How do you see the impact of these on the overall sales of equipment in 2017?

The last year saw some major transformations and the immediate and temporary effect was the much-expected slowdown in sales. However, the momentum of infrastructure growth has continued and the sales figures are back on track. As far as GST is concerned, as the legislation is still new, we have to wait for more indicators before we can conclude the impact of GST on the business in the long run.

In 2016, the Excavator market saw unprecedented growth, having clocked over 14,000 units. How has the first half of 2017 been?

2016 was great for the Indian market given the continued push for infrastructure development by the central and state governments. The excavator market has seen a rise owing to rapid urbanization, rising construction expenditure, and increased focus on infrastructure. In light of the various road projects and initiatives affirmed by the government of India, 2016 saw rising demand, which was consistent in the first half of 2017 as well. For SANY, the first half of 2017 has been tremendous as we have continued to outpace the industry growth rate.

Despite being a late entrant in the excavator segment, and having to deal with stiff competition, SANY India has registered phenomenal growth in the last two years. What is the USP of your excavators which led you to make a mark in this competitive market?

SANY believes in helping customers succeed through the best operation economies and minimal downtime. These are the things that we focus on when developing and manufacturing our products, and this is what differentiates us in the market. Besides, SANY machines have the best track record in terms of safety, operations as well as comfort.

In late 1990s - early 2000, many Chinese OEMs entered the Indian market but most stepped back after 2011 due to the economic downturn. But SANY has continued to invest and grow in this market. What would you attribute this to?

The investments in India by the SANY Group were aimed at creating a strong corporate citizen and a contributor to the economy; the objective was creation of another SANY in India, in terms of being a globally recognized name in construction equipment manufacturing. This has been apparent in our commitment to our customers and all our partners. SANY’s India operations continue to be very important for the Group. It is the largest investment by the Group outside China and SANY India is being developed into an export hub. As the figures would show, we haven’t just floated, we have thrived on the basis of this commitment.

The best operation economies and minimal downtime will help the customer to succeed and SANY machines have the best track record in terms of safety, operations as well as comfort.

SANY India has recently forayed into the mining segment and launched its SRT series off-highway dump truck. How competitive is this market in India?

We are quite excited about the opportunities in the mining sector in India. Since mining is a crucial segment adding significantly to the GDP of the country, we believe there is a huge potential for us in this market. With the launch of our new world-class product range, we are confident of contributing meaningfully to the growth of the industry.

What onsite support and telematics services does SANY provide its customers?

We have an ‘8111’ commitment. We ensure that in case of any technical issues our service person reaches the machine within 8 hours. Our aim is to solve the issue within one day, and we ensure that the downtime is reduced by providing 11 periodic services to our customer.

We ensure that our customers always get extra value for their money through technology and innovation. For example, SANY offers GPS tracking and monitoring system that shows real time data of the machine’s operation, right from the precise location and operating hours to critical operating parameters. This ensures that the customers can get the best operating efficiency out of their machines.