Tata Hitachi

If the right conditions for global investment are created, many global players can set up their bases in India. We need to attract them by offering competitive environment, incentives, and ease of doing business in India.
Sandeep Singh - Managing Director, Tata Hitachi

How is Tata Hitachi leveraging advancements like AI, IoT, and autonomous systems to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and meet project timelines?

Tata Hitachi is at the forefront of providing cutting-edge construction and mining equipment to meet the demands of large-scale infrastructure projects, such as highways, metro rail, tunneling, mining, and mega industrial projects. Our imperative is to enhance machine performance and fuel savings, backed by advanced technology from our parent company Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM, Japan).

Our equipment incorporates advanced technologies like IoT, telematics and mobility solutions as standard. ConSite and InSite are two such proprietary technologies that enable customers to remotely monitor Tata Hitachi machines through granular, real-time operational, maintenance, location, and health data.

Frequent reports include analysis of performance, fuel consumption and machine productivity, that allows customers to visualize the operation and health status of their machines, improve the efficiency of the machines, maintenance, and work closer with Tata Hitachi for timely intervention to lower the impact on environment by keeping machines working in top condition. Hence, we encourage our customers to analyse and use these reports for improving the efficiency of our machines.

How is your company innovating to reduce energy consumption, minimize emissions, and incorporate green technology in its equipment?

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Tata Hitachi. We are deeply invested and committed to reducing our carbon footprint using eco-friendly technology and practices.

Tata Hitachi promotes the eco-friendly design of its products and services. Apart from ensuring that our wheeled equipment adheres to the regulatory requirements of CEV-4 emission norms, we are also working to ensure that our excavators are compatible with futuristic emission norms.

We also maintain the target of improving fuel efficiency and reducing maintenance costs for all our products and models through engineering innovations. With our TL 340H PRIME, we are also the first and only manufacturer in India of hydrostatic wheel loaders that assure fuel savings to the tune of 20% over conventional wheel loaders. Tata Hitachi excavators are very well-known in the market for their fuel efficiency, and we continue to enhance their productivity. Our machines also come with lead and chrome-free paints.

Moreover, our parent company, Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) in Japan, has led the way in electric excavator development. It has pioneered electrical excavators ranging from 190 to 800 tons, which have been operational globally for over two decades. This includes the remarkable EX 2600-6E, (260-ton class excavator), which is actively deployed in Indian coal mines. These excavators are directly powered by electricity and AC motors are used as prime movers to operate the equipment.

Hitachi Construction Machinery also offers high-capacity dump trucks in the 190–290-ton class, equipped with AC drive technology utilizing AC motors to propel the trucks. Notably, a fleet of EH 3500AC-3 (190-ton dump truck), has been operating successfully in India, showcasing its technological superiority within the Indian mining sector.

What are the challenges for the Indian Construction Equipment to remain competitive in the international market where they are specifically required?

The construction equipment manufacturing in India has come a long way from being largely imported in the early to late nineties to a large part being manufactured locally to cater to the evolving customer requirements and tough local operating conditions.

Starting from Backhoe Loaders, Mobile Cranes, and Excavators, manufacturing in India now caters to most part of the CE (Construction Equipment) market comprising Compacting Equipment, Drills, Crushers, Concrete Equipment, Batching plants, Pavers, Graders, Mining Dumpers, Crawler Cranes, etc. With volumes going up in line with the sustained growth of Indian Infrastructure investment over the last two decades, increased cost efficiencies have been achieved through modern technologically advanced design and manufacturing processes to an extent that most of the Indian construction equipment are very competitive in the international market where they are specifically required.

Several OEMs including Tata Hitachi manufacture and export a wide variety of construction equipment to the global markets ranging from the Middle East, Africa, SAARC nations. However, several challenges remain from a rapid and unprecedented increase in input costs, supply side disruptions due to freight delays, high freight costs, vessel uncertainty induced by the pandemic as well as recent disruption from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Industry association ICEMA is closely working with the government to alleviate some of these issues as well to encourage increased investment in manufacturing to further enhance global competitiveness by increasing localization of critical components to benefit the country’s economy from exports as well as to enhance employment opportunities.

How can the MSMEs create a robust manufacturing base in India, including for global companies?

From a construction equipment standpoint, more than 90% of the volume of machines manufactured in India are localized to up to 60%. A large base of vendors has been developed over the years, many of whom are in the MSME category. This has ensured a robust manufacturing base in the country.

Components that are imported include precision aggregates such as valves, hydraulic motors, electrical sensors, and undercarriage assemblies. Because of the high investments required to set up manufacturing units in India for these components, volumes are necessary to ensure financial sustainability. This can happen through enhanced local demand through infra investments as well as export incentivization.

How is the company geared up for bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2024?

bauma CONEXPO INDIA is a premier construction equipment and technology trade fair that has both a national and international participation. The exhibition provides an exceptional platform for participants to leverage the opportunities in the construction equipment industry in India.

We, at Tata Hitachi are geared up to showcase our solutions to customers, policymakers, and other attendees. A first-hand touch and feel of our machines is important in an industry like ours. The forum also provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate our technologically advanced and future-ready solutions, including our green range of equipment that comes with the promise of building a sustainable tomorrow.

The underlying theme of our participation this year will continue to be our motto, ‘Chalo Desh Banaye.’ We will continue to invest in strengthening the Tata Hitachi brand as a reliable solution provider for our customers.