Umesh Punjabi, Alpha Services
Umesh Punjabi, Senior Manager, Marketing
The crane industry is expected to reach USD $1,248 million by 2027 registering a CAGR of over 5.3%.
All infra projects and development had come to an abrupt stop during the pandemic. The economy also contracted 7.9% because of supply chain disruptions. But things are looking up now. The government is giving a boost to infrastructure development, and construction activity will boost demand for construction equipment.
The government has plans to also invest in renewable energy, National Infrastructure Pipeline, metro rails etc. There is also a change in the mindset of people; they now want to live in modern houses that offer all the amenities and comforts. New housing construction plans will increase demand for cranes. Furthermore, the construction of new/smart cities will make them an epicenter of infrastructure activities like building flyovers, bridges, laying of underground pipelines, etc., which will generate demand for cranes.
The focus was solely on manpower before but with the introduction of RERA, green building policies, and safety at workplaces, the demand for cranes has increased over the years. Customers/Contractors now want an all in one solution where they can get service and spare parts from the same company so as to avoid any downtime. Renting out machines has become the new norm and there is stiff competition in the market between companies which ultimately benefits the customer. India’s crane industry is on a rise, there is no doubt about that.
Alpha Services has recently launched new, more economically viable cranes for various applications.
These new cranes have VVVF drive motors for smooth and jerk-free movement. Sealed slew-gear with automated greasing system helps avoid periodical greasing. AC operator cabins, a standard in all our cranes, have the lowest power consumption in their class. They come with the option of fixed, base frame, and travelling. Since the market is growing, we will increase their production to cater to the demand and will assign new dealers in small pockets to expand our reach across markets.
Our strength lies in our competitive designs and manufacturing capabilities.
We are continuously making improvements in our machines based on feedback from customers. They also want immediate services for their machines whenever there is a breakdown, so we are expanding our after sales services and also our dealer network so as to reach customers at the shortest time possible.
Alpha Services is providing sales, spare parts, and service support in the Delhi NCR region. We also plan on doing surveys with our existing customers to better understand their needs, and will use the data to create more customer-oriented products.
Terex Franna appoints Alpha Services as its first authorized dealer in India. As a distributor of its pick n carry cranes, we are promoting their safety and other unique features not found in cranes of other brands.
FRANNA - a premium brand owned by Terex Corporation – is offering features like wide views from a spacious cabin, and torque convertor for ease of operation, etc – features that customers are looking for to enhance their operations and productivity at sites. We are highlighting their safety features and promoting them through live demos at project sites. Digital marketing will also be key for us and we will use all the social media platforms.
Franna introduces Telematics in their crane which provides data on vehicle location, fuel consumption, tire pressure, and any electrical fault.
Customers can easily track their machines’ performance, thereby allowing them to take corrective action that will lead to machine uptime. Tracking operator driving behaviour will improve fuel efficiency and also save maintenance costs through monitoring of the vehicles.
Customers are also looking at advanced technologies and are willing to pay a higher price for them, especially for features that will ensure higher safety. However, in the retail segment where rental is a involved, they are more concerned about the rental charges which are not at par with the high price of the machines.
The Budget’s strong focus on infra development aims to restore India’s infra growth trajectory to the pre-Covid days and make it one of the fastest growing sectors to drive the country’s economy.
The Budget this time around is looking at the next 25 years and is targeting to achieve US$5 trillion GDP under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. This is great news for the infra sector as the plan proposes to expand the National Highways by 25,000 km in 2022-23; enhance expressways to allow greater mobility of goods, services, and people; design new metro rails for greater connectivity for commuters; new, more energy efficient trains; and 100 new cargo terminals to offer key logistics facilities, etc.
NBM&CW May 2022
