Ranjeet More
Universal is a multi product, multi location export oriented company with over 5 product lines such as, Concreting, Material handling, Compacting, Sand processing, Block Making etc. “The Company entered into Tower Crane business in the year 1999-2000 by forging a distribution Tie up with German Crane Manufacturer. Now we have taken forward the localization of Tower Crane in our agenda on priority. At Excon 2013 we will be displaying-Heavy Unique Concrete Batching Plants, Small mobile concrete solution, Vertical Material handling equipment & Uniquely design Rock Breakers,” says Mr. Ranjeet More, Managing Director, Universal in an interview with S. A. Faridi.

What has been the business performance of Universal in the past three quarters of 2013 in this tough economic scenario?
Unversal is a multi-product, multi- location export oriented company. It is very tough to handle such scenario but in down times, it also plays a balancing role. Same happened in past 3 Quarters of 2013 where the high value & capital intensive sale went down but small & medium equipment sale balanced the same, Sale in Metros went down but it was balanced by Tier-II & Tier-III cities.

Similarly, having said that domestic market still went down below target but it was compensated by price realization of Exports.

Universal has been adding new products to its portfolio on regular interval despite slowdown; what has been the driving force and strategies behind these products addition?
Universal considers R&D as back bone of the company and always strive to develop new products. This has been a key factor & helped Universal to Stand in such slow- downs and tough times. Right in 1997 Universal developed equipment for Dams & Irrigation projects. In 2000, it developed equipment for roads, In 2008, it developed Heavy concrete & Material handling equipment. This new range of products improved the customer confidence, also moral of Universal team increased to face the slowdown.

Concrete manufacturing equipment has been the core of universal business; what prompt you to add tower crane into your products portfolio by entering into a distribution tie-up with German crane manufacturer Useter? And what has been the market response?
Universal has more than 5 product lines such as, Concreting, Materials handling, Compacting, Sand processing, Block Making etc. Universal went into Tower Cranes in the year 1999-2000 with German company. But the market was very immature during that period & certain circumstances forced us to move out of Tower Crane business.

Baching Plant

Universal now wants to offer various vertical materials handling solution for its valuable customer & Tower crane is one of the products along with Passenger/ Materials Lift, See Saw lift, Mini lift etc. The response has been quite good as the product is robust, sturdy, heavy, and safe.

Localization of German designed Tower crane was also on company’s radar. What has been the progress so far in view of the impact of rupee devaluation?
Universal has taken forward the localization of Tower Crane in its agenda on priority. There, has been a big impact of Rupee devaluation on this Business.

The equipment market has reached at that critical point where key competitive differentiator would be after market and innovations; how are you looking on this aspect?
Innovations will always lead & it is absolutely essential in today’s world. Innovation for new products which are fuel / energy efficient, cost competitive, user-friendly are important aspects. Universal also feels deeper market reach as important aspect in today’s market / business.

Trained operators & technicians and preventive and periodical maintenance play a big role in equipment performance. Please brief us on your services.
India has a big challenge of scarcity of Trained manpower. The productivity of the Indian Technicians is as low as 20% to the Global standards. This has a impact on productivity and performance of the Machine, particularly high value capital equipment. Universal was the first to move in the industry to start operator training centre in 2007 with CIDC.

So far the company has trained more than 3,000 operators and has a target to train more than 1000 operators this FY.

What kind of growth do you expect in next two-three years for your company and innovative strategies to stave off toughening competition scenario?
Three years in today’s time is too long period to have a clear cut visibility of market. Though we have 3 years plan which indicates 20% year-on-year growth. We have gone through a situation in the 1st half of this FY which was not expected.

The 3rd & 4th quarter will be very important though we have the general election & there are very less signs of improvements which seem to be very temporary.

How are you planning to participate in CE industry mega event Excon to be held in Bangalore? What would be the focus of your projection in this mega show?
  • EXCON has always been a great event for the Indian Construction Industry but somehow this time it seems to be very tough situation to handle due to market slowdown, Tight cash flows and tight liquidity. The Infrastructure sector has slowed down and there are very less signs of catching up even after EXCON.
  • I hope the good monsoon and some good government strategies would come up to improve the market in the 2nd half after Diwali festival. Our focus will be on New products Launches where we will be displaying- Heavy Unique Concrete Batching Plants, Small mobile concrete solution, Vertical Material handling equipment, and Uniquely design Rock Breakers.
Kamdhenu: Promoting Best Practices & Solutions for Waterproofing
According to Saurabh Agarwal, Managing Director, Kamdhenu Colour & Coatings Limited, the company owes its success to the high quality of their products and the value proposition they bring to the end-users. Kamdhenu Paints has a wide range of

Read more ...

Tackling Waterproofing Stereotypes
Sameer Karkhanis, Founder, Odd Jobs Waterproofing, highlights the areas where waterproofing needs attention, the challenges involved, and suggests appropriate measures and remedies. In the constructed and operative high-rise buildings there are

Read more ...

Mahindra Logistics - Leveraging Technology for Seamless Customer Experience
Rampraveen Swaminathan, MD & CEO, Mahindra Logistics shares the company’s strategy of providing clients cutting-edge technology and cost-effective solutions to help them become more agile, and the sustainable initiatives being taken at their

Read more ...

PrimeTime Logi Services - Providing Holistic Logistics Solutions
According to Gaurav Agarwal, Director, PrimeTime Logi Services, the company is well-equipped to provide logistics solutions that are tailored to meet customers’ specific needs and committed to optimizing efficiency and reducing costs by leveraging their

Read more ...

Caterpillar’s Tech Driven Approach to Meet Customer Expectations
Amit Bansal, Director Sales & Marketing-Building Construction Products Division, Caterpillar India discusses the company’s plans to move to electrification and alternate fuels. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), India's economy is expected

Read more ...

LiuGong India: Going from Strength to Strength
LiuGong is steadily strengthening its presence as a total solutions provider in the road construction and mining sectors by developing advanced products that give high productivity along with fuel efficiency. For the road construction segment, LiuGong India

Read more ...

Precast India Connector - Helping Precasters Overcome Cost & Time Overuns
Precast India Connections, a new entity of Precast India Infrastructures, has innovated and patented a method of achieving a Dowel-Sleeve connection that functions even in the horizontal direction. Kapilesh Bhate, MD, Precast India Connections, shares information

Read more ...

Garware Technical Fibers Making a Difference
According to Tiru Kulkarni, President, Geosynthetics & Head, Garware Technical Fibers Limited, the company’s innovative solutions are creating an impact and replacing traditional technologies, and thereby adding a lot of value proposition to construction

Read more ...

J. Kumar Infraprojects - Automating Construction With Cutting Edge Technologies
J. Kumar Infraprojects has executed hundreds of infra projects across roads, metros, dams, and hydropower during the last 10 decades. Business Head Yusuf A S Inamdar, attributes the company’s success to its investment in high-tech machines, R&D, reliance

Read more ...

Everything is Possible Through Hard Work
BRO has been at the forefront of adopting the latest technologies, which are both environment-friendly and cost-effective, and have resolved many construction problems, while facilitating speedy execution of projects. The organisation has not only constructed

Read more ...

Why India is an Important Market for TEREX
Terex enjoys a strong brand recall in India’s construction equipment market, especially in crushing and screening, pick and carry cranes, and the more recent solutions for waste recycling. John L. Garrison, Chairman of the Board, President & CEO, and Kieran

Read more ...

Escorts-Kubota - Ready to Showcase Its Strengths to the World
Sanjeev Bajaj, Chief Executive, Escorts-Kubota discusses with S.A.Faridi, the synergy that the joint venture between India’s multinational conglomerate Escorts Limited and the renowned Japanese Company Kubota Corporation will bring to India’s construction

Read more ...

SROT: Indigenizing Production
Yusuf A S Inamdar, Director - Industry, SROT, and Regional Business & Technical Head, J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, throws light on how the SROT Incubation centre, which is a vital step towards achieving an Atmanirbhar Bharat, will help budding entrepreneurs

Read more ...

Neptune innovates artificial sand, green sand & artificial aggregates
We have four major divisions within Neptune: our Building Material and Construction Technology Division focuses on building construction materials. We are a leader in fly ash brick plants, concrete block and paver manufacturing plant, CSE brick plants, red

Read more ...

Everest Engineering Equipment - Catering to Mega Infra Construction Projects
Everest Engineering Equipment, exclusive distributor of GJJ passenger hoists and platforms in India, has grown tremendously with many new customers and repeat buyers. Discussing the company’s expansion plans, PV Ramdev, Managing Director, informs

Read more ...

Arihant Panel Fittings: Meeting Demand for Quality Products
We are providing customised products and innovative solutions by constantly investing in R&D to come up with new designs and technologies. Mahendra Jain, Director. Arihant is meeting demand for products such as quarter turn locks, compression locks

Read more ...

GMMCO: Providing a Seamless Experience to Customers
Gmmco Ltd., a part of the 2.9 billion dollar diversified CK Birla Group, is keeping up the Group’s legacy of helping build the India of tomorrow by offering world-class and innovative solutions for infrastructure and mining. V Chandrashekar, Managing

Read more ...

Moteurs Baudouin
We are fully geared up with the technological advancements required to meet the CPCB IV+norms with our flexible and dependable power solutions. Gurunath Kulkarni. For over 100 years, Baudouin has been designing the highest quality diesel and gas engines for

Read more ...

Builders Association of India: Bridging the Gaps
Nimesh Patel, President, BAI & Managing Director, Maruti Infrastructure Limited, discusses the challenges and issues faced by the construction and real estate industries of India; why BAI is propagating a Unified Standard Contract Document, and how the

Read more ...

Volvo CE India: Designing Machines to Give Power & Precision
Volvo machines are 10-15% more fuel efficient, they comply with CEV IV emission norms, and can run on alternative eco-friendly fuels such as biodiesel. We lay strong emphasis on operator training for efficient use of every machine that we sell, avers Dimitrov

Read more ...