V.G. Sakthikumar From Schwing Stetter India shares insights on Next-Gen, Sustainable & Competitive Construction Equipment
The market is moving beyond price wars with customers increasingly valuing performance, quality, reliability, and after-sales service. We are also introducing products tailored for small to mid-size contractors to ensure inclusive growth.
V.G. Sakthikumar, CMD
How do you assess the progress being made by India’s construction equipment industry?
We have assessed four key factors: infrastructure growth, global integration, evolving regulatory frameworks, and emerging investment trends.Infrastructure Growth: SSI is highly bullish on the market due to the government's multi-billion-dollar investment pipeline in projects like the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), Gati Shakti, and ongoing expansion of roads, highways, expressways, metro rail, and ports. This massive scale of projects creates an overwhelming demand for high-quality, efficient, and technologically advanced concreting equipment. Hence, SSI strategically positions its product lines to meet the demanding requirements of these mega-projects.
Global Integration and Manufacturing: SSI, as a 100% subsidiary of the German-headquartered Schwing Group, leverages global engineering standards while focusing on localized manufacturing (Make in India). India is being developed as a sourcing hub for select variants for the Schwing Group globally. This dual approach helps the Group offer competitively priced, high-quality products that meet international standards and also increases their export revenue.
Evolving Regulatory Frameworks (Sustainability): The push towards environmental sustainability and stricter emission norms (like BS-V) is a key factor. SSI is actively embracing this by developing and showcasing sustainable and eco-friendly equipment. This includes our electric vehicles (EVs) such as newly introduced EV shotcrete machine and other electric/low-emission construction equipment, fully electric truck mixers, and hybrid boom pumps. Our Recycling Technology includes advanced C&D waste crushers and concrete recycling plants for concrete waste management.
Emerging Investment Trends: SSI sees a clear trend toward technological integration and a growing rental market. The company integrates IoT-enabled features, telematics, and real-time monitoring and diagnostics across its equipment to address customer demand for lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), improved fuel efficiency, better logistics, and predictive maintenance.
How is your company expanding its global footprint, and integrating international technologies to remain competitive both in India and abroad?
SSI has set ambitious targets to increase its export turnover, aiming for double-digit growth and a substantial contribution to its overall revenue. The Cheyyar facility will export to International markets across Africa to ASEAN nations. The company is also targeting high-value markets (previously dominated by its parent company), including Brazil, the USA, and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. SSI also supplies equipment and spare parts to other Schwing subsidiaries across the globe.
SSI has achieved a high degree of product localization (around 85%). By sourcing a majority of components within India, we offer competitively priced, high-quality products that meet international standards, giving the Group a significant edge in cost-sensitive export markets.
SSI maintains competitiveness by effectively transferring, adapting, and localizing global technology while developing indigenous, future-ready solutions, including digitalization, innovation and research, and technology transfer. Our strategy is clear: manufacture in India with world-class technology, localize production for competitive pricing, and export globally through a state-of-the-art logistics and manufacturing base.
What machines of Schwing Stetter are designed for waste processing and re-utilisation to reduce its operational carbon footprint?
SSI's strategy is driven by the necessity to reduce the immense embodied carbon associated with traditional concrete production and construction processes. The company is providing solutions that enable reuse of construction waste, significantly reducing the demand for new aggregates and minimizing landfill waste.Our concrete recycling plants (RA series like RA12, RA20) facilitate separation of surplus or washout concrete from transit mixers and concrete pumps into the original components. Gravel and sand (particles $>0.2 \text{mm}$) are separated and can be reused in new concrete production or site-filling applications. The fine particles and cement-laden water (slurry) are separated and can be reused as mixing water in the next batch of fresh concrete, thus conserving fresh water and eliminating disposal costs.
The company offers specialized crushers designed to process hard C&D waste into usable products like recycled aggregates, thereby addressing the problem of urban waste management in infrastructure projects. Our high-efficiency pumps are designed for managing and recycling sludge and waste materials from construction sites.
To reduce our operational carbon footprint, SSI is transitioning its equipment towards more efficient and alternate energy sources. Our electric concrete equipment variants, such as electric-powered Shotcrete machines and concrete pumps can be deployed in confined spaces like metro tunnels and mines, eliminating on-site diesel emissions.
All our new diesel-powered equipment is designed to meet the latest Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms. The machines incorporate telematics for real-time monitoring of fuel consumption, enabling customers to manage operations for peak fuel efficiency and lower their TCO.
Products like our FBP 29 Truck Mixer Pump integrate the function of transport, mixing, and delivery. This optimizes logistics, reduces the number of machines required on-site, and subsequently lowers the overall carbon footprint associated with multiple vehicle movements.
How is Schwing Stetter integrating low-emission design, energy-efficient hydraulics, and smart controls in its concrete equipment to align with India’s decarbonisation roadmap?
We use load sensing hydraulics, optimised flow paths, and intelligent pressure management to lower energy draw per cycle. Variable frequency drives on mixers and eco operating modes reduce peaks, noise, and wear.
Our smart controls for measurable cement savings monitor moisture, correct recipes in real time, and keep batch records clean and auditable. Consistent dosing means less overdesign and lower cement factors. Cement saved at the plant reduces cost for stakeholders and shrinks embodied carbon.
Our collaboration with IIT Madras covers C&D waste recycling and high strength mix development so sustainability and performance go together. Reliable service is the backbone of the company’s success as uptime protects quality, and quality is where decarbonisation starts.
How is Schwing Stetter leveraging AI-driven process optimisation, real-time data analytics, and connected equipment to deliver predictive performance and smarter project execution?
We treat every plant and machine as a connected asset that learns. Our control systems use real time sensors for moisture and cycle variance. An AI layer flags anomalies, locks recipes to approvals, and reduces dosing error. At the plant, AI camera guidance helps truck mixers align safely and quickly under the chute.Plant heads track production, cement yield, water use, mixer runtime, and pump output from a phone. Variance alerts shorten reaction time. Fleet managers see utilisation and idling patterns, so logistics tighten.
Connected pumps and mixers transmit health data. We score components for risk and nudge planned interventions before a breakdown interrupts a pour. Our Tiered ERP Integration and Concrete Management Tool bring orders, approvals, inventory, and batch data into one flow. That is how quality becomes visible to clients, lenders, and auditors.
As the global market moves toward electric and hybrid construction equipment, what innovations or pilot projects is Schwing Stetter leading to advance clean mobility and green jobsite operations in India?
We are taking a portfolio view so customers can decarbonise step by step without compromising productivity. To give some examples, for our Hybrid Boom Pump, (to be launched at Excon 2025), the brief is straightforward: cut fuel burn and noise while maintaining reach, stability, and cycle speed. This is a practical bridge for urban jobs until full electrification scales.We offer a CNG Truck Mixer for city cores where gas is available. CNG lowers emissions and operating cost while keeping range and turnaround predictable. Our 100% Electric Truck Mixer is designed for plants with stable grid or renewable supply, where electric mixing enables night work with low noise and zero tailpipe emissions. In our EV TSR for tunnels, zero tailpipe emissions and low noise improve safety and ventilation underground.
In our FBP (Truck Mixer Pump), there is one chassis that mixes and pumps with one crew. Due to fewer mobilisations, less congestion, shorter pour windows, emissions fall because logistics simplify. Energy and fuel dashboards help customers report carbon intensity per cubic metre and verify progress against project targets.
With the growing adoption of modular, precast, and 3D printing technologies, how is Schwing Stetter aligning its product portfolio to serve the next generation of construction methods?
Our role is to deliver consistent rheology, repeatable dosing, and fast, clean placement. That is what modern methods need. With our precast readiness, our planetary and twin shaft mixers, high accuracy batching, and automated records give precast yards the cycle time and traceability they need. Our partnership on advanced precast lines brings global process discipline to Indian projects.Our ERP linked batching and the Concrete Management Tool enable just-in-time deliveries and clean handoffs to yards and sites. Belt conveyors, truck mixer pumps, and stationary pumps provide flexible placement options without crane bottlenecks.
Our 3D printing support includes consistency sensors, moisture correction, and fine step dosing to help maintain printable rheology. Closed loop controls stabilise mix flow to the print head. Our self-loading mixer and pump were deployed with L&T’s 3D concrete Printed Infrastructure Project in Bengaluru. We are also partnering with IIT Madras to develop best-in-class 3D concrete printing technology, including printable high strength mix designs and validated pumping parameters.
Our recycling plants recover aggregates and grey water on site, which lowers disposal cost and helps yards meet circularity goals without complicated logistics. Ice plants and temperature monitoring protect mix performance in mass pours and hot climates, which reduces cracking and rework.
How is SSI encouraging inclusivity, diversity, and skill development within its workforce?
India’s First All-Women Service Centre (SCHWINGHers) is a landmark initiative in the Indian CE industry. Our goal is to challenge traditional gender roles and prove the capability of women in highly technical, hands-on roles like equipment servicing and overhauling. The centre in Chennai is staffed entirely by skilled women technicians who specialize in servicing and overhauling a diverse range of heavy concrete equipment, including pumps and mixers.
The company has an ambitious vision to increase its overall women workforce to 50% across all divisions and aims to replicate similar all-women facilities across India. In fact, SSI recruits and deploys women in core manufacturing roles, which traditionally have been filled by men. Women are employed as equipment operators, welders, and assembly line workers on the shop floor of their manufacturing facilities.
To address the unique challenges faced by women in the manufacturing sector, SSI has established supportive infrastructure and policies: These include on-site facilities like building hostels and creches ensuring a safe, caring, and a flexible work environment. A Women's Empowerment Committee is responsible for developing and implementing inclusive workplace policies.
As regards skill development, SSI has committed to skill and train 10,000 men and women over the next few years, primarily focusing on individuals from the local and surrounding districts of their manufacturing hubs (like Cheyyar).
Our Centre of Excellence and Training Centres are accredited and have partnered with bodies like the Infrastructure Equipment Skill Council (IESC) and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). They offer intensive, certified courses in operation, maintenance, safety, and troubleshooting of major products like boom pumps, self-loading concrete mixers, and excavators. In fact, SSI was the country's first training centre to be awarded and accredited to certify pump operators under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme.
Our ‘Learn While Earning’ program (Diploma Engineer Trainees - DETs) aims to recruit talented Diploma Engineer Trainees (including women) and provide them with hands-on manufacturing experience. The trainees are supported to pursue a Graduate Engineering degree simultaneously, while working in collaboration with VIT ( Vellore Institute of Technology), which allows them to elevate their qualification and professional opportunities over a 5-year period.
In Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), the company plans to design short-term courses approved by NSDC to formally train, assess, and certify operators and mechanics who have significant on-the-job experience but lack formal certification.
These initiatives demonstrate SSI's commitment to not just being a market leader in equipment but also a thought leader in human capital development and social equity within the infrastructure sector.
How is your company reinforcing trust and loyalty in its customers?
SSI's foundation of ethical conduct and transparent policies protect all stakeholders, including customers. The company maintains a clear framework of policies to ensure responsible business conduct, which establishes credibility with customers and partners. We encourage transparency and accountability by providing a mechanism for employees and stakeholders to report unethical practices or dealings, assuring customers that transactions and partnerships are fair and free of corruption.By manufacturing and supplying equipment of international quality standards, we link product reliability (a customer concern) to corporate policy. We develop new products and services based on customer requirements and expectations such as our recycling plants and electric/low-emission equipment, that attract customers who prioritize sustainability.
The company operates over 26 branches and 12 service centers across India, ensuring rapid response and accessibility, even in remote project areas. Our AMCs guarantee scheduled maintenance and support, providing predictability in operational costs for customers.
Our Overhauling and Refurbishment centers specialize in taking up the repair/remanufacture of sub-assemblies and complete overhauling with limited warranties, significantly reducing operational cost and extending the life/resale value of the equipment.
SSI’s Training Department offers courses and certified programs (some linked with NSDC/IESC) to customer operators and technicians. This ensures that customer staff are trained on efficient operation, safety protocols, and day-to-day maintenance of SSI equipment, directly improving machine uptime and productivity.
What innovations will the company highlight at EXCON 2025?
Given the timeline and Schwing Stetter India's (SSI) recent strategic announcements in late 2024 and early 2025, our showcase at EXCON 2025 is anticipated to strongly align with the exhibition's theme of Smart, Safe, and Sustainable Construction. Apart from unveling the India’s largest and tallest Boom Pump mounted on a truck, the primary focus will be on material recycling and low-carbon equipment. We will be showcasing our latest models of Concrete Recycling Plants (like the RA 12/20); C&D Waste Crushers (like the Rubble Master models); the FBP (Truck Mixer Pump) series, and Electric/Alternate Fuel Prototypes.
Published on:
03 December 2025
Published in: NBM&CW DECEMBER 2025
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