What is your strategy to expand business for existing product range?
At Haulotte our business strategy is very clearly set out. The sales and service of our products to end user segment are handled by our distributor, dealer, resellers whilst rental customers are handled by Haulotte directly. Since the past five years we have embarked into launching newer, state of the art and user friendly machines both in scissor and booms, besides doing upgradation of our existing range. We are the first full range AWP manufacturer who has introduced a machine, our first machine PULSEO generation articulating boom with a five-year warranty. As per our commitment to the environment, we are transforming ourselves to be a BLUE company, meaning any new model that would be launched by us would be based on an electric architecture.

Looking at the present scenario what would you advise for procurement of access equipment? Buy it or rent it, why do you say so?
The decision of buying or renting is completely dependent on the nature and demand of usage of any access equipment and purely based on commercials. When requirement of access equipment for working at height is constant and regular mostly people prefer to buy the machines and add it as an asset. On the other hand, many customers who require different variants and different size of machines prefer to rent instead from the rental companies who specialise in keeping such machines are offering them on rentals. If we see the developed and matured markets where use of access equipment is mandatory and the volumes of machines required are huge, the trend is mostly to rent machines and that is why rental companies have fleet sizes that run in to thousands and even hundred thousand for a select few. Whereas, India is still an immature AWP market and hence the trend of buying and owning machines by end users is quite relevant.

What is your expectation from the industry bodies and policy makers to capitalise the present market?
Honestly, the access platform industry in India hasn’t grown or matured the way it should have over the past decade. Unfortunately, the lack of strict legislation on working safely at heights and allowing unrestricted import of old and out of serviceable life used machines are the major reasons to act as a stumbling block in growth of the access industry. We are today witnessing how strict legislations and barring import of used machines has helped the Chinese access equipment market to grow exponentially over last 3-4 years and today is the second largest AWP market in the world. Not only worldwide manufacturers are expanding production capacity in China but alongside the local manufacturers are also springing up to give competition. India being one of the largest and fastest growing economies should also fall on the same track but to do so serious steps need to be taken by the government.

When requirement of access equipment for working at height is constant and regular mostly people prefer to buy the machines.
Souma Ray, Director, Haulotte India Pvt Ltd