In an interview with B2B Purchase, Raghavan Ramaswamy, President, Sales Area India, Sandvik Construction, talks about the positive trend in the crushing and screening industry. Excerpts
Brief us about the changing trends in crushing and screening segment.The crushing and screening industry has evolved considerably in the past few years, and there are many new players who are entering this market and increasing competition. This has led to a positive trend in equipment purchase with more small players entering into the aggregate industry. Though the market is currently volatile, there is tremendous potential for growth in the coming years. Because of India’s rapid growth and need to urbanise, there has been lot of urban infrastructure projects that took off simultaneously in recent years. These gave rise to the demand in the market for crushing and screening plants both from major players and small/medium contractors. The growth is tremendous and is still continuing to grow.
Being the crushing and screening player, how do you view the nature, pricing, demand, and awareness in the Indian market?We notice that the construction industry is on the rise, and this would have a significant impact on purchase of crushing and screening equipment. India’s infrastructure industry has the biggest potential for growth and opportunities for investment.
Market is maturing, and there is awareness for bigger plants. Although the market for crushing and screening is unorganised and scattered, buyers are aiming for higher returns on their investments, which are catapulting the market for bigger crushers. Similarly, though the buying pattern of Indian consumers is very different from European consumers, the awareness for safety, conserving of energy and brand value is increasing rapidly. The trend has already scaled up from 100-TPH plants to 200-TPH plants, and the demand for 300-TPH and above is rising.
Where do you see the crushing and screening segment in the future, especially with fast pacing of mining industry?There is tremendous potential for growth in the crushing and screening industry, and we foresee this trend to continue. While iron ore mining still continues to be a matter of concern, the construction industry’s demand for aggregate has superseded this and is miles ahead of it.
What measures do you take to upgrade and make the technology more advanced?Sandvik crushing and screening equipment are engineered for maximum productivity. We offer advanced, rational solutions for any size-reduction challenge, stationary or mobile. We can upgrade existing plants, deliver complete solutions and affect turnkey installations. We also supply individual crushers and screens, as well as key components and a wide range of consumables.
Some of our customers only want sound technical advice. At others, they require concrete technical support, delivered swiftly, competently and cost-effectively. Whatever their needs, we at Sandvik are there to help them. Sandvik has a wealth of experience and teams of experts, spanning the globe to help our customers solve equipment-related mining or construction challenges. Innovation differentiates between a leader and a follower.
We, at Sandvik, feel that any upgrade or advancement has to be in synchronisation with three major parameters: market demand, customer’s rational needs, and overall operational and environmental safety. Sandvik can proudly boast that we have some of the most eco-friendly machines to offer, and our carbon footprints are the lowest in this crushing and screening industry. Continuous efforts in R&D are being made to offer solution that can set our benchmark even higher in the industry.
Which are the major demand drivers for crushing and screening equipment? The growth driver is certainly infrastructure projects such as road, bridges, highways, express ways etc. Sandvik equipment — not just crushers and screens, but drill rigs, breakers, etc. — are engineered for maximum productivity. The Indian construction segment market is mostly dominated by large infrastructure projects like national highways, expressways, bridges, rural roads, urban infrastructure, airports, railway ballast, dams etc. Because of India’s rapid growth and need to urbanise, there has been lot of urban infrastructure projects that took off simultaneously in recent years.
Although the demand for aggregates is up scaling, the demand for quality aggregates and awareness for quality is growing too. Currently with natural resources exhausting rapidly, there is high demand for substitute of river sand. In such cases, manufactured sand is the only solution, and Sandvik Impactor Crusher is the future to achieve these special demands.
What is the R&D department’s role to survive in the competitive market? We are an engineering company and consequently spent significant sums on R&D. Our focus is on designing and producing equipment which are productive, efficient, safe to operate and reliable. This being of utmost importance, the most evident trend in recent times is the move toward mechanisation, electronics and standardisation of quality norms. This comes hand in hand with enhanced productivity and enhanced output. Our customers are constantly pushed to deliver higher quality work faster, and our machines help them doing exactly that.
What is Sandvik’s approach in these markets?At Sandvik, customers were, are and will always remain at the top. Our approach is modest with complete focus on customer satisfaction.