At bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2024, Caterpillar is set to showcase its latest innovations. Amit Bansal, Director of Sales & Marketing, outlines how the company is leading the way with advanced technology, autonomous machinery, and sustainable solutions to drive India’s infrastructure forward.

What latest innovations will you be showcasing at bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2024?

India is poised for growth, and this era is the golden era for Indian infrastructure, with so many projects being planned and implemented by the government. We are fully ready to support our customers with our latest technologically advanced machines and solutions and play an important role in building a new India.

At Bauma CONEXPO this year, our primary objective is to showcase Caterpillar’s extensive product solutions, featuring a wide range of Cat and other Caterpillar brand equipment. We aim to highlight our latest offerings, aftermarket services, and financial solutions designed to support our customers. Additionally, we will focus on technology and solutions that enhance productivity, efficiency, safety, and profitability for customers in the Indian construction equipment industry.

Digital transformation, including AI, IoT, telematics, and automation, is a driving force in the industry. How are these technologies integrated into your products?
Advanced technologies create a game-changing customer experience, improving profitability, efficiency, safety, and sustainability. We are committed to understanding customers’ needs and delivering pioneering products, with a focus on digital-enabled solutions and the aftermarket.

When it comes to autonomous technology, Caterpillar is leading the way. We currently have the largest autonomous truck fleet in the world, with over 580 machines in operation, and that number continues to grow each year.

In alternative fuels, we are helping customers reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by offering equipment that can operate on lower-carbon intensity fuels like biodiesel, renewable diesel, and biogas. While tailpipe emissions remain similar to traditional fuels, the overall lifecycle GHG emissions are significantly reduced. For instance, all Caterpillar diesel engines can run on 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

Connectivity is another area in which Caterpillar has been a pioneer for over 20 years. We have connected more than 1.5 million assets through telematics, enabling us to generate valuable machine insights. This data allows customers to operate their fleets more efficiently, optimising productivity while conserving essential resources like fuel.

We are also focused on electrification and committed to delivering powerful electrified products and solutions. Our initial battery-powered equipment gave us valuable experience, and with more battery-powered machines and chargers under development, we are helping our customers achieve their climate-related objectives. Our electric drivetrains and hybrid powertrains, using electric drive transmissions, are designed to improve energy efficiency and productivity.

India’s equipment market is growing rapidly, but this brings challenges in building a robust component supplier and service provider ecosystem. How are you addressing these challenges?
India is an important global manufacturing hub, and we recognise this, having invested significantly in our local operations. We have an intricate network with hundreds of suppliers, serving not just our Indian customers but also catering to global demands. Along with our subsidiary brands, we envision a more interconnected, efficient, and sustainable India.

Regarding services, our long-standing Cat dealers, Gainwell Commosales India Pvt Ltd and Gmmco Ltd, are strategically located across the country to serve and support our customers efficiently. They are always ready to respond quickly to any needs. We offer tailored plans throughout the product lifecycle to enhance the ownership experience for our Cat customers, ensuring they get the most out of their equipment.

Our dealers provide 24/7 support through a dedicated network of almost 4,000 people, all backed by Caterpillar experts. This extensive service network is a key advantage, helping our customers receive immediate assistance whenever required.

Cat Financial offers various financing and leasing options and extended protection packages to support our customers further. Whether customers are looking to invest in new or used Cat machines or need funding for repairs and rebuilds, Cat Financial helps them make informed decisions that best suit their business needs, regardless of size.

Maximising machine performance is crucial, and that’s where our Customer Value Agreements (CVAs) come into play. These agreements offer hassle-free service at any point in the machine’s lifecycle, ensuring maximum performance and utilisation. With CVAs, customers receive support from dealer technicians, genuine Cat parts for scheduled maintenance, and fluid health management to identify potential issues before they lead to downtime. It’s an all-in-one plan designed to maintain machine health and ensure longevity, making equipment ownership easier.

Our Cat Rebuild and Cat Reman options are sustainable and cost efficiency solutions. Cat equipment is designed to be rebuilt, offering the ability to restore used machines to like-new performance at a fraction of the cost of new equipment. Our certified rebuild options breathe new life into machines, extending their useful life while reducing the need for new resources. This supports customer demand and contributes to a circular economy, aligning with global sustainability goals.

We have also embraced digital solutions to facilitate business. Our eCommerce platform, www.Parts.Cat.Com, and dealer-specific mobile applications simplify Cat equipment’s ownership, operation, and maintenance. Customers can access everything they need to manage their machinery efficiently at the click of a button.

Can you share your approach to sustainability throughout your products’ lifecycle, including any innovations in materials, recycling, or circular economy initiatives?
Caterpillar contributes to a reduced-carbon future by investing in new products, technologies, and solutions to help customers meet their climate-related objectives. Our portfolio includes advanced technology solutions to support our customers’ needs in their sustainability journey.

Over the past 20 years, we have invested over $30 billion in R&D to deliver best-in-class innovation, including autonomy, alternative fuels, connectivity and digital and electrification (AACE) technologies.

We integrate the energy technologies developed by our Energy & Transportation (E&T) segment into machines manufactured by our Resource Industries (RI) and Construction Industries (CI) segments, providing an advantage to our customers as we help them achieve their objectives. Our construction equipment helps build the infrastructure for the energy transition. Our mining equipment supports the increased demand for critical materials, such as copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt, required for electric vehicles, battery storage, wind and solar power, and grid modernisation and stability. We offer machines and engines capable of operating on alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biogas, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biodiesel while continuing to develop technologies for the future.

One of our leading innovations is in autonomous technology. Caterpillar has one of the largest autonomous truck fleets in the world, with more trucks being launched each year. This technology revolutionises the industry, improving safety, efficiency, and productivity.

We are helping customers reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by offering products that run on lower-carbon intensity fuels like biodiesel, renewable diesel, and biogas. While tailpipe emissions are similar to traditional fuels, the overall lifecycle GHG emissions are reduced significantly. For instance, all Caterpillar diesel engines can run on 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

For more than twenty years, Caterpillar has also been a leader in connectivity. We connected over 1.5 million assets using telematics, generating valuable data insights. This helps our customers operate their fleets more efficiently, optimising productivity and conserving critical resources like fuel.

Electrification is another key area where Caterpillar is making significant strides. We’ve already introduced battery-powered equipment and continue developing more battery-powered machines and charging solutions. These advancements will support our customers’ climate-related goals by improving energy efficiency and productivity through electric drivetrains and hybrid powertrains.

In terms of sustainability, our Cat Reman program plays a crucial role. Caterpillar has been remanufacturing for 50 of its nearly 100 years in business, and today, remanufacturing is central to our strategy for building a more sustainable world. Through the Cat Reman process, used components are returned, cleaned, inspected, salvaged, and remanufactured to meet original factory specifications. This ensures like-new performance with the added benefit of relevant engineering updates. Using state-of-the-art salvage techniques and strict quality controls, Cat Reman offers affordable, high-performance products that support the circular economy while carrying a same-as-new warranty. This way, we give materials a new life and help our customers achieve their sustainability goals.

With India’s changing regulatory framework in construction, infrastructure, and mining sectors, how is your company adapting to ensure compliance while innovating?
Infrastructure is key to India’s economic growth, and our mission is more than just being a machinery supplier; we aim to be a key partner in India’s infrastructural expansion. As growth in mining, transportation, captive power generation, and infrastructure construction accelerates, the demand for efficient, state-of-the-art machinery escalates. We are committed to addressing this demand with innovative solutions, and from every road to every skyscraper, you will find a touch of Caterpillar.

In recent years, our dedicated focus in India has centred around elevating R&D investments, aligning with evolving regulatory benchmarks. This includes the transition from CEV 3 to CEV 4 in 2021 and the impending leap to CEV 5 emission standards, as well as our steadfast commitment to compliance and progress.

For more information, visit: https://www.caterpillar.com/