With the slowdown in the real estate market throughout the country and infrastructure projects barely taking up the existing slack in capital equipment, machinery sales have been slow.
Vijay Kumbhani, Director – India, Columbia Machine Engineering (I) Pvt. Ltd

  Columbia Machine Engineering Pvt Ltd has formed a name in the construction equipment industry. With the company is all set to be a part of Bauma Conexpo India 2016,  Vijay Kumbhani, Director – India, Columbia Machine Engineering (I) Pvt Ltd  speaks to B2B Purchase about the performance of the construction industry and the company’s achievements in 2016.

A weak market
When asked about the recent performance of the construction equipment industry, Kumbhani said, “The continued slowdown in the infrastructure and real estate sectors in India results in a weak market for our machinery. The steps being taken by the present government to clear stalled infrastructure projects and increase infrastructure spending on roads, ports, smart cities, industrial and freight corridors should greatly improve market conditions in the near future.”

How was 2016 for Columbia Machine?
Sharing about how 2016 turned out to be for Columbia, he said, “With the slowdown in the real estate market throughout the country and infrastructure projects barely taking up the existing slack in capital equipment, machinery sales have been slow. With the demonetisation, there is further uncertainty created in the market which is likely to slow down further over the next two quarters.”

Introducing new products
Sharing the company’s achievements, Kumbhani said, “Last year Columbia had launched two products Flyash Brick Press FBP30 and Vacuum Wet Press CWP4S. These products were completely designed and manufactured in India. This year we have successfully designed and manufactured SPM30, the bigger and better concrete product machine. The first field trial machine is already dispatched and is under installation.”

Get set for live action
Kumbhani feels that a show like Bauma Conexpo provides a platform to showcase new technologies and products to the industry. Since Columbia’s concrete block machinery is very large and difficult to operate at a show, it usually exhibits the product indoors with a stationary machine supported by videos, posters and samples of products produced on the company’s machinery. In Bauma Conexpo India 2016, for the first time in India perhaps, the company will be running live. “This is not restricted to only a large new Concrete Block Machine, Model SPM30, but, more significantly, its Automatic Rack Loader-Unloader, Model UL30, in a 350 sq.m. open stand at this show. This is a completely new Rack and Pallet Handling technology being introduced for the first time in the Indian market. We hope to make a significant impact on the audience by running the equipment live at the show, and provide the visitors with a thorough understanding of the working of this new equipment and its technology,” said Kumbhani.