Priorities are changing in line with global trends. So obviously there’s a time lag involved here – new trends that emerge in advanced countries take some time before they are adopted in developing countries like India. However, India is a big and growing market and a highly price-sensitive one. So, that needs to be factored in as well when assessing the changing priorities in project procurement here.

For example, there is a clear focus on safety, much of it due to government mandate, which makes certain value-added safety features absolutely essential for certain types of equipment. That has a cost implication. Customers need not be willing to pay the premium for these value propositions. And then, there is also the question of price vis-a-vis life-cycle cost.

Value at prime cost
Providing value at optimum cost to customers is of utmost importance to TIL Limited.

“When it comes to an essential value proposition – be it an advanced safety feature or one that helps to extend machine life and enhance productivity by way of preventive maintenance – TIL does not believe in a cost-value trade-off. Instead, our R&D, design, manufacturing and procurement divisions are working round the clock to provide customers with what is necessary and at prices that are acceptable in the market,” according to Anil Bhatia, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, TIL.

Enhancing customer profitability is the hallmark of TIL. The 74 year-old company represents alliances with global technology leaders like Manitowoc, Astec and Hyster-Yale Group. With corporate offices at Kolkata and a PAN-India network, TIL has two state-of-the-art ERP-enabled factories in Eastern India – at Kolkata and Kharagpur. The products include – truck cranes, truck mounted cranes, rough terrain cranes, reach stackers and crushing & screening solutions, etc. along with integrated customer support and value-added services. TIL is a technology-intensive and technology-driven company.

“Constant innovation is at the very heart of our operations. We are always working out new ways to enhance customer profitability,” he says.

Technology-intensive offering
“Our machines are equipped with advanced technology and all the latest features to augment efficiency, safety and operator comfort. For example, long boom truck cranes from TIL are a statement in precision, durability, fuel efficiency and low cost of ownership and operation,” says Bhatia.

The most outstanding feature of these machines is the long 5-section formed boom that is designed for optimum lifting performance – 45 to 80 tonnes at a maximum boom length of 41.3 to 43.8 metres. Additional features include a 5-point outrigger system that provides unmatched stability during over-360° duties in challenging terrain, an on-board electronic load moment indicator (LMI) with data logger – which is a standing feature in our rough terrain cranes and pick-and-carry cranes as well – to guard against accidents and a control lever lockout mechanism to enable safe operations with load.

The company is also incorporating telematics in our machines. Telematics are high technology solutions that seek to improve all aspects of fleet management – machine productivity, total cost of operations and operator performance – by way of wireless asset management. ReachStackers offered by TIL in alliance with our technology partner, Hyster Yale Group, incorporates to a high-degree telematic solutions and fleet data analytics. There is also the added flexibility of retrofitting the telematics application into older models and allied equipment from other manufacturers. Key features include – remote management of key performance indicators of the equipment, impact sensing, tracking regular preventive maintenance schedules, tracking and reporting aggregate costs, GPS tracking, access control, automatic shutdown, operator pre-shift checklist, etc.

TIL equipment are compliant with all emission norms and motor vehicles rules. High technology value-added features like telematics and innovative after-market solutions aimed at predictive and preventive maintenance reduce equipment downtime and extend productive machine life.

“Higher asset utilisation results in substantial savings in running costs and capex, and increases the effectiveness of project procurement,” Bhatia says.

Additionally, with the launch of Make in India, exports are opening up and there is a pressing need for Indian products across industries to match up to superior global standards. This is true for both products that are exported and those that are consumed domestically, as there is almost always an upgradation in general quality when products are benchmarked against international standards. The construction equipment industry is no exception. Value-driven procurement, in terms of equipment, has got a boost and will continue to be influenced strongly, going forward.

Higher asset utilisation results in substantial savings in running costs and capex, and increases the effectiveness of project procurement.
Anil Bhatia, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, TIL Limited