With an increasing number of warehouses switching to electric forklifts and warehouse equipment, we have a bouquet of product launches planned for this year, says Anil Lingayat, EVP and Business Head, Godrej Material Handling.

How is the demand for increased automation and safe working practices in the manufacturing space driving the growth of MHE?
With growing automation in the manufacturing space, plants have been able to increase their manufacturing capacity. This, in turn, means an increased movement of raw material and finished goods on the shop floor. MHE ensures efficient material movement to avoid the creation of any bottlenecks throughout the process of manufacturing. With MHE, plants can stack their finished goods thus minimizing space required for storage of raw material or finished goods. With increased material movement risks and dangers associated with it also increases. Incorrect material handling practices can lead to loss of man, machine and money. With proper MHE, a safer movement of material is made possible. Like other machines in the plant, MHE also comes equipped with accessories to prevent any damage to people or products involved in the manufacturing processes.

With our wide range of safety accessories in our equipment such as proximity alert lights, reverse alarm, rack height location assist, biometric access systems etc you can be assured of safer material movement. Many manufacturing industries are moving towards electric forklifts to avoid exhaust fumes of a diesel forklift in their warehouses.

What kind of strategies do you have in place to kickstart the year 2021 on a positive note?
We have all witnessed the increase in use of digital tools across different industries in the last year. At Godrej Material Handling, we have always been on the lookout for opportunities to leverage digital tools to enhance the customer experience. One such initiative is the Fleet Management system. With operational challenges rising, users of material handling equipment are constantly looking for solutions that can help them acquire the data required to take sound decisions on enhancing and improving their material handling operations.

Being true to our reputation of being pioneers in technical advancement in material handling in India, we have taken ahead of the Make in India initiative by designing and launching our own fleet management system.

Keeping in mind the current scenario, we continue to develop and educate our customer base via digital and social platforms. This helps them make an informed decision for addressing their specific requirements in material handling equipment.

Likewise, what kind of traction will industrial logistics parks generate for MHE manufacturers? Industrial logistics parks have a very mature understanding of the importance of material handling equipment. The management ropes in racking solution providers and MHE manufacturers right from the initial phase when setting up the industrial park. It is a very key exercise as racking and MHE go hand-in-hand to provide the most efficient and cost-effective solution for material movement. Many times, logistic parks can add a couple of racks vertically and even reduce aisle width in their warehouse as they are made aware of improved racking capabilities and short-turning radius of warehouse equipment such as Reach Trucks, Articulated Forklifts etc.

With these additional racks, the throughput of the warehouse can increase by up to 50 per cent. These factors have helped us establish a relationship with various logistic parks companies. We also provide training to the end customers on improving the efficiency of the products by hosting training programs at their respective locations.

In the existing market dynamics, which products in your portfolio are you banking on?
There is a lot of traction for the Go-Green initiative in India with the advent of electric cars and buses. Godrej Material Handling has always been propagating this message with its wide range of electric forklift and warehouse equipment. With the growth in warehouses across India, we are focusing on developing the warehouse equipment range to ensure higher throughput. We have a bouquet of product launches planned for this year which includes an economical electric forklift targeted towards MSME players, Li-ion powered electric forklift for the F&B and auto industry segment and enhancing vertical stacking capabilities with a new and improved range of Reach Trucks.

We always have an ear on the ground to understand and service the changing needs in material handling. We continue to add further accessories such as proximity alert lights, rack height location assist, biometric access etc. to ensure safety at the plant of both man and machine. Our goal is to provide a safe and efficient solution for our customers’ material handling needs.