Actually it is solely the customer’s prerogative whether to purchase a renowned global brand which has a stamp of quality and durability on it at higher cost or a cheaper alternative.
– Souma Ray, General Manager – India, Haulotte India Pvt. Ltd.Established in 1881, Haulotte is a major European manufacturer and supplier for people and material handling equipment. Its local subsidiary, Haulotte India, is the hub for Haulotte machines and access equipment in India. In an interview with B2B Purchase, Souma Ray gives an overview on the market trends and his company’s initiatives.
How do you look at the recent trends of access equipment demand?Although the trend in demand of access equipment has been encouraging, yet considering the immense potential of the usage of such products the Indian market is still very nascent. We are confident of the fact that as the awareness of usage of the access equipment increases the market will expand exponentially.
The need of the hour is to have stringent legislations in place regarding safety to work at heights. Manufacturers and the rental companies of access equipment need to work hand in hand with various governmental authorities to push for such legislation. End of the day it’s all about safety.
Chinese companies seems to be dominating the global CE space. Is it true even in the case of access equipment business?It’s not like that Chinese companies are dominating in the field. Though there are a few good brands striving to make quality products in-line with the global standards but the majority churn out cheap equipment whose quality and durability is susceptible. Actually it is solely the customer’s prerogative whether to purchase a renowned global brand which has a stamp of quality and durability on it at higher cost or a cheaper alternative.Moreover, considering the fact that access equipment is all about safety, the quality of Chinese products is yet to reach the global standards. The global perception of most customers is not to make compromises on safety at heights and hence for them reliability and quality of the product is of utmost importance.
How do you foresee the anticipated massive wave of consolidation in the CE industry?The industry has seen years of stagnancy and dwindling demands owing to the political and economical situation that the country was in until mid of 2014. However, with a stable and foresighted central government the situation has gradually started getting better. Business sentiments have improved with this the CE industry also seeing a revival and consolidation. The focus of the current government towards infrastructure shall be the main driver towards the growth of the CE industry.
How would you like to shape up your business as far as Indian market is concerned?Haulotte is one of the biggest manufacturers of access equipment in the world and excelling in India. Haulotte India is driven by our global strategy of ‘Customer Proximity’. This involves the establishment of a commercial and services network closer to our customers, with teams of professionals who understand the needs and expectations of their markets, and provide the support to their clients.
We constantly strategise in order to consolidate our presence and position in the industry. Our objective is to provide with our customers equipment that are state-of-the-art but at an optimum price. We also offer the after sales spare part, service support and training to our customers directly as well as through our network of dealers and resellers.
We lay strong emphasis in training of operators and maintenance staff of our customers because these contribute towards safe working and optimum utilisation of our equipment. Haulotte India is one of the leading council members of IPAF India, which is a global organisation to promulgate and train users on safe operations of access platforms.
What will be the demand drivers for your products?  Demand for access equipment in India has been steadily growing across various sectors like infrastructure, construction, power, aviation, shipyards, manufacturing, hotels, malls, facility management etc.
It is extremely encouraging to see the new government’s strong commitment of massive investment in the transport infrastructure like rail, metro, port, road and airport and also in 100 smart cities project. With such mega projects on the anvil, the demand for access equipment will definitely see a sharp increase.
Did you launch any new product in the Indian market?We have introduced our latest diesel articulated boom lift HA16RTJ during the bC India show in December 2014. Also, one of the recent technological advancements we have introduced in our diesel boom lifts is the Entrapment Prevention System, ACTIV Shield Bar.
This is a secondary guarding system that ensures safety of the worker in an entrapment situation. The system once activated allows on reverse and down function of the machine thus preventing further danger to the worker. The system unlike some of our competitors offerings can be reset from the platform itself, thus saving both time and money.
Brief us on its unique features.HA16RTJ offers higher productivity and performance, driving comfort and ease of use and transport. It has been designed to access to the most difficult and restricted working areas. It offers the best lifting speed of the market with less than 40 sec.  With fully proportional and simultaneous movements it allows quick, progressive, simultaneous movements with precise and smooth control and ultimately the comfort and safety feeling. It is designed with permanent anti-slipping differential that improves the traction on rough terrain. Additionally the hydraulic differential lock can be activated manually for a maximum efficiency on more difficult rough terrain conditions.
The machine is fitted with cured-on solid tyres which guarantee an    optimal rough terrain capability and a longer durability than foam filled tyres. The heart of the machine is powered by a KUBOTA engine which has a variable motor speed. The performance is adapted to the real needs of the machine and this results in: noise level is reduced by 50 per cent plus it gives up to 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption.
An upper control box cover and tool tray are standard equipment of this machine. In simple words, Haulotte takes care of value with high level of durability and reliability, excellent robustness and ease of maintenance.