After a down cycle that lasted for close for four years, we are seeing an upward growth in construction equipment industry which needs to be sustained.

Jasmeet Singh,
Head – Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India

According to Jasmeet Singh, Head – Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India Ltd, the industry grew nearly 45 per cent in the period between January to November of 2016 as compared to the same time in 2015. He adds, “We expect to see a growth of around 10-12 per cent in the coming years.”

What does the next year look like for the Indian construction equipment industry?
After a down cycle that lasted for close for four years, we are seeing an upward growth in construction equipment industry which needs to be sustained. 2016 was a positive year for the industry with several stalled projects been re-initiated. The industry grew nearly 45 per cent in the period between January to November of 2016 as compared to the same time in 2015. The roads and highways sector has been a major contributor to this growth. As the economy would further stabilise, we expect to see a growth of around 10-12 per cent in the coming years.

JCB is transforming itself into a full range infrastructure equipment player. Which segment will drive your growth in 2017?
Roads and highways, irrigation, railways, real estate and other physical infrastructure projects segments are major growth drivers for our industry. Currently, the roads and highways sector is leading the industry revival followed by irrigation.  However, for achieving a sustainable growth, at least three to four of the above sectors should perform.

How is the acceptance of your material handling products which you launched recently?
In today’s scenario, material handling segment is a sunrise industry. We unveiled three ‘Made in India’ machines in 2016, namely the Telehandlers, the Skid Steer Loaders and the Super Loaders. The products are well-accepted in the Indian market and we are sure that our range of revolutionary solutions will transform the material handling practices in India.

In the Telehandlers category, which is known as JCB Loadall, we offer three variants – the Made in India 530-70 and 530-110, and we import the 540-170 from the UK. These Loadalls come with a variety of attachments which makes the machine more versatile.

Our Skid Steers are the world’s safest Skid Steers as they come with a unique side door entry and are ideal to operate in urban infrastructure applications or for narrow and areas where space is a constraint. Our Super Loaders are designed as a dedicated loader for loading applications at higher heights.