Prashant Suryawanshi, Managing Director, Manitowoc Cranes Potain India Pvt. Ltd. In an interview with B2B Purchase.

Expressing his optimistic views about Excon, and the ongoing transformations in the tower crane market, Prashant Suryawahshi, Managing Director, Manitowoc Cranes Potain India Pvt. Ltd., says “We were ecstatic to be a part of a physical event after a two-year hiatus from COVID. To begin with, the event was a little slow due to climate change, which ruined it. Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the event’s final outcome.”

Potain cranes at Excon 

Recently, we launched the MCT 135, which is the successor of the MC 125, a 6-tonne capacity drain. It complies entirely with market demand. It has a 60-meter jib and a 1.5-tonne tip load, compared to the 1.15-tonne tip load of the MC 125. It has a free-standing interior height of 47.1 metres and an external height of 50 metres. Based on current market conditions, I believe this is one of the top items in this category.

This product will also help our customers complete projects more quickly. In the coming years, our customers will be able to secure more projects thanks to their improved load capacity and load curve.

Features and applications 

The new MCT line, which comes in two models with 6-tonne and 8-tonne capacity, is well aligned with market demands. With this the customer has flexibility based on his needs on the same model, which would otherwise never happen. LVF technology is also included in this variant. This LVF technology is a tower crane’s fastest speed. So that’s the product’s future; it’s simple to assemble, disassemble, and has the fewest number of components.

In terms of maintenance, Potain cranes require less maintenance because all of our products are rigorously evaluated to determine their longevity in our testing centre in France. This ensures that our goods will survive for more than 20 years with minimal maintenance.

We used to only sell real estate and commercial properties. We never entered the infrastructure business. However, we recently received a large contract for a bridge project from North India. We’re also looking into the nuclear sector; it’ll be a small but lucrative business.

Present trends in the tower crane business The tower crane industry is expanding in response to rising demand in Tier II cities. Because these cities have larger inhabitants and higher TDR, they can benefit even in a limited area. As a result, everyone is concentrating on high-rise structures and highrise development, which further encapsulates market need. Today, developers from tier-II cities are gradually migrating to tier-III cities, where our most popular model, the MCT 85, is largely used. This trend is fuelling demand for tower cranes in tier-III cities even more. As a result, I am hopeful about the tower crane industry’s future growth. 

Furthermore, with the new FSI rule and the higher TDR, the smaller landscape is gaining traction as builders gain more profits and benefits on a smaller scale. The entire scenario is changing as a result of this. Furthermore, government policies are assisting the industry’s growth. As compare to last year our sell is almost double.

Business opportunities with localising and others 

Localisation has facilitated our growth. We used to import our 10-tonne capacity crane two years ago, when we only made 5-tonne and 6-tonne cranes. Localising them in India also helped us save money on freight and duty for our customers. Potain is a market leader in this area, with a market share of more than 90 percent.

Customers are aware of the product’s various advantages. As a result of these radar restrictions and government policies, even small developers are requesting our goods. Our cranes enable to speed up the completion of projects while also ensuring their safety. As a result, that level of visibility is constantly present.