With our innovations in the autonomous machine space, we believe that we are well-positioned in research and development to meet the needs of the future says Dimitrov Krishnan, Managing Director, Volvo CE India Pvt Ltd.

How the pandemic will catalyse R&D for the development of future machines for this industry?
I believe that the pandemic will create an increase in demand for automated machines that reduce the reliance on operators. The pandemic has caused profound disruptions to businesses around the world, particularly in the construction industry. Measures to ensure that workers are kept safe from the virus meant that many construction projects are being put on hold. In an increasingly volatile and unpredictable world, more customers will demand automated systems to respond to any future disruptions and R&D will follow this demand. Volvo has been consistently investing in R&D pertaining to automation for more than a decade now and will continue to invest in automated equipment and other future systems. 

Volvo CE has ramped up research and development in pilot projects for fully automated systems. For instance, the recently launched fully electric compact excavator ECR25, & the compact loader L25 are at the leading edge of sustainable, forward thinking solutions. These machines were built on the experience from concept excavators like EX02. With our innovations in the autonomous machine space, we believe that we are well-positioned in research and development to meet the needs of the future. 

What kind of infrastructure upgrade initiatives should the government focus on to ensure the construction sector remains in robust health?
The construction landscape in India is very diverse with a wide range of businesses providing different kinds of services and expertise. At the same time, India is still developing rapidly and there are many opportunities for infrastructure to be built.  From urban transport infrastructure such as roads and highways to schools and hospitals, any investment in infrastructure to benefit citizens will be beneficial for keeping the industry in good health. 

What kind of digital roadmap should be designed to help in overcoming operational challenges while also delivering a competitive advantage?
As the world transforms rapidly, the construction industry is entering its next stage of innovation and digital transformation. At Volvo CE, we believe that the digital roadmap can be divided into innovations for the present and innovations for the future. With this roadmap, we stay ahead of the curve by dealing with the operational challenges and competition in the current timeline while addressing the future technological changes. 

At present, our customers are most concerned about fuel efficiency, uptime and productivity. Therefore, a lot of our digital innovations are focused on creating improvements in these areas. An example would be Volvo CE’s CareTrack telematics system which gives equipment owners access to a wide range of machine monitoring information. This digitization allows customers to monitor information such as load efficiency and fuel consumption while helping them to proactively manage repairs. 

What are some of the products driving growth for your business in the current economic cycle?
Since the end of May, we saw some activities in India resume as lockdown measures for Covid-19 were relaxed. With many mining sites reopening and some construction projects picking up, we have witnessed an increase in demand for excavators and wheel loaders recently. While it is difficult to predict demand in the months to come, we remain positive about a perennial demand for these products to deliver strong sales, as the economic cycle continues. 

What are the equipment financing options and technology support you have made available for your customers?
At Volvo CE, we are always looking at ways to make it easier for customers to use our products. Thus, we have a range of convenient and business-friendly financial services to help businesses to finance their machines efficiently and economically. With Volvo Financial Services (VFS), customers can take a loan to own their machines through regular payments without investing all of their capital at one go. Alternatively, customers can lease their machines from Volvo CE to reduce the risks of ownership while earning money from the machines. With a team of experts on hand for customers to consult, we believe that customers will be able to make the best financial decisions to meet their needs.