Page 65 - CO JAN 2020

POST EXCON 2019
INTERACTION

Reliability in Action is our motto

SDLG has completed a decade of presence in the Indian market. Over the years, the company has
offered its high performing, fuel-efficient Wheel Loaders & Motor Graders which offer the best value for
money. SURAT MEHTA, HEAD, SDLG INDIA, in an exclusive interview to CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES
shares about the company’s participation at EXCON, induction of technology, addressing safety
concerns and the outlook for 2020.

How was EXCON 2019? ensure that all the products that we manufacture are extremely
We were excited to participate in this edition of EXCON. The way the reliable, also that the downtime of the machines is kept minimal.
business has progressed this year has been with a series of ups and The products that are designed at SDG are based on ergonomic
downs. Initially there was a slow down due to the general elections. guidelines. This means that the operator and user comfort is the
However in the second half of the year, things had picked up after topmost priority. The cabins are designed with all the diagnostics
monsoon. The market also showed some upswing. We have done that cause minimum fatigue to the operator.
considerably well in terms of business and the footfall at the stall The operators should know their machines thoroughly. Our focus
has been great. We have closed some good orders and the revival is to equip the industry with the knowledge bank so that they
of the CE industry has started now.
avoid accidents. To drive this, we provide hands-on-training on our
With technologies introduced for easing the work for the end user, equipment to operators. We also are a recognized assessor by Infra
how does SDLG make use of this opportunity? Skill Council and we travel to various areas to train the operators
While these are great buzz words, the reality is that there is a huge and certify them.
competence gap in the industry. We need to train our users to get We have a JV with GMR to help unemployed youth from remote
acquainted with the technologies that we are bringing in. This will areas, train them and certify them so that they are employable in
help them take in more advantage and better the usage. Presently the market. We believe that though there is no lack of manpower,
we are committed to build the competence at our level and at it is the lack of skilled manpower in India, and we are working on
the customer’s level. Though we are sure that the future lies in the making India a nation of skilled and employable individuals.
technology, there are no immediate plans of getting the products
in india. How the year 2020 and the months ahead will be for the industry?
From the market perspective, I am very optimistic about it. From
Also, price positioning will be a major challenge as due to the 2019 there should be a growth of around 8-10 per cent overall in the
down turn in the year, the market is not read to latch on to those CE industry. There is no reason that we should not be growing. The
technologies.
government is working in the right direction to ensure the more funds
With safety concerns being a major factor, how are safety availability in the market, leading to improved confidence& market
concerns addressed at SDLG sentiments. Apart from the shift in fuel emission norms I do not see
Since SDLG is part of Volvo group, safety is a core value for us. We much movement or transition happening in the coming times.

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