Page 52 - Construction_Opportunities_January_2026

POST-EXCON
INTERACTION upgraded this system by expanding its linguistic capabilities.

Currently, it supports eight Indian languages, and we plan to add
more vernacular languages in the coming years. This ensures
easier adoption and better engagement with customers across
regions. Today, this remote management system is an integral part
of our standard offering across the product range.

Which customer segments and markets are you targeting with
these new launches?
We offer a wide range of models that cater to applications ranging
from agriculture and small urban infrastructure to large-scale by approximately 4% to 4.5%. By the end of this calendar year—
construction industry. Our product portfolio covers almost every around December—we will have more clarity, but at present, a
segment—for example, in mining, we provide specialized solutions contraction of around 4% seems likely.
for coal mining, while for marble and granite block handling, we This decline is primarily due to a slowdown in project
offer dedicated machines designed for those specific needs. announcements beginning around the middle of last year.
In addition to product diversification, we are also upgrading the Although announcements have started picking up again
way we communicate with our customers. We aim to differentiate this year, infrastructure projects typically have long gestation
ourselves in the market by being more proactive. While alerting periods—ranging from six to twelve months from announcement
customers after a fault code appears is one aspect of support, we to execution. As a result, the delays experienced earlier are now
go a step further. Through predictive maintenance and advance being reflected in current market conditions. Looking ahead, we
maintenance scheduling, we proactively inform customers before believe this is a short-term impact. Given the increasing number
issues arise. Beyond messages and emails, our call centers also of project announcements and strong government focus on
reach out directly to customers to remind them and help them infrastructure, next year should perform better than 2025. We
plan their maintenance activities, ensuring improved uptime and expect the market to grow by around 5% on an absolute basis,
operational efficiency. bringing it closer to—or even exceeding—the levels seen in 2024.
While 2026 may not fully reach 2024 levels, it should come close.
Is there anything special you are doing for the excavators which We believe 2027 and 2028 will be particularly strong years for
go into the mining industry? the industry. With 2029 being an election year, there is significant
Yes. For mining customers, we go beyond providing fault codes, urgency to complete infrastructure projects beforehand. The
alerts, and preventive maintenance schedules. While we do keep government has also emphasized expediting execution, and we
customers informed about these aspects, we also focus strongly understand that both the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Road
on operator behavior and machine usage patterns. Transport, including NHAI, have formed high-level committees
Using elements of AI-enabled analytics though not yet full-scale to fast-track pending works. These committees are focused on
AI—we analyze the operator’s driving style and operational identifying the causes of delays and addressing administrative
behavior. We study factors such as operating skills, driving patterns, challenges to ensure timely project completion. Overall, this gives
and the frequency of extreme operations. For instance, repeated us confidence in a stronger medium-term outlook for the industry.
use of reliefs or frequent exposure to sudden jerks may indicate
operational stress or unintentional misuse, which can happen And how do you find Hyundai performing in all these
since operators are human. opportunities?
For large mining machines, there are specific operational do’s We strongly believe that continued investment in India is essential
and don’ts. When usage patterns exceed standard operating because what we are witnessing today is just the beginning of a
norms, the system generates detailed reports. These insights much larger growth story. From the outset, we have invested with
are then shared not only with the operators but also with the the conviction that India has significant potential, and that belief
project in-charge and equipment owners. This helps educate has only strengthened over time. Our investments span expanding
all stakeholders about potential risks, higher operating costs, or our manufacturing plant, developing new products, and adopting
possible breakdowns, enabling timely corrective actions. advanced technologies. These investments are not made
This collaborative and proactive approach, working closely with solely for the present; they reflect our long-term commitment to
operators, owners, and project teams helps improve machine serving Indian customers while also positioning India as a global
uptime, safety, and efficiency. It is one of the key reasons why we manufacturing and export hub.
have been able to achieve and sustain an approximately 18% Currently, we serve nearly 35 countries from our Indian operations,
market share today. and going forward, we expect to reach even more markets
as Indian-made products gain broader global acceptance.
The market has been a little slow over the last year. Going Additionally, new government regulations and standards provide
forward, how do you see the market performing ahead? us with a strong platform to introduce our products into advanced
From an industry perspective, the slowdown came as a bit of economies. Overall, we are confident that Hyundai is well-
a surprise, as we had not anticipated the market to fall below positioned to capitalize on the opportunities ahead in India and
last year’s levels. We now expect the market to have declined across global markets.

52 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|JANUARY 2026