Page 61 - DIGITAL ISSUE MAY 2018

ROAD & ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
view, light control levers, multi-adjustable
Seat, etc.

Are you looking to add new equipment to INTERACTION
you existing product portfolio? Are you
eyeing speci c projects?
We are currently upgrading our existing
models to the current Generation 10 series.
erea er, we may consider extending our
range to smaller units depending on market
trends.

What are the trends driving purchase
or hire of road construction equipment
market in India?
e conventional approach has always been
to consider the upfront cost. However, an
increasing percentage of buyers are looking
at productivity, field support, overall
machine uptime, etc as key factors. Long-
term players are mostly making purchases
but relatively smaller players may look for
the rental option. is is also true where the
Contractor has a smaller work volume for
which the speci c equipment is required.

Tell us about the indigenisation e orts
undertaken by the company to meet
the market requirements? What is the
company’s approach to implementing the
‘Make in India’ drive?
Kobelco has been making in India much
before the ‘Make in India’ initiative was
launched. Our investment in the Indian SK220XD
manufacturing facility has been increasing
over time and is expected to continue with ABOUT KOBELCO:
this trend considering the positive market Established in the year 2007 in India, Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd
response. Our indigenisation level is over 40 (KCEI), is a subsidiary of Kobelco Construction Machinery (KCM), Japan.
per cent and the intent is to take it further. Headquartered in Noida, in the National Capital Region, KCEI set up a nationwide
However, there are practical constraints due network of Authorised Dealers. Now, the Company is fully equipped to meet Customer
to shortage of world-class sources in India. expectations in terms of Service and Parts, through an efficient Logistics system,
covering over 100 Outlets in India and Nepal. KCEI has two main warehouses at Noida
How do you expect the market to shape and Chennai and has Depots at several locations for ex-stock delivery of machines.
up for the road construction equipment Being a firm believer in the India Growth Story, Kobelco invested in a manufacturing
industry through 2018 onwards? facility located at SriCity, in Andhra Pradesh, about 70 Kms from the city of Chennai. This
e current momentum is likely to see us Factory commenced production in 2011 and has since grown in production capacity
through the current scal. e next year, and range of Models. This factory has the credit of developing the HD series introduced
being an election year, will be crucial. e in 2013, featuring several reinforcements and additions to suit Indian conditions and
growth phase will continue if there is no applications. The focus has always been to deliver a reliable and highly productive
change. machine. KCEI aims to continuously pursue high levels of Customer satisfaction and
has always been supportive in addressing Customer concerns. The response has been
Future outlook for the industry and from tremendous and is reflected in the high percentage of repeat Buyers.
a company perspective Kobelco Construction Machinery, Japan, has a long history in the construction equipment
e overall outlook is quite positive and the industry spanning over 80 years. It has several state-of-the-art manufacturing plants
demand for bridging the infrastructure gap in Japan as well as in countries like China, Thailand, and India. KCM has its own
is expected to drive the growth. Availability R & D Centre which conducts research on a wide range of materials and processes, and
of funds has also improved. provides the leading edge in our product innovations and improvements.

MAY 2018 |CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES 67