We Anticipate A Growing Demand For Our Plants And Equipment In The Future.

Shubhabrata Saha, MD & CEO, Ajax Engineering

How is the construction equipment market gaining pace in India? What are the demand drivers?

The current market scenario of the construction equipment industry is highly optimistic. In FY23, the industry witnessed impressive growth surpassing the levels recorded in previous years and reaching a significant milestone exceeding 100,000 units sold.

Notably, the concreting sector, which is a key component of the construction equipment industry, has shown remarkable resilience and strong, sustained demand. In the last fiscal year, it achieved an extraordinary growth rate of approximately 30% and in the current year, the trend continues to be positive. We at AJAX are confident of surpassing the industry growth level.

The construction equipment market in India is gaining significant momentum, driven by various factors. Firstly, the Indian government’s robust initiatives in infrastructure development, urbanisation, and industrialisation have propelled the demand for construction machinery. This surge is especially notable in the concrete equipment segment, where products like concrete batching plants, transit mixers, and concrete pumps are in high demand due to ongoing projects.

Secondly, the flourishing real estate sector in India is another major contributor to the growing construction equipment market. The construction of both residential and commercial properties necessitates the use of concrete equipment, further boosting demand.

Lastly, the introduction of advanced and efficient concrete equipment, featuring automation and telematics, has revolutionised the construction industry. These innovations have not only improved productivity but also reduced operational costs, making them increasingly attractive to builders and contractors. As India continues to focus on infrastructure and urban development, the construction equipment market is expected to thrive in the coming years.

How are you meeting the customer needs in a time-bound and cost-effective way? What could be the challenges and how will you tackle these challenges?

At AJAX, our relentless focus on innovation and indigenisation, driven by a deep understanding of customer needs and evolving technology, has been ingrained in our corporate ethos. This unwavering commitment to progress across these parameters has positioned AJAX as a pioneering leader in its segment. The following elements have been instrumental in aligning with and meeting our customers’ diverse needs:

I. Innovative engineering capability that can provide meaningful solutions to our customers

II. Wide sales and distribution network.

III. Best in industry customer support.

Challenges we may encounter include stiff market competition, rapidly evolving technology, shifting regulations and shortage of skilled manpower.  We are aligned to address these challenges through our core products and services which are unique through:

Innovation: AJAX engineering research team always looks at the buying behaviour and understands the pain points of the customers in hard-core research input in developing prototypes and coming up with new product solutions. These are built to address the functioning constraints along with the practicability needs and operability requirements of the customers at real-time operational site conditions.

Product capability: AJAX offers a complete range of products that includes self-loading concrete mixers, concrete batching plants, transit mixers, stationary pumps, boom pumps, self-propelled boom pumps, and slip-form paver offering end-to-end 360° concreting solutions that encompasses production, transport, placement, and pavement.

Our recent foray into 3D concrete printing is a groundbreaking step in construction technology. 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology in the concrete equipment industry, revolutionising the way structures are designed and built. This innovative approach allows for the precise layering of concrete, enabling the creation of complex and intricate designs that were once challenging or impossible to achieve through traditional methods.

Network: AJAX’s support network is spread across the length and breadth of the country, ensuring you are never far away from timely service when required. AJAX has a wide geographical spread with more than 51 dealers across the country along with over 100 touch-points catering to the sales and aftersales support to its customers.

Skill development: There is a dire need for skill-oriented education to boost employability with the rampant growth of new technologies.

Ajax school of concrete at Obadenahalli plant is equipped to provide an all-in-depth operation & maintenance training to our customer’s operators, which in turn benefits our customers in productivity and reliability of Ajax products. This will also help improve livelihoods of the people.

Further strengthening this by feeding the pipeline and to bolster the initiative of Skill India (NSDC), Ajax Engineering is taking up endeavours under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program by conducting ‘Vocational Skill Development Training Program’ for the skill enhancement of rural, semi-urban and urban youths designed to equip individuals for their roles, enhancing their skills and ensuring they are well-prepared for the job at hand.

How are your technologies and services going to address the changing needs of the customers considering the growing size and complexities of projects?

Customer needs are dynamically evolving, necessitating agile and responsive solutions. Staying attuned to this dynamic landscape, we prioritise continuous adaptation and innovation to ensure our products and services not only meet but exceed the ever-changing demands of our customers.

Over the years, we have added new features like load cell weighing system for higher accuracy that has been patented. Further, we have introduced smart fleet telematics, rear view camera, admixture dosing units, bidirectional tyres, AC cabins, EH drum control, high pressure water jet etc, to name a few and many of these have been industry-first keeping in mind our customers’ evolving needs. Recently, we introduced India’s first all-new CEV Stage IV compliant ARGOs that offer the best-in-class benefits with excellent fuel efficiency as well as less down time due to longer service intervals ensuring very high reliability due to our high-quality standards.

The shortage of manpower and need for a quicker placement of concrete in inaccessible areas has necessitated the use of AJAX boom pumps in the current construction processes. Smaller 4X2 truck chassis-mounted concrete boom pumps have been revolutionising the construction of commercial and residential buildings and structures. With its short turning radius and lower cost, it offers higher productivity and efficiency to the customers. We have also built a patented product – self-propelled boom pump which is again an industry-first which eliminated the need for a truck chassis and offers even shorter turning radius. With its 4X4 capability, it can reach anywhere in any terrain making it easing for customers to do difficult, narrow access concreting jobs.

AJAX has also designed and manufactured India’s first and only slip-form paver to build concrete roads up to 12 meters, thereby eliminating the need for customers to import pavers from outside the country. We are proud to say that it has worked rigorously for over 2,500 hrs and has built over 100 km of concrete roads in India.

Our recent foray is into 3DCP. 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology in the concrete equipment industry, revolutionising the way structures are designed and built. This innovative approach allows for the precise layering of concrete, enabling the creation of complex and intricate designs that were once challenging or impossible to achieve through traditional methods. The ability to print concrete components with intricate geometries not only reduces material waste but also opens up new possibilities in architectural design. This technology facilitates the construction of structures with increased strength and durability, as well as the integration of functional features directly into the printed elements.

What kind of demand are you anticipating for your plants and equipment in future? What are the strategies needed to effectively serve the customers in future?

We anticipate a growing demand for our plants and equipment in the future, driven by expanding infrastructure projects, urbanisation, and industrial development. As these projects increase in size and complexity, the need for efficient and reliable concrete equipment becomes paramount. To effectively serve our customers in this evolving landscape, following may be critical.

• Focus on continuous innovation, crafting environmentally friendly and technologically superior equipment to meet evolving industry standards and customer expectations.
• Enhance after-sales support and training programs to empower customers in maximising the benefits of our solutions.
• Maintain a customer-centric approach and foster agility in adapting to changing requirements for effective future service.
• Embrace digitalisation as a core strategy, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance customer interactions, streamline processes, and stay ahead in an increasingly digitised landscape.