Driverless earthmoving equipment and automation in action is the way ahead.

V. Senthil Kumar

- Managing Director, Propel Industries

What do you think is the demand-supply scenario of earth-moving equipment and how geared up are you to meet the demand surge? 

Industry reports say that the global earthmoving equipment market is projected to reach Rs 62,79,91,50,96,000 (USD 84.24 billion) by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 2.4% during the forecast period. Rising investment and push for development in the infrastructure sector is driving this industry. Oxford
Economics study reveals that the world will have to invest Rs 7,00,77,47,00,00,00,000 (USD 94 trillion) between 2016 and 2040 to meet the demands of the world population. Rapid industrialization and urbanization are also key driving factors. That said, the unprecedented situation that we are facing due to the pandemic is throwing up new challenges with every passing day.  We are doing our best to meet the demand surge.

True to the tagline, Propel Industries has been engineering excellence for a more than a decade and it is raring to go stronger day by day. Now, we are extending our engineering acumen to the concrete industry by developing a concrete batching equipment. The multiple batching solutions from us come with either twin shaft or planetary mixers. The Pro-Series of Propel Batching plant is proving to be a great hit among customers.

How have you been able to make use of technology to digitalise your processes especially with the adoption of IoT and AI/ML in your range of earth-moving equipment?

We, at Propel Industries, have been slowly and steadily going the digital way even before the pandemic stuck us. The pandemic forced us to expedite the process and we have adopted all digital means to stay in touch with our customers and to keep the business running smoothly.  We have also started making the best use of new technologies in our production processes. We have realized that incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) has helped in cost optimization and has improved productivity. The use of IoT has led to the use of Artificial Intelligence which is proving beneficial.

What are the challenges you face as a major player and what are your suggestions to overcome those challenges?

Team Propel is adept at overcoming challenges and this is one of the key factors for our growth in the last 11 years. At this point in time, the challenges are aplenty. Resilience is the word that I am advocating to my team.

After this second wave of Covid-19 subsides, the road to recovery will be bumpy. The SoPs and travel restrictions, which have to be followed to win over the pandemic, will make operations extremely tough, that is when we have to turn to technological means.

More than one year into this fight against Covid-19, we have learnt to make the best use of available resources and serve our customers better. One classic example of this is when we were able to ship a track machine to Uganda just by connecting to port logistics crew and our customer team through video conferencing. The entire process of loading, transporting, unloading and commissioning happened without Propel staff being there physically. The pandemic-induced restrictions forced us to make the best use of technology and we were extremely successful.

With pilot projects being undertaken for driverless / fully automated metros and trains, is this expected to be the future of earth-moving equipment as well? Your views.

Driverless earthmoving equipment and automation in action is going to be the way ahead. This is sure to keep the operators away from hazards. Fully automated equipment will be the preferred choice of customers in the years to come. Going in search of skilled operators might be a thing of the past, very soon. Fully automated equipment ensures safety, increases operational efficiency and keeps the equipment up and running.

I think customization of the level of automation as per the customer's requirement will also be a good bet.

What is your outlook on the future trends in this space of earth-moving equipment?

The earthmoving equipment industry is surely going to boom further, thanks to the construction projects that are being initiated by the central and state governments. Industry experts believe that the thirst for super- efficient automated equipment will create a positive impact. The earthmoving equipment segment is expected to maintain its top slot in the construction industry.

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