Komatsu hydraulic excavators are fuel-efficient and easy to operate.
Arvind K. Garg,
What is the current market scenario of hydraulic excavators in India, and what is your outlook for the near future?
Over the last three years, the market for hydraulic excavators registered annual compounded growth rates between 9 and 10%. India is currently the third-largest global market for Construction Equipment (CE) and is projected to be the second-largest by 2027.
The Indian CE market currently stands at the cusp of a transformative phase, especially in the construction and mining equipment segments. The India Budget 2024 drives this shift with substantial allocations and initiatives aimed at fuelling infrastructure development and modernisation across key sectors, including roads, railways, ports, etc.
We in the CE industry are quite upbeat about the sector's growth prospects and emerging opportunities arising from the Government's drive for infrastructure development through ambitious programmes like Gati Shakti and the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
This year’s budget and announcements prior to that on infrastructure investment have laid out a clear growth-oriented path for the construction industry, emphasising capital expenditure and sustainable infrastructure development. We strongly believe these initiatives will expand the market for all stakeholders in the sector, including L&T Construction and Mining Machinery, which has always pioneered cutting-edge technologies revolutionising the industry over the years.
What are the new innovations in your range of excavators with respect to the applications?
Komatsu and L&T Construction & Mining Machinery offer a comprehensive range of hydraulic excavators equipped with several digital tools for various applications. We jointly provide exceptional product experiences supported by state-of-the-art technologies.
The latest introduction is the Smart Construction solution. Built to support the digital transformation of customers’ worksites, Komatsu’s suite of Smart Construction solutions leverages the power of IoT to help customers orchestrate construction planning, with the aim to handle management and scheduling better, streamline costs, and optimise processes remotely—in near real-time.
Machines like the Komatsu excavators feature advanced ecot3 (Ecology, Economy, Technology 3) engine technology. With in-house developed control systems and components, these excavators consume less fuel, are highly versatile, and offer superior productivity, reducing overall production costs.
Komatsu's unique HydrauMind system makes it the most sophisticated excavator in the Indian market. This system, which has earned Komatsu almost 200 patents, ensures seamless operation, making the machine feel like an extension of the operator.
Komatsu’s patented telematics system, KOMTRAX, enables fleet owners to optimise maintenance planning and fleet management. This tracking system offers machine monitoring, location tracking, and working hours. Customers can access this information remotely. The upgraded version of KOMTRAX allows for revolutionary monitoring of Komatsu equipment from anywhere on the web, anytime. KOMTRAX ensures optimal machine control and monitors health and performance, providing economical operation guidance for operators.
How are you making a difference in the excavator market with your products and services?
Komatsu hydraulic excavators are fuel-efficient and easy to operate. They are designed with the operators' comfort and safety in mind so they can work long hours without fatigue. The cabins are also reinforced with mesh guards for enhanced safety. These together deliver higher productivity and offer Quality-Reliability-Durability.
An exceptional and proactive bouquet of after-sales service offerings optimises machine uptime. Komatsu and L&T offer a comprehensive range of after-sales support, including maintenance services and prompt parts availability. L&T has created a vast network of dealerships to deliver after-sales support and ensure parts availability.
A Central Warehouse at Nagpur and a strong team of L&T and dealer engineers take care of customers’ machines to ensure they receive timely assistance and maximise potential uptime. Apart from this, our strategically located Service Stations cater to the maintenance requirements of the machines on time. In some instances, our dealer engineers are stationed at project sites to ensure higher productivity and optimal performance.
What are the green technologies being introduced?
Komatsu and L&T’s priority is sustainability. Both companies aim to achieve sustainable growth by positively contributing to ESG issues.
In fact, when the world was still operating on fossil fuel, L&T developed a fully indigenous electric version of the model hydraulic excavator 90CK and 300CK for the first time in India in 1979 as an alternative to the diesel version. Both machines, when deployed in mining, could achieve high availability. Komatsu’s portfolio includes an extensive range of electric machines for the construction and mining industry.
Komatsu and L&T, with a strong focus on sustainability, have recently launched construction equipment that are B20 Biodiesel compatible. These include the Komatsu PC205-10MO hydraulic excavator, Komatsu PC500LC-10R hydraulic excavator, Komatsu PC210LC-10M0 Super Long Front, and Komatsu GD535-6 motor grader. These machines deliver comparable power and productivity while using alternative energy, thus conserving fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Komatsu and L&T have also launched a series of biodiesel-compatible models for the mining industry. These include the hydraulic excavator PC1250-8R, dump truck HD785-7, wheel loader WA900-8R, crawler dozer D275A-5R, motor grader GD825A-2, and water sprinkler HD465-7E0.
At bauma CONEXPO India in 2022 and at Excon 2023, Komatsu and L&T showcased hybrid excavators HB365LC-1 and the HB205, respectively. These are at least 20% more energy-efficient than traditional equipment. These technologies have the potential to reduce emissions and enhance operational efficiency significantly, making them an attractive option for companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact and meet sustainability goals.
Our portfolio comprises electric excavators, dump trucks, and electric-powered hydraulic shovel models for coal mining, highlighting our dedication to cleaner energy. Looking ahead, we plan to introduce hybrid and electric machines, further bolstering our reputation as a leader in sustainable construction equipment.
Komatsu is also working on battery-operated and hydrogen cell-fuelled construction equipment. We are confident that these initiatives will help us retain our technological leadership in the country.
