Our Indian earthmoving equipment line is full of technological features - for safety and machine health.

Sandeep Mathur

- Brand Leader, Case India

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

The government is keen on creating a strong infrastructure in India. We see a lot of investment going to the roads and highways sector by the government. The Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has set the target for the year 2026 and planned to expand around 60,000 km of National Highways (NHS) in the next five years. According to a report by Business wire, the Indian construction equipment market is projected to cross $ 4.7 billion by 2025, on account of anticipated growth in the construction industry, increasing foreign investments, and rising number of smart city projects in the country. The government is focusing on invigorating the infrastructure of the country in order to make India a more investment and business friendly place.

This quick increase in the projects will lead to more opportunities for industry players creating better demand for the CE equipment.  At CASE, we are ready to meet the demand surge. Our manufacturing plant, which produces CASE vibratory compactors and backhoe loaders for the Indian as well as markets abroad, is spread over 40 acres and occupies over 28,000 sq. m of covered area. CASE India currently has a vast and bankable dealer network spread across the country.  We have established a network of around 60 key dealers across India. Along with that, our spare parts and services accessibility reaches remote locations. The government initiatives will motivate the industry to work with vigor and at CASE, we are ready to make the most of these opportunities. 

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're seeing a lot of new trends in the CE sector, most of which include moving towards advanced technology and sustainability.

CASE has always been at the forefront of technology. Globally, we have introduced a lot of product concepts which are loaded with advanced technological features like Project TETRA and our autonomous tractor concept which is completely driverless, remotely controlled equipment which can increase a working day to a full 24 hours thereby increasing productivity. We've also launched excavators with Case Intelligent Hydraulic System (CIHS) which actively manages hydraulic power throughout lift/dump and dig/curl movements to maximize speed and efficiency while reducing fuel consumption by minimizing unnecessary hydraulic flow.

Our Indian earthmoving equipment line is also full of technological features which not only provide safety of the operator but at the same time takes care of the machine's health as well. We have the FPT technology which saves fuel cost and increases the uptime of the machine at the same time we also have smart features like Eagle Eye Telematics solution, which provide information and alerts regarding the equipment and comes with a Geo-fencing feature to monitor movement of the machine.

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

Currently, as the Covid wave has increased rapidly in India over the last few weeks, we are witnessing some minute halts and lags in terms of projects and supply. At the same time, learning from last year's circumstances we are well prepared this time to deal with sudden disruptions in the market. At CASE India, we adapted well to the new normal quickly since the start of the pandemic. We are adhering to the social distancing norms and putting safety of our employees and customers first. We've started engaging with them on multiple digital platforms and are also creating new avenues to further this interaction. Our dealers are trained digitally, and we've also introduced multiple financial offerings to ease the burden for our customers. All our facilities have been sanitized and work is being carried out while keeping all safety norms in mind.

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…

Technological upgrades have been a perennial part of the CE industry and the pandemic has quickened the pace further. Machines that deliver efficiency without being dependent on an operator are gaining prominence in the CE sector. As mentioned before, Globally, CASE has introduced a lot of futuristic product concepts which are loaded with advanced technological features like Project TETRA a methane-powered wheel loader concept made with the vision of sustainable construction and an autonomous tractor concept which is a completely driverless, remotely controlled equipment which can increase a working day to a full 24 hours thereby increasing productivity.

At same time, we are trying to bring revolutionary technologies in India as well. Recently, we launched our SiteWatch platform as well with an all-new dashboard, more intuitive navigation and new overview sections that highlight critical information without requiring the user to search extensively for the data. Additionally, our machines also come equipped with a multitude of smart features such as an eagle eye telematics system which helps in monitoring the performance, security and efficiency of the machine in real-time. At CASE, we believe in the technology that enables our customers and will continue to build products that do so.

Hits: 25