The Indian mobile crane industry will continue to grow in future.
Abhijit Shinde,
What is the current market scenario of mobile cranes in India?
The Government of India’s ‘Vision 2030’ initiative aiming to be a $5 trillion economy by 2025 and $10 trillion economy by 2030, require building physical infrastructures such as next-generation roads, railway, seaports, airports, urban transport and inland waterways. Such initiatives have created a strong demand for mobile cranes this year.
This year, the increased investment by the Government of India in infrastructure development along with industrial growth is propelling the demand for mobile cranes. The mobile crane industry is well positioned for strong growth not only for this year, but also in the upcoming years.
Pick-n-carry cranes are used for a wide range of material handling operations and are extremely popular in Indian market, comprising over 90% of the total mobile crane industry in India.
The Indian mobile crane industry recorded an exceptional 26% growth YoY in current financial year (FY24) wherein pick-n-carry cranes segment record an impressive 45% growth YoY.
What are the latest product and technology trends in your range of mobile cranes?
In the category of pick-n-carry cranes, we at Escorts Kubota Limited continue to hold an undisputed market leader position in safe cranes segment. Our F series and TRX series cranes are the safest cranes in its class. Aiming at the increasing lifting capacity of the crane requirement mainly for the mega infrastructure projects, we have introduced TRX 30 (30T capacity) crane having joystick controlled craning operation.
The hydraulically operated winch has built-in safety brakes. An efficient high-speed/low creep commercial driveline with heavy-duty front & rear axles, hydro pneumatic clutch not only makes it versatile to work in toughest applications but also reduces driver’s fatigue for longer working operations. LED work lamp for night operation with high range visibility. Heavy-duty robust dragging winch at front for dragging application with inbuilt safety brakes. Towing hook provided at the front and rear end of the TRX30 for highway clearance during the breakdown/accident of vehicles. Rhino hook at front of the crane will be used for pulling operation of max up to 5T load under fully retract boom condition. Our cranes are increasingly incorporating with telematics, that allow for real time monitoring of crane performance, condition and location leading better maintenance planning and operational efficiency.
Continuing with the legacy of innovative product into the market, Escorts Kubota introduced a multi-activity piling crane model Piling Master F20 that will do piling activities like cage handling, lowering, concreting and casing removal apart from loading/unloading of material. The main highlights of the crane that it has heavy-duty piling hook with boltable winch arrangement without rope setting is the first time where piling is handled through a tyre-mounted crane.
Our USP to provide right products for the right customers by offering solutions through products equipped with varied features, lower fuel consumption that offer more economical operating costs to the customers.
What are the latest safety features and other features in your range of mobile cranes?
Mobile crane plays a vital role in construction and infrastructure development, provide lifting power necessary to a wide range of tasks, making them indispensable on job sites.
The mobile crane industry is constantly evolving, driven by the need for greater lifting capacity, efficient, safety and sustainability. Recognising the concern of customers, our cranes are equipped with advanced safety features like:
- · Safe load indicator that monitors and provides operator with real-time information about load positions and crane capacity. This helps prevent overload and enhances overall safety.
- · Anti-toppling system helps to prevent rear axle leave the ground in case of undulation/off-road craning operation.
- · Chassis lateral and longitudinal angle sensing, that will alarm (unsafe stability) when machine is working in undulated ground.
- · Human proximity sensors give alarm whenever human or any obstructions come near to the machine.
As technology continue to advance, the integration of automation in mobile crane operation will not only enhance efficiency but also contribute significantly to safety.
What are the green initiatives in your mobile cranes range?
In response to the green initiative, our R&D is focused on alternative solutions. This commitment aligns with our vision of being at the forefront of the industry's transition to cleaner and eco-friendlier technologies.
The construction equipment will have to look for alternative of diesel engine to electric or hybrid technology because of stricter emission norms and high fuel cost in the coming years. In endeavour to this, our R&D has already developed proto of hybrid (electric + diesel) backhoe and CNG operated pick-n-carry crane.
Although we have developed the technology for future readiness, we are waiting for the availability of CNG and charging stations for EV in remote areas where most of the machines are operated.
What are the aftermarket services offered for your mobile crane customers?
Aftermarket service support helps ensure that the customer gets as much use and value as possible out of their product. We at Escorts Kubota believe in quality after-sales services to our customers that results in positive word of mouth for a company, brand loyalty and repeat sales.
We have a network of 17 business centres, 80 dealers and 62 spare distributors across India, who provide service support to our product.
As digitisation has a significant impact on customer satisfaction, we have introduced Escorts customer service mobile app to connect the customers for any enquiry or service request directly with Escorts server 24X7.
Our aftersales team frequently organise training program that ensure operators must be well-versed in crane functions, load capacities, and safety protocols.
We also organise free health check-up campaign for our customers and suggest parts if required for the efficient crane operation.
What is your outlook on India’s mobile cranes market? What are your future plans?
The outlook of the Indian mobile crane industry looks bright and will continue to grow in future. The Indian mobile crane market is primarily driven by the increasing infrastructural and industrial activities in the country. Furthermore, the Government of India is spending a considerable amount of money on the development of the nation’s infrastructure like roads, airports, port & waterways, railways, mining and housing establishments, which is positively impacting the mobile crane market.
The mobile crane industry may drop in the first quarter of FY25 because of general elections which will be held in April/May 2024 but after that it will continue to grow at CAGR of 4-5% till FY28 considering the same government policies towards the infra push.
We have India's largest state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Faridabad for manufacturing mobile cranes. We have efficient processes and manufacturing techniques in place that help us deliver consistent quality and safety in our product offerings. This also in turn helps us ensure reliability and peace of mind for our customers.
