CM November issue 2022

Dear Readers,

With great pride, we are delighted to bring our ‘Golden Anniversary’ Edition of CONSTRUCTION MIRROR. This is the 9th Anniversary of the magazine and it follows IMME being held during 16th-19th November 2022.

Construction Mirror offers unique, refreshing and informative content to assist and inspire our readers & clients. Construction Mirror is bound to evolve to tough new Zenith of success. It is our hope that the breadth of our coverage is representative of the quality and rich content with the interests and concerns of our readers as well as the surrounding community.

As we believe that the pursuit of knowledge is never ending, we have brought in focus perspicacious, thought-provoking topics in this issue like - Construction Equipment, Commercial Vehicles, Mining Industry, Steel Industry, Building Material, Infrastructure & Real Estates etc. are worth pondering your thoughts.

A warm thank you for admiring our magazine and looking forward to it with such vigor and enthusiasm. You are truly wonderful readers; it gives us pleasure to present you our ‘Golden Anniversary Edition.’

We also wish to bring you the best on the construction and infrastructure just like we have until now. Here’s to a year of putting the best foot forward.

We are very proud of the work displayed here by the whole team of CM who made this issue super especial. We hope you enjoy reading an exclusive content as seen through experts’ journalistic eyes.

All rights reserved by all events are made to ensure that the information published is correct; Construction Mirror holds no responsibility any unlikely errors that might occur.

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Editor: Anjali

“Construction is a matter of optimism; it’s a matter of facing the future with confidence” – Cesar Pelli

THE PERFECT SOLUTION

WHAT MAKES ELBA CONCRETE PLANT SPECIAL AS PREFERRED CHOICE OF CUSTOMER ?

ELBA Concrete plants are designed with modular concept and cent percent mobility for transport from any location with no exclusive foundations, levelled and compacted surface of 250 kN/m2 is required to place the compact folded plant with plug and play concept to erect and commission the plant within no time.

• Modular with mobility designed concrete plants give edge over competition

• Patented Single and Double Shaft Spiral Mixers –Ensure Mix quality with consistency with three zone counterflow mixing mechanism

• Auto Lubrication System – This ensures timely and effective lubrication to Shaft seals to enhance life and no breakdown time

• Easy removal of Shaft Seal – No need to take out shafts to replace Seals which reduces down time

• Elba patented interlocking mixer tiles design –Reduces laborious job to replace the tiles

• Control System – Unique Real time microprocessor based as1 control system ensures zero down time with extraordinary features to suit the entire requirements of management MIS

Escorts Kubota Limited Q2 Standalone Net Profit at Rs. 87.7 Crore.

Q2 Standalone Profit before exceptional items & Tax at Rs.191.5 crore.

• Tractor volumes up by 12.5% at 23,703 units

- Domestic tractor volume up by 12.9% at 21,396 units Export tractor volumes up by 8.7% at 2,307 units, highest ever in any quarter

• Construction Equipment volumes at 917 units

• Standalone EBIDTA at Rs.152.7 crore

• Standalone Net Profit at Rs. 87.7 crore

Escorts Kubota Limited today reported net profit of ₹ 87.7 crore in quarter ended September 30, 2022, as against a profit of Rs. 176.7 crore in corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, adversely impacted due to unabsorbed inflation, both in commodity and other costs and an exceptional item of Rs. 72.8 crore on account of impairment of investment in the Joint Venture Tadano Escorts India Private Limited.

Revenue from operations was at ₹ 1,883.5 crores in quarter ended September 2022 as against ₹ 1,678.8 cores in corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. EBIDTA for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, came at ₹ 152.7 crore as against ₹ 226.7 crore in corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

Revenue from operations was at ₹ 3,898.3 crore in first half ended September 2022 as against ₹ 3,355.8 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal. The

crore is at ₹ 389.5 crore as against of ₹ 483.6 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal.

At consolidated level revenue from operations was at ₹ 3,922.9 crores as against ₹ 3,397.7 cores in first half year ending September 2021. Consolidated net profit recorded at ₹ 239.4 crore in first half ended September 30, 2022, as against a profit of ₹ 351.9 crore in corresponding period last fiscal. adversely impacted due to unabsorbed commodity

standalone profit before tax and before exceptional item of ₹ 72.8

price inflation coupled with an exceptional item of ₹ 53.1 crore on account of impairment of investment in the Joint Venture Tadano Escorts India Private Limited. EPS reported at ₹ 22.14 as against ₹ 35.75 in corresponding period last fiscal.

Speaking on the results, Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Nikhil Nanda said, “There has been a positive momentum across businesses, and we expect it to continue. Overall macroeconomic factors and farmer sentiments remain positive led by above normal monsoon and onset of an early festive season which will favorably support Agri business. With increasing flow of Government investments for infrastructure development, the demand for construction equipment is likely to be good. Our broad product line in railway business has been garnering good order booking and we expect a strong fiscal ahead. We also hope that various government actions will help in stabilizing inflation to support the economy at large, propelling country’s overall growth and development.”

As per Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Seiji Fukuoka, “With strategic focus and integrated strength of Escorts Kubota Limited, various initiatives will catapult overall business growth and bring in better operational efficiency. India is a growing economy, and we operate in core sectors of growth, thus there is immense opportunity to be leveraged across businesses. There has been a positive trend and we expect it to get stronger with innovative product line ahead.”

Segment Wise Performance

Agri Machinery Products

Tractor volumes at 23,703 units in quarter ended September 2022 went up by 12.5% as against 21,073 units in the corresponding period last fiscal. Segment revenue was at ₹ 1,454.9 crore in quarter ended September 2022 as against ₹ 1,257.0 crore in corresponding period last fiscal. This quarter steep inflation in commodities prices, resulted in lower EBIT margin at 8.4%, as compared to 14.9% in corresponding period last fiscal.

For first half of current fiscal, tractor volumes went up by 7.4% at 50,500 units as compared to 47,008 units in corresponding period last fiscal. Segment revenue also went up by 14.1% at ₹ 3,050.6 crore in half year ended September 2022 as against ₹ 2,673.7 crore in corresponding period last fiscal.

EBIT margin for first half of fiscal came at 9.5% as compared to 15.2% in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Construction Equipment

Construction equipment sales volume for the quarter ended September 2022 was 917 machines as against 1,074 machines in corresponding period last fiscal. Segment revenues came at ₹ 241.9 crore in quarter ending September 2022 as against ₹ 249.7 crore in corresponding period last fiscal. EBIT margin stood at negative 2.6% as against 3.6% in corresponding period last fiscal.

For first half of current fiscal, construction equipment volumes were up by 12.1% at 1,883 units as compared to 1,680 units in corresponding period last fiscal. Segment revenue came at ₹ 488.0 crore in half year ended September 2022 as against ₹ 390.8 crore in corresponding period last fiscal. EBIT margin for first half of current fiscal was at negative 0.8% as against 1.4% in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Railway Products Division

Revenue for the second quarter came at ₹ 182.0 crore in quarter ending September 2022, our ever-highest quarterly revenue, up by 7.0% as against ₹ 170.2 crore in the corresponding quarter. EBIT margin stood at 14.6% in quarter ended September 2022 as against 17.3% in corresponding period last fiscal.

For first half of current fiscal railways products segment revenue came at ₹ 355.4 crore as against ₹ 289.6 crore in corresponding period last fiscal. EBIT margin for first half of current fiscal stood at 14.1% as compared to 16.2% in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Order book for the division, at end of September 2022, was more than ₹ 900 crore. CM

MOVIN expands its Express

End-of-day services to 19 new cities

MO VIN Express Private Limited, a joint venture between UPS and InterGlobe Enterprises, has announced the expansion of its Express End -of-day service to 19 new cities and towns, providing faster time in transit in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

This expansion takes the network of MOVIN’s Express End-of-day services to 47 cities, covering ~3000 pin codes, which caters to major commercial production and consumption hubs of India.

This latest phase of expansion of operations, supported by tech-driven innovations, has spread MOVIN’s services in Metros as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities to cater to customers’ demands in the ever-expanding B2B logistics space. The 19 new cities are Allahabad, Aurangabad, Bagdogra, Belgaum, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hubli, Jodhpur, Kolhapur, Madurai, Mysore, Nagpur, Rajahmundry, Rajkot, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupati, Udaipur and Varanasi.

The already existing 28 cities include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Baroda, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, DelhiNCR, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai,

JB Singh, Director InterGlobe Enterprises and Board Member of MOVIN, said, “The decision to expand our presence into these cities was a logical step in our business growth strategy. It has been in line with our plan to tap into key locations that generate most of India’s B2B commerce volume. Our network in this phase of the expansion has added some of the most strategic markets in the country that will allow us to unlock businesses from sectors such as textiles, electronics, IT peripherals, automotive components, healthcare, and e-commerce. Our customers are gaining business value from our class-leading, competitive, and technology-driven express and standard premium services.”

“We aim to become strategic business partners for our customers by providing them with fully predictable day and time definite delivery. We are also on the path of building 10 strategic hubs by Q1 2023 to connect regional centers, which will enhance our capabilities to provide seamless service”, Mr Singh further added CM

Express End-of-day services of MOVIN now available in 47 cities across India

Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Surat, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam.

L&T Construction secures EPC orders worth Rs 1,000-2500 crore in Saudi Arabia

The power transmission and distribution business of Larsen & Toubro secured multiple engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) orders worth Rs 1,000-2,500 crore in the current quarter to build transmission lines and substations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The officials said that this business will undertake engineering, design, procurement and construction of more than 400 km of 380kv overhead transmission lines and a new 230kv gas insulated substation with associated automation and protection systems.

The transmission network strengthening augers well for providing reliable, safe and efficient electricity supply as Saudi Arabia is embarked on an ambitious National Renewable Energy Program towards attaining optimal generation mix as envisaged in its strategic vision for 2030, the engineering company said. The company also said these repeat orders from the largest electric energy system provider in

Middle east and North Africa (MENA) region demonstrate the core strengths of the business and the customer confidence it has gained over decades of its association in the Kingdom.

The water & effluent treatment business of L&T Construction in the month of October secured repeat orders from the Narmada Water Resources, water Supply & Kalpsar Department, Gujarat to execute pumping system and pipeline works from Tapper Dam to Nirona Dam (Northern Link). This is the single-largest order secured by the Business in Gujarat.

The company said the scope of work involves design, supply, construction and commissioning of pump houses and pipelines, with associated electrical and automation works. It said the turnkey project aimed to strengthen water resources in Kachchh district of Gujarat by filling existing reservoirs that will irrigate 36,392 hectares of land CM

JK Cement’s wholly owned subsidiary -- Jaykaycem (Central) has successfully commenced Cement Grinding capacity of 2 MnTPA on November 2, 2022 at its newly set up cement manufacturing facilities situated at Panna, Madhya Pradesh. The clinkerisation is at advanced stage and would to be commissioned shortly.

JK Cement is one of the largest cement manufacturers in north India. It is also second largest producer of white cement in India. The company exports white cement to countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, UAE and Nepal. CM

JK Cement subsidiary commences 2 MTPA cement grinding capacity

cement manufacturing company, reported its consolidated financial results for the quarter ending September 30, 2022.

Highlights

Outperformance Continues

Q2FY23 Highlights

• Volume increased 13.2% YOY to 5.8 MnT

• Revenue increased 15.1% YOY to Rs. 2,971 Cr

• EBITDA/T stood at Rs. 655/T

• Added Renewable power capacity of 24 MW

• Declared an interim dividend of Rs 4/- per share

• Net Debt/EBITDA at 0.32x

Dalmia Bharat Limited, (BSE: 542216, NSE: DALBHARAT), a leading cement manufacturing company, reported its consolidated financial results for the quarter ending September 30, 2022.

Commenting on the quarter gone by, Mr. Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director & CEO – Dalmia Bharat Limited, said, “Despite a steep inflationary environment, we are pleased with our performance during the first half of this year and we believe that for the industry, the worst is behind. While the geopolitical turmoil continues, we remain confident on the resilience of the Indian economy as it solidifies its position as a key contributor to the global growth & consumption center.” He further added, “Driven by revival in housing and the government’s continual push for infrastructure, we expect cement demand to be robust. Looking ahead, we remain focused on further progressing on our capacity expansion plan along with providing top-tier returns for our stakeholders.”

Mr. Mahendra Singhi, Managing Director and CEO – Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited said, “Despite a seasonally weak quarter, we are encouraged with recent momentum in prices and volumes. Our past investments in strengthening our operational efficiencies and cost rationalizations have enabled us maintain our low-cost leadership. He also mentioned that, “We expect profitability to significantly improve for the rest of the year as the benefits of correction in fuel prices will start getting reflected in the current quarter. I am cautiously optimistic about the opportunity that lies ahead of us and with all our collective team efforts, I am confident that Dalmia Bharat will meet its commitment of capacity expansion while delivering sustainable earnings growth.” Key Recognitions

Sustainability

• CII “Climate Action Programme, CAP 2.0” AwardTo DCBL for 2nd time under Category 2.0 oriented for Energy, Mining and Heavy Manufacturing

• First cement company to bag “The DL Shah Quality Gold Award” - DCBL for promoting Green Blended Cement and Green Binders

• “Water Efficient Unit Award” at the CII National Award - Kadapa Unit

• Other awards at CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management

Particulars

(Rs. Cr) Q2FY23 Q2FY22 H1FY23 H1FY22

Sales Volume (MnT) 5.8 5.1 12.0 10.0

Income from Operations 2,971 2,581 6,273 5,172

EBITDA 379 621 965 1,334

EBITDA/T 655 1215 804 1,334

Net Debt to EBITDA (x) 0.32x (0.48x) 0.32x (0.48x)

- “Energy Leader” Award - Ariyalur Unit

- “Excellence in Energy Management” AwardAriyalur Unit

- “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit Award” – Kadapa Unit

- “Outstanding Achievement” in Excellent Energy Efficient Unit – Lanka Unit

- “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit Award” - Umrangso Unit

Commenting on the quarter gone by, Mr. Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director & CEO Dalmia Bharat Limited, said, “Despite a steep inflationary environment, we are pleased with our performance during the first half of this year and we believe that for the industry, the worst is behind. While the geopolitical turmoil continues, we remain confident on the resilience of the Indian economy as it solidifies its position as a key contributor to the global growth & consumption center.” He further added, “Driven by revival in housing and the government’s continual push for infrastructure, we expect cement demand to be robust. Looking ahead, we remain focused on further progressing on our capacity expansion plan along with providing top tier returns for our stakeholders.”

- “Energy Leadership Award” for 5th consecutive year - Dalmiapuram Unit

Mr. Mahendra Singhi, Managing Director and CEO Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited said, “Despite a seasonally weak quarter, we are encouraged with recent momentum in prices and

- “Excellent Energy Efficiency Unit” Award for 8th consecutive year - Dalmiapuram Unit

• “Best Green Procurement Initiative/Project” at ELSC leadership Award - Belgaum Unit

Dalmia Bharat Limited

11th & 12th Floor, Hansalaya Building, 15 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi 110 001, Delhi, India

• Dalmia Bharat Limited (DBL) won multiple awards at 22nd Annual Greentech Environment Award 2022

T +91 11 2346 5100 Toll Free 1800 2020 W www.dalmiacement.com CIN: L14200TN2013PLC112346

Registered Office: Dalmiapuram, District Tiruchirappalli 621 651 Tamil Nadu, India A Dalmia Bharat Group company, www.dalmiabharat.com

- Environment Protection under Corporate Category “Exemplary Work towards Sustainability” Award –Belgaum Unit

“Outstanding Achievement” Award in the Environment Protection Category – Bokaro & Lanka Unit respectively

• “Exceed Waste Management Gold Award 2021-2022” for excellence in the management of waste generate and waste utilization - Chandrapur unit

Safety

• 1st prize at the NE Metalliferous Mines Safety Week for the year 2019-2020 and overall 3rd prize at the NE Metalliferous Mines Safety Week for the year 2020-2021 - Jamunanagar Limestone mine in Umrangso, Assam

• Second Prize in State Level Mines Safety Week Celebrations 2022 by Tamil Nadu Mine Safety Association - Mines at Dalmiapuram Unit

• “Platinum Award” at Apex India Occupational Health & Safety Awards 2022 – Rajganjpur unit

• Platinum Award at the Green Crest (Safety) Award 2022 – Medinipur Unit

Operations

• “Cost Optimization” Award at Manufacturing Today Re-inventing the Series ’22 - Dalmiapuram Unit. CM

for the Quarter and Half Year ended September 30, 2022

Liebherr debuts hydrogen-powered excavator R 9XX H2

Liebherr has introduced its first hydraulic excavator powered by a hydrogen engine, the R 9XX H2. The prototype of this model, currently on display at bauma 2022, was developed by Liebherr-France SAS in Colmar, France. The installed H966 hydrogen combustion engine was produced by Liebherr Machines Bulle SA in Switzerland.

The H2 drive in the crawler excavator does not require a permanent energy supply and emits extremely low levels of NOx and CO2, explained Liebherr. Depending on the assessment method used in each case, and whether the entire life cycle of the machine is taken into account, the hydrogen combustion engine can reduce CO2 emissions by almost 100% when considering ‘tank to wheel’ or by 70% when considering the ‘cradle to grave’ principle.

The first Liebherr hydrogen engine, the H966, is the heart of the new R 9XX H2 excavator. This is an engine designed for both demonstration and field trials and is based on an intake manifold injection technology (also known as PFI). According to Liebherr, the results offer evidence of a great potential in hydrogen propulsion and argue in favour of using such drives for off-road applications as well.

Liebherr’s components division is also working on further hydrogen-based drive technologies, including H2 direct injection. The latter enables a higher power density than the established H2

intake manifold injection, making it ideal for heavy-duty applications in demanding working environments, such as the construction and mining industries.

The R 9XX H2 reaches the same overall performance as its diesel counterpart, both in terms of power output, engine dynamics and response, said Liebherr. The design of this new hydrogen excavator is based on the current and future generation 8 of crawler excavators. Suitable for extreme temperatures, shock and dust-intensive site operations, the R 9XX H2, with its operating weight of 50 t, can become as robust a solution for earthmoving and quarrying applications in the future as the conventionally powered Liebherr crawler excavators in the same class already are. The only differences are in refuelling the machines: fast and safe refuelling is ensured via infrared communication between the excavator and the refuelling station, where users benefit from the standardised high-speed protocol.

Henrik Weitze, project manager at Liebherr-France SAS, said, “The tests carried out in Colmar were extremely convincing. This technology promises many advantages for us in the future, especially in the most challenging applications.”

The Liebherr R 9XX H2 hydrogen excavator has received the 2022 Bauma Innovation Award in the Climate Protection category. CM

India has entered into an era of ‘steel’ roads: Union Minister

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that the India has entered into an era of ‘Steel’ roads, by moving on from concrete to steel slag.

He said, in a first of its kind initiative taken in the World by CSIR-CRRI, TATA Steel and Border Roads Organization, processed steel slag aggregates is going to be utilised in construction of steel slag road stretch in strategic areas.

The Minister was speaking after flagging off virtually the dispatch of 1600 metric ton of processed Steel Slag Aggregates railway rack from Tata Steel Jamshedpur to Border Road Organization Project Arunank, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

This is the first of its kind initiative in the world by CSIR-CRRI, TATA Steel and Border Roads Organization, wherein processed steel slag aggregates is going to be utilised in construction of steel slag road stretch in strategic areas.

The minister said, to meet the demand of Border Roads, India’s second largest and oldest Steel Company, TATA Steel has come forward under the collaborative R&D alliance with CSIR- Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to supply processed BOF steel slag aggregates developed at TATA Steel Jamshedpur plant under CRRI technological guidance.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as per PM Modi’s vision for “Waste to Wealth" and NITI Aayog instructions, CSIR CRRI has developed this technology under the sponsored research project of the Ministry of Steel. He said, one third of 37 labs of CSIR in the country are working for developing suitable technologies for creating Waste to Wealth.

He said, today’s event is yet another demonstration of application of science for “Ease of Living" and it also underlines the Integration and Whole of Government Approach, as 4 prominent entities TATA Steel, CSIR, Border Roads Organization and

Ministry of Steel came together to take “Waste to Wealth" concept to a new level.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is worth mentioning that construction cost of this road is 30% less than the conventional road constructed with Natural aggregates, while it has 3 to 4 times higher strength. India has a vast road network and under the national highway development program, Bharatmala Project, massive Road construction is happening.

He said, the conversion of steel slag into road-making aggregates will not only mitigate the problem of steel slag waste management for steel industries, but will also provide a long lasting, durable and viable alternative of natural aggregates for road construction.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is currently the world’s 2nd largest producer of crude steel, producing over 118 million tonnes (MT) crude steel of which around 20 percent steel slag is generated as solid waste and its disposal is a big challenge to the steel industries. He said, to address this challenge, CSIR- CRRI came up with technological innovation and guided build India’s First Steel Slag Road at Surat, Gujarat.

He said, around 1 lakh tonne processed steel slag aggregates are developed under CSIR-CRRI technological guidance at Arcellor Mittal Nippon Steel Plant Hazira and successfully utilised as substitutes of natural aggregates in road construction.

Jitendra Singh complimented CSIR for coming out with unique innovations like Purple Revolution in J&K for lavender cultivation, Heliborne technology for water assessment for Jal Shakti Ministry, Drone technology for use in agricultural applications, Drugs for Health Ministry and ICMR and use of cooked oil for making alternative fuel by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun. CM

PRESS RELEASE

Trimble Commits to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions to 50% by 2030

Global construction technology leader Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) has announced its commitment to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions 50 percent by 2030, with 2019 as the base year. This is in line with the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement and a net-zero future to keep global temperature increase to 1.5°C.

Trimble also said that it is committing to achieve 100 percent annual sourcing of renewable electricity by 2025. The company added that it has received approval of its emissions reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a coalition of the CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature, joining a growing number of companies taking urgent action on climate change.

“We are putting sustainability at the front and center of everything we do at Trimble. We are not only increasing sustainability in our operations and products but also enabling our customers to drive sustainability. Today, our customers in India and around the world are able to experience reduced environmental impact, lower operational costs, increased productivity and quality and improved safety and transparency, while maintaining regulatory compliance.”

“Since 1978, Trimble's industry-specific solutions have helped businesses accomplish more, while promising a lower environmental impact. As the need for sustainability becomes more urgent in the India and around the world, we are putting sustainability at the front and center of everything we do at Trimble. We remain committed to acting quickly to protect the environment and make society more resilient, productive, and connected. Our Sustainability

Report details this vision, and our solutions meet the highest sustainability standards and help develop sustainable projects.” says Paul Wallett, Regional Director, Trimble Solutions, India and Middle East.

Trimble’s recently released its 2021 Sustainability Report highlighting that the company’s technology solutions enable greater accuracy, less rework, and increased efficiency across industries, and therefore yield fuel savings that are estimated to prevent over seven million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The company’s integrated solutions span key segments that play a critical role in day-to-day life, including buildings and infrastructure solutions for connected construction, geospatial, resources and utilities, and transportation.

Trimble’s Sustainability report 2021 describes how Trimble is helping to create a better future for our planet and the communities it serves, in line with the company's mission of transforming the way the world works. The report summarizes its initiatives and performance across Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics, highlighting the company's sustainability approach, end-user industry solutions, community philanthropy through its Trimble Foundation Fund; employee engagement and development as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and governance.

Trimble employs 11,500 people in 40 countries worldwide, out of which over 1,200 are based in India. The company has sales and support networks in over 125 countries, while it serves customers in more than 150 countries. The company reported US$3.66 Billion in revenues for 2021. CM

Construction Equipment

THE GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET LANDSCAPE

Construction represents 13 percent of the world’s GDP today. Over the past three decades, the sector has delivered subpar performance characterized by robust growth but flat profits. Going forward, we expect the construction ecosystem to experience dramatic shifts that will redistribute roughly 40 to 45 percent of the industry’s value across different players such as contractors and machinery suppliers.

A key part of the construction ecosystem – the market for machine sales and equipment rentals is also being reshaped. After all, the Construction Equipment market is closely connected with the construction and infrastructure end markets. Commercial, residential and infrastructure construction projects depend on construction equipment such as dozers, excavators and wheel loaders.

The Construction Equipment contains a vast variety of product categories with only a few high-volume products. The industry is also fragmented with ten to 20 large OEMs and a long tail of smaller, local and niche OEMs. Most large construction equipment OEMs typically focus on one or two core geographies and products since product and brand preferences vary among regions.

The shifting geographical demand is not the only big change for Construction Equipment. The industry is also transforming in response to shifts in customer preferences, product technology, business models and regulatory developments. These developments combined with the current economic uncertainty, it will likely bring even greater changes to the future construction equipment market including the competitive landscape.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

The global construction equipment market is majorly driven by the factors such as rapid urbanization, rapid industrialization, rising government investments in the developments of infrastructure and expansion and growth activities of the real estate and construction companies across the globe. The increased investments by the market players in the research and developmental activities to develop new automated equipment to replace the traditional construction equipment is expected to drive the market growth in the upcoming future. The construction equipment manufacturers are constantly engaged in securing the supply chains to improve efficiency that will increase productivity of the construction industry. The global construction equipment market is expected to be driven by the increasing government expenditure on various infrastructural projects in Asia Pacific in the upcoming years. According to the Asian Development Bank, Asia is rapidly being urbanized as compared to rest of the world. East Asia is developing (Urbanizing) at a CAGR of 3.7%, followed by South-East Asia at 3.6%, South Asia at 3.3%, and Central Asia at1.6%. The Pacific region is urbanizing at a CAGR of 2.9%. Therefore, the increased urbanization of Asia Pacific region is a major factor that is expected to drive the growth of the global construction equipment market in the upcoming future.

The adoption of smart automated construction equipment is another major factor boosting the demand for the construction equipment across the globe. The automated smart construction equipment are fuel-efficient, reduces labor cost, increase productivity, and reduces the overall operational costs. The introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) and ICT is boosting the demand for the latest advanced construction equipment. These cost saving benefits and advanced technologies installed in the latest construction equipment is expected to drive the global construction equipment market all over the globe. Further, the growth of the construction equipment rental services industry is fostering the development of the construction equipment market. The nations such as China and India, where the urbanization rate is highest is expected to witness a significant demand for the construction equipment rental services during the forecast period. The sector is made up of five main segments: earthmoving equipment, road construction

equipment, concrete equipment, material handling equipment, and material processing equipment. Earthmoving equipment and road construction equipment account for close to 70 per cent of India's construction equipment market. Backhoe loaders, which comprise tractors, front shovel/ bucket backhoes and small backhoes, account for 65 per cent of the earthmoving equipment and road construction segment. Concrete equipment is the second largest segment with a market share of approximately 14 per cent. It comprises asphalt finishers, transit mixers, concrete pumps and batching plants. Material handling equipment and material processing equipment account for 10 per cent and 6 per cent of the market respectively. Cranes are the largest category within the material handling equipment.

The Growth Drivers Factors of Construction Equipment

The increasing Residential Construction Residential construction is the second main driver of construction equipment sales, especially for smaller equipment such as mini excavators, skid-steer loaders and backhoe loaders. The housing starts – the number of new residential construction projects that begin during any particular month – serve as a key indicator for growth in this sector. A housing start is counted when construction begins on the footers or foundations of a residential structure. The metric offers a good estimate of construction – machinery use, which is strong indicator of both replacement and new machine demand.

The Growth in Infrastructure developments to increase the sale of Construction Equipment

The construction equipment market has grown gradually after the Covid-19 period due to the resumption of halted construction projects and planned new investments in the construction sector as part of the infrastructure developments activities. Some factors influencing the growth of construction equipment manufacturers include investments in infrastructure, residential and commercial infrastructure and an increment in institutional capital expenditures globally US, UK, China and India have increased construction activities in different areas.

Increasing

Perforation

of Electric and Autonomous Construction Machines

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

The construction equipment market is being transformed by electrification, which presents a considerable opportunity and design options for various equipment across the market. Electrification has been rising in various market segments, including construction equipment, such as cars, buses, and other vehicles. This has been made achievable by the rising development and increasing affordability of modern technology and machinery, as well as the enforcement of pollution restrictions, which have altered the future of the construction equipment business.

Several cities throughout the world have imposed forbid on the utilization of diesel within their boundaries, affecting construction equipment operations in certain area. In China and Europe, stronger emission standards for heavy machinery, as well as equipment are being imposed at the global, regional and municipal levels.

The Emergence of Rental Construction Equipment Services

Rental services are significantly gaining the haulage of consumers in the worldwide construction equipment industry these days. According to the Construction Equipment Rental Association, emerging and most populated economies are expected to see increased demand for rental services.

Regional and local rising firms are anticipated to build

a position in the leasing service industry, generating sizeable revenue from their local customer base. In order to benefit their business and customers simultaneously, construction companies focus on sectors such as general infrastructure, utility, and electrical, oil and gas, as well as commercial and residential development.

Developing and the most populated economies such as India and China are expected to witness surging demand for rental service business over the forecast period. The regional and local emerging players are likely to establish their footprint in the rental service business, creating plentiful revenues from their regional customer base. Large Apart from that with infrastructure plans receiving improved budgetary allocations in developing countries, the construction equipment rental market’s growth would be gradually, as governmental projects show a higher preference for the rental use of equipment.

Furthermore, it is safer, comfortable, and more affordable for governments to work with rental companies than owing their acrobatic of construction machinery.

Adoption of Advanced Construction Equipment

Consumers across the globe are demanding more-efficient, technologically upgraded equipment

for augmenting constructing activities. The adoption of upgraded equipment reduces labor costs, tracking of work done in every single stage of the process, and also brings down operational cost. The key players are on expanding their business domain by providing products, services or solutions along with new values which take full advantage of Information and Communication Technology, ICT and IoT technologies.

On top of that, they are engaged in introducing advanced equipment that can not only regale the customer’s requirements but also overcome social and environmental problems. Thus, the end-users are more attracted to these machines.

The government and private sector across the globe are making large investments in the construction of new residential & commercial buildings and public infrastructure, supporting growth of the construction industry.

According to the Institute of Civil Engineers, the global construction equipment market is expected to reach around $ 8 trillion by the end of 2030, driven by infrastructure development across the US, India and China.

The Dimensions of Construction Equipment Market

According to the latest report of MarketsandMarkets, the global construction equipment market is projected to grow from USD 208.3 billion in 2021 to USD 250.4 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 3.8% during the

forecast period. This growth is generated by various factors which cover various aspects, like increase in infrastructure investment post-COVID-19 pandemic is likely to fuel the demand of construction for construction equipment and increasing investments in urban infrastructure are expected to drive the construction sector, and by that is expected to boost the construction equipment sector, and thereby is expected to boost the construction equipment market during the predicted period.

Construction Equipment is specialized machinery that is used to carry out construction tasks. These equipment can perform various tough and heavy-duty tasks such as drilling, hauling, digging, paving, and grading. Construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, and oil and gas industries are the key users of the construction equipment. The emerging underlining on public-private partnership is expected to be one of the major growth driver of the construction equipment market.

These collaborations refer to a joint venture between the private sector and the government for the construction of public infrastructure. The private sectors manage the projects and contributes technical and operational knowledge to government programs in this sort of partnership. Besides, as the world’s population grows, the demand for infrastructure such as housing and transportation also increases, therefore, the demand for these machines is expected to rise due to an increase in construction activities around the world. Furthermore, government programs encourage people to buy new homes due to reduced loan rates and boost packages are likely to increase the growth of the market.

The COVID-19 pandemic constitute a significant challenge in front of various economies across the world. It is evident that various businesses were majorly hampered due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. In addition, governments across all the countries were forced to enforce lockdowns over their countries, due to which all the businesses were sent under a temporary closure. Overdue to this, the supply of various goods and services was regulated.

Additionally, due to the travel restrictions imposed by governments, the worldwide supply chain was majorly devastated. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a major impact on the construction equipment sector. Due to the lockdown, construction activities around the world were majorly standstill. The majority of the construction projects were cancelled or postponed. Containment policies led to a significant drop in economic activity.

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Expansion: Increase in infrastructure investments post the COVID-19 pandemic

Construction is among the significantly impacted industries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, the sales of the construction equipment have fallen but now the factors that are impacting the equipment manufacturers include investments in infrastructure, residential, commercial, and industrial construction, mine and well institutional construction. There is a significance demand for projects such as hospitals and other medical facilities, laboratories, and shipping and other logistics

Countries like US, UK, China and India are among the significantly affected countries in the construction equipment sector. Moreover, some countries have begun moderately reopening activities across sectors including the construction industry. For instance, China has begun industrial and commercial construction projects. Industrial output increased in April since January as the country began introducing new projects, and demand for construction equipment such as excavators increased significantly.

Restriction: Decreased Deal Value of Construction Equipment Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the construction and infrastructure sectors and offers a wide range of challenges to the construction industry, which are expected to hamper ongoing projects and decrease new infrastructure investments globally.

Unpredictably of recovery from the pandemic has hindered the confidence of investors, thereby affecting the sales of construction equipment. The report stated that “Some construction projects have been delayed as a result of pandemic. For example, according to Associated General Contractors of America (ACG), small construction firms are not expected to experience cancellations of upcoming projects, and 56% of firms with revenues of USD 50 million or less reported that their projects had been postponed, compared with 71% midsized firms (with revenue between USD 50.1 million and USD 500 million), and 69% large firms (with revenues more than USD 500 million). “

In addition, possible distribution in the supply chain of construction equipment, including structural materials, are expected to lead to market growth in the short term. Thus, the market for construction equipment is expected to witness lingering growth. Therefore, the demand for construction equipment is expected to be affected owing to the low growth in infrastructure investments.

Opp ortunity: Electric and Autonomous Construction Equipment

Electrification is shaping the construction equipment market and offering significant opportunities and design possibilities. Electrification has been increasing in most market segments such as cars, buses, etc. including construction equipment. Advanced technologies are increasingly mature and affordable as they are also increasing regulations on emissions that have changed the future of the construction equipment industry.

As several cities around the world have announced bans on the use of diesel within city limits, and thus it is impacting the operation of construction equipment in these cities. The stricter emission regulations are being implemented for heavy machinery and equipment on the global, regional and local levels across the Asian and European countries. The emission and noise-pollution standards implemented by these regulations can be easily overcome with the use of electric construction equipment. This opens a door of opportunities for construction manufacturers for the introduction of electric variants of existing/ new products in the market.

Wheeled Loader> 80HP segment and 100-200HP segment are estimated to be the largest market during the forecast period.

By equipment type, the wheeled loader >80 HP segment is estimated the construction equipment market in 2021. These equipment are used primarily to load/unload and bulk material movement in construction, quarry, and crushes. They are widely used in large scales infrastructure projects such as roads and highways, dams, ports, and airports. An increase in roadways and residential buildings in India and China is driving the demand for these equipment. Government initiatives in infrastructure development have further anticipated the demand for wheeled loaders.

Construction equipment with this power output allows manufacturers to improve machine capability and downsize the engine to one of lower displacement. This reduces maintenance costs and improves fuel economy and better component layout. Construction equipment with a power output range between 100-200HP is primarily suitable for road, airport construction projects, and commercial projects.

Excavators (crawler and wheeled), loaders (backhoe, skid-steer), and motor grader are considered under earthmoving equipment. These equipment are designed for construction activities.

Asia: Largest Market for the Construction Equipment Market

The largest share of the earthmoving equipment market is projected to be dominated by Asia Pacific region in terms of value and volume by 2026. The construction equipment market has experienced growth in terms of the number of projects such as dams, airports, and hydroelectric projects, because of which many international companies have started their manufacturing plants in that specific regions. The regions such as China and India creates immense opportunities for the construction equipment market to grow as they are the most populated countries in the world.

The urbanization and the demand for better infrastructure facilities are creating significant growth opportunities for the earthmoving construction equipment.

The global construction equipment market is dominated by global players such as Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu Ltd., Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), and Sany Heavy Industries. These companies develop new products, adopt new technologies, expansion of strategies, and undertake collaborations, partnership, and alliances & amalgamates to gain traction in the market.

According to the ‘Research and Market’, India construction equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9 % during 2022-2028.

The earthmoving segment is the largest in the Indian construction industry, followed by material handling and road construction equipment. Excavators and Backhoe loaders were the fast-growing major construction equipment in the market in 2021. The government is investing in the infrastructure development, growth in renewable

energy and the country’s mining industries that is leading in increasing demand for excavators and backhoe loaders.

Some of the key players of construction equipment that are majorly contributing in the construction equipment growth like JCB is the leading manufacturer of Backhoe loaders in India and ACE is India’s leading material handling and construction equipment manufacturing company with a majority market share in hydraulic cranes, mobile cranes, mobile cranes and tower cranes segment.

• India is the largest market for Backhoe loaders in the world. It can operate on muddy and uneven surfaces and on top of that it is highly flexible, cheaper that makes it extremely popular in the Indian construction market.

• Various running smart city projects and civil engineering projects give rise to the demand for mini excavators in the market. The real estate and housing projects support the demand for large towers and fixed cranes in the Indian Market.

• The infrastructure investment in 2021 and the national infrastructure development plan drive the construction industry growth. The focus of the government is on the renewable energy resources for power generation that will attract significant FDI inflows in 2021.

• As we can see the surge in commodity prices and rise in demand for coal and iron ore in the market support the country’s mining industry growth. The most popular initiative of the government ‘Make in India’ & ‘Amtanirbhar Bharat encourage the development of manufacturing sectors.

• The surge in infrastructure development projects across India such as Delhi-Mumbai Trade Corridor, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, Chennai

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Metro Rail and Diamond Quadrilateral. The Indian Railway infrastructure will see an investment of $ 715.4 billion by 2030. The Indian energy sector is expected to offer an investment opportunity by $300 billion over the next 10 years. In 2020-2021, the communications sector had allocated $5.36 billion to develop the post and telecommunications department that sis mega project for the construction market to seek growth.

• Real estate sector in India is expected to reach $ 1 trillion by 2030. As per the projected growth trends during the pre COVID-19 era, the sector’s contribution was likely to rise to 13% of India’s GDP by 2025. As per ICRA estimates, Indian firms are expected to raise $48 billion through infrastructure and real estate investment trusts in 2022.

• According to ICEMA, apart from COVID-19 related supply chain disruptions, the construction equipment industry is facing the challenges due to abnormal increase in steel prices since July 202. In 2022, demand for steel is expected to increase by 17% to 110 million tonnes, driven by rising construction activities.

Challenges: International trade policies and regulations

The policies and regulations on manufacturing, import and export of construction equipment differ country-wise. Countries impose various import duties for International trade to avoid unfair competition and provide an advantage to local manufacturers. Generally, governments enter into bilateral trade agreements with other countries to reduce tariffs and barriers to a free trade area or common market. This can be helpful but can also

lead to increased competition from abroad. Foreign affairs affect trade activities to a larger extent. In the case of disputes with countries, the trade agreements may get suspended, or in extreme cases, restrictions may be imposed which limits the trade altogether. Therefore, the impact of the International trade policies and regulations create restraining factors for the sale and developments of the construction equipment market in many countries.

The Fear of Cyberattacks is a concern also!

With the advent of semi-autonomous and autonomous construction equipment, implanting IoT devices and remote-control software with online connectivity can increase the cyber-attack threat. According to the report titled- a security analysis of radio remote controllers for industrial applications, 2019 by Trend Micro Research (TMR), radio frequency-controlled heavy construction equipment is more biased toward safety than security. Attacks such as malicious re-programming, e-stop command, command injection and replay commands are the most common threats in automation technology.

Segmentation of the Market by Equipment Type Analysis

Material Handling Equipment & Cranes Segment to Show Lucrative Growth Rate in the Forecast Period Based on equipment type, the market is segmented into earthmoving equipment, material handling equipment and cranes, concrete equipment, road building equipment, civil engineering equipment, crushing and screening equipment. And others. The material handling equipment segment is

projected to have exponential and significant growth owing to the rising need for cranes and other machinery across several domains for handling heavy construction materials and products.

Furthermore, road building and earthmoving equipment segments are expected to show progressive demand as the investments for industrial and commercial construction projects are rising in developing countries such as India and China.

Moreover, the government regulations regarding the emissions and noise is fostering the development of less noisy and eco-friendly excavators, which is expected to drive the growth of this segment in the upcoming years.

On the other hand, the material handling segment is expected to witness a significant growth rate during the forecast period. This is attributed to the rising demand for the machinery handling equipment like cranes in developed economies owing to the construction of skyscrapers and commercial buildings. Further, the government investments on building highways in developing nations is expected to boost the demand for the material handling equipment during the forecast period.

Segmentation by Application Analysis

Based on application, the market is segmented into residential, commercial, and industries. The industrial application segment is anticipated to portray progressive growth in the near future owing to rising industrialization and foreign direct investments for several international manufacturing plants in developing countries. Commercial infrastructure development across developed and developing countries is likely to depict a considerable market worldwide. Rapid population growth in Asian and African countries is expected to uplift the market with stable growth for the residential sector applications.

Growth witnessed in the region is likely to be the emergence of online retail facilities, availability of machinery on a rental basis, rising government investments in infrastructure development, enhancement in capital investments.

The Growth of Construction Equipment Market in Last One Year

The sales of construction equipment is expected to increase in healthy double digits in the ongoing financial year as the government is spending on infrastructure projects, especially in rural areas. The industry evaluates sales of construction equipment (domestic sales and exports) to grow

15-20% in fiscal 2023, compared with an 8% fall last fiscal year. Even though exports grew 60.5% to 7,802 units in FY22, local sales fell 11.4% to 77, 58.

“Last fiscal, the industry output declined by about 8% due to fall in demand for road construction and earth-moving equipment but the government’s focus on infrastructure investment to increase economic activity would in turn also help boost demand for them. But a steep rise in input costs and constraints in the supply chain are concerns,” JCB India.

The central government has budgeted a 36% increase in its capital spending to a record Rs 7.5 lakh crore this fiscal year, with a special focus on infrastructure development to stimulate the growth. It has expanded the scope of the National Infrastructure Pipeline to include 9,335 projects (from 6,835 projects at the time of launch), with total anticipated investments Rs 108 lakh core during FY20-FY25, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated.

There are various government projects and schemes like the scheme to provide drinking water to rural homes, building if smart cities, commencement of new metro rail development projects and construction of new airports at Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Jewar (Uttar Pradesh) will contribute to the growth of the construction equipment industry. Sector movinf towards electro mobility, autonomous solutions using tech like IoT virtual reality and self-learning machines India is poised to become the second-largest player in the Construction Equipment (CE) industry behind China by 2030 as the country is bound to witness ‘quantum growth’ in infrastructure development projects in the next 5-10 years.

With a solid push from the government’s ambitious infrastructure development plans like National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development, National Monetization Pipeline and Gatishakti, India will rise to be a key player, the second-largest in the Construction Equipment by 2030. The industry had witnessed a significant impact on production, demand and supply chain due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and it lead to reduce activity and cut costs. The widening supply-demand gap added to its woes with surging material and logistics costs. The sector also witnessed an unusual increase in demand, and also huge supply-side constraints simultaneously. India had seen a drop in demand in FY22 mainly due to factors such as pre-buy in the last quarter (Q4) of the previous fiscal in connection with emission regulation change to CEV4; the second wave of

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

COVID-19 in the first quarter of FY22; lower road construction rate in the second part of 2021; higher raw material prices pushing up selling prices; and, supply-side shortages due to global disturbances caused by the pandemic and the Ukraine war. (Mr. Jernberg, the president of Volvo Construction Equipment. Technological advancement the world over in the construction space had been quite rapid in recent times. Environment concerns had driven eco-friendly engine developments leading to lower emissions. The use of electronics and telematics had driven efficiency while ongoing developments in hydraulics would reduce power losses, delivering much higher value for the users. Globally, the construction equipment industry is gradually moving towards electro mobility and autonomous solutions using technologies like IoT, virtual reality and self-learning machines. India shall also witness such technological changes in the coming years.

The Road Ahead

The road ahead as India's economic growth continues expanding into less developed states such as Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, it has become imperative that key players in the construction equipment market not only establish manufacturing facilities in India, but also ensure they have a strong distribution structure that enables them to penetrate more remote parts of

the country. The construction equipment market provides both established players and new entrants with a range of opportunities. While established players can leverage their existing distribution structure to reach potential customers in these emerging regions, new players can make their foray into the market through joint ventures with companies. The fact that each state government has a separate budget for infrastructure development provides a platform which should enable all construction OEMs to get a substantial slice of the pie.

The Indian construction equipment industry is a key wodge of the manufacturing sector and is poised for magnificent growth in the coming years based on India's overall manufacturing sector and infrastructure development. Earthing equipment, material handling equipment and road construction equipment are key segments expected to contribute to the expansion of the growth of the construction equipment sector. To anchorage this opportunity, Indian construction equipment manufacturers need to focus on developing individual and merged capabilities to develop global competitiveness across the sector. Collaborative strives to provide integrated services, industry bodies to promote the industry's interest and working with the Government to promote technology development are some of the key measures to be taken. CM

Lubricants

MANUAL & AUTOMATIC LUBRICATION - WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

Lubricants have a variety of roles in enhancing the functionality, longevity, and many other aspects of machines. To maximise machine uptime and meet your company's deadlines, choosing the right lubricant is crucial. Hydraulic systems are often used by construction workers, and they depend on them to resist variations in temperature, pressure, and speed. In the most severe situations, a hydraulic lubricant is necessary to safeguard the hydraulic system. Operating construction equipment in difficult environmental conditions requires maintenance and reliability. Oil diagnosis is one technique used to enhance the upkeep and dependability of construction equipment. An integrated oil sensor for hydraulic fluid in construction equipment was used in this work to perform condition monitoring. Crane hydraulic oil is contaminated by a variety of substances, including moisture and dust. Contamination can also be caused due to

improper lubrication. The lubrication process plays an important role in controlling contamination. So, what exactly is lubrication?

Applying lubricants, often known as oily or greasy substances, to moving machine components reduces friction and enables smooth passage of the parts past one another. In order to prevent metal-tometal contact and maintain the machine's efficiency, lubricants create a coating between the metal surfaces of its component parts. Before we can comprehend how temperatures and other operational factors impact lubrication, we must first understand how lubricants work to reduce friction and wear. When a system is first started up or when it is heavily loaded, like in gearsets, the metal surfaces may actually come into contact with one another. In this lubrication scenario, lubricants must have the required viscosity as well as the proper anti-wear or extreme-pressure additive chemistry to eliminate (or

LUBRICANTS

reduce) frictional wear. In boundary conditions, the chemical characteristics of the additive package will be just as important as the physical characteristics of the oil, particularly viscosity, but both will be altered by operational factors like temperature.

This lubrication condition develops when a thin layer of oil surrounds a rotating component, such a shaft, preventing the shaft from making direct contact with the bearing. This occurs when a machine begins to rotate and reaches high enough speeds and tensions for an oil wedge to travel between the shaft and bearing surfaces, forcing the shaft away from the bearing surface. Typical applications include a turbine or the crankshaft and journal bearing in an automobile engine. The viscosity of the oil must be such that it maintains the hydrodynamic condition under all operating circumstances, including high speed and high load, low speed and high load, and low speed and low load.

Manual lubrication

For manual lubrication, a technician with a grease gun or other conventional lubrication instrument is required. Numerous drawbacks of this lubrication technique include prolonged machine downtime, high maintenance expenses, and uneven lubrication (too much, too less, or not frequently enough).

Manual lubrication does not meet today's requirements for cost effectiveness and preventive maintenance. The proper amount of oil applied to your equipment at the right time and in the right location, typically while the machine is in use, cannot be ensured by a conventional lubrication system like a grease gun.

With manual lubrication techniques, you run the danger of either under-lubricating or over-lubricating your machine, both of which can have detrimental impacts on its components, productivity, and overall expenses.

At first glance, using a manual lubrication system for your industrial applications may appear to be a cheap alternative. However, when you weigh all of its drawbacks against the benefits of an automated lubrication system, the latter one will ultimately turn out to be the most cost-effective option.

Implementation Takes A Long Time: Manual lubrication requires a lot of labour, which is expensive. It requires extensive preparation work, such as gathering tools and equipment, shutting out gear, and removing coverings and panels from machinery to access the lubrication locations. In order to meet the increasing production needs, today's machines, especially those with high-speed bearings, need to be lubricated more often. This increases the frequency with which the tiresome process of re-lubrication must be performed, raising the expense of equipment maintenance.

The major issue with manual lubrication is improper lubrication. Underlubrication can result in a number of issues, such as:

• Friction between metal surfaces that is increased, • Friction, which generates more heat, • Premature equipment and bearing failure, which can be brought on by either one, as well as exposure to pollutants and moisture. Just as many issues might arise from excessive lubrication, including: Internal stress on bearings because too much lubrication pushes the rolling parts up against the outside bearing race making the bearing work harder and causing greater heat owing to increased internal friction.

LUBRICANTS

Exposure to Moisture and Contaminants: Industrial bearings can be used in some truly unsanitary conditions. Even adequately sealed grease nipples that are in between re-lubrication activities are vulnerable to contamination from a dirty work environment, dirty hands, or dirty instruments. Contaminants such dirt, sand, metal shavings, wood dust, and gravel may enter the lubrication stream if care is not taken to make sure this nipple is clean before adding lubricant. If this occurs, the bearing itself is in danger in addition to the lubricant's efficiency being impaired. Every time the bearing is manually oiled, there is a danger. Therefore, the lubrication's susceptibility to contamination increases with frequency.

Risk of Damaged Seals: A standard grease gun is capable of dispensing grease at pressures of 10,000 psi or more. If the technician is not attentive, this pressure is more than sufficient to burst bearing seals.

And if the grease is driven past the seal and into the windings of a motor, for instance, this may be devastating.

Automatic lubrications

An automated lubrication system delivers the appropriate amount of oil to your equipment at the proper time and location, typically while the machine is in use. It takes the place of a traditional lubricating system and leads to longer equipment life, less wear, and lower maintenance costs.

Automated lubrication advantages

The use of automated lubrication systems has various benefits. Cleanliness, less work, fewer waste, and enhanced environmental health and safety are a few of these.

Reduced Wastage and Bearing Failure Risk: Relubrication intervals are determined by the operating circumstances that affect how quickly lubricant degrades, whereas relubrication amounts are determined by the physical space available in the bearing (speed, load, temperature, type of bearing, etc.) Each lubrication point may get the proper dosage of grease at the proper time via a singlepoint automated lubrication system. As a result, there is less grease waste and a lower chance of bearing failure. The lubricant will be subjected to severe deterioration and the bearing will experience lubricant starving conditions if relubrication intervals are extended beyond the specified limitations. The lubricant's characteristics would instead be renewed using shorter relubrication intervals and modified amounts.

Cleanliness: Additionally, lubricant contamination will shorten bearing life and raise the possibility of failure. It might be difficult to prevent grease contamination in manual lubrication procedures. Processes must be spotless to prevent grease from becoming contaminated from the outside, and each lubrication point's grease fitting should have a cover. Additionally, every time a point needs to

be relubricated, the absolute cleanest procedure must be used.

Worker Savings: A machine may easily take over the straightforward process of pulling a lever on a grease gun to apply manual lubrication. The true question is whether you are utilising your competent maintenance technicians to their full potential. These individuals can oversee a lubrication programme by:

• constantly enhancing the lubrication routes

• implementation of a software for lubricant analysis

• implementation of an oil reconditioning and pollution control programme

• the implementation of a software to control leaks

Remember that while installing automatic lubrication systems can relieve employees of time-consuming fundamental duties so they can contribute more value, it cannot completely replace employees who are able to provide this level of value.

Safety and Environmental Health: Relubrication practices done incorrectly can have a big effect on the environment. Reconsider the estimates for the grease waste from the preceding case. Now attempt to calculate the environmental effect of this garbage. Naturally, it depends on the disposal methods you use at your facilities, but in general, less garbage is better for the environment. The possible influence on your staff should therefore be taken into account, as well as areas that are

challenging or even dangerous to access. Another situation where automated lubrication systems are beneficial is this one.

Disadvantages

of Automatic Lubrication System

Cost of Investments: Undoubtedly, installing an automated lubrication system involves some financial outlay. The secret is to select the appropriate solution based on the needs and application's criticality in order to optimise the return on that investment. The typical methods range from simple, low-cost single-point automated lubricators to extremely sophisticated centralised systems with a number of choices for online monitoring. Your criticality analysis will play a large part in determining which choice is ideal for your application.

Incorrect Lubricant Choice: The lubricant selection must come first in any lubrication programme as a fundamental need. After all, it is the lubrication that is applied, not the delivery mechanism, that lubricates. To guarantee superior overall performance, the lubricant and the automated lubrication mechanism must complement one another. It goes without saying that not all lubricants are appropriate for use with all automatic lubrication systems, and how a particular lubrication system affects the structure of the lubricant depends on its technology. As a result, while installing an automated lubrication system, factors like oil separation and pumpability must be considered. Additionally, relubrication intervals need to be set up such that the lubricant doesn't remain fixed inside the lubrication ducts, especially when exposed to high temperatures that might hasten premature deterioration. The effectiveness and related advantages of adopting an autonomous lubrication system may be impacted by a failure to comprehend and address these challenges.

Inadequate Inspections: Even though the system has an automated lubricating device, it still has to be inspected. An automated system will produce its best outcomes with regular examinations. Additionally, an inspection can assist to discover installation problems (broken fittings, leaking or clogged pipes, lubricators not distributing lubrication at the proper rate, etc.) and indicate when lubricants need to be changed or refilled. Additionally, lubrication routes need to be updated, and manual lubrication jobs need to be switched out for inspection jobs at regular intervals. Although inspection frequency is lower than that needed for manual relubrication, it still has to be scheduled.

Appropriate for Any Application: There are many different types of automatic lubrication systems, each with its own advantages and application areas, including single-line parallel, series progressive, dual

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line, and multi-line. Due to this broad range, an automated lubrication system may often be used to lubricate any application.

Reduced Machine Downtime: The key to increasing your total productivity is to prevent a halt in your installations. Automatic lubrication systems do not need to be shut down in order to add extra oil, in contrast to manual lubrication. While the lubrication system takes care of delivering the proper amount of oil for effective lubrication, lock-out and tag-out operations may be avoided and the machines can continue to operate. Your labor- and downtime are dramatically reduced as a result of automated lubrication.

The key to increasing your total productivity is to prevent a halt in your installations. Automatic lubrication systems do not need to be shut down in order to add extra oil, in contrast to manual lubrication. While the lubrication system takes care of delivering the proper amount of oil for effective lubrication, lock-out and tag-out operations may be avoided and the machines can continue to operate. Your labor- and downtime are dramatically reduced as a result of automated lubrication.

Construction Lubricant Market

According to Quince Market Insights, the global market for construction lubricants under COVID-19 is expected to reach USD 6209.65 million in 2021 and show a CAGR of 3.65% by 2030. The mineral oil and synthetic oil segments of the global construction lubricants market are based on base oil. Since mineral oil is widely accessible and inexpensive, it is anticipated that it will continue to dominate the construction lubricants market throughout the projection period. Despite having certain advantages over mineral oil-based lubricants, synthetic oil-based lubricants have a greater viscosity index, better chemical resistance, and enhanced shear stability and drain intervals.

The market is divided into Excavators, Loaders, Crawler, Dozers, Motor Graders, Material Handling

Equipment, and Heavy Construction Vehicles based on the kind of equipment. Portable and small machinery, which are becoming more and more popular, have been introduced to the construction industry. The market is dominated by motor graders, and this sector is rapidly expanding. Smaller gears and hydraulic machinery, together with longer replacement intervals, have led to a decrease in lubricant use in the construction sector.

Due to underlying reasons like urbanisation and the global economic recovery, the construction sector will experience tremendous expansion in the upcoming years. It is anticipated that the use of construction lubricants would increase as a result of the exceptional rise in the worldwide construction sector.

Infrastructure development is receiving more attention in both established and emerging countries, opening up attractive prospects for producers of construction equipment and perhaps expanding the market for construction lubricants. According to estimates, the demand for construction lubricants is supported by the growth of OEMs for construction equipment and machinery throughout the major areas. Strong investments in the sector are anticipated to be fueled by an increased focus on performance optimization of construction equipment. As need for high-quality speciality solutions to support advanced sorts of construction equipment & machinery gathers steam, this will result in a significant demand for construction lubricants.

Indian Oil Corporation said in April 2022 that it will spend close to Rs 840 crores to increase its POL (Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricant) storage capabilities, including by building a new facility in the Northeast. By 2030, the business wants to increase its POL capacity from the current 3,160 Thousand Metric Tonnes Per Annum (TMTPA) to 5,530 TMTPA. CM

Tyre Industry

TYRE INDUSTRY: THE HEART OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT!

After China, Europe, and the United States, India is the fourth largest market for tyres in the world. Tyres manufactured in Indian are being exported to more than 100 countries in the world, including the most astute regions such as US and European nations. Covid-19 has pressed a reset button for all the businesses. It began as a health emergency, but has transmuted into an existential crisis for most of the industries. There is no doubt, the formats for doing businesses would change. Being a progressive sector of Indian manufacturing, tyre industry is riding the waves of change. New concepts such as contactless services are already being implemented as a measure of safety. While the global supply chain addresses the disruptions that the pandemic has caused, Indian tyre industry has the potential to lead in manufacturing at a global level, taking into consideration of the policy changes related to Prime

Minister's call to build a self-reliant India. This paper explores the current status of tyre industry, factors that contribute to higher productivity in the industry, challenges faced by it and the prospects of the industry in moving towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

Introduction

Tyre industry has companies that manufacture, and sell automobiles or any vehicle tyres to the consumers, retailers, dealers or industries whose primary operation is related to tyres. This industry focuses mainly on either new or reconditioned

and used tyres, for twowheelers, cars, SUVs, vans, buses, trucks and trailers or any heavy goods transport vehicles.

Tyres industry is a mature one after evolving and undergoing many cycles and stages in the previous century that

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the business has adapted and maintained the optimisation of demand and supply chain and function to the overall efficiency. As one of the biggest contributors to the world economy, the industry has had its ups and downs and many alterations in its overall organisational structures that today the business is performing excellently. In this industry, tyre retailing business does not include re-treading of motor vehicle tyres, but to carry out repairs and fixes on tyres.

The overseas companies controlled the Indian tyre industry till 1960. However, in the later part of the 60s and 70s, the Indian entrepreneurs made a noteworthy entry market with foreign collaborations in the automobile sectors within the country. Transport is the life blood of civilisation and plays a crucial role in the economic, social, cultural and political advancement of the economy. The manufacturing of automobile tyres became an essential activity for the development of the automobile sector.

Over 1 billion tyres are produced annually, making the tyre industry the main consumer of natural

rubber. The starting point of the Indian tyre industry is 1926, when Dunlop Rubber Limited set up the first tyre factory in West Bengal. At present, there are forty listed companies in the tyre sector in India. Major players are MRF, JK Tyres, Apollo Tyres, CEAT, Birla and Goodyear which account for 63% of the organized tyre market. Current status of radialisation has 95% for all passenger car tyres, 12% for light commercial vehicles and 3% for heavy vehicles.

Indian tyre industry produces the complete assortment of tyres required by the Indian automotive industry, except for certain specialised tyres. Domestic manufacturers produce tyres for trucks, buses, passenger cars, jeeps etc. Among the states, Kerala is one of the largest rubber producers in Asia along with Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. While the tyre industry is largely governed by the organised sector, the unorganised sector dominates the bicycle tyre market. With the focus on providing better products and services, Indian tyre manufacturers are setting up well-equipped in-house R&D centres with emphasis on developing cutting-edge technology for new compounds, new designs for different segments and new

reinforcement materials. Cost optimisation for quality improvements and orientation towards changing customer requirements are also areas of research. Recently, the idea of ‘green tyres’ is emerging as a benchmark for the industry’s competitiveness. Though the technology has been existing since the 1990s, due to higher manufacturing costs, it was put on the backside until recently. Green tyres provide several advantages over ordinary tyres, including lower fuel consumption.

Capital expenditure of tyre makers to rise to Rs 5,000 crores this fiscal: CRISIL

The capital expenditure of tyre makers is expected to increase to around Rs 5,000 crore this fiscal on the back of improving demand, as against around Rs 3,700 crore annually in the preceding two fiscals, according to a CRISIL report.

The demand is likely to be driven by segments such as replacement, commercial and passenger vehicles (CVs and PVs), along with exports, the credit ratings agency said, adding that credit profiles of tyre makers are expected to remain "stable".

The report is based on the analysis of the top six domestic tyre makers, who account for 80 per cent of the Rs 75,000 crore of the sector, CRISIL said.

However, with capacity utilisation still below 70-75 per cent, capex this fiscal will be lower than the annual average of around Rs 6,200 crore between 2018 and 2020, it said.

Meanwhile, production volume growth at tyre companies is set to halve to 6-8 per cent this fiscal to around 2.5 million tonnes, compared to 12-14 per cent last fiscal.According to ratings agency, the moderation will be on account of growth last fiscal benefiting disproportionately from the low-base effect created by the preceding two fiscals, when volume had contracted due to economic slowdown and the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.

"Demand from the replacement market is expected to normalise to around 4 per cent this fiscal from around 12 per cent last fiscal. OEM demand should grow around 12 per cent, driven by CVs owing to higher government spending on infrastructure and improving fleet utilisation.

"Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) demand from PVs should be healthy given the rise in personal incomes and strong consumer preference for personal mobility. However, demand from the two-wheeler and tractor OEM segments will continue to be modest," said Says Anuj Sethi, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings.

According to CRISIL, exports are seen growing at 13-15 per cent on a high base of over 45 per cent growth last fiscal, owing to factors such as cost-competitiveness, benefits of the China+1 strategy of global OEMs, and buoyant demand for off-road tyres in the US and Europe.

As per the report, in fiscal 2022, operating margins crimped to an estimated 10 per cent -- a level last seen in fiscal 2012 -- as the price of natural rubber surged over 20 per cent, and that of crude-based inputs such as carbon black and nylon tyre cord jumped 40-50 per cent. However, price hike was not completely passed on since demand was reviving after two weak years, the report added. These account for 70 per cent of the raw material cost of tyre makers.

"Better accrual, along with higher revenue and operating margin, should support capex funding and keep balance sheets healthy, ensuring stable credit profiles for CRISIL-rated tyre makers," said Rajeswari Karthigeyan, Associate Director, CRISIL Ratings. This fiscal, CRISIL expects gearing and interest coverage ratios at around 0.5 time and 5-6 times, respectively, a tad better versus the 0.6 time and 4-5 times seen last fiscal, he noted.

CRSIL cautioned that further waves of the pandemic, continuing shortage of semiconductors (which can

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TYRE INDUSTRY

impact demand for passenger vehicles) and the trend in raw material prices would bear watching.

Tyres need to meet standards for rolling resistance, wet grip, rolling sound emissions from October

From October, new tyres meant for passenger cars, trucks and buses will have to meet the defined standards for rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emissions, according to an official statement.

Rolling resistance of a tyre has an impact on vehicle’s fuel efficiency, wet grip capability influences braking performance of tyres under wet conditions and boost vehicular safety, while the rolling sound emission relates to the sound emitted from the contact between tyres in motion and the road surface.

“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification … It mandates requirements of rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emissions for tyres falling under classes C1 (passenger cars), C2 (light truck) and C3 (truck and bus), as defined in the Automotive Industry Standard 142:2019,” it said.

As per the MoRTH notification, all existing tyre design will have to comply with wet grip and rolling resistance standards from next April and less rolling noise standard from next June.

According to the statement, the said tyres shall meet the wet grip requirements and stage 2 limits of rolling resistance and rolling sound emissions as specified in this AIS (Automotive Industry Standard).

With this regulation, India will be aligned with UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) regulations, it added.

JK tyre & industries to invest Rs 1100 crore to expand production capacity

JK Tyre and Industries has planned a capital expenditure of Rs 1,100 crore till next financial

year, company's CFO Sanjeev Aggarwal said.

The tyre maker plans to invest in capacity expansion as well as regular maintenance of the existing infrastructure. "Total spend over the next two years, i.e., FY23 and FY24 would be Rs 1,100 crore, including maintenance capex of around Rs 300 crore," Aggarwal said in an analyst call.

The majority of the capex -- Rs 530 crore-- will go into the passenger car radial (PCR) capacity expansion. The company has also lined up capacity expansion of truck bus radial (TBR) at its unit Cavendish Industries.

"The debottlenecking programme which we had announced earlier has already been commissioned and completed. Now the projects in hand are TBR capacity expansion for Rs 236 crore and the PCR capacity expansion for Rs 530 crore.

"So, these are the two main expansion projects at this moment. Apart from this, there is the maintenance capex of about Rs 150 crore on annual basis, which is Rs 300 crore for the 2-year period," Aggarwal noted.

There is a very good demand for PCR tyres in the domestic and export markets, he added.

Aggarwal said the PCR capacity expansion at its Banmore plant in Madhya Pradesh would be funded through a mix of debt and internal accrual.

"We have been in touch with our lenders and they are quite positive that they will be able to provide sufficient amounts of loans to finance this," he noted.

The expansion will lead to a 35 per cent increase in the PCR production which currently stands at around 90 lakh tyres per annum, Aggarwal said.

"The Board has approved PCR capacity expansion project for an estimated cost of Rs 530 crore at Banmore tyre plant. The proposed expansion plan along with the debottlenecking programme, which has recently been commissioned, will lead to an increase in PCR capacity by 35 per cent," JK Tyre and Industries MD Anshuman Singhania noted.

The proposed expansion is expected to become operational by December 2023, he added.

On outlook for the tyre industry, Singhania said: "We believe there is a strong demand growth across all market segments given the improved economic sentiments, record agri output coupled with improved realisation in the country, which is expected to lead to robust rural demand this year."

Further, with the expected moderation in inflationary pressures and improved geopolitical sentiments,

TYRE INDUSTRY

automotive as well as tyre demand should improve further, he said.Strong infrastructure spending by the government will continue to improve the CV segment demand in the coming years, Singhania said. JK Tyre has a presence in over 105 countries with over 180 global distributors.

Government to bring new star rating rules for tyre industry; rating to assess fuel economy, safety, skid prevention ability

The government will soon come up with a new 5-star rating for the tyre industry. For this, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has completed its talks with the tyre industry. The tyres will be given ratings based on its ability to save fuel, ensure safety and prevent skidding of the vehicle. It is believed that up to 10 percent fuel could be saved by using tyres with 5-star ratings. Along with this, the safety and skid ability of the tire will also be mentioned in it.

What will be the benefit?

According to ARAI, which comes under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the new rule will make travel more comfortable than before. The objective of introducing star rating is to ensure that the tyre is more fuel-efficient and reliable. With this, oil consumption can be reduced by up to ten percent. These ratings will also give an idea of how the tire grips on twisty and gusty roads. Along with this, information will also be given in this rating about which tire saves how much fuel.

Existing Rules

Currently, BIS rules apply for the quality of tires. This shows the same level of quality, but the customers do not know which tire they should buy. Because all tires come with a BIS certificate.

As part of the Central Motor Vehicles (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification, setting new standards for tyres meant for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles (CVs), heavy trucks, and buses. Come October, tyres meant for the said vehicles will need to adhere to strict standards for wet grip, rolling resistance and rolling sound emissions, said the official statement from MoRTH.

“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification … It mandates requirements of rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emissions for tyres falling under classes C1 (passenger cars), C2 (light truck) and C3 (truck and bus), as defined in the Automotive Industry Standard 142:2019,” it said.

The report further explained that the rolling resistance of tyres has an impact on fuel efficiency; wet grip performance influences braking performance of tyres under wet conditions and promotes vehicular safety. The Rolling sound emission relates to the sound emitted from the contact between tyres in motion and the road surface.

As per the statement, the said tyres shall meet the wet grip standards and stage 2 limits of rolling resistance and rolling sound emissions, as specified in this AIS (Automotive Industry Standard).

With this regulation, India will be aligned with UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) regulations, the notification added.

ICRA maintains volume demand growth estimate for tyre industry at 13-15% in FY22

Ratings agency ICRA on Monday said it is maintaining the domestic demand growth in volumes estimate for the Indian tyre industry at 13-15 per cent for the ongoing fiscal year and 7-9 per cent for the FY22-25 period.

While the stable demand from replacement and export segments support industry revenues, earnings have been affected by elevated input prices, ICRA said in a statement.

"ICRA maintains its (volume) demand growth estimates of 13-15 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) for FY2022 and 7-9 per cent (CAGR between FY2022-25) for the Indian tyre industry," it added.

Following two years of contraction -- down 9 per cent each in FY20 and FY21 -- amid sharp contraction in vehicle sales and COVID-19, the ratings agency said tyre demand has recovered sharply in FY22.

"However, the impact of the pandemic on tyre demand has been relatively less compared to other auto components. This is given its higher skew

The government announced the advanced tyre standards in India as the government continues to push towards road safety

TYRE INDUSTRY

(around 60 per cent) on the after-market segment," it added. The tyre industry is relatively better protected from any potential impact of Omicron due to its large dependence on the stable replacement market and learnings from earlier waves, ICRA said.

ICRA Assistant Vice President and Sector Head Nithya Debbadi said,"We expect industry revenue growth of 16-20 per cent in FY2022, driven by growth in volumes and realisations. While the demand is favourable, higher input prices (namely natural rubber and crude derivatives) keep industry margins and earnings under pressure."

Replacement volumes are at record-high levels with improving economic activities while OE (original equipment) sales are partly affected by the sluggish demand for two-wheelers and supply constraints impacting passenger vehicle production, she added. "ICRA's sample of tyre manufacturers witnessed strong year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth of 25 per cent, recording all-time high revenues in Q2 FY2022 on the back of favourable replacement and export sales volumes," Debbadi said adding, increase in realisations on the back of price hikes taken by the industry to offset the commodity inflation has also supported revenue growth.

Although the industry has seen some price hikes, she said,"We expect a 400-600 bps contraction in the operating margins for FY2022, while it would still compare well with pre-Covid levels."

With increasing acceptance of Indian tyres in the overseas markets, tyre exports have seen a sharp

growth in the current year amidst healthy demand from destinations like the US and the European nations. Tyre imports continue to remain low on the back of government regulations, thus favouring the domestic players, ICRA said.

Domestic demand for tyres to grow 7-9 pc this fiscal: ICRA

Domestic demand for tyres is projected to grow 7-9 per cent in 2022-23 but the rise in input prices is expected to keep industry margins under pressure, according to ratings agency ICRA.

Factors like gradual easing of supply related constraints in the passenger vehicle OE (original equipment) segment, improving growth momentum in the commercial vehicle OE segment and stable replacement volumes are expected to support domestic demand growth during this period.

In a statement, ICRA said it “estimates the domestic tyre demand to grow by 7-9 per cent in FY2023 supported by recovery in OE demand across most product segments and steady growth in replacement volumes.” Tyre industry revenues (consolidated for ICRA’s sample of tyre manufacturers) continue to breach record high levels supported by a growth in domestic demand and exports and increased realisations, ICRA Assistant Vice President and Sector Head Nithya Debbadi said.

“While domestic demand was relatively subdued in Q3 FY2022, industry revenues grew by 12.5 per cent (year-on-year) supported by higher realisations,” she added. ICRA said following two years of contraction

led by slowdown in the auto sector and COVID-19 pandemic, tyre demand witnessed a recovery in FY22 with an estimated growth of 11-13 per cent. However, OE demand was affected by weak two-wheeler sales, lower PV (passenger vehicles) production due to supply-side issues such as semiconductor chip shortages, and high base limiting growth in tractor demand, it added.

“Replacement demand was strong across product segments although there were headwinds in Q3 FY22 in commercial segments due to factors like inflationary costs trends, weak rural sentiments and base effect,” the ratings agency said.

As for tyre exports, ICRA said there was a robust growth in FY22 supported by healthy demand from key export destinations such as the US and European nations. “ICRA expects prospects for tyre exports to remain favourable in the medium term given the increasing acceptance of Indian tyres in the international markets. Tyre imports continue to remain low, supported by favourable government regulations,” it said.

The government wants the tyre industry to comply and ensure they are effected into practice beginning October 1, 2022. It’s this timeframe that is worrying the industry as they feel that it’s too short for them to comply with due to technical reasons.

All major tyre manufacturers, domestic and foreign brands are in agreement with the fact that there’s a lack of tyre testing facilities in the country that is important for the development of such tyres, besides the extremely tight deadline for action.

Documents accessed by Autocar Professional sourced through Right to Information (RTI) suggest that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had on May 17, 2021, proposed the amendment in tyre safety norms.

The proposed plan was to be applicable to all new tyre designs that would be introduced in the Indian market, beginning October 1, 2021. The exercise would factor in existing tyre designs across the three vehicle segments, by October 1, 2022. At the time, industry stakeholders were given a month's time to raise objections or comments, if they had any. Despite the recommendations by tyre manufacturers, the government actually went ahead and pushed the mandate by issuing a notification on 28 June 2022. It amended rule 95 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 with the mandate for new designs coming from October 1, 2022.

From the vehicle safety aspect perspective, it is well-known that rolling resistance of tyres impacts the fuel efficiency. Wet grip performance on other

hand influences its braking performance under wet conditions. Further, the rolling sound emission relates to the sound emitted from the contact between tyres in motion and the road surface.

The government has maintained that adequate testing capabilities are available at the Ministry of Heavy Industries initiated Chennai-based test agency Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC). This setup, according to the government, has played a significant role in tyre labelling and certification tests in India. This infrastructure is in addition to the NABL-accredited Manesar-based International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT) – which performs tyre accreditation, type approval and homologation functions.

However, tyre manufacturers point out to the limitations of these test centres that disrupts their work and delivery schedules. According to the industry, services of only functional laboratories are available and only a handful can carry out the mandated AIS 142 tests in the country.

The tyre manufacturers have suggested a revised timeline for meeting the mandates. By doing so, it will enable the domestic tyre industry to test a large number of stock keeping units ( SKUs) numbering 274, 127, 196 for C1, C2, C3 respectively for new designs and prepare the tyres to suit Indian road and weather conditions.

The Relation of the Tyre Industry to Road Accidents

The lack of a proper legal framework to regulate the use of Tyres and no mechanism to study the correlation between tyres and road accident deaths has led to a rise in road accidents over the years. The notable failures due to lack of awareness and improper use of tyres are as follows: -

1. Use of worn-out tyres with non-standard tread depth and reduced braking capability.

2. The front and rear tyre tread imbalance in vehicles.

3. Underinflated tyres lead to wearing out of Tyres quickly.

The above factors make the tyres to deteriorate quickly and hence make the vehicles vulnerable to accidents. The majority of road accidents are due to driver faults, and thus the driver must be in control of a safe automotive on a safe road.

The road safety experts of the country have been pressing hard for years for the implementation of the tyre recall policy, which would define the quality of tyres running on the road. Enhanced safety norms like limiting the rolling resistance for a fit tyre to run on the road would be a significant boost to ensure consumer protection. Countries as US, Japan, China,

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TYRE INDUSTRY

Europe and Korea already have this mechanism in place, and India needs to follow the footsteps to improve upon its road safety record. The improvement in road safety standards requires robust government initiatives, which would create frameworks to develop a system for monitoring and evaluating road safety activities. Also, Road Safety Infrastructure needs to be enhanced, and the prime focus should be on bringing about a behavioural change in the drivers’, rather than a procedural adherence which has failed to bear fruits over the years.

Atmanirbhar Bharat and Economic contributions of Tyre Industry

The concept of Atmanirbharat Bharat, or elf-reliance, was at the heart of prime minister Narendra Modi’s recent address to the nation. There are parallels between PM Modi’s message and Mahatma Gandhi’s concept which emphasizes five pillars; Economy, Demand, Infrastructure, Demography, System. The Indian economy is one of the pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the contribution of economy towards it is undeniable. The Indian tyre industry seems to be losing its grip in recent times because of an overall slow economic movement. The sector is directly impacted by the level of economic activities and the performance of the domestic automotive industry. The two vital contributors to the sector are the car and two-wheeler manufacturers and the replacement sales market.

India is the 5largest auto market in 2019 with sales of 3.81 million units. It was the 7th largest producer of commercial vehicles in 2019. The two-wheelers segment leads the market in terms of volume because of a growing middle class and young population. Moreover, the emergent interest of the companies in exploring the rural markets also aided the growth of the sector. India is also a leading automobile exporter and has strong export growth forecasts for the near future.

Moreover, with several initiatives by the Government of India and top automobile companies in the Indian market, it is expected to make India a global leader in the two-wheeler and four-wheeler market by 2020. Domestic automobiles production increased at 2.36%CAGR between FY16-20 with 26.36 million vehicles being manufactured in the country in FY20. Altogether, domestic automobiles revenues increased at 1.29% CAGR between FY16-FY20 with 21.55 million vehicles being sold in FY20. (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association: Report).

The Government of India and Indian Automotive Industry has come up with a shared vision plan

called “Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26 – AMP 2026”. The AMP 2026 targets to make Indian Automotive Industry to be the “Engine of the Make in India Programme”. The goal of AMP 2026 is “where the vehicles, auto components and tractor industry should reach over next ten years in terms of size, contribution to India's development, global foot-print, technological expertise, competitiveness and institutional competencies and capabilities”.

AMP 2026 has set some specific targets for the year 2026:

• 12% of the country's GDP (from 7% at present)

• 40% of manufacturing GDP

• Output of Rs. 16,160-18,885 billion for economic growth at the rate of 5.857.5%

• 65 million new jobs

• Rs. 7,575 billion of exports

AMP 2026 also pursues to define the trend of the evolution of Indian automotive eco-system, incorporating the guide path of precise regulations and policies that oversee research design, technology, testing, manufacturing, import and export, sale, usage, repair and recycling of vehicles, automotive components and services. The tyre industry as an essential part of the automotive industry is set to follow the same growth trend and expected to reach Rs. 2,074 - 2,423 billion in the next 10 years (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, 2019). Atmanirbhar Bharat and Economic contributions of Tyre Industry

The concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliance, was at the heart of prime minister Narendra Modi’s recent address to the nation. There are parallels between PM Demand, Infrastructure, Demography, System. The Indian economy is one of the pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the contribution of economy towards it is undeniable. The Indian tyre industry seems to be losing its grip in recent times because of an overall slow economic movement. The sector is directly impacted by the level of economic activities and the performance of the domestic automotive industry. The two vital contributors to the sector are the car and two-wheeler manufacturers and the replacement sales market.

India is the 5th largest auto market in 2019 with sales of 3.81 million units. It was the 7th largest producer of commercial vehicles in 2019. The two-wheelers segment leads the market in terms of volume because of a growing middle class and young population. Moreover, the emergent interest of the companies in exploring the rural markets also aided the growth of the sector. India is also a

leading automobile exporter and has strong export growth forecasts for the near future. Moreover, with several initiatives by the Government of India and top automobile companies in the Indian market, it is expected to make India a global leader in the two-wheeler and four-wheeler market by 2020. Domestic automobiles production increased at 2.36%CAGR between FY16-20 with 26.36 million vehicles being manufactured in the country in FY20. Altogether, domestic automobiles revenues increased at 1.29% CAGR between FY16-FY20 with 21.55 million vehicles being sold in FY20. (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association: Report).

The Government of India and Indian Automotive Industry has come up with a shared vision plan called “Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26 – AMP 2026”. The AMP 2026 targets to make Indian Automotive Industry to be the “Engine of the Make in India Programme”. The goal of AMP 2026 is “where the vehicles, auto components and tractor industry should reach over next ten years in terms of size, contribution to India's development, global foot-print, technological expertise, competitiveness and institutional competencies and capabilities”.

AMP 2026 has set some specific targets for the year 2026:

• 12% of the country's GDP (from 7% at present)

• 40% of manufacturing GDP

• Output of Rs. 16,160-18,885 billion for economic growth at the rate of 5.85 7.5%

• 65 million new jobs

• Rs. 7,575 billion of exports

AMP 2026 also pursues to define the trend of the evolution of Indian automotive eco-system, incorporating the guide path of precise regulations and policies that oversee research design, technology, testing, manufacturing, import and export, sale,

usage, repair and recycling of vehicles, automotive components and services. The tyre industry as an essential part of the automotive industry is set to follow the same growth trend and expected to reach Rs. 2,074 - 2,423 billion in the next 10 years (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, 2019).

The tyre industry as the wheels of the movement needs the impetus to be economic and globally competitive and help the nation sustain its growth over 7% .The multiplier effect of this industry on the economy is much higher due to its direct and indirect linkage with other sectors of the economy. The estimated output multiplier of the rubber (tyre) industry is 2.47, which means an increase of 1 in the final demand for the rubber tyres will lead to an increase of the overall output of the economy by about 2.47 times.

The tyre industry directly consumes inputs from rubber plantation sector and petroleum industry and has links with ancillary industries, like chemical, capital goods, packaging materials, etc. It also has other linkages with trade and services of tyre products all over the country. Hence, when the demand for products from the tyre industry rises, the demand for the products of these ancillary and other industries will go up, resulting in an indirect impact on the economy. With increased demand, employment and income also rise which leads to rise in spending power and hence consumption, culminating in the demand for other related segments, say consumer goods. In addition, the tyre industry prompts productivity gains through the use of automobiles which in turn increases individual productivity. The cumulative economic contribution of tyre industry is assessed to be Rs. 1,57,000 crores, which is 1.5% of the GDP while considering direct, indirect and induced impact. CM

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INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Mr. Deepak Miglani General Manager – Industrial Lubricants

EXXONMOBIL LUBRICANTS PVT. LTD.

ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers, develops and applies next-generation technologies to help safely and responsibly meet the world’s growing needs for energy and high-quality chemical products.

Q

. Give us an overview of the company’s presence in the current market. What are the major growth drivers?

India’s construction sector has been expanding rapidly and by 2025, the country is predicted to have the third largest construction market in the world – increasing the demand for seamless and profitable construction operations. For this, there is a parallel demand for high-calibre lubricants that guarantee uninterrupted and smooth operations to achieve desired levels of equipment performance. This is where Mobil TM is playing a significant part. As an industry leader in the segment, we have been focused on developing the most innovative products and solutions that cater well to conditions specific to the Indian construction industry. Quality industrial lubricants assure energy-efficiency and smooth operations with little downtime by maintaining the requisite safety and functionality of critical components. Premium lubricants with a wide array of benefits are today emerging to be products of choice for businesses in the sector. This is a major focus for us at Mobil as we prepare to grow from strength-to-strength in the Indian market.

Q . What is the commitment of ExxonMobil to its customers?

Today, as India chases twin targets of expanding its economy while achieving energy-efficiency, assuring profitability and productivity is pivotal. Here, leading lubrication providers have a driving role to play in enabling businesses achieve these goals. At Mobil, with 150-years of experience in serving industry partners and customers, we are offering premium lubrication technologies and cutting-edge digital solutions that guarantee machine health. These advances are helping curtail operational costs, increasing energy-efficiency, and enhancing ease of production.

For instance, the Mobil DTE 10 Excel™ Series high performance anti-wear hydraulic oils have been specifically designed to meet the needs of modern, high pressure, industrial and mobile equipment hydraulic systems. It has been demonstrated that they can increase hydraulic efficiency by up to 6%, which can reduce power consumption and improve system responsiveness*.

Further, with digitization taking lead as the preferred solution to reduce man-machine interaction, we are also offering smart and real-time solutions to monitor the lubrication needs of heavy-duty machinery and ensure good equipment health at all times of functioning. We commit to absolute quality in our products solutions while also delivering on evolving market trends and innovation to ensure that our customers always stay a cut above the rest.

Q. Please

enlighten our readers about the new-age digital reliability solutions of ExxonMobil.

Digitalization is the way to go for industries today. By adopting smart-monitoring solutions, companies can stay ahead of the curve, gain insights into the functioning and working status of their equipment, and gather a better sense of their equipment needs, well in time. For this, we have developed the Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) program which combines services that provide reports, analyses and solutions to guide professionals in making the most effective business decisions by limiting unscheduled downtime, equipment repair, and loss of quality production. Further, IIoT offers a chance to redefine sectors and accelerate economic growth and for this, we have developed the Mobil Serv SM IIoT Insights – a critical cloudbased solution that turns insights into action, taking businesses towards improved efficiency and overall productivity. It helps construction operators gain a better understanding of machines, simplify decision-making with precise data, and navigate an ever-changing industry with confidence. We also offer niche services in grease analysis under the MSLA Grease program and live oil analysis under Mobil Serv SM Real Time program. These are some of the many offerings we have introduced to help our clients ace the journey towards digital transformation.

Q What are the evolving demands and expansion of the auto lubricant industry in India, with respect to the construction industry? How does Mobil serve the industry needs?

With visible growth in the Indian construction sector, the demand for advanced technology for off-highway fleet is also

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growing. It has become crucial to run a flee t that accomplishes fuel efficiency, prolonged engine life, optimised servicing, and maintenance. To meet these requirements and cope-up with the demands of technical advancements in off-highway equipment, superior lubrication has become a necessity. It not only enables heavy-duty vehicles to achieve optimal functioning, while preventing them from experiencing premature wear and tear; but also enables them to achieve set standards under the BS VI norms to regulate the output of air pollutants from compression ignition engines and spark-ignition engines equipment. Our premium engine oils such as Mobil Delvac 1 TM ESP 5 W 40 and Mobil Delvac MX TM ESP 15 W 40 are helping customers cope with these requirements. These advance quality engine oils expand life, ensure high-performance in heavy-duty off highway machinery, and function well even in engines with Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion(EGR).

Q. How do you see the development of the lubricant industry in the next 5 years?

The lubrication industry is changing, and this is most visible in the preference for synthetic oils over mineral oils. The

traditional mineral-based oils suffer from disadvantages of lower viscosity index and greater impurities because of their natural origin, and a lower stability because of their pure composition. Synthetic oils, prepared by modification at the molecular level and by the incorporation of more advanced systems of additives in their formulations, are not only functional against these disadvantages but also provide better protection to wear and tear in high temperature conditions. Moving ahead, synthetic oils are expected to dominate as they provide additional advantages in achieving greater productivity and lowering operational costs. Additionally, in the short- and long-term, effective lubrication solutions directed at maintaining energy efficiency for machine technologies will be key. Further, to ensure that lubrication needs of equipment are not compromised at any point of time, digital solutions with real time monitoring facilities will be another changemaker in the years to come. CM

*The energy efficiency of Mobil DTE 10 Excel relates solely to the fluid performance when compared to conventional Mobil-branded hydraulic fluids. The technology used allows up to 6% increase in hydraulic pump efficiency when tested in standard hydraulic applications under controlled conditions. The energy efficiency claim for this product is based on test results on the use of the fluid conducted in accordance with all applicable industry standards and protocol. Results may vary based on operating conditions and equipment.

For more details, please visit mobil.co.in/business (Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms and references to “corporation”, “company”, “ExxonMobil”, “EM”, and other similar terms are used for convenience and may refer to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups.)

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Piero Guizzetti - C.E.O MB CRUSHER INDIA

Q . Please enlighten our readers about the vision & mission of MB CRUSHER!

We were born with the intent to provide the highest value on site material processing products that could in parallel help contractors ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’, and have maintained the motto throughout our progress. So smart and green is embedded in our DNA. We help reduce waste and reuse / recycle material to the extent possible. We pride ourselves in our expertise in the crushing field, and we are constantly innovating to find new ways to improve our products and services. We are committed to providing the best possible solutions for our customers. The company's vision is to provide innovative, efficient, and reliable crushing, screening and trenching solutions that meet the needs of customers worldwide.

For over 20 years MB has been offering the largest line of patented crusher buckets and accessories for excavators, skid loaders and backhoes of all sizes, with extensive innovation and development. The values of the family owned business have enabled MB Crusher to reach levels of internationally recognized excellence. Founded and headquartered in Italy, the company establishes itself globally through 7 international subsidiaries with logistic centres located on different continents, as well as an extensive network of authorized dealers and service support throughout the world.

The biggest advantage at MB is the quality of its organization. The company controls the complete supply chain to ensure the products are of the highest Made in Italy quality. MB always looks forward to the future through the development of new tools and accessories to satisfy customers’ needs.

Q . What are the company's future expansion plans for Crushing & Screening as well as for drum cutter segment?

We at MB invest heavily in R&D. India in a major input market for our improvements. On the back of 10 years' worth of India specific data thanks to our direct presence in the country, we have constantly adapted our products to maximize their relevance and pertinence. We have recently expanded our manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Europe to ensure that we are able to meet the global demands for our Crusher bucket, Screening buckets, Drum Cutter, Grapples, and Shafts Screeners. We launched drum cutters in India in 2019, and have since then found increasing pockets of strong interest. The mobility of the product is very much appreciated. Also, its value is being appreciated even in

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the quarry and mining segment where alternate methods such as blasting require huge investments in terms of time, permissions and costs.

Q . MB Crusher also has an impressive line of grapples, tell us more about the grapples!

The grapples are designed for excavators and has a wide range of sizes and capacities. It is made with a high-strength steel frame and teeth. The teeth are designed to have highest in the industry grab and hold capabilities. With numerous add on tools and peripherals that can be used along with grapples, there are a wide host of configurations that can be studied to ensure the most suitable solution for each condition / client / site.

Q . What are the key products offered by 'MB CRUSHER' uniquely than other competitive brands?

MB Crusher offers a range of products that are uniquely suited to the mining and construction industries. The company's flagship product, the BF series jaw crusher, is designed to crush rocks and concrete with ease. The crusher has a compact design and can be used in tight spaces. We have close to 90% global market share in this niche segment. The breadth and depth of our portfolio is unmatched, giving customers numerous opportunities to decide at different levels of capex and opex. Other products offered by MB Crusher include the MB-R Series drum cutter and the MB-S or MB-LS screening bucket. These products are designed to provide efficient and versatile solutions for a variety of applications. A unique product that set us apart from other competitive brands is the MB-L Crusher Bucket, which is designed to be used with any brand of backhoe loaders. It is the only solution available in market which is able to crush the material with the help of backhoe loader.

Q . How are MB Crusher products changing the scope of work for its customers?

MB Crusher Machines provides value addition to the traditional functionality of an excavator / Backhoe Loader by transforming it into an on-site mobile crushing, screening

and trenching solution. This helps our clients to meet their jobsite challenges by providing a versatile and efficient crushing solution. We offer a wide range of products that can be used in a variety of industries, including construction, demolition, mining, and recycling. Our products are designed to help our customers save time and money while working independently.

Q . Give us an overview of the company’s presence in the current market. What are your marketing plans?

We have been the pioneers in this space, and have maintained global market leadership throughout. This has in turn translated in a diversified and leading installed base from which we draw learnings to constantly improve our products. In India, the market appreciates us because albeit our products are 100% Made in Italy, we are 100% present in India with our own direct presence in the market.

We are now proud to say that we cover the entire Indian market in a capillary and efficient manner, both for sales and service. We plan to consolidate our market leading position and expand the addressable market in the mobile crushing space, but also look at expanding the breadth of our IB with our other product categories. In order to do so, we are constantly looking to identify unique market opportunities in the Indian market by assessing new application areas and our products’ pertinence and value in each. Our marketing plans include using targeted ads and influencer marketing to reach our target audience. We also plan on holding promotional events and use more innovative marketing strategies to reach potential buyers.

Q . Going forward, what role do you see your organization playing in the future development of the construction & infrastructure sector as your company is one leading manufacturer of equipment, machinery and accessories in India?

We see our company playing a major role in the future development of the construction & infrastructure sector. We will continue to provide high-quality products that meet the needs of our customers and contribute to the growth of this

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sector. Our strong commitment to quality and innovation will ensure that we remain at the forefront of this industry.

Q . What is your outlook on construction & infrastructure sector? What could be the major trends to look for in future?

As the government is heavily focusing on infrastructure development, the demand for crushed and screened aggregates is very large and will continue to grow exponentially. Processing and producing aggregates at the matching pace of the infrastructure sector is the need of the hour and the demand for M-sand is on the rise due to the ban imposed on natural sand mining in several states of India. We see an increasingly positive growth prospect for our niche segment. This is owing to the fact that mobilization and installation of other alternatives have much longer timelines as compared to our solutions. As the country undertakes a new chapter in its overall growth, infrastructure contractors are keen to bid for tenders, get awarded projects and start execution promptly. With MB, you can start trenching, crushing and screening in a matter of a few days.

Q . How the Crushing & Screening Market in India is growing?

India is the 2nd largest aggregate consumer in the world. With the heavy investment in the infrastructure sector by the government of India, the overall demand for aggregates is bound to go up. Aggregate Industry is very fragmented in India, mostly dominated by local players and small captive players who owns small quarries and low-capacity plants.

As the government is heavily focusing on infrastructure development, the demand for crushed and screened aggregates is very large and will continue to grow exponentially.

Q . How do you envision growth for your company for the next five years and what are the future investments plans of your company?

Attachments are considered as a boon to secondary operations as they drastically reduce the capital investment required upfront. At the same time, they are more versatile in terms of applicability and do not require major logistical considerations and capital-intensive mobilization costs as one would face with stationary crushers for example.

We are optimistic about the India growth story and will continue to further expand our presence in the neighboring countries by replicating the success we have experience globally as well as in Indian market.

Q .What are MB Crusher’s highlights in 2021 & 2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023?

In 2021 we completed our commercial coverage throughout the Indian market and we are very proud of having done that in a gradual and attentive matter over the course of a few years. This is one of the many signs that we see India as a very long-term story and not a speculative one. We are here to stay. In 2022 we will cross a very important mark in terms of volume of units sold. In 2023 we look forward to cross selling some of our other product categories to our existing clients as the utility amongst our products is quite complementary. We expect to continue our strong growth in the coming years, driven by new product development and expanding our install base not only in India, but also from the neighboring countries. CM

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Mr. Deep Narayan Bhattacharya Head Marketing

ATS ELGI LIMITED

www.ats-elgi.com

ATS ELGI is the largest manufacturer and distributor of Automotive Service Equipment in India. With our “One Stop Shop” approach, the company offer the widest range of garage equipment in the country. A full-fledged garage has nearly 35 pieces of equipment and over 150 tools and accessories - ATS ELGI either deals with or manufactures most of this equipment. Every item is manufactured and tested under strict international quality control systems like six sigma, TPM, Quality circles and Kaizen. With the widespread network across India and presence in many International markets, the company have the reach and coverage to support its customers at every stage of the product’s life cycle. ATS ELGI is a wholly owned subsidiary of ELGI Equipment Limited, a Global Player in the air compressor business.

Q . Please enlighten our readers about the vision & objective of ATS ELGI!

“Always be the choice everywhere”

“Always” – being included as an option in every decision by our stakeholders.

“The choice”- with an emphasis on “the”, means whatever we offer must be superior in all respects so that we are the natural choice for our stakeholders.

“Everywhere”- wherever a stakeholder is, ATS ELGI must be a natural choice.

Q . ATS ELGI has introduced a range of automotive service equipment in India. Can you elaborate on your recent product launches and business expansions?

ATS ELGI has introduced newer products related to automatic 2W Washing, High Pressure washer, New age welders, EV tools and equipment and Water Recycling Plant (WRP).

One of Europe’s leading automotive diagnostic equipment (VTEQ, Spain and ATS ELGI Ltd) has entered into a technology sharing agreement, wherein Make in India equipment vehicle test lane equipment will be manufactured at ATS ELGI’s dedicated 7500 sq.ft area allocated for this project.

Q . What are the company's future expansion plans for Lube Equipment as well as for Pneumatic tools segment?

ATS ELGI is offering in both air & hand operated lube equipment ranging from 5kg to 200 kg. We also have complete range of pneumatic tools, which caters to entire spectrum of automobiles. With the uptick in the sale of commercial vehicles (which include construction related vehicles) we are poised to play a significant role in this segment.

Q . How are the ATS ELGI’s products changing the scope of work for its customers?

ATS ELGI is offering “One Stop solution” along with its products and services. In the construction segment our products and services cater to solutions related to maintenance of fleet, lube oil handling, Exhaust extraction system for clean air solution, tyre service and inflation, High pressure washing

solution and Water recycling for ensuring zero discharge of effluents. We also manufacture Workshop on Wheels ( WoW), to cater to construction & infrastructure segment.

Q . Give us an overview of the company’s presence in the current market. What are your marketing plans?

ATS ELGI are the market leaders in providing equipment and services in the Passenger and Commercial Vehicle segment, also we have a significant presence in tyre shop business segment. We are also present in two-wheeler, three- wheeler segments.

Our latest product offerings cater to Electric Vehicle (EV) maintenance, Fitness and Scrappage centers. These 3 segments will drive the future business.

Q . Going forward, what role do you see your organization playing in the future development of the construction & infrastructure sector as your company is one leading manufacturer and distributor of automotive service equipment in India?

Construction and Infrastructure sector also have a large presence of automobile, which requires continuous operation. The fleets also require periodic maintenance as per schedules. We would play a key role in the sector towards offering, a) Setting up of fully automated workshops for vehicle fleet maintenance.

b) Offering Mobile Service solutions thru Workshop on Wheels, in order to reduce downtime & ensure quick repair at the construction site.

Q . What are the latest trends in the automotive equipment market and what are the challenges by the industry?

As we are witnessing a transition for ICE to EV, we as equipment manufacturer are also geared up for this phase in the automobile segment.

Among the various challenges we are witnessing are supply chain disruptions, fluctuating raw materials pricing, rise in energy cost in Europe & western countries are also effecting our product development cost.

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Q . How do you envision growth for your company for the next five years and what are the future investments plans of your company?

ATS ELGI is looking to grow at CAGR of 10-12% & we are putting our plans & investments in this regard. Our products to cater to EV segment, Vehicle Fitness & Scrapping centre, will support our broader growth plans, apart from our core business in Passenger & Commercial vehicle segment.

Q . What are ATS ELGI’s highlights in 2021 & 2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023? FY 2021 & 2022, had been challenging, as we were navigating thru pandemic years. We were able to ride this challenging period with multiple strategies, as an organization. Significant milestones were,

a) We successfully equipped pre-owned cars refurbishment labs across the country, viz. CARS24, Spinny, Car-Dekho b) We launched 21 products during this period, ranging from Wheel Alignment, New age Welders, Water Recycling Plant ( WRP), New range Vacuum Cleaners, Mobile Tyre Inflation device, Automatic 2W Washer

c) Launching of High Pressure Vehicle Washers for construction & infrastructure segment d) Technology Transfer agreement to manufacture Makein-India Vehicle Fitness equipment, with VTEQ, Spain. Looking ahead to 2023, ATS ELGI will look forward in gaining it’s foothold in construction & infrastructure segment, since our base is strong & we are ready with solutions & product services. CM

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Mr. Rishi Jain Managing Director

JAIN GROUP

www.thejaingroup.com

The Jain Group is one of the most dynamic and admired organizations in the Infrastructure, Finance, Hospitality and Real Estate sector in Eastern India. The Jain Group was founded in 1970’s the visionary Founder and CMD of the Group, Mr. Prem Jain, established its finance division, Jain Finance Corporation.

In the Real Estate Space, the Jain Group is proud to be 100% RERA compliant, 100% GST ready, and completely focused on the development of quality and affordable lifestyle homes. Guided by this vision, fuelled by enthusiasm, strengthened by a strong dedicated workforce and advantaged with advanced building technologies, the Jain Group is committed to giving shape to the future of not just Kolkata, but many more cities spread across the country.

Q . How do you visualize the year 2022 for the global real estate sector keeping in mind the countering limitations and market challenges?

2022 will be an year full of optimism, to note that in the last 16 months real estate has only seen highs upon highs. The real value of homes and the real value of real estate have boomed immensely and the perception of the people has also improved.. I am very upbeat about the year 2022 as well as 2023.

The limitations, in the public opinion, that we see today is largely mental, the covid crisis is long gone and the Global geopolitical tensions are actually an advantage for India. I cannot really comment that what will happen in the Russia-Ukraine crisis all the European energy crisis, but for a country like India, it's a Win-Win situation, at least from the economic standpoint. India will probably win a little or win Lots but I don't really see any e major issue that the Indian real estate sector will face other than obviously a much-awaited monetary and inflationary tightening.

Q . What are the new areas of investments and expansion Jain Group is considering for 2023?

As said earlier, we are very optimistic about the year 2023. There are several projects lined up in peripheral parts of West Bengal and North Bengal. currently, we are working on two Bungalow and 1-row housing projects within the city of Kolkata and Durgapur Respectively. We have one gated Township project that is soon to be launched in Madhyamgram. the market has enough velocity to absorb any new launches or any smartly priced real estate inventory that will be offered by real estate developers.

Q . Give us an overview of the company’s presence in the current market. What are your marketing plans?

The Jain group has completed over 3.5 million square feet and we have over 7000 happy customers. Within the industry, we have 40+ awards, and our real estate division is largely self-financed.

We are very confident and upbeat about the future, the next

2 to 3 years belong to the most innovative and the fastest companies in any sector whether real estate or otherwise, the Jain Group aims to be among those, in the real estate and hospitality industry for sure. We plan to open 2 more 5-star Hotel properties, other than our existing Holiday Inn Kolkata Airport property. One Hotel opening is happening in 2023 and another one in third quarter of 2024.

Q . Going forward, what role do you see your organization playing in the future development of the construction & infrastructure sector as your company is one leading real estate group in India?

Our group specialises in Lifestyle affordable property in the fringes of West Bengal and Calcutta. We are proud to state that we are the market discoverers of several untapped markets and were among the first developers to enter the fringe areas of Rajarhat main road. Going forward our strategy is the same, to locate more and more projects in the fringe areas of developing and expanding microcity centres and to harness the power of population growth that Bengal economy as a whole has to offer.

Q . What is the market size of real estate industry India 2020-2030?

Real estate is, was and will always continue to be the first choice of investments and wealth maximization of the Indian population as a whole. Even today a majority of Indian Households, especially of the Middle Income Group invest most of their savings in real estate. We are on our way to become a 1 Trillion $ sector by 2030, the market size will only expand from here in on.

To understand this trend, however, one needs to look at the Household Savings percentages and their deployment more closely. According to the ET-RE January 2022 survey, in FY2021 there has been a steady rise in Household savings, but simultaneously a dip in bank deposits and a huge jump in investments by household in the real estate and the capital market sector.

The market share of real estate investments by Household event today is well over 65% and going forward I see the

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household investments not just flowing into the domestic real estate market in India but also in the Global real estate market. Today Dubai is a very popular real estate investment option for any Businesses or Households linked with the city or exporting to that city. Going forward I only see a rise in all cross border real estate investment avenues.

Q . What is the future outlook of Commercial Real Estate industry?

The commercial real estate has experienced very bad hit, firstly due to the covid-19 pandemic and then even at the end of the covid-19 lockdown, it could not be revived fully. The office absorption and the retail space absorption has been under pressure for quite some time. It would be very interesting to see how the commercial real estate sector responds to this growing crisis. There is a lot of home work and hard work that is still pending in that sector.

Q . Why it’s the perfect time to invest in real estate in India?

The perfect time to invest was five years ago, the the second best time to invest is today, six months from now November of 2022 would become the second best time and five years from now, those who have invested today will be considering themselves lucky and those who are still sitting on the fence would be regretting that the opportunity is lost. Today we are experiencing the same trends that we experience of a Recovery market after a massive downturn.

Q Government has very ambitious plans of expanding real estate market as a way to boost economic growth under the ambitious ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. What are your plans ahead in the government’s quest for creating better opportunities?

The Central government has a very ambitious plans and rightfully so, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana they have already provided households or directly or indirectly financed 1.2 Crore houses . 63 Lacs have already been deployed and handed over to consumers.

Let me repeat that, 1.2 crore houses have been financed

by the central government scheme from 2015 till date. that means slightly over 17.5 lakh houses are being financed each year . And we also have to note that two years in the middle of these past seven years have been lock down and pandemic years. This is no small task, great appreciation and gratitude should be given by the homeowners as well as by the real estate industry to the central government scheme of providing “housing for all”.

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. How ‘The Smart City Project’ is a prime opportunity for real estate companies?

Smart cities project is definitely a prime opportunity for all real estate companies it is also another example just like the Pradhanmantri Aawas Yojana wherein the proactive steps of the government is benefit the entire economy of the country as a whole.

By simply by creating an “ enabling environment” And removing any bottlenecks that may hinder the growth of such an initiative the government has done enough to boost this initiative immensely and to make the Smart City Project a humongous success.

Q. In what ways, the real estate sector is contributing to the country’s GDP?

The Indian real estate sectoral contribution is 8% of GDP today. The Real estate sector in India is expected to reach US$ 1 trillion in market size by 2030 according to an Ibef report, up from US$ 200 billion in 2021 and contribute 13% to the country's GDP by 2025. the real estate sector and its allied sectors is the second largest contributor of GDP in the country and its importance and effects cannot be underlined enough, the importance of this sector is hidden by nobody and there are several allied Industries that are thriving solely because of this sector.

Q How do you envision growth for your company for the next five years and what are the future investments plans of your company?

As explained earlier the Jain Group is very upbeat about the hospitality and real estate sector in the coming 5 years. a minimum of 6 million square feet that is currently under

development and will be delivered in the next three to five years. the sectoral demand and the growing importance of real estate will play a key role here. in terms of hospitality, character has always been a favourite destination with the business traveller, the hotel in terms of hospitality Kolkata has always been a favourite destination with the business Traveller the hotel Occupancy in Calcutta has always been highest solely because of the density of population and buoyant economy. the Jain Group is poised for Quantum growth and in due course of time, our plans Will Be unlocked and revealed to all our media friends. our plans for the next 24 months have been highlighted above.

Q . What are Jain Group's highlights in 2021 &

2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023? 2022 especially has been phenomenal for us, we have 9 Industry awards and our total tally of awards other than those in 2021 and 2022 to date has risen to 40. but the awards mean little if not matched within equal if not more trust and Faith of the customer in our brand. that is our Group’s real award.

Going forward in 2023 we are convinced that within the first quarter going to our new Madhyamgram project launch and opening of our new hotel property in Rajarhat we shall have a fabulous first and second quarter of 2023. our team is confident that 2023 size b the year of Super Natural growth and the year of covering up all the difficulties and losses that the Indian real estate sector has faced in 2020. CM

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Shri Amit Banerjee

CMD BEML

To cater to the future demands of the Mining Industry BEML is already equipped with higher capacity equipment in the segments of Rope Shovels, Dump Trucks, Hydraulic Excavators and Dozers.

With its dedicated R&D, BEML is upgrading its product line to cope up with the market trends and use technology to increase production, productivity and safety in the mines

Q.BEML has introduced a range of various products in the market. Can you elaborate on your recent product launches and business expansions?

Keeping in view of the current market demand in Indian mining equipment industry, BEML has developed high-end equipment to increase production, productivity and safety in the mines.

The high-capacity equipment indigenously developed and manufactured by BEML with latest technologies are:

• BH150E Electric Dump Truck with 136 MT (150T) payload

• BH205E Electric Dump Truck with 186 MT (205T) payload

BH150E and BH205E are the two new Hybrid Rear dumpers launched by BEML suitable for the Mining Industry.

• Environmentally friendly BE1800E Electric Hydraulic Excavator (180 T class)

BE1800E is a complete electric Motor driven Hydraulic Face Shovel designed and developed for the Mining market. The product is fitted with 10 cum bottom Dump Bucket suitable for 100 t Dumper loading.

• BE1800D Hydraulic Excavator (180 T class)

BE1800D is a Diesel Engine Driven hydraulic excavator launched for the regions where the customer is not having the high voltage line required for the electrical version and if the mobility is the main requirement, then the Diesel equipment scores over the electrical equipment.

• BD475-2 Bulldozer (850 HP class)

BD475 with EG engine producing 850HP power fitted with 26 cum heavy duty blade is the new addition to the dominant Bull dozer product line. The equipment is supplied against trial cum sale basis and the performance of the same is meeting with the customers’ requirement. This higher capacity mining equipment are deployed in the field under trial / regular orders and are working satisfactorily. These products are competing with the global MNC’s and proven in the tough competition in both technological fronts as well as in the cost competitiveness. Further in pipeline we are Indigenously developing electrically driven mining Rope Shovel (21 cum bucket) and will be supplied under trial order. Efforts are on to indigenously develop and manufacture 460 HP Wheel Dozer, 8T Tyre

Handler and 550 HP Motor Grader and add to our Mining & Construction equipment product range.

Q.How do you envision the global mining & construction industry in the next decade?

• Due to recent Geopolitical situation, Mining industry is expected to receive a boost. The mining market is segmented by type into mining support activities, general minerals, stones, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc, metal ore, and coal, lignite and anthracite. The coal, lignite and anthracite market is the largest segment of the mining market by type, accounting for 62.4% of the total market in 2021.

• Asia Pacific has the largest mining market share, accounting for 70.5% of the global market in 2021. It was followed by North America, Western Europe and the other regions.

• Recent trend in Coal Mining sector is the use of larger capacity equipment. Due to expected increase in Stripping ratio, reduces the risk of accident as a fewer number of equipment are on haul roads and lessen the traffic.

• With private players entering into mining and emerging trend of MDOs, the focus on productivity has increased. Further, larger equipment help reduce fuel cost (~50% of the total TCO) drastically and also equipped with tech features such as electrical drives, which enhance the productivity and reliability of the equipment.

• Introduction of disruptive technologies in equipment across autonomy, operator comfort, connectivity and customer productivity involving advanced systems like AI/IoT enabled systems for predictive maintenance, fuel consumption reduction, collision prevention and Automation & Robotics for autonomous fleet, unmanned operation.

• The global construction market is expected to grow 5-6 % yearly in next 5-10 years and expected to reach US$15.2 trillion with US$8.9 trillion in emerging markets in 2030.

• The demand is mainly attributed to factors such as rapid urbanization, growing number of infrastructure projects, increase in infrastructure investments post-COVID-19 pandemic government investment in construction activities and technological advancements in electric & autonomous equipment to curb emission levels.

• Regional construction growth is expected to be highest in Sub-Saharan Africa followed by emerging Asia.

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• Asia is estimated to dominate the construction equipment market. The market growth in Asia can be attributed to the rising investment in infrastructure projects and mitigation to urban cities.

• Four countries – China, India, US, and Indonesia – to account for 58.3% of global growth in construction.

• Infrastructure development globally is heavily dependent on public spending. This means investment relies on the ability of governments to finance spending although long-term stable and index-linked returns from infrastructure are generally well-matched to the needs of large superannuation funds.

Q. What kind of digital and new-age technologies is gaining traction in mining & construction?

With the rising market demand advanced machinery and enhancement in technologies is the mandate in the present day.

Some of the technologies which are driving the Mining & Construction industry are:

• Artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous technologies: Some of the AI technologies introduced by BEML in its equipment are,

- Sleep/Fatigued operator alert system on Dump Trucks

- Predictive Maintenance of Mining equipment through Data Analytics and Telematics enabled systems

- AI Powered Mobile Health and Diagnostic Station

- Design & Development of AI based 3600 surrounding view monitoring system

- AI based automation of water sprinkling system

- AI based Lighting system (Head Lamps / Fog Lamps) on HEMM.

And further many new AI projects are under development. For e.g.

• Electric, Hybrid and Diesel products in the mining market, BEML have launched complete electric Motor driven and Diesel Engine Driven Hydraulic Face Shovel, High-end Excavators models and Dump Trucks models like ‘BH150E’ and ‘BH205E’ the two new Hybrid Rear dumpers suitable for the Mining Industry.

• The present mandate is to adapt to newer emission norms: BEML has developed construction equipment in the segment

of Loaders and Motor Graders equipped CEV stage IV engines to match the emission norms and the products are ready for deployment.

Q. What is your outlook on Aerospace and Defense Industry? What could be the major trends to look for in future?

1. BEML is aggressively marketing its capabilities and biding for the projects with existing capabilities and partnerships to enter Defence & Aerospace business in a big-way.

2. Ensuring efficient resource allocation across manufacturing complexes to successfully deliver Defence & Aerospace production orders for the current FY.

3. BEML is strategizing to become a leading Aero-Structures manufacturer in India, with special focus on UAVs by accelerating strategic partnership with OEMs by focusing orders from domestic and global customers.

4. Also, BEML is partnering with Start-ups to bring a deeper engagement from Start-up ecosystem for DISC 7 and iDEX PRIME (SPRINT), who are providing cutting edge solutions in Defence sector under the innovation category in developing Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Autonomous Combat Vehicle (ACV).

5. There is a continuous surge in the demand for spares for High Mobility Vehicles & Armoured Recovery Vehicles and BEML is gearing up to meet the requirements. This spares supply is a substantial portion of the revenue generation in the defence segment.

6. Major overhaul programmes of Defence Services are being pursued which will propel our growth further.

7. BEML is developing the following Defence equipment to induct in next 4-5 years to include in Positive indigenisation list.

• Aerial Vehicle: Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Autonomous Combat Vehicle.

• Wheeled equipment: Mine Protected Vehicle, Armoured Troop Carrier, Heavy Recovery Vehicle, Light Autonomous Dozer, HMV 12X12, Truck mounted crane & Excavator, Articulated All-terrain Vehicle, Wheeled Infantry Combat Vehicle (WICV), Bar Mine Layer Vehicle, Mine Field Marking Equipment (MFME) Mark-II, Self-Propelled Mine Burrier on 8x8 Chassis and Trailers.

• Aggregates: Tank engines 1000 HP & 1500 HP.

• Tracked equipment: Armoured Dozer, Arjun Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Armoured Engineering Vehicle, Trawl Roller with Mine plough for T-72/T90 tanks etc.

Q.How is BEML preparing for the future infra development and market opportunities?

With regards to the market demand or opportunities in the Mining Industry of our country, BEML has already equipped to design and develop High-Capacity equipment in the segments of Rope Shovels, Dump Trucks, Hydraulic Excavators and Dozers. BEML has deployed equipment such as Dump Truck Models ‘BH150E & BH205E’, Excavator of 180T capacity models ‘BE1800E & BE1800D’, Dozer model ‘BD475’ powered with 860HP engine. Now, with the prestigious order from M/s CIL for Rope Shovel, BEML is in the process of manufacturing 20 Cum Rope Shovel model ‘BRS21’. All these products are Atmanirbar products of our country.

Towards, Construction equipment market demand BEML is gearing up with production of equipment with newer emission norms and with advanced technologies matching the market demand embedded with latest safety features on the equipment. Also, BEML has launched new products viz., Dozers with Hydro Static Transmission and with Power Angle Tilt Blades, Motor Graders with advanced features and recently launched new loader model ‘BL30-1’ with advance technology to match the current requirement.

Overall, BEML is geared up to match the demands arising

due to the various infrastructure projects announced by the government and as well the increasing demand of high-capacity equipment from the mining industry.

Q.What are the latest trends in the mining & construction equipment and what are the challenges faced by the industry?

With respect to the Mining equipment, the mining industry including Coal, Iron Ore, Limestone, Bauxite and Manganese are increasing their production hence there is a growing demand for High-end Equipment, keeping in view of this, BEML has already indigenously developed High-Capacity Equipment in the segments of Dump Trucks, Dozers, Hydraulic Excavators and Rope Shovels.

As far as Construction equipment is considered, the projects which are ongoing and expected in the areas of Infrastructure and construction is driving the demand for equipment especially for Loaders & Excavators.

The challenges faced in both Mining & Construction equipment market are:

1. Increasing input cost – challenge in cost optimization

- Increase in steel and other commodity prices

- Increase in input components / spares cost

- Increase in fuel cost

2. Demand for advanced technology on par with global players.

3. Competitive prices – Chinese equipment in the market.

4. Normalcy in supply chain system and logistics post covid

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19 is a challenge.

5. Regular technology updation - Indigenous development and Implementation of latest Technology in limited period time.

6. Skill development in the latest technology

terms of business?

As per the report, our country is targeting to be a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25 and the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) aims at investing over Rs.111 trillion into several infrastructure projects within 2025 and further with many infrastructures development plans. With Government’s huge infrastructure development plans there would be a major growth in the construction and infrastructure business. However, with regards to the equipment for this sector is concerned the future demands are for the following:

- Use of more Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Automation

- Technology updation towards increasing productivity, safety of men and material, & reduced cost of operations.

- Ease of operations and maintenance

- Use of fuel efficient engines

- Use of environmental friendly equipment – Emissions norms compliant engines, Electric motor driven equipment.

- Modular design of equipment

BEML Limited achieving the milestone of highest ever sales during 2021-22 is geared up achieve minimum Rs.10,000 Crore

by 2026-27 including minimum 20% sales through exports from all the three business verticals, i.e. Defence & Aerospace, Mining & Construction and Rail & Metro.

Keeping in view of the market demand, we have built the infrastructure to manufacture High-Capacity equipment, introduce AI technology on our equipment apart from other advanced features on par with global standards.

Also, in order to meet customer requirements and critical manufacturing we have implemented industry 4.0 process in our one of the divisions.

However, since the company is under the process of disinvestment we have made a strategic plan towards the Capex of the company for the current FY.

Q.

What are BEML's highlights in 2021 & 2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023?

Company has set a new benchmark by recording an all-time high sale of ₹ 4,143 Crs. during 2021-22 with a growth of 16% over previous year.

Mining & Construction Business achieved highest ever sales and registered a growth of 7.91% over the previous year. Defence Business has registered an impressive double-digit growth over the previous year. Also, Rail & Metro Business registered a growth of 9.78% over the previous year.

With a healthy order book of over Rs 9000 crs it is expected that, during the current FY an overall growth of around 15%.

On export front, your Company has bagged major order from Cameroon for supply of construction equipment consisting of Bulldozers, Excavators, Wheel Loaders, Motor graders and Compactors. The supplies will be executed during current year.

In the overall, we are confident that there will be growth during the current Financial Year 2022-23. CM

Q. How do you expect construction & infrastructure to evolve from there in

Q. How do you envision growth for your company for the next five years and what are the future investments plans of your company?

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Dheeraj

SANY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDIA PVT. LTD.

Quality Changes The World

SANY group follows the mission of "Quality changes the world". Keeping this core mission in mind we commit our energies and resources for bringing in quality in all aspects of our business and contribution to society. We try to inculcate this through manufacturing world class product and providing first class experience to our customers.

Mr.

Panda Chief Operating Officer (Sales, Marketing & Customer Support)

Q

. How is Sany preparing for the future infra development and market opportunities?

Sustained growth of urbanization, major on-going national highways projects and most importantly government’s steadfast focus on infrastructural development are driving huge demands for construction equipment. We are already seeing high demand for construction equipment like excavators, mobile cranes, piling rigs and motor graders etc. Apart from this equipment are also extensively sought-after in various projects, including mining, shipping, oil & gas, railways, and power industry. Moving ahead, the thrust will be on technology without compromising on the user-friendly aspect of the machines. All in all, we want to offer the best-in-class equipment, like we have been doing since inception, so as to retain our position as a market leader and aid in the infrastructural development of our country. Since we have increased our manufacturing capacity in our Pune facility, we are geared up to meet the future infrastructure development demands with ease. With quality aspect being an integral part of Sany, we are prepared to surpass the expectations of our stakeholders by introducing products that score high on technology, productivity and versatility.

Q

. What is your outlook on the Indian Construction Equipment industry?

Indian Construction equipment industry is growing at a rapid pace. With rapid urbanization and infrastructure activities across the country, we expect the Indian construction equipment market to cross $ 4.7 billion by 2025. Government has increased the budget on the development of roads, metro rails, flyovers and commercial complexes which definitely benefit the infrastructure sector, creating growth opportunities in the market. We are already seeing high demand for construction equipment like Hydraulic excavators, Mobile cranes, Piling Rigs, Motor graders, Mining Machinery etc. We have already surpassed several big brands to emerge as the largest excavator seller globally in 2020 & 2021.

Q

. With new machines being introduced, operator training and skill development are becoming imperative

in today's scenario. What are the skilling initiatives at Sany?

Skill development plays an important role in CE operations. People with industry knowledge and the right skill sets are better equipped to face challenges and work efficiently. At Sany, skill building is an integral part of our company’s ecosystem wherein digital fluency, resilience and adaptability, emotional intelligence and other skill-based learning techniques are imparted on a regular basis. Since our employees work as a cohesive team in achieving a common goal, we are able to surge ahead.

Sany Bharat has successfully designed a detailed training course / training courses for equipment operators and technicians which is certified by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) of India. We are also the Vocational Training Provider (VTP) or partner of NSDC. These expert-led training sessions ensure that machine operators, technicians and supervisors gain expertise in certain skills that help them operate machines safely and efficiently. After the training is complete, the Government of India issues training certificate to the participants with proper assessment done by a third party.

Q . What are the latest trends in the construction equipment market and what are the challenges faced by the construction equipment industry?

Digital and automated tools are the latest market trends in the construction equipment market. With a general shift in the industry towards newer technologies – we have planned to introduce a new range of technologically advanced equipment in the next few months. Most of our new generation machines are being manufactured in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative and it will be different from other existing options due to its special design based on different applications, which will offer tremendous scope in terms of versatility, reliability and overall performance.

4.Tell us about your commitment towards the construction equipment manufacturing industry in India & your strengths to achieve your targets.

All our products are designed to stay true to the belief of quality changes the world. We believe that this will help us

to expand our business and customer base in a price sensitive market. Having said that, SANY machines are built with World Class Aggregates by using parts which are majorly sourced from India and it’s truly a made in India Product. Our customers see a value proposition when they buy our equipments as it’s designed to enhance quality, improve productivity and optimize cost. With less Downtime, Higher Productivity and top-notch features, our equipments offer complete value for money. In addition, we have a wide service network and a gamut of products to choose from thereby helping our dealers and customers to get the best out of their investments. All these factors reflect our commitment towards construction equipment manufacturing industry in India. Our penchant towards quality is our biggest strength which helps us in achieving our targets year on year.

Q . How do you envision growth for industry in coming years ?

Government's focus on world class infrastructure has fuelled the demand of construction equipment in India. We are also witnessing a remarkable growth in the mining sector especially after the introduction of mining reforms. This has certainly spurred the demand for mining equipment in the CE industry. Similarly, the increasing seaborne trade across the globe is prominently driving the demand for the port equipment market in India.

Moving ahead, we shall be focusing on the road, mining and ports sectors. These sectors are the core drivers of the Indian economy which contribute to the country’s GDP.

Q . What are Sany's highlights in 2021 & 2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023?

As the nation is ushering in new emission standards - we have successfully embraced the Bharat CEV Stage IV norms and upgraded & launched four new truck cranes; STC250C, STC450C, STC600C, and STC800C in the market. The new truck cranes have been manufactured at our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Chakan in Pune to boost the government's 'Make in India' programme. These newly launched cranes are effective in regulating and decreasing emissions and the response has

been quite good in the market. We expect the demand for such machines to surge in the days to come, hence we plan to launch more new products complying with CEV Stage IV emissions. It is imperative to mention here that earlier this year, we worked with Different Engine manufacturers on biodiesel & the machines that we launched at an industrial expo are capable of B5 Biodiesel. Customers can use Biodiesel by which they can reduce their cost of operation. Biodiesel improves fuel lubricity and raises the cetane number of the fuel. Diesel engines depend on the lubricity of the fuel to keep moving parts from wearing prematurely. Using biodiesel as a vehicle fuel increases energy security, improves air quality. Biofuels in India are of strategic importance as it augers well with the ongoing initiatives of the Government such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill Development etc. Technology has become an intrinsic part of the construction equipment industry. We at Sany Bharat believe in moving ahead with the times. We have an integrated facility with modern manufacturing equipment, testing facilities, R&D centre, training centre all under one roof in Pune. Our company's R&D team focus primarily on customization of global technologies for Indian requirements. Many products in the company’s portfolio have been localised but without compromising on the technology aspect, best in class features and top-notch quality aspect which Sany is known for. Government has increased the budget on the development of metro rails, flyovers and commercial complexes which will benefit the infrastructure sector, creating growth opportunities in the market. Since 2021, we have deployed hundreds of machines at various ports, mines, refineries, railways & metro projects and waterways. In 2023, we will continue to surge ahead by staying true to our belief of Quality changes the world. Be it in our manufacturing facility, sales, dealerships or after sales (customer service), quality has become an intrinsic part of team Sany. In year 2023, we plan to expand our footprint in India and south Asian countries. In India, we intent to further strengthen our dealership network and open 4S offices in key cities and towns. You will also see state of the art construction equipment being launched from early 2023 onwards. CM

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

Mr. Abhishek Bhardwaj Chief Marketing Officer

SHRISTI

INFRASTRUCTURE

One of the leading Construction and Infrastructure Development Companies in India, SHRISTI INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LTD. started commercial operations in 1999 and is today a pan-Indian company in the fields of Infrastructure Construction, Infrastructure Development, Hospitality, and Healthcare. The company draws inspiration from engineering marvels that have contributed immensely in raising the standards of infrastructure and paving the way for economic prosperity and a good life for all.

Q . Could you share Shristi’s journey of innovation in the world of Real Estate? In what ways has it changed the dynamics of your business?

Shristi Group has always been in the forefront in terms of innovations. Apart from development of housing, we focus mostly on the development of townships in Tier-II cities. The townships are an eco-system by itself having a School, Club, Mall, Healthcare, Hotel. This has helped us to emerge as one of the largest real estate developers of the country.

Q . What are the future business expansion plans of Shristi Infrastructure?

Presently we are developing an integrated township in Guwahati by the name of Shristinagar, Guwahati. Expansion of our existing township in Asansol is also in progress.

Q Tell us about your commitment towards the infrastructure industry in India & your strengths to achieve your targets!

We are committed in developing integrated townships with all modern facilities and amenities and at affordable prices. We are the forerunners in this segment, and have earned the faith of homebuyers over the years.

Q . Government has very ambitious plans of expanding real estate market as a way to boost economic growth under the ambitious ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. What are your plans ahead in the government’s quest for creating better opportunities?

We have been developing and delivering best quality homes at affordable prices over the years. The PMAY scheme launched by the Government shows the strong inclination of the government towards inclusive growth. We appreciate the efforts of the Govt. and are committed in our mission of developing homes for all.

Q . How ‘The Smart City Project’is a prime opportunity for real estate companies?

The purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology. Tier-II cities are the next big thing in the development of smart cities. This will provide a huge opportunity for real estate developers in the coming days.

Q . In what ways, the real estate sector is contributing to the country’s GDP?

India’s real estate sector is on the rise and this will continue in the future. It is projected to be the 3rd largest sector with an optimum growth projection. The real estate sector is the second largest employer after agriculture and experts have stated that the sector is poised to grow around 20 percent over the next decade.

Q . What is the future outlook of Commercial Real Estate industry?

The future of commercial real estate is very encouraging, to say the least .

Q How do you envision growth for your company for the next five years and what are the future investments plans of your company?

In the next five years the company will definitely grow as we are looking to take up new large size development projects across India. In years to come we see a substantial growth.

Q . What are Shristi Infrastructure's highlights in 2021 & 2022? What are the company’s hopes in 2023?

Shristi’s highlight in 2021 &2022 has been on having Healthcare facilities in all our Townships considering the times faced during the Pandemic. This is especially looked into keeping in mind the benefit of our clients.

The Company Hopes for 2023 is Housing for all with quality construction at reasonable prices, also having all modern amenities for the benefit of having Happy Customers. CM

www.shristicorp.com

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

CHAIRMAN & CEO - INDIA, SOUTH-EAST ASIA MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA, CBRE

CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction, and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services.

The guiding principle at CBRE is to provide strategic solutions that make real estate holdings more productive and economically efficient for its clients across all service lines.

Mr. Anshuman Magazine

Q . What are the key offerings of CBRE to its customers and objectives?

CBRE aims to realise the potential of its clients, professionals, and partners by building the real estate solutions of the future. With diverse market knowledge and expertise, superior data and proprietary technology, and a multi-dimensional perspective, CBRE assists clients to use real estate to transform their business and achieve their goals. Here are some of the key offerings of CBRE:

• Invest, Finance & Value - Specialized advice to help clients find good investment opportunities

• Plan, Lease & Occupy - Consulting and transaction services by experts and through the use of technology to maximise returns. Aims to empower occupiers and owners to help anticipate opportunities and execute successful real estate strategies that drive results.

• Design & Build - Helps deliver projects from concept to completion by employing cost-efficient, industryleading processes to optimise projects, minimise risks and create value.

• Manage Properties & Portfolios - Helps manage every aspect of the real estate, from accounting and operations to sustainability and energy consumption. With scale, supply chain expertise, and innovative technology, CBRE’s experts help reduce costs, increase efficiencies and create memorable on-site experiences.

• Transform Business Outcomes - Consultancy and expert guidance to manage client’s businesses and generate expected outcomes.

• Manage Real Assets Investments - Helps deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles, and execution formats

Q What advice would you give to someone starting out in real estate today?

The opportunities in the real estate sector are immense. The real estate sector has been adapting in real-time to numerous changes caused by policy reforms, the

entry of foreign funds, varying homebuyer demands, the emergence of next-gen developers, and a variety of other factors. Here are some tips for people starting in real estate -

• Local insights - Real estate is a broad industry but highly localised. The trends in one micro-market do not reflect in another and vice versa. As a result, professionals must interact with many stakeholders like local people, real estate consultants, bankers etc. and then learn to analyse the local market model.

• Understanding RERA - The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has been operational since 2017 to bring about transparency in the real estate sector and empower homebuyers by bridging the knowledge asymmetry between homebuyers and developers. Everyone in the real estate sector must be well versed with the laws laid down by RERA.

• Understanding the licences and registrations - Real estate and construction businesses require multiple licences, and basic knowledge about each is necessary. One must build liaison with local authorities for a deeper insight, including on-ground situations and challenges since multiple agencies at the state level/local bodies are involved in granting permissions and licences.

• Understanding market dynamics of real estate

A fundamental understanding of the real estate market including allied industries, is important. One must master the latest market trends and focus their business on these trends to harness the best opportunities.

Q How do you see technology shaping the business of real estate in the future?

The growing synergies between various technologies and real estate have accelerated. The key to this transformation is a large amount of diverse data sets in addition to the ‘Big Data’ aggregated at a hyperpersonal level. Over the last few years, integrating new technologies has propelled productivity, enhanced stability, and ensured business continuity. The adoption

www.cbre.com

of PropTech was further accelerated amid COVID-19 across commercial, residential, retail, and construction segments. These advancements are expected to have a long-term and far-reaching impact on the industry. Six disruptive technologies that are reshaping businesses worldwide and significantly impacting real estate are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)/ Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) and Blockchain. These technologies are remodelling real estate and assessing the opportunities they create to improve the experience of all stakeholders, viz., developers, investors, occupiers, and employees. While Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) solutions are enabling real-time site management, technologies such as AI and Augmented Reality (AR) could soon stimulate buyer/ investor interest and reduce timeline complexities. The sector is expected to balance physical property visits and virtual visits, aided by implementations such as 3D virtual experiences.

Implementations such as IoT are improving work environments – analyzing daily employee preferences (seating, booking meeting rooms) and dynamically updating through mobile devices. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can help improve health and safety at work – such as using autonomous cleaning robots and self-cleaning solutions. Using AR/VR solutions is already improving employee collaboration, tailoring experiences depending on business/team needs. The pandemic has led developers to look at innovative solutions to attract a new generation of homebuyers. Tech-enabled gated communities and residential properties have witnessed a surge owing to the demand for exclusive services and offerings.

India has been on a progressive path of growth for several years, and so has the real estate industry along with it. The implementation of focused policy reforms and strategic infrastructure initiatives by the state/ central government has resulted in consumer preference leaning towards suburbs / non metro cities. As a result, tier II cities are gaining traction owing to their growing economic significance, infrastructure development and improved connectivity. This is evidenced by the entry and expansion of flex operators and the increasing footprint of industrial establishments. The various business clusters across tier-II cities now offer a mix of non-SEZ and SEZ establishments. Most tier II cities have also recorded a growing presence of industrial hubs and malls. Retailers and mall developers are looking to leverage the buying power of the increasing populace in these cities. Growing internet usage has whetted the appetite for quality products in these areas, thus giving a fillip to e-commerce too. There is also rising investor interest over recent years, with various plans announced by domestic and global firms to establish their footprint in these markets. As we move forward, tier II cities are poised to be the new growth vectors in India in the coming years - driven by their progress in the real estate landscape, work environment, quality of life, and sustainability. Moreover, these cities have large talent bases, taking offices closer to talent holds the potential to be alternative centers of growth, fueling innovation and growth for office occupiers. Hence, it is increasingly critical for these cities to sustain the current pace of infrastructure development and strengthen skill development.

Q . Where do you see the most growth opportunities in the future?

The outlook for growth of the Indian economy has been moderated owing to tightening monetary conditions and recessionary global headwinds, however, strong macro fundamentals will ensure that India is on a growth trajectory, and we have reasons to remain optimistic due to the recovery of services consumption, revival of domestic demand and India’s continued attraction as a resilient and cost-effective investment destination among global businesses. We believe the growth dynamic may be temporarily affected, but with strong fundamentals, it will sustain any major impact.

Compared to 9-Months 2021, the office sector witnessed a remarkable recovery in leasing activity in 9M 2022 with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, a gradual acceleration of return to the office (RTO), expansion by occupiers, and the release of post-pandemic pent-up demand. Supply in 9M 2022 grew by 4% YoY to reach 35.6 million sq. ft.

The supply pipeline remains robust as high quality, investment grade supply by leading developers and institutional owners in prime locations would continue to draw flight to quality space take up in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR are anticipated to continue to dominate supply in the coming quarters. Non-SEZ buildings would drive the development completions, while the share of SEZ supply is likely to decline going forward. Moreover, a strong leasing performance in 2022 is likely to cause the vacancy rate to dip marginally or remain range bound across cities by the end of the year. CM

Q

. What challenges do you foresee in the future for your organization and for the Real Estate industry?

Q . What are the new supply outstripping office demand in 2022-23?

Roads & Highways

CURRENT SCENARIO OF ROAD & HIGHWAYS DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

For economic growth and development, adequate transportation infrastructure is a requirement. Rapidly developing nations like China and India face significant infrastructure issues. Although there is scant information on the economic effects of such programmes thus far, corporate leaders, legislators, and academics view infrastructure as a critical barrier to sustainable growth that necessitates support from the public. We explore how proximity to a significant new road network affects the organisation of industrial activity, particularly the placement of new plants, using industry-level sorting and resource allocation effectiveness.

According to the most recent data from the ministry of road transport and roads, construction up to September of this year has only covered 3,559 km as opposed to a target of 12,000 km in FY23. This is less even than the 3,824 km built over the same time in pandemic-stricken FY22. Given that highway development in India only met a fourth of the

yearly objective in the first half of the current fiscal year, signs of a slowdown in the sector appear to be growing stronger.

According to the most recent data from the ministry of road transport and roads, construction up to September of this year has only covered 3,559 km as opposed to a target of 12,000 km in FY23. This is less even than the 3,824 km built over the same time in pandemic-stricken FY22.

Not only is there a slowdown in construction, but it is also evident in the selection of new projects. In comparison to the 4,609 km of highways given between April and September of FY22, only 4,092 km of projects have been awarded in the first six months of the current year. In order to fill any gaps in construction this year, the government is relying on new road developments in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, which are already competitive in many locations. Additionally, it is planned to build about 500 km of highways in a matter of days. However, due to the fact that government agencies have

ROADS & HIGHWAYS

never built more than 50 km of road every day, which is required to meet the 12,000 km target in time, analysts are sceptical that the construction will be finished. The last five years have seen a major expansion of the road transportation network. The Indian government has allocated more than Rs 1.18 lakh crore to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the fiscal years 2021–2022. The government has also chosen a number of trade routes that will aid India's economy in growing to USD 5 trillion by 2025. The fact that the industry makes up about 18% of the National Infrastructure Pipeline further demonstrates the sector's significance. Several state governments have also looked into the development of important road corridors as a catalyst for economic growth. A nation's complex, robust, and well-maintained road network over its length and breadth acts as a critical facilitator for its overall economic and social growth by enabling the efficient transit of both freight and passengers. The majority of travel in India is by road, which also helps other forms of transportation by providing and ensuring last-mile connections.

India has the second-largest road network in the world, with 63.72 lakh km of roadways. Main district roads, lesser district roads, expressways, state highways (SHs), and village roads are some examples of these routes. National roads are the primary thoroughfares for interstate movement of people and goods in the country.

There were 658 NHs in the country as of the end of January 2022, with a total length of 141,190 km. Despite comprising only 2.3% of the entire road system, it carries 40% of all traffic. By January 31, 2022, the length of the country's NHs had increased from 91,287 km in April 2014 to 141,190 km, a remarkable growth of 50% in just eight years. Be aware that between 2014 and 2015, 49,339 km of state roads received national highway status. The Indian government established the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), which comprised important steps to upgrade and reinforce NHs.

The longest continuous asphalt/bituminous concrete road was built in India, according to Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who made the announcement earlier in June. In Maharashtra, NH-53 was constructed with a single lane of bitumen road between Amravati and Akola. The 75-kilometer road's construction took a recordbreaking 105 hours and 33 minutes. At 5:00 p.m. on June 7, the construction project was completed. following the start on June 3 at 7:27 a.m. In order to

ensure that there is vegetation next to the highways, Nitin Gadkari stated that the National Roadways Authority of India (NHAI) would make its tree bank available. The Union minister emphasized the value of planting by the side of the road. Gadkari, the minister of roads and transportation, believes that for every tree that is removed, five more should be planted.

Concerns over India's subpar track record in terms of road safety have prompted the government to seek for improved NH quality. The majority of traffic fatalities worldwide occur in this nation. While breaking traffic laws and driving recklessly are some of the major causes of accidents, poor road conditions and shoddy road construction have also been given the blame.

Highway Expansion - A Growth Driver

Highways link people, products, and raw materials, which is essential to a nation's ability to function. India is gradually on pace to achieve standards on par with the finest in the world because to the fast growth and modernization of its road network. India has been actively constructing a reliable network of roads, motorways, and expressways as part of the "Bharatmala" initiative of the national government. Additionally, India wants to construct at least 26 green expressways by 2025. The road and highway infrastructure in India accounts for over 60% of all cargo movement. The growing network of motorways and expressways is intended to be the driving force behind the transformation and aid in bringing down logistics costs from their present range of 16–18% of GDP to 10%. Recently, Nitin Gadkari, the union's minister for roads and highways, claimed, "We can cut the cost of logistics by 10% to 12% in India. We will be more competitive in the global market because to the 4–6% savings. By doing so, we can raise our growth rate while simultaneously increasing exports and maybe lowering costs ". According to current predictions, the highway building sector will see a phenomenal rise of 133% by 2025, which will be higher than in any other nation in recent memory.

Even India's neglected and dangerous northern and northeastern regions are now connected to the country's burgeoning road and highway network. In order to improve the nation's military capabilities, the Border Road Organization has been working nonstop to construct roads along the Indian border. For quick logistical support in the face of an ambitious and expansionist China, building road infrastructure is crucial. According to the administration, in the upcoming years, the nation will have one of the greatest road networks

in the world, which will not only be important to its economy but also serve as an example for other nations.

Industry Scenario of Road & Highways

In India, the market for roads and highways is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 36.16% by 2025 as a result of expanding government initiatives to upgrade the nation's transportation infrastructure. The CAGR over the years 2016–17 to 2021–22 is 20%. India's roads industry has always been a leader in terms of effectiveness and innovation. Based on the Hybrid Annuity Model, the government of India has successfully implemented over 60 road projects valued over $10 billion (HAM). HAM has increased PPP activity in the industry and effectively balanced risk among private and governmental partners. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has adopted asset recycling using the toll-operatetransfer (ToT) model for 100 highways. For an investment of almost $2 billion, the first two bundles of nine motorways each were successfully monetized. The NHAI has gone "Fully Digital" with the introduction of a special cloud-based and Artificial Intelligence-powered Big Data Analytics platform - Data Lake and Project Management Software - as one of the major changes in the Indian road transportation sector. The whole project management process at NHAI is now online portal based rather than manual, and all project execution procedures, such as "workflow with time lines" and "alarm mechanisms," have been set up. Now, the site is used for all project paperwork, contractual decisions, and approvals.

Latest Announcements

• The central government has sanctioned projects for the state of Maharashtra alone totaling Rs 50,000 crore for better road infrastructure and Rs 75,000

crore for the railways. When the government invests such a significant sum in infrastructure projects, thousands of new employment are also created. Numerous job prospects will be made available to Maharashtrians in the future.

• At a ceremony held on October 28 along the Durbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie route (DS-DBO) road in Ladakh, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated 75 infrastructure projects constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The Chinese PLA's opposition to the vital road that provided easy access for the Indian forces was one among the factors that led to the military stalemate between India and China in Ladakh in 2020. This was because India was building a road on the Durbuk-ShyokDaulat Beg Oldie route (DS-DBO).

• The proposed greenfield Bengaluru-Pune Expressway is the subject of a detailed project report (DPR) by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The proposed expressway, estimated to cost Rs 50,000 crore, will start at Kanjale on the currently under construction ring road in Pune, end at Muthugadhalli in the Doddaballapur taluk of Karnataka, and connect to Bengaluru via the Satellite Ring Road. It is part of Phase 2 of the Prime Minister's flagship Bharatmala scheme. The highway would also join the Pune-Mumbai expressway in Pune. The six-lane highway will be constructed to accommodate 120 km/hr vehicle speeds. Once finished, it will guarantee that the present 13 to 14-hour travel time between two cities will be down to 6 hours. A 700 km section of the greenfield expressway is being considered. The current length of the national highway between Bengaluru and Pune is around 750 km, while the total distance between the two cities is about 850 km. The proposed expressway's route will pass through a total of three Maharashtra districts—Pune, Satara,

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ROADS & HIGHWAYS

and Sangli—and nine Karnataka districts—Belagavi, Bagalkot, Gadag, Koppal, Vijayanagara, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, and Bengaluru Rural.

• The Narendra Modi administration has suggested building six additional roads in Arunachal Pradesh totaling 2,178 kilometres in length as part of ongoing efforts to increase connectivity along the border with China.

• According to Union Road Transport and Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Ministry of Road Transports and Highways (MoRTH) intends to take over the State Highways with high traffic density from the State Governments for a 25-year period and transform them into 4 or 6 lane highways.

• Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, announced that the nation would soon have 27 green express highways. By the end of this year, highways will connect Delhi with Dehradun in two hours, Delhi with Hardwar in two hours, Delhi with Jaipur in two hours, Chandigarh in two hours, Amritsar in four hours, Srinagar in eight hours, Delhi with Katra in six hours, Delhi with Mumbai in ten hours, Chennai with Bengaluru in two hours, and Lucknow with Kanpur in thirty minutes.

• According to the Minister, the Ministry is also

building 75 tunnels at a cost of 2,50,000 crores. In the nation, 40 km of new roads are built per day on average. Currently, the country's roads total 65 lakh kilometres, of which 1.45 lakh kilometres are National Highways.

Conclusion

India is utilising cutting-edge technologies to rapidly and sustainably complete the most difficult road projects, with the added benefit of lowering project lifetime costs. There are, however, geological issues with tunnelling. The risk matrix has to account for unforeseen events. The provisions of tunnel contracts have mostly been modified from highway contracts in recent years.

The primary attention has been placed on road safety. Several steps have been done in this direction, such as the elimination of "black spots," the development of driver-training facilities, the introduction of the SukhadYatra app and toll-free emergency number, the expansion of police capability, etc. Concessionaires, consultants, and other contractors that work on the NHAI field team have all received training. A road safety study must be conducted by independent safety specialists. CM

Commercial Vehicle

ELECTRIC MOBILITY IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SEGMENT - ITS FUTURE & BENEFITS

ELECTRIC MOBILITY IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SEGMENT - ITS FUTURE & BENEFITS

The transportation and commodities sectors in the nation are supported by commercial vehicles (CVs). People can satisfy their demands and have their goods delivered from one location to another with the use of CVs. The commercial vehicle sector in India is once again enjoying a resurgence in demand after a painful two years of sales declines. The demand for CVs has risen by 68% as of right now, according SIAM's first-half sales numbers for FY2023. The domestic CV sector is now witnessing a revival of demand as a consequence of the government's considerable infrastructure expenditure, which has led to the sale of M&HCVs and a replacement requirement for passengertransporting buses. The requirement for smaller buses benefits the LCV category as well, although sales of compact CVs used for last-mile deliveries are substantially increasing because to the

booming e-commerce sector. Compared to railroads, trucks have a number of benefits. For instance, trucks may accept goods in lower amounts than rail transit, they can go through rural and hilly areas, and they take less time to load and unload goods than rail. India's rapid economic development has also played a significant role in driving the truck market. The expansion of industries including infrastructure, real estate, logistics, mining, etc. has been further accelerated by the robust economic growth. Rising earnings, urbanisation, the expansion of the rural economy, e-commerce, etc. are further drivers pushing this industry.

The Future of Electric Mobility in Commercial Vehicle Segment

Electric mobility may cause disruptions and structural changes in the automobile sector as it picks up steam in India and other nations. Over the past two years,

the car sector has proven to be quite resilient. The decline in worldwide sales that had begun before the COVID-19 epidemic was made worse by the pandemic itself. The sector nevertheless has bright long-term potential despite short-term supply problems. By the middle of this decade, it is anticipated that global passenger car sales would peak. Emerging markets like India will take the lead.

In India, the total cost of ownership for electric two- and three-wheelers is projected to be more appealing than for passenger or large commercial vehicles (PVs and HCVs). By 2030, sales of new E2Ws and E3Ws may increase to 50% and 70%, respectively. With delayed electrification, internal combustion engines (ICE) will continue to rule the PV and HCV scene in India. By 2030, sales of new vehicles are anticipated to be dominated by electric PVs and HCVs, with respective percentages of 10 to 15 and 5 to 10 percent.

Electricity, rather than diesel or gasoline, is used to power commercial vehicles. Vans, trucks, buses, excavators, wheel loaders, and tractors are examples of electric vehicles. Electric vehicles can also include agricultural gear like combine harvesters or tractors. They are powered by an on-board battery that receives recharging from the electrical grid.

The electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, much like in an electric commercial vehicle. One of the essential parts of the electrical system that fuels the power network is the DC-to-DC converter. The driver inverter in these cars converts the battery's DC energy into the AC energy required to power the vehicle.

The largest vehicles on the road are still fuelled by fossil fuels, but the first all-electric light commercial vehicles have already on the road. Light hybrid trucks and excavators utilise both diesel and electric engines. In a few years, long routes for heavy-haul transportation may be run on "e-highways" using electric overhead contact wires.

Fully electric vehicles with zero emissions are advantageous for LCVs used for short-distance, in-town travel. Electric vehicles will have cheaper overall ownership costs than internal combustion engines by 2025. The fact that batteries have a low power compared to their weight, which restricts payload, is one of their most important drawbacks.

At least for short-distance travel, battery-powered electric CVs will undoubtedly be the most prevalent of the three technologies after 2030. To begin with, the public and policymakers broadly favour batterypowered electric vehicles as a zero-emissions substitute. As a result, the bulk of worldwide

research effort in the passenger and commercial vehicle industries has gone toward upgrading battery technology, which has led to the development of more high-energy-density batteries.

In every market category, India is pushing for electric mobility, and the OEMs are exploring their possibilities for launching electric commercial vehicles, starting with LCVs. Like the Tata Ace electric LCV, which the company just unveiled in India. Similar to this, the market for commercial threewheelers is exploding with electric vehicles.

Shifting from Diesel to Electric Commercial Vehicles

You cannot simply walk into a dealer at this point in the battery electric vehicle revolution and purchase a battery-electric truck. But because that day isn't too far off, you could already be considering making such a shift. Compared to purchasing a diesel, there is a lot more to consider when purchasing a BEV, including working with utility companies, site planners, and potential fleet growth. The major issue currently with the introduction of EVs is the electric infrastructure. Small charging stations are required for small CVs, whereas high voltage chargers and greater power are required for large CVs. It's difficult to plan and put up EV infrastructure.

Another issue entirely is the infrastructure. Fitting an existing site with the correct electrical service takes time, and depending on the installation that is being considered, it may necessitate conversations with both the utility providers and, if the property is leased, the landlord. Sometimes cities will contribute to the cost of the infrastructure, but the utility may subsequently own a portion of that infrastructure. Such negotiations can greatly lengthen the project's lead time. Additionally, fleets will require early involvement from the utility and an engineering company.

When contemplating electrification, fleets should collaborate with an installation partner that can evaluate the building and energy use and offer suggestions for lowering electrical loads inside the structure, such as solar power or lighting upgrades. On-site battery systems may be charged during off-peak hours in order to charge the vehicles during peak hours if necessary. Smart charging is another alternative that can be utilised to balance the demand for power.

Benefits of Electric Trucks

More effective: Diesel vehicles allow fleets to precisely determine how much cash is needed to

supply according to their present business models. There are also maintenance fees and acquisition charges to consider. In India, electric trucks have the potential to be several times more efficient than their diesel-powered equivalents. They provide a reasonable strategy for moving the same cargo. More working hours: Due to their clean technology, electric vehicles in India are undoubtedly silent. But this also means that these trucks can be operated at off hours or during night. This can significantly impact businesses in urban congested areas where diesel trucks have a specified time to run on roads. With electric trucks, enterprises have everything they need, and they can plan the day accordingly. Electric trucks can provide more precision to day-to-day supply chain process.

Lower emission: Electric vehicles provide a route to a more environmentally friendly future at a time when global warming and clean air have become hot topics in both national and international arenas. Even though they only make up 5% of all cars on the road, heavy-duty trucks account for more than 20% of all carbon emissions produced by the transportation industry. This number may be greatly lowered by using electric trucks.

Employee happiness: According to several research, fleets using electric trucks have greater employee satisfaction rates. These vehicles provide renewable energy without sacrificing productivity, quickness, or technology. Deploying electric trucks in India may also have a psychological component. The idea of driving clean energy technology might help

corporates to retain more employees and infuse productivity in their supply chain process.

Other Advancements in CV Industry

Lightweight construction is still a hot issue. High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, as well as other materials like aluminium, will help to reduce vehicle weight going forward. This comprises truck mounts as well as cranes, cement mixers, and other construction vehicles. Performance, effectiveness, and fuel usage in transportation have all increased as a result.

Constant change is required in the realm of safety. Since they represent the greatest risk of tipping over, the safety cabins for excavators and cranes are constructed from special materials. To increase active safety, several innovative automatic driving aid systems are already being installed in trucks and buses. Fleet operators that digitally connect all of this data into a single, massive data cloud in the future would have total control while conserving resources like time, money, and energy. In the future, cars will be able to "talk" to one another directly and warn one another of potentially harmful situations.

Data and connectivity: Connectivity will be essential in the next generation of vehicles. High-speed connection will be included in cars to make driving safer. A high bandwidth connection is therefore required to display 3K to almost 4K video. Many businesses have embraced technology to provide diversified mobility and the digitalization of the key drivers in the automotive sector. Additionally,

connectivity will have an impact on data gathered about environmental concerns, parking, traffic, and public transit. The ability to connect will make it easier to collect and process data. In 2022, the tendency is anticipated to be evident in all areas of the auto industry. Devices for tracking vehicles are increasingly widely used. There are several sensors in automobiles. Additionally, the manufacturing industry is putting software to use by demanding the best of software developers. As a result, drivers employ tools and programmes to maintain their automobiles. In case of a driving emergency, the systems are also built to handle them. For instance, the gadgets can help in the case of a car accident by dialling for help and sending position coordinates. The message is clear as a result: The drivers are being saved in novel ways.

Other major advancement is CV industry from last few years is Telematics. The telematics management system, which offers a number of advantages, is one of the most important developments. It provides comprehensive fleet statistics as well as tailored suggestions for improving fleet utilisation. Additionally, it increases driver effectiveness generally, ensures the security of the truck and its occupants, remotely monitors vehicle diagnostics in real time to prevent breakdowns, increases vehicle lifespan by keeping track of vehicle health and driving habits, and enhances working conditions and business productivity. Telematics has the potential to significantly influence the future of India's trucking

and logistics business due to its increased emphasis on usability. As a result, over eight years ago, Tata Motors became the first Indian automaker to equip its cars with a telematics system.

Latest Updates of Indian CV Industry Volvo Trucks India on Friday commenced the commercial trials of liquified natural gas (LNG) powered class leading FM 420 4X2 tractor. Volvo’s LNG powered trucks use diesel cycle to run engine as opposed to the industry practice to use Otto or petrol cycle using spark plugs for combustion. The commercial trial was flagged off from Nagpur in the presence of senior executives from Delhivery, Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), BLNG – providers of LNG and Volvo Trucks executives. The trail aims at offering alternate fuel solutions for demanding long-distance haulage applications. 300th BharatBenz sales and service touch point opened by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India. In collaboration with Autobahn Trucking, BharatBenz has added 10 additional BharatBenz touchpoints, increasing its sales and servicing network in western India. The 300th showroom in the BharatBenz network of dealerships in India is situated in Loni, a prime spot along the Pune-Solapur route. Sangli, Baramati, Goa, Solapur, Malegaon, Alephata, Talegaon, Indapur, and Kudal are the other recently opened touchpoints. The average distance between two BharatBenz touchpoints in western Maharashtra has been lowered to 75 kilometres with the most recent retail network expansion. Tata Motors has introduced the Intra V20, a dual-fuel vehicle that operates on gasoline and CNG, in an effort to increase its position in the expanding pickup market. The other pickups unveiled today in Hyderabad included the Yodha 2.0 and Intra V50. The company's senior executives believe that the launches will aid in its entry into the market for small commercial vehicles. Estimates indicate that Tata Motors presently has 40% of the market. In September 2021, Ashok Leyland reported car sales of 16,499 units, an increase of 88% from 8787 units a year earlier. Additionally, its year-to-date sales increased by 90% to 79639 units in September 2022 from 41866 units in September 2021. The M&HCV trucks and buses and LCV, which have showed growth of 115 percent, 215 percent, and 124% correspondingly, were the main contributors to the total fast rise. Individually, the H&HCV business improved in September 2022, with total sales of 9927 units for the month as opposed to 4620 units the previous month. CM

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Mining Industry

THE USE OF IOT & MODERNISATION IN MINING INDUSTRY

The mining industry is a challenging one. It's a filthy, risky, and challenging industry to work in. But it also supports millions of employment globally and is necessary for modern life. IoT technology has already significantly changed the mining industry. Equipment with IoT capabilities may monitor and charge batteries, measure flow rate and pressure, operate pumps, and more. This translates to time, expense, and financial savings for mining operations.

With the help of IoT (Internet of Things) technology, it is now safer, healthier, and more effective than before. In reality, there are several fascinating modern advancements that will increase productivity while lowering expenses and enhancing worker safety.

The extension of Internet connectivity to physical objects and ordinary items is known as the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices may interact and communicate with one another through the industrial Internet while also being monitored and controlled from a distance since they are equipped with electronics,

Internet connectivity, and other types of technology.

The concept of sustainable development (SD) has been crucial to mining operations and all other sectors of the economy. By interacting with household or commercial appliances through a network of interconnected devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) can help create real-time platforms for monitoring and operating a complex production system with little to no human intervention. This has made it possible to use the data gathered to increase production rate, optimize Net Present Value, improve worker and machine safety, and reduce pollution.

Although most of us don't talk about mining much on a daily basis, it is an essential industry to modern living. Even though you might not consider that the jeans you wear every day or your morning cup of coffee were made possible by miners carving out an entire continent, these resources were once hand-digged and refined into items we use every day, and they are still being extracted today at great

MINING INDUSTRY

cost to both human lives and the environment. Due to the physical nature of mining, where the vast bulk of operations takes place underground or under the sea, the new equipment must be created expressly for these settings before they can be utilized efficiently elsewhere. IoT devices may now monitor conditions inside tunnels without the need for pricy equipment or deviating from conventional techniques like explosively boring through rock layers. Because mining is such a physically demanding profession, a lot of labor is needed. This may slow the adoption of new technology in mining. In addition, because mining is a relatively risky industry, it has been sluggish to adopt new technology. Because mining accidents can result in severe injury or death, employers are cautious about implementing new machinery and procedures that might be riskier than those now used by miners.

Thanks to automated mining equipment and technologies, mining operations are today more productive and effective. By definition, mining is a risky and hazardous activity. Lack of working space, poor lighting, the buildup of hazardous waste and poisonous gases, metal, nonmetal, and toxic compound dust, radioactive materials, a lack of adequate air supply, the use of explosives, and unstable roofs all contribute to the riskiness of mining activities. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous technology can be used

to lessen the exposure of workers to hazardous subsurface and surface activities. Machines can continuously operate in hazardous situations while issuing warnings and alarms, autonomously monitoring the environment, and finding trouble spots.

For the safe and effective extraction of ore in certain mining zones, some complex orebodies around the world require truly "human-less" operations. Zero entry mining is the practise of not allowing any people to enter the mining area. Zero-entry mining has the potential to turn significant quantities of mineral resources into ore reserves while also significantly increasing the value of marginal or unrecoverable ore deposits. Australia is currently driving the research and implementation of autonomous mining systems, where it has already shown improvements in productivity and safety.

Importance of IoT in Mining

IoT facilitates greater communication between employees in the event of a separation or emergency. IoT technology gives employees a more effective way to communicate with one another and their managers. Text messaging, audio conversations, and video chats are just a few of the numerous ways you can do this. Face-to-face communication enables clearer understanding of what's happening at the mine site and how it affects the safety of your team members.

Additionally, IoT technology enables remote monitoring of equipment status and even alarms when something goes wrong so that you are informed right away before issues become costly or dangerous. Making decisions based on this knowledge will enable you to deal with problems like a crowded elevator or an unexpected power outage in one region while another area is untouched but still vulnerable since it depends on electricity from another source. As a result, they can perform more effectively and safely. Smart technology also enables workers to communicate with both equipment and each other.

Smart technology helps workers perform more effectively and safely by enabling them to communicate with both equipment and one another in addition to being more efficient. For instance, if a miner finds a weak spot or unstable rock while excavating it, they can inform others in the area via text message or voice command so that they can proceed with caution. This decreases downtime while also enhancing the security of the surrounding area and the miners themselves. Having access to real-time data on what is happening in the field at any given moment makes it easier for regulators to check compliance with regulations and ensure everything is operating as it should before anything goes wrong.

IoT also assists businesses in adhering to environmental rules by gathering information on

wind direction and speed, air quality, and toxins released by machinery.

IoT also assists businesses in adhering to environmental rules by gathering information on wind direction and speed, air quality, and toxins released by machinery. They can take readings often with the aid of technology so that they can alert the authorities right away if a severe issue arises.

Since IoT technology provides many advantages for both employees and business owners, the mining sector has been at the forefront of its deployment in recent years. For instance, in order to make safe judgments while operating underground or on-site at other locations, miners who handle heavy machinery must always have access to precise information about their surroundings (e.g., construction sites). Frequent readings are taken by automated devices so that businesses can alert authorities right away if a severe issue arises.

With the help of IoT technology, you can use data to keep an eye on the environment and give the business up-to-date information. The gathered information is then examined to spot issues or areas that could use improvement. With the help of this procedure, businesses can make decisions swiftly and take the necessary action before situations spiral out of control.

Companies can improve their efficiency in a variety of ways by utilising IoT. For instance, they can track vital signs like heart rate and breathing rate using wearables like smartwatches or fitness trackers to keep tabs on the health of their employees. This information can be utilised to spot possible problems before they develop into significant problems that could cause accidents or illnesses.

While operating underground, the same technology aids corporations in adhering to environmental standards (e.g., reducing carbon emissions). All of this translates to less manual labour required, which reduces the chance of harm, as well as increased safety for workers who might not be aware of the true pressure inside mine shafts until an accident occurs. Frequent readings are taken by automated systems so that businesses can alert authorities right once if a severe issue arises at their mines (such as an explosion). Lives could be lost if a response is delayed.

Security issues with IIoT

Wireless technologies such as LTE, 5G, and Wi-Fi are used by IIoT devices. They also use low-power technology to ensure operating lifespan and cloud technologies for analytics and storage. These

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MINING INDUSTRY

innovations enable the widespread adoption of IIoT devices at mining sites to assist autonomous mining or other procedures. However, IIoT devices frequently contain serious cybersecurity flaws that are exposed to security risks.

Security flaws in IIoT devices are routinely exploited by cyber threat actors. Depending on its characteristics, each threat actor is different for a mining firm. Many mining firms own billions of dollars' worth of assets, many of which run vital infrastructure like water and power supplies. Mining corporations have exploratory information about potential mining assets, which, for instance, affects choices regarding investments in nearby infrastructure. As a result, a variety of cyberthreat groups, including nation states, cyberterrorists, and even disgruntled workers, show strong interest in these objectives.

A wide variety of weaknesses in IIoT solutions are exploitable by external or internal threat actors, and the results can gravely harm physical assets and jeopardise people's health and safety. For instance, malevolent individuals could hack the sensors that are used to check the water levels in the tailings dam and alter the results to be lower than they should be. This may delay or obstruct an emergency response to a tailings water disaster, harming the environment and possibly putting lives in danger.

Monitoring systems for mining equipment assist make equipment more efficient, durable, and affordable

The majority of mines use management plans and software systems to control production, repair, and maintenance of equipment to ensure safe mine operations. Despite this, the mining industry is developing. New technologies like machine learning, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) promise to boost output, lower operational expenses, boost performance, optimise operations, and more.

You need access to data in order to benefit from this technological advancement. When data is immediately gathered from sensors in machinery and equipment and is analysed in accordance with pre-established operating efficiency standards, it can provide useful business insights. The monitoring and management of the geolocation, condition, and status of assets at the mine site, multi-site, or facility-level using tracking technologies like passive/ active RFID, BLE, LoRa, Wi-Fi, cellular, and satellite/ GPS is made possible by a number of different software, hardware, and hybrid technologies.

Turnkey solutions: These solutions are frequently provided as turnkey systems and give extensive inventory knowledge into equipment, tools, and parts that are essential to missions. They enable businesses to detect items that may have gone missing and are obstructing process flow, as well as identify operational bottlenecks. These solutions allow for the reduction of labour costs, unforeseen expenses for asset management, inventory audits, losses from theft, duplication of purchases, and schedule slips brought on by problems with material availability. The mining sector faces numerous obstacles to overcome, such as the need to boost output while ensuring environmental sustainability. The efficient use of digital technology is enhancing operations and increasing efficiency for mining companies.

How modern mining and metals operations can benefit from wireless technologies, the Internet of Things, and sound cybersecurity procedures

Modern mining and metals enterprises are sophisticated, frequently highly automated, and have a lengthy history. It is becoming more and more necessary for operations to adapt to technological advancements, particularly faster and more dependable communications, due to current macroeconomic trends and corporate demands. Increased functionality is promised by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), edge and cloud computing, 5G wireless communications, and other new technologies, but they also call for new security and governance strategies to safeguard the financial investments required to support them. Need for almost real-time data

Businesses want communication and processing to occur effectively and with the least amount of carbon output feasible as sustainability increasingly guides the core decision-making processes, production activities, and the overall company. This translates to production that uses the least amount of energy and has the least negative effects on water quality and demand. Energy efficiency best practises are in high demand from shareholders and the general public due to their excellent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Fleet automation, decision automation, and pit production process optimization are all made possible by the essential communication infrastructure known as the edge network. With integrated planning, real-time fleet updates from drills, haul trucks, shovels, sensors, and unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, businesses

can manage operations and maintenance through the edge network.

Remote mining and metals trends: Because the activity is either hazardous or dispersed over a wide region, wireless communication is already widely used and continuing to expand in the mining and metals industries. For instance, robotics are used in numerous operations to increase efficiency and safety during the extremely hot smelting procedures used to create steel. Due to the weight and difficulty of handling these products, there is increased interest in autonomous robotic operations, including the management of in-process inventory. As these processes are added (through intelligent real-time scheduling) on top of brownfield applications and

existing architectures in secondary steelmaking, they create new safety scenarios and challenges. These requirements for speed and custom-made production volumes and grades are increasingly affecting efficiency. The infrastructure for wireless communications is strained as a result.

Efficiency issues are typically comparable in mines, and there are numerous production- and safetycritical devices that depend on a reliable wireless connection. Data connections are required for both traditional (crewed) heavy mobile equipment (HME) and autonomous or remote-controlled HME, such as drills, haul trucks, excavators, and dozers, as mining continues to enhance its level of automation. CM

Mr. Pragun Jindal Khaitan Managing Director Jindal Aluminium

THE USE OF ALUMINIUM IN RAILWAYS

Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that have resulted from the fast growth of human civilisation have threatened people for many years. As the transportation industry develops, energy conservation and pollution reduction are becoming increasingly important. The railways are a significant part of the transportation sector and our trains continue to be the favoured mode of transportation, carrying millions of passengers and tonnes of freight every year because of their more reasonable prices, comfort, and convenience. As a result, the railways have continued to improve their services and modernise their mechanics while beginning to prioritise energy conservation and reduce pollution. Finding its beginnings as a mode of transportation during the 19th century's Industrial Revolution, the railways have undergone continual development improving speed and safety while incorporating newer technology.

Reducing aerodynamic resistance, transmission loss, tyre rolling resistance, and weight are just a few strategies to increase energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. One effective option to make trains more efficient is a lightweight but robust structure. Metals, particularly cast iron and stainless steel, have historically been the primary material used

in the manufacturing of transportation machinery, the railways included. Aluminium due to its weight, corrosion resistance, formability, high specific strength, and comparatively low price could replace the traditional metals.

Using aluminium reduces the overall weight of a rail car body by 50%. It is one of the key raw elements that are enabling a transition for the railways. As a primary building material used in new age trains, aluminium now is also being used in contrails that join the train's floor to the sidewall, the ceiling, the sideboards, and the floor panels as well.

After successfully opting to use aluminium for its metro rakes, India is now keen on putting it to use in long-distance trains like the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains as well. While the Government of India has cleared the use of aluminium for next-generation trains that will be part of its vast railway networks spanning a total route length of 67,956 km, Japan and several European nations have already been enjoying the benefits of using aluminium train coaches for over 15 years.

Versatile benefits

Because there are fewer parts and strong corrosion resistance, aluminium is easier to build than steel.

With its qualities of being lightweight, having strong corrosion resistance, having good formability, having high specific strength, and being relatively inexpensive, aluminium delivers a balanced performance. Aluminium weighs about a third as much as steel, but because of strength requirements, the majority of aluminium parts used in the transportation industry weigh around half as much as the equivalent steel parts.

Aluminium has several benefits over other metals in applications ranging from rapid transit and suburban rail systems to high-speed trains and freight trains. In rapid transit and suburban rail systems, where trains must frequently stop, significant cost savings can be realised by using aluminium body coaches since less energy is used for acceleration and braking. According to a study published by Aluminium Insider, new aluminium waggons' energy consumption can be reduced by up to 60% by combining the lightweighting of trains with other similar techniques. On average, 5 tonnes of aluminium are used by each of these waggons.

Green Future

Aluminium is the future of railway architecture, be it with the coaches and wagons or even other signalling

infrastructure and station furniture. Since aluminium is corrosion-resistant, it has the potential to extend the lifespan of railway coaches lasting nearly 40 years with lesser maintenance. The existing trains in use by the Indian Railways have a 35-year lifespan with aluminium adding another 5 years. This also ensures that coaches and wagons made of aluminium benefit from a higher salvage value when the metal is put to reuse at the end of its life cycle. The other benefit that makes aluminium a sought-after metal is that the production process is faster and coaches or wagons can be delivered within a lesser time frame. Even though it is asserted that aluminium initially costs more than standard coaches and waggons, the railways will undoubtedly benefit in the long run. Aluminium waggons can carry 7-8% more weight up to 70 tonnes than a stainless-steel waggon, which can only transport about 65 tonnes. Finally, any project that generates a rate of return of more than 15% is seen as commercially feasible by the Indian Railways, which have made enormous strides in their offerings to their users. But with a higher rate of return of 25–30%, aluminium is a material that can be an effective collaborator in a bright future for railways all over the world. CM

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