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COVER STORY
INTERACTION Detail us on the initiatives taken by your company in terms of as current / future road construction projects. 23.02.2022 10:47:15

However, for first time owner-driven road contractors, hiring /
skilling the operators.
leasing of road construction equipment & purchase of aggregate
For all its customers, Taurian provides comprehensive training
from commercial quarrying operators is a standard go-to mode
to their operators. This ensures that operators are fully aware
of the various features provided in the equipment / plant to
as the capex for new equipment would be prohibitive & wouldn’t
enable them operate optimally. As with any equipment, timely
gaining experience & establishing one’s credentials for future
maintenance is crucial for smooth running, a fact that we
emphasize during this training. be feasible for competitive bidding as well as the necessity of
projects.
What are the trends driving purchase of CSE equipment market Your comments on the financing of equipment, how fast and
in India? To what extent is consumer behaviour influenced by easy is it for a customer to get finance. What according to you IS FROM NORD!
cost? Are you seeing a shift from purchase of machines to rental will enthuse customers to buy equipment and thereby increase
or leasing? Your comments. sales. What sort of government policies or measures will foster
For road contractors there are two models in operation – direct growth for the CSE industry?
purchase of CSE equipment & contract crushing. While direct Equipment financing will continue to dominate majority of
purchasing used to be the standard in earlier times for established purchases. However, as financiers are increasingly looking at Comprehensive configuration and mounting options allow for
road contractors, contract crushing has been gaining traction in credibility of buyers, it’s important for buyers to ensure that they Variety of options for tailor-made application concepts
the last 6-8 years as companies look to reduce their capex as are able to maintain & demonstrate excellent repayment track standardised as well as customised drive solutions
well as plant operating personnel. For some contract crushing records that will make processing of their applications smoother.
companies this has been a boon as once having gained the It’s well known how one major equipment financier is now in
trust / confidence for producing timely / quality aggregate, their under IBC, perhaps due to not carrying out adequate due High output torques and drive powers
customers continue to take their services for new projects, a diligence of their borrowers.
win-win situation. For customers to be enthused in buying new equipment, it’s
While cost is certainly a factor while influencing purchase, it’s critical that governments at the local, state & national level
not a limiting factor when the customer is actively looking for consistently demonstrate a pipeline of projects in the short /
innovation / reliability. For crushers, rental / leasing is still in its medium / long term. For example, at the national level, the MAXXDRIVE ® – Powerful drives for heavy-duty applications
infancy as compared to other construction equipment, viz. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has more than clearly
compactors, loaders, graders, etc. While mobile crushing plants shown a pipeline of road projects for several years. Another
are ideal for rental / leasing, the high capital cost is a deterrent. aspect that state governments can do is to upgrade aggregate
Providing well trained operators & spare / wear parts for a wet specifications to that of the national level.
lease is also a challenge as compared to other unit construction This will ensure that not only the best quality aggregates are
equipment. produced but also long-lasting roads with excellent riding quality MY DRIVE
For commercial quarry owners, stationary (fixed / skid) plants are built, a basic feature that every road user wants & expects.
will continue to dominate due to the high flexibility that these
plants offer, in addition to be more economical. Of course, the Future outlook on the industry and from a company perspective
plant size would depend on various local factors, viz. building The outlook is certainly very bright & promising as one can
construction activity, road projects in cities / towns nearby as well see road construction activity continuing at a good pace &
demand for C&S equipment is growing.
Another aspect that merits consideration is
the export market to not only neighbouring NORD Drivesystems Pvt. Ltd. | Fon +91 (0)20-3980 1200 | india@nord.com | www.nord.com
countries but also Africa as Made-in-India
products are very competitive & have plant
capacities that are suitable for those markets.
However, one of the areas which require an
increased focus from MoRTH / State Govts is
identifying / providing a list of quarries that
a successful bidder for a road project can
source aggregate from. This mitigates to a
large extent the time & resources that a road
contractor has to invest in identifying suitable
quarries, material testing, lease agreements,
etc. For any road contractor, the biggest
concern is identifying / finalising a quarry
for producing aggregate, a basic material
that no road project can commence without
even while having the best of equipment for
the job.
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24 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|JULY 2022