ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë

<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sachin Nijhawan, Vice President and Business Head, Mahindra Construction Equipment</span><p></p><p> The government has estimated a total infrastructure spending of about 10 per cent of GDP during 2012-17, up from 7.6 per cent during the 2007-12 period. Investment in infrastructure and road building sector with projects such as Bharat Mala are the major growth drivers for the construction equipment industry. With these investments set to go up, demand for construction equipment is expected to rise and the equipment sales are estimated to expand at a CAGR of 6.2 per cent. At present, the construction equipment sector is mainly dominated by backhoe loaders (more than 40 per cent of total demand), but broad-based growth is expected across products, with each segment expected to see growth. However, while intentions have been in place, execution would be the key going forward, considering the recent hiccups of demonetisation and GST transition. With all the necessary focus of the present government on infrastructure, the future is bright for the construction equipment sector in the coming years. The industry has the potential to grow at a rate of over 20 per cent in the next five years.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">A platform of opportunity </span><br />As one of the biggest platforms which brings all the stakeholders of the industry together, Excon would definitely boost optimism in the CE market.</p><p> Key focus The construction equipment market catering to the road construction sector is currently dominated by products from foreign companies that are designed in and for the developed world. At Mahindra, our focus is on applications suitable for the conditions in India and other developing countries. We desire to provide Affordable Uncompromised Mechanisation through the range of construction equipment we are planning, which would be optimised solutions for the developing world. <br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Showcasing innovations </span><br />Innovation is the order of the day and we believe in providing the products and services, which help the industry grow. In fact, when we entered the CE industry with our backhoe loader, Mahindra EarthMaster, it had many firsts. We were the leaders to provide telematics for remote care and joystick for ease of operation in the traditional backhoe loader segment. Continuous improvement drives us forward and we believe in providing solution, which make the real difference to our end customer. As a serious player in the CE industry, you should expect to hear about our new innovations and products soon, which would be tailor-made for the needs of the developing world.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expectations galore</span><br />With a slew of projects being announced by government, including 'Bharat Mala' and others, the expectation is that this expo in 2017 would have more vigour and optimism from the industry and the stakeholders.</p>