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How do you look at the current scenario of backhoe loaders in India? What is the current market size of backhoe loaders in India? How do you look at the future of backhoe loaders in India?
Backhoe loaders are one of the most popular and in demand construction equipment currently, accounting to nearly 65 per cent of the construction equipment segment in India. The multifunctionality of backhoe loaders makes it a viable choice for many, as it can perform various functions such as construction, digging, excavation, landscaping, breaking asphalt, paving roads etc. India is the largest backhoe loader market using the product in a wide range of construction and infrastructure activities.

While backhoe loaders have always enjoyed a good market share in India always, but due to the Pandemic, just like all other construction equipment, the market performance and growth of backhoe loaders was also impacted, considerably.

However, with the multiple government initiatives and projects in pipeline, we are hopeful that the market will revive soon and demand as well as sale of backhoe loaders along with other construction equipment will bounce back.

In the financial year 2020-2021, 13,298 km of highways were constructed in India and the aim is to construct 65,000 km of national highways with an expenditure of Rs 5.35 lakh crore by the end of 2022. There have been multitude of announcements on the highway projects in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam will further give a much-needed boost to the sector. The government鈥檚 vision of committing Rs 1.97 trillion to the manufacturing sector over five years will also help the industry immensely.

The government is inviting bid for 1,000 km highway construction worth Rs 50, 000 crore. Discussion is underway to offer relief measures to road contractors and direct-immediate relief for construction sector.

The Budget 2021-22 has also put a lot of focus on reviving the infrastructure sector and post second wave of pandemic the government is planning to announce additional measures to support the infrastructure development related spending. These investments will have cascading effect on the CE industry performance including that of backhoe loaders.

What are the upcoming digital technologies in backhoe loaders? How interested are contractors towards these technologies?
With increased focus towards newer technologies, digitisation is going to be the biggest trends in the construction equipment sector in near future. Companies are working towards leveraging digital technologies such as IoT, big data, automation, artificial intelligence, etc. and integrating the same in the upcoming machines. Moreover, with the fourth industrial revolution, we can use these emerging technologies to create smart tools and factories for the future which will help us increase the productivity and efficiency.

In the backhoe loader segment as well, the focus will be to integrate these newer technologies and features in the machines in order to cater to the needs of the consumers and add that extra level of convenience to their lives. CASE has always been a technology and future-oriented company. As far as backhoe loaders are concerned, we are constantly working on manufacturing technology-rich products.

However, lack of required skills and knowledge creates an apprehension among all stakeholders including contractors to adapt these new technologies. Therefore, being a technology first brand, we have always taken all the necessary measures to educate and train our operators, dealers and contractors so that they can comfortably use new and upcoming features.

What are the latest offerings in your product range?
At CASE, our backhoe loaders are replete with advanced features. Our loader backhoes are powered by an FPT Industrial S8000 engine, which delivers powerful performance and fast response time. They鈥檙e re-engineered from the ground-up and comes with higher loader lift capacity/reach and has bigger buckets which go up to 4.5/ 4.7 m with an extendable dig depth of 5.9 m. It has a robust, robotically welded two-piece structural frame design which results in great stability, performance and serviceability. The S-styled backhoe boom delivers excellent breakout forces. It has a superior working range and reaches deeper than any other backhoe loader. 770EX- Magnum has an optional 15 feet backhoe; one foot longer than what is available in the market. It also has a bigger pump for more flow and speed which means higher productivity for the customer. CASE 851 EX 鈥淭HE KING鈥� is enhanced with a centre pivot version against the side shift. The centre pivot sitting machine gives the operators the flexibility to stabilise the machine and hold the machine steady even on uneven grounds. It is equipped with new and efficient hydraulic absorbers and advanced telematics technology in association with Bosch.

Our backhoe loaders also feature CASE鈥檚 state-of-the-art EAGLE EYE telematics solution to enhance performance and efficiency. This Asset Monitoring System combines internet, cellular and GPS technologies to keep an eye on details such as the real-time location of the machine, operating hours and cumulative hours, and sends warning text alerts.

The spacious cab has redesigned ergonomics to offer better operator comfort. The large size glazed windows provide outstanding all-round visibility. The single-piece engine hood provides excellent access for maintenance. The machine layout has been designed to ensure all daily service points are easily accessible at ground level, for quick and efficient servicing. The advanced features of our loader backhoes ensure maximum efficiency and high productivity for our customers.

What are the challenges faced by the backhoe loaders market?
The pandemic impacted the construction sector tremendously. The uncertainty of the situation, initially riddled the sector with challenges in every aspect of the business such as stock supplies, delivery and transport, production, supply chain, labour, employee safety, etc., which resulted in a demand and supply derailment for all equipment including the backhoe loader. The sales for backhoe loaders dropped considerably as there was lack of demand from major contributing sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, constructions, roads etc.

Therefore, in order to revive the industry multiple steps have been taken to increase the activities in the infrastructure sector which will create increased demand for all construction equipment and machines including backhoe loaders.

With the government focusing on the vision of 鈥楢tmanirbhar Bharat鈥�, how would it catapult growth for the construction and engineering equipment market?
The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan campaign, will help the OEMS in generating a local component sourcing base for the construction sector and collaborating with the MSME鈥檚 which could further lead to better R&D, infrastructure, logistics, delivery and subsequently a more robust product line in the country. This initiative will help in bringing down the cost of parts which will subsequently lead to low cost of the final product allowing for improved margin on products. The improved logistics and infrastructure will also ensure speedy delivery of parts to the dealers and customers and is going to create better coordination with the local vendors. Local manufacturing will also result in upskilling of labour and will play a huge role in creating a better eco-system. This initiative can turn India into a manufacturing hub which can attract more foreign investment thus generating jobs and strengthening the market further.

CASE India stands by Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan started by the government. We already have a world class manufacturing plant in Pithampur, where we鈥檝e been locally producing our construction equipment range. Products from our plant are also exported to the markets of Africa, Southeast Asia, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Middle East countries.

Under the campaign, the infrastructure industry has been able to grow at a good pace with increased number of projects including construction of new national highways and further extending the existing ones.

The government is also working on the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) worth over Rs 110 lakh crore, to further strengthen and modernize the infrastructure.

As per a recent announcement by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, despite the Covid-19 crisis, there was massive development witnessed in the infrastructure industry. During the pandemic itself, national highways saw a sharp rise with construction of 36.5 km per day, which is the highest ever construction speed of national highways in the country.

These speeding efforts have imbibed a great spirit in the industry during such tough times and we are hopeful that we will witness even better growth in the near future.

How has your company fared with the challenge of Covid-19? What is the secret to success?
Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, almost every industry in India has been adversely impacted. It created immense pressure on businesses all over impacting, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain and retail. These factors have led to shrinking timelines and increasing cost.

However, to continue business with minimal hindrance while focusing on maximum productivity and safety of employees and others, we at CASE India have adapted well to the new normal since last year.

We are adhering to all Covid norms and putting safety of our employees and customers first.

While at workplace, we adhered to the social distancing norms, sanitized workplace regularly and started vaccination for all employees. Our corporate employees were asked to operate from home immediately and the manpower at our plants were organized into shifts to ensure proper distancing and safety. We continue to engage with all key stakeholders using various digital platforms to keep them updated on measures taken as well as to convey best practices to tackle the situation. Our dealers are trained digitally, and we鈥檝e also introduced multiple financial offerings to ease the burden for our customers. We also use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to communicate with all stakeholders.

We started using digital technologies to conduct our trainings, claims processes, dealer interactions etc to ensure continuity and care. We even managed to launch one of our newest products 鈥� a 22-tonne crawler excavator using a virtual platform! A first for all of us at CASE India.

Further, focusing on digital engagement and communication, we conducted webinars to help employees cope up with the mental stress caused during the pandemic and share information regarding best health practices to follow. We conducted, and still continue to do so, online sessions for breathing techniques, relaxation, yoga, meditation, etc. and shared regular mailers with positive thoughts to keep employees motivated.

Showing absolute agility, CASE as an organisation took note of the situation and acted accordingly. All the initiatives taken by the company along with the constant support offered by the Government of India in the form of new policies and projects, has helped us move closer to our targets and achieve a positive growth rate.