Six Ways to Stand Out in the Competitive Construction Industry
While the new entrants are figuring out how to make their moolah utilising trends, the old players are struggling to keep up with the fast chasing trends and the medium players are swinging between the two extremities of the industry. Lets take a look at ways to stand out in this melting pot of competition in the construction industry.
1.Stay ahead of the curve or set it
We live in a fast changing world and the construction industry is no stranger to changing times. The government’s efforts and steps are working to create a favourable environment for doing business and starting new one. The ease of business policy has shown its effect in the construction industry too! With new players coming in by the dozen every other day, it has become imperative for businesses to re-invent themselves. Business has become a much more competitive place in the past few years than it ever was in decades.
To stand out form the competition both old and new, businesses need to distinguish them selves by staying ahead of the curve by anticipating the requirements of the changing times and trends. If staying ahead of the curve is not an option, businesses should attempt to stay at the top of the curve by staying informed of the latest trends and adapting to the trends and changes before its competitors. Being the amongst the first few at anything will definitely keep your business in the news!
2. Focus on the customer
A wise business man rightly said “forget your competition foc us on your customer!” While wise the words are not to be taken literally. While it is good to keep an eye out for what the competitor is down to increase their business, the focus on the customer should be much higher. While staying vigilant of the competitors is necessary, it shouldnt take precedent over the customer and their requirements. Only a good product, good price or service is not enough to keep the customer coming back. Customers have evolved and know how to get the most out of any deal and use competition to their advantage!
A good product and price kept the same, customers will choose the business that gave them a better experience, so ensure that you and the staff takes ensures a good working experience with your company. a good customer experience is a team effort and ensure that you invest in it. The returns will most definitely be many folds in the times to come. It is a good move to get to know your customers better to be able to anticipate their requirements and attend to it without them even having to ask. Focus on doing what’s best for the customer instead of what’s best for you will go a long way for repeat business.
3. Do what you say you will do
The construction industry is both time and cost sensitive. Time saving increases costs and cost saving increases the time spent which eventually leads to increased costs none the less. Making commitments about the cost and time of completion should be taken extremely seriously. Delayed projects make for a bad reputation in as do cost issues. Check and cross check “n” number of times before making commitments. And once commitments are made, see them through. In the construction business time is money and delays cost money, there by not only diminishing profit margins but causing bad publicity which is harmful to the business in the long run.
Businesses should take up jobs that your current team can deliver with their expertise and financial standing. While expansion is good, it should be well thought out so that it has a solid foundation to stand on. Commitments should be made only after thorough thinking, planning and assessment of all the variable that come into play for execution of the job. Businesses have grown leaps and bounds because they made good on the commitments that were made to their customers.
4. Think it through
While opportunities will come and go, its important to think through the fundamentals of the business and how it functions. The reality of the business and the reality of how the business is perceived are two different things. It pays off too to take the time to think it through and create a plan that stays true to the core values of the business. Paying attention to details like the business logo, its brand identity, positioning of the business, its placement in the minds of the current and future customers is important and will pay in the long run.
Another important aspect that needs to be thought through is the costing of the product and services offered. Products and services should be priced fairly to make it easier for the customers to make the buying decision in your favour. Providing value for money will always work in favour of the business. The perceived value of the product should always be higher than the actual cost to ensure that the customer are happy and keep coming back for business with you in addition to getting new customers through referrals.
5. Get personal
Technical skills will get you the business but your soft skills will keep you in the business. Top businessmen have always known that businesses are created by people and that they are a very important aspect of growing one’s business. Good people skills with employees help create a better working environment for them and in turn result in better customer interaction and services. A good name as an employer and business help create good will that money can not buy. Good will in the industry will open doors to many opportunities that would have otherwise been difficult to even come by.
Getting to know the clients and taking personal interest in getting their work done makes is a must to ensure that their interaction with the business is good to keep them coming back. All things same, people are more likely to give business to people they like better. So ensure that your business is known for being extremely customer friendly. Loyal customers make for the best kind of brand ambassadors for your business. Ensure loyal customers are rewarded for their loyalty to ensure their continued loyalty to the business and brand.
6. Take guarantees
Guarantees are a tricky business in the construction industry. While a lot of businesses know that they can guarantee certain results, they dont say it out loud by claiming guarantees. Only after ensuring all variables and the infrastructure required to make a guarantee claim are in place, should a business take guarantees. Guarantee claims should be made only after ensuring rigorous testing of the products and spare parts in question. As far as services go, businesses should ensure adequate infrastructure is in place to carry out the guarantee that is claimed. Guarantee claims made in writing should be very carefully drafted to ensure no misuse takes of the guarantee takes place.
Economic Analysis of Government Investments in Rural Roads
Especially, in a country like India, rural roads assume a lot of importance as nearly half of the Indian population still lives in rural areas, and hence, it is impossible to ignore the rural sector whenever strategies of development are pursued. It goes without saying that rural roads increase mobility of men and materials, thus, facilitating economic growth of the country.
It is for this reason, since past few years, Government of India is increasingly focusing on rural India as one of the key drivers for the economy. If we talk about the Union Budget 2017-2018, special emphasis was laid on boosting rural road development.
Initiatives of government for rural road development
Here, we discuss some of important steps taken by the government to boost rural development activity in India:
- Government of India has allocated Rs 1,07,758 crore for Ministry of Rural Development in the FY 2017-2018.
- An allocation of Rs19,000 crore has been made towards the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to connect far flung habitats in the Union Budget 2017-2018. The target is to complete PMGSY by 2019. In all, Rs 27000 crore is there after state contribution.
- The 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) has proposed spending of Rs 126,491 crores on rural roads which is on par with the total sanctioned amount for PMGSY since inception. The investment is expected to result in the construction of 1,58,000 km of new roads and upgrades for 84,181 km of existing roads in rural areas.
- As many as 1.9 lakh habitations across the country have been connected through roads from April 2000 to January 2017 under PMGSY incepted in 2000 (the central governments plan to provide good roads to isolated villages). Between FY 2000-2001 and January 2017, 1.54 lakh new projects have been approved and 4.87 lakh kilometres of roads has been newly constructed or upgraded under the scheme. This amounts to an average of 80 kilometres constructed per day.
- The pace of road construction under PMGSY has been increased and it was 133 kilometre per day in 2016-17 as compared to 73 kilometre during 2011-14. Further, the total length of roads, including those under PMGSY, built from 2014-15 till the current year is about 1,40,000 kilometres which is significantly higher than the previous three years.
These investments in rural roads are not only expected to have an impact on the rural economy but the country’s economy to a very large extent.
A look at the economic analysis of the government’s investment in roads
1. Improvement in transportation services: Government knows this well that improved transportation services through rural roads can lead to improved access to market centres for the rural producers, better availability of inputs and raw materials at reduced prices and improved mobility. In fact, a well-developed rural road network can provide mobility and connectivity to more than 800 million people living in rural areas. Hence, it is increasingly investing in rural roads.
2. Boosts agricultural activities: Better network of rural roads can also provide a boost to the agricultural activities by making water, seeds and other raw materials needed for farming reach in time to the farmer.
3. Diversification of agricultural activities: Rural road networks can lead to improved market access, favour growth of cash crops and commercialisation of agricultural activities for the better future of the farmers.
4. Diversification of livelihood opportunities: Better connectivity through better roads in the rural areas can enhance employment opportunities too in the non-agriculture sector as masses can move freely from one place to another.
5. Improved services: Improved road connectivity can enhance access of rural masses to education, health and financial services as well.
6. Increase in the outreach of the state: Improved rural roads can also ensure that the rural areas are served with better public services and all the benefits offered by the state reach the far-flung areas easily.
7. Alleviation of poverty: Last but not the least, one of the major impact of government’s investment in rural roads is that it can help in eradicating poverty in rural areas as it provides better livelihood to people, better access to state, education and health services and other basic services.
The above factors clearly state that the rural roads have all the potential to boost the rural economy and lead to overall economic growth of the country. Emphasising on the development of rural roads can prove to be a catalyst to Indias goal of maintaining a good GDP growth rate and improving the well-being of millions of underprivileged and rural citizens. It is for the same reason that the Indian government has been taking proactive steps for the development of rural roads these days and has increased its investments in the same.
Rural road development’s impact on the construction equipment sector
Well, if we are doing the economic analysis of government’s investments in rural roads, then it is important here to mention that increased government’s attention on rural roads can not only boost the rural economy but also lead to growth of the construction sector of the country which contributes heavily to the overall economic growth of the country. Obviously for constructing a better network of rural roads, more Construction Equipment (CE) would be needed. So, backhoe loaders, mini-excavators, tractors and other CE are expected to do well. Particularly, backhoe loaders which are entry level equipment are touted to see good growth and are expected to constitute more than 40 per cent of the total demand in the rural road development activities.
If we talk about the indigenous backhoe loader manufacturers in the country, then Mahindra Construction Equipment (MCE) with its flagship Mahindra EarthMaster backhoe loaders loaded with a plethora of features deserves a special mention. Even MCE’s Mahindra RoadMaster G75 motor grader should be noted here which is created to offer an affordable, un-compromised and mechanised grading solution for small and medium roads in India. It is an ideal grading machine for spreading, grading of earthwork in different types of roadwork across the nation. Both the equipment’s demand and reach is expected to increase drastically due to increase in government’s investment in rural roads
In a nutshell
Rural roads have been proved to be catalytic for poverty alleviation in rural areas and boost rural as well as overall economic growth of the country. In addition, they are also responsible for growth of other sectors of the economy like construction and CE sector. At least, the economic analysis of government investments in rural roads clearly shows this!
How Optimised Graders Work Efficiently in Small Projects and Smaller Space
Graders are commonly used for maintenance of gravel roads and dirt roads. In road construction a graders is usually used to create a smooth base course to lay the asphalt on. Graders are used to provide camber to the roads and a grading finish. On building construction sites the graders are used to set native soil foundations to finishing grade before the construction of the buildings. In developed countries the graders have found additional uses for clearing snow and in agriculture lands to create dirt tracks. Some countries even use the graders to create shallow v shaped drainage channels along the highways.
Most motor graders while effective are huge and bulky making them unsuitable for projects with a small budget and restricted moving space. To meet the requirements of this new small project small space market, OEM’s have started manufacturing graders that are optimised in terms of the size, power and versatility. These optimised graders are relatively smaller but pack power much higher than expected form a machine of its size. Additional optimisation comes in terms of blades having the option of being extended or reduced to suit the requirements of the job site. Graders have become optimised for versatility with the addition of attachment options like the ripper and dozer.
Working in smaller spaces has its own set of challenges. For starters small spaces to be worked on are usually found in crowded spaces and narrow lanes with a continuous flow of human and vehicle traffic. Transportation of machines to and fro from the job sites becomes a task and at times nearly impossible to transport the bulky graders to the site. These difficulties are usually handled by filing back on labour intensive methods or using misfit machines to get the job done in a set budget. To solve this problem, the motor graders are now being optimised to have relatively smaller sizes while still packing the power of larger machines. The machines use powerful engines and hydraulics to pack the power while the body is created form light weight reinforced materials for strength and durability.
While the size of the overall machines have been optimised for size, the blade too has ben optimised. The blades have been optimised to have options of increasing and reducing the blade length. A small blade size means one can use the blade on one side of the road without hindering the traffic and then work on the second side. A smaller blade size also implies the grader becoming suitable to smaller roads that constitute of a major chunk of Indian roads. Graders these days are optimised to have removable extensions in addition to having the blade being built in multiple parts for ease of replacement of damaged parts of the blade. The adding and removing the extensions are an easy one time task that can be handled by an individual alone.
Optimised machines have smaller sizes and turning radiuses making it easy to manoeuvre the machine in restricted spaces. Logistics through narrow roads becomes easier with the smaller size of the machine. Small crowded spaces require the task at hand be completed in minimal possible time to avoid unnecessary inconvenience to the pubic. This is where the speed and efficiency of the optimised machines comes into play. The speed of work is optimised by the power that the machines are packed with. The design of the machine and blade helps increase efficiency of the machine to get more work done in less time.
Smaller machines are optimised for ease of transportation too. It is cheaper and relatively more convenient to transport the smaller machines from one job site to another. Optimised machines save on storage space requirement and expenses too. A Powerful engine in a smaller machines works well to bring down the operating cost of the machine making it more cost effective and budget friendly. Size and power optimised machines usually do 50% the work of a conventional grader at one their the ownership cost. Optimised machines are perfect for small and medium size business owners looking to expand their scope or work and business.
Optimised machines are relatively much more affordable as compared to the conventional ones. The optimised machines have all the benefits often later machines without the accompanying problems of size and cost. Conventional machines tend to burn larger holes in one’s pockets and eventual profit margins especially in India since most graders available in India are either imports or manufactured by International players with graders designed for developed countries. Conventional graders dont make for the best choice for small and medium players that form a rather huge market in Indian construction scenario. Optimised machines tend to perform at a much lower operating cost while saving them and money involved with labour intensive methods.
For small projects, the budgets are usually tight and buying or renting the conventional graders is very cost intensive when compared to the efficiency of the machine on smaller sites. On the other hand being dependent on labour and misfit machines like the tractor grader or a backhoe loader compromise on the quality of the grading finish and have an increased unpredictability due to the labour factor. Managing labour is another time and cost consuming affair. Optimised machines reduce the unpredictability of labour while increasing the efficiency, delivering the job on time and is budget friendly if not anything else. Optimisation is becoming key.
With the consumers becoming increasingly more educated and demanding, it is no longer enough to provide specialised machines. Consumers want more features at affordable prices. Optimised machines come with options of having additional attachments to increase the versatility of the machine without burdening the owner with the cost of a new machine. Small projects and spaces warrant versatility in machines to ensure that the job is completed on time whilst staying within the stipulated budget. Attachments like ripper, dozer and software upgrades help make the machines more versatile and efficient without compromising on the quality of finish.
Small space and small projects have various issues that warrant the use of optimised machines if the jobs have to be completed on time while still maintaining the quality of finish. Soft wares have been developed to optimise and assist the machines and operators to perform better and provide higher quality of work. Big data, IoT and machine communication have become the face of optimisation to add value to the machines.
Optimised graders work well with restricted movement space, logistic issues, crowded working conditions, tight schedules and budgets to name a few. Additionally optimised graders reduce the completion time of projects without compromising on the quality of work. Simply put, optimised graders are slowly but steadily taking over the motor grader market as more and more people being to realise their worth and how they can help bring in more business and profitability to both the small and large players and everyone in between. Optimised graders while perfect for small projects and spaces are taking the world of larger sites by storm.
Motor Graders for Efficient Construction and Road Maintenance
A motor grader or road grader as it is known is one of the most extensively used heavy duty machine in the process of road construction and maintenance in addition to having applications in the mining industry. While motor graders are available in various shapes and sizes the basic configuration and specifications remain similar. Motor graders are generally categorised by the long blade attached between the front and back tires. It is this blade and its application that gives the machine its name “grader”. The blade can be operated either mechanically of hydraulically. The motor grader has under gone many changes in terms of the technology it uses and its design since it was first invented.
Some of the modifications made to the motor grader are having options to extend or shorten the blade side to side in addition to its regular movements. The blade can be lowered or raised depending on the job at hand. Another modification is the option of having additional attachments like ripper and wiser to increase the machine’s application versatility in road construction and mining applications.
For road construction the job of motor graders is to perform fine grading procedures for road construction and maintenance. the long blade is generally used to create a smooth surface with the required slope for construction of paved roads on which asphalt can be laid on later. Motor graders come in handy whilst maintaining unpaved and gravel roads. Unpaved roads in particular are very susceptible to withering due to harsh weather conditions and hence require regular maintenance foe the roads to remain in good usable condition. Motor graders are also used to remove blocks form roads when used for road construction.
Motor graders are perfect machines for fine grading tasks that are required for construction of quality roads. Asphalt roads require fine grading and smoothening of the top layer to prepare it for laying the asphalt. Motor graders can additionally be used for rough grading and creating shallow holes around at and around road construction sites. While rough grading is usually a task for heavy duty machines like bulldozers and scrapers, motor graders are also up for the task.
At the end of the day, the human element at road construction sites play an integral role in the quality and finish of the roads. A good machine and an experienced operator are both a must. A sophisticated machine in the hands of a an inadequately experienced operator and a mediocre machine in the hands of an adequately experienced operator both make for an average road construction job. For operators to be able to make the most of this sophisticated machine, they need to have in-depth knowledge of how road construction works and the design elements that are crucial for the final finish of the road. Drainage in particular has always been an issue with road construction since the people involved in the actual construction of the road are lack fundamental understanding of road construction.
Motor graders in themselves are rather sophisticated machines that require in depth understanding of the functions and applications of the machine as compared to other machines like the loser. Blade angles of a motor grader require to be changed depending on the task at hand. Present day motor graders are much more sophisticated and rugged than its predecessors. The machine car created to be able to handle increasingly difficult and delicate tasks with increased efficiency. The final finish and quality of the road in question will eventually depend on how good both the motor grader and the operator at the controls are together.
Using all available features of the motor grader is essential to quality construction and maintenance of roads. Drainage is an important aspect of road maintenance barring which the roads turn out to be flat with pot holes that flood easily. Good drainage requires straight sections of the road crown and super elevation in the curves. Depending on the type of road being constructed or maintained the slope should be adequate measured from the shoulder to the centre of the road for proper draining depending on the expected annual rain fall.
One of the major issues when it comes to motor graders is that the operators are not aware of all the features of the machine. It is understandably difficult to have some one not familiar with all the features of the machine to make the most of it and use it to its full potential. Motor graders can be used for different tasks at different speeds, for example delicate or pioneering jobs require the motor grader to be used at lower gears like the second and the third. Other tasks like clearing snow, knocking rocks and washboard off a gravel road on the other hand can be done at fast at higher speeds and gears. Time and efforts need to be invested in training motor grader operators to ensure that they understand all the features of the machine properly so they can utilise it to its maximum potential. Additionally training for understand the difference between similar machines, their functions and fundamentals of road construction and maintenance is a huge advantage for both the contractors and operators.
Most grading tasks for road construction and maintenance are done at a mouldboard angle between 10 and 45 degrees. Too many operator do not use adequate blade angle to get the job done and end up using the grader like a dozer. When using a motor grader, grading is most efficient when the material is rolling off smoothly from the toe i.e. the leading edge to the heel i.e. the trailing edge. Blade angle should be increased of the flow of material dies or stops.
Motor graders are exceptional machines when it comes to construction and maintenance of roads. Not only do they save on the time taken to complete the task at hand, but they save onto expenses and uncertainty that comes form being dependent on manual labour. It is a lot easier to train one person operating the motor grader about the nuances of road construction instead of leaving the fate of the road at the hands of the untrained labourers. Using motor graders provides for a good finish, quality roads that last longer, save on the time required for individual projects and are cost effective when suitable graders are used for the roads in question.
In India particularly, motor graders are used extensively but only for construction and maintenance of only 5% of the roads across the country. The remaining 95% roads are heavily dependent on labour intensive methods and misfit machines due to a mismatch between the size of the roads and the graders available in the Indian market. Large bulky graders are both unsuitable and too expensive for the relatively much smaller roads that form a very large chunk of the total length of roads in India. This mismatch is also causing a shortage of good operators that are suited for using motor graders for road construction and maintenance.
A good well suited motor grader in the hand of a trained experienced operator is a very efficient, cost and time effective method for construction and maintenance of roads.
RoadMaster G75 Revolutionising Roadmaking in India
The corresponding number for India is a meagre 6% or 2,56,749 Km roads across the length and width of the country. On the same lines major district roads (MDR) / other district roads (ODR) constitute of 30% road length in developed countries and 36% in India. Finally Village roads (VR) and unsurfaced roads constitute 10% of the road length in developed countries and a whooping 58% or 27,49,805 Kms of roads in India. Simply put 95% of roads in India are small single to double lane roads while only the remaining 5% are the larger ones requiring bulky machines for road making and maintenance.
Most Motor grader brands available in India are either imports or from foreign manufacturers from developed nations and are designed to suit the requirements of their home countries. These machine from international manufacturers are simply brought and sold in India without actually understanding the ground realities or requirements of the Indian market. Most motor graders sold in India are huge, expensive and grossly under utilised since the market for these machines is restricted to the few large players catering to this 5-6% of all roads in India. This oversight ensures that the sale and utilisation of these machines is restricted to the big players and a very small market. For catering to the remains 95% of the market, these machines prove to be way to bulky and expensive. Too bulky and expensive for the size and budget of these roads resulting in small sales volumes.
The Mahindra RoadMaster G75 on the other hand, is designed and manufactured in India for India. 20,000 plus man days of product development, 10,000 plus hours of extensive testing across India in the most extreme working conditions, locations and applications, extensive one year study of the road and road construction eco system in India and inputs from customers, contractors, government officials and other entities involved in the road construction eco system are the extensive and inclusive efforts that have gone in designing this disruptive machine especially for India and Indian Roads. The RoadMaster G75 is manufactured at Mahindra’s state of the art manufacturing facility at Chakan,Pune.
Traditionally road construction India, especially for the smaller roads has been extensively labour intensive, combined with sub optimal methods and misfit machinery. This has led to the road being of poor quality with a very short life. Reduced road life means added expenses for maintaining the road and re-doing the same roads over and over again. Road construction being labour intensive also means that there are huge expenses on labour management and the speed of road construction still remains very slow with the same roads being redone time and over again.
Compared to the suboptimal methods used in Road construction as of today, the RoadMaster G75 is 180 percent faster, single handedly handles the work of 30 labourers, has reduced road construction cost and higher operator comfort. As compared to the conventional Motor Grader the RoadMaster G75 has 50% the productivity at 35% the product cost and 40% the operating cost without compromising on the quality of work. The RoadMaster G75 is powered by the powerful performance of the Mahindra DITECH engine and is designed to have the lowest maintenance and operating cost in its class leading to increased productivity and profitability for the owners.
Traditionally, for small roads backhoe loaders and tractor graders have been used for road construction applications of grading and levelling since the conventional graders are too huge and expensive. These machines however were not created for this purpose and make for a poor grading and levelling finish. this is where the motor grader form Mahindra comes in the picture. The G75 provides for a much superior finish as compared to the backhoe loader and labourers while saving 50% on the time required to get the job done, provided the material is available on site. The G75 saves at least 40% on costs as compared to the labour and backhoe loader method that is traditionally used.
The use of the RoadMaster will lead to better quality roads being constructed at a much faster pace. Additionally the roads being of a superior quality will result in less maintenance requirements and expenses. Plus good quality work on time will result in good credibility for the contractor with both government officials and locals leading to increased work contracts. Use of the RoadMaster will also result in the faster project completions with better profit margins.
As compared to the tractor graders the RoadMaster provides for a superior Camber and superelevation finish in addition to doing 2.5 to 3 times more work. Additionally the G75 is a registered motor grader than can be used against tender requirements. Additionally the RoadMaster comes with ripper and dozer attachment options to increase the versatility and scope of work of the grader.
The RoadMaster is a disruptive product in the Motor grader segment that is set to change the way more than 90% of roads in India are being constructed. With the affordable pricing of G75, even small and medium players will be able to comfortably enter the Road Construction Market which has been traditionally ruled by the larger players due to the cost intensive nature of the venture. The RoadMaster is comfortably priced at almost one third the cost of a conventional grader and provides for 50% of the work done while completing projects on time with increased profit margins and better quality roads.
With a Machine that now caters to 90% of the Road Construction market in india at an affordable price without compromising on quality and productivity. The road construction scenario in India is about to change for the better and at a rate unprecedented in the past. The RoadMaster G75 is all set to change the way contractors look at road construction and the dynamics of the game are about to be disrupted for the better. For now it, we can comfortable say that the Mahindra RoadMaster G75 is revolutionising road making in India and for the better.
Need of Customised Solutions for the Development World
Infrastructure development in a developing country is the stepping stone towards a song nation and economy. While most technologies across the world is developed in first world countries, it is used most in developing countries these days. However there is a major issue of the international brand equipment being a slight misfit to the local conditions in these developing nations.
Construction of roads both rural and urban is a priority for the government and is doing everything in its power to ensure faster construction of roads across the nation. While many road construction machines are available, they are better sited to the needs of the bigger companies that dealing large long term projects that span over years. When it comes to the small and medium players, the huge machines are not only expensive but also ill suited for most parts of rural India and the small size of projects at hand.
Customised solutions are required to suit the fast changing and varied requirements of a developing nation. It is no longer enough to create one machine and expect to suit the needs of all. Buyers have become more educated and demanding in terms of wanting machines suited to the kind of work and environment that they work in. The biggest example of this is the motor grader of international brands being obsolete for use in construction of narrow rural roads due to its size despite the technology being more advanced and quality of machines being superior.
For most developed countries, there is only one single language that is used for communication across the country. But with a country like India where there is no unifying language and different language is spoken in every district and state, it becomes counter productive to have all instructions about the machine in a single language. The Mahindra Earthmaster is a customised solution that has a user console that communities in 6 local languages for better communication. This simple customisation helps interact better with the operator.
India’s climate varies from extremely hot to cold and humid in varying combinations. Meaning that operators operating the machines in different geographies have different requirements in terms of operator comfort and operations. Operators working in hot humid climatic conditions require cooling and closed cabins while the ones in colder regions require heating apparatus to keep the operator comfortable. These simple customisations are required for the developing world to take to these heavy duty machines at a much faster rate and have them become the natural choice for operators and owners alike.
Machine abuse and fuel theft are a major issue across the country. Uncertified operators tend to work the machines inappropriately. Simple software customisations help keep a log of the machine’s data for future reference. It also helps keep track of the machine’s numbers in terms of efficiency and fuel consumption. The customised softwares help run trouble shooting and diagnostic measures to ensure safety ad efficient of the machines.
The operator friendly console of the EarthMaster provide sms service so that the owner can keep track of the machine’s location and fuel consumption amongst other things. The console sends the owner an sms when the machine is running low on fueler when there is something wrong with the machine and requires repair. The console provides instructions in local languages to trouble shoot the issues with the machine to reduce the down time of the machine and catch trouble in its initial stages.
Internet of things is becoming increasingly popular with construction equipments too. This kind of technology integrated with the machine lets the operator get a better picture of the job site anyhow to get it done best and fastest. Softwares have been developed to bring down the time required to get a certain job at hand done. Small customisations go a long way with a developing nation on the fast track.
Communication between machines will most likely change the way humans are required to operate the machine. Machine to machine communication will reduce the onsite human interactions while increasing efficiency and safety on the sites. While it is already happening the developed nations, India still has to go a long way to be able to utilise this kind of technology to its helm given the current lack f connectivity infrastructure in rural parts of India.
There is no doubt that customisation is now key when it comes to the world of development. Customisations have to be in sync with the market and the on ground realities for making the most of it.
Making the Grade: Using Mini Grader to Level Your Job Site
Heavy duty graders or motor graders as they are called are usually called in to get the levelling job done. These heavy duty machines come equipped with a long blade that is used to level the site and create flat surfaces for further work. The most extensive use of these motor graders is done on road construction projects that require the road to be paved, levelled and prepared for asphalt. Many other infrastructure and industrial projects also use graders for creation of levelled flat surfaces for various purposes. For road construction these graders are used to give the road the required slope and elevation too.
Job site like quarries and industrial sites in remote locations usually do not have proper roads leading to the site. This causes a lot of hinderance when it comes to transporting man, material and machines to and from the site. This is when the graders come into picture, they are used to create and maintain temporary roads leading up to the site to sustain daily operations. The graders are regularly used to create and maintain the motor able roads for various sites. Motor graders are used to used for doing the preliminary work for paving of roads for long term road projects too. For building construction, graders are regularly used for levelling the parking areas and before laying the slab for buildings.
Motor graders are usually huge heavy duty machines and are very bulky. For most Indian companies falling in the small to medium size category the humongous graders are a complete no no since the size of their job site are relatively very small and the large graders are too big and expensive for the job at hand. Most companies manufacturing motor graders for India come from developed countries where the ground reality is quite different from the ground reality in their homelands. In developed countries the roads are much larger as compared to the Indian roads which are relatively much narrower. Developing countries like India have a larger portion of their roads in rural areas and require relatively smaller graders that are made to suit the Indian ground reality instead of the fancy imports that the market is full off.
With the government giving a heads up to many nation and state highways in addition increasing the rate of road constructed per day, motor graders have come in great demand across the country. While the large motor graders are perfect for the highways, they are not that suitable for rural roads. These roads still depend on labor and bull dozers for their levelling jobs which is both time and labor intensive as compared to using the smaller motor graders.
Another range of projects requiring extensive use of motor graders are the airports, irrigation, smart cities and construction and development of ports. Airports require large sites to be levelled properly for lying down the runways. Levelling the runways to the exact same level and perfect inclination are a task left better to the motor graders as compared to manual labor which leads to level issues due to inexperienced and untrained labor handling the work. Additionally using manual labor increase the time line and capital used for the project which can easily be done faster and better with the use of a grader.
Similar is the case for the new coal mining blocks that have been allotted. Coal mines are usually located in remote places farther away from the city and villages. These mines do not have proper roads to bring the equipment in and access for heavy machines to bring the coal out for processing. Motor graders are brought in to construct levelled and paved temporary roads that are required to sustain operations for incoming and outgoing flow of man, machine and material. Motor graders come in handy for various such sites in remote locations where access is limited due to lack of paper roads.
Motor graders are the perfect grading machines no matter what the size of your job site or its location. These days indigenous graders are available that are better suited to the requirements of small job site and roads across rural India for a pocket friendly price. Bulky or small, motor graders are a solid buy when wanting to get the perfect grading done for your job sites and looking to increase your profit margins. Mini graders in particular come in very handy to maintain the good quality of work on your job site to meet the grade.
Some Important High-Selling Excavator Machines in the Construction Arena
Market analysts cite two major reasons behind this unprecedented growth of excavators in India. First, given the fact that excavators are highly versatile equipment and come with a myriad of attachments, they are the most sought-after equipment on any construction or mining job site. Second, with the growing awareness, customers are looking for a machine that is application-oriented and provides better productivity and cost-effective solutions and this could be none other than the excavator.
Excavator basics
Excavators fall under the heavy construction equipment category and are generally used for excavating various types of soils, carrying huge amounts of mud or debris and moving them carefully from one place to another. Further, excavators are also majorly used for crushing and levelling the ground surface for the construction purposes.
They consist of a boom, dipper or stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the house. This house sits on the top of an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. Excavators are usually employed together with loaders and bulldozers. Typically, excavators are steady, powerful and extremely work-efficient machines. There are different types of excavators which are used for a variety of applications like digging trenches, holes and foundations; material handling; forestry work; mulching; general grading/landscaping; construction, demolition, mining; river dredging etc.
List of prominent excavator machines used at construction cites
1. Crawler excavators: Also called as compact excavators, they are considered to be the fastest selling equipment in the excavator segment in the country at the present. As a matter of fact, in 2013, a total of 16,141 units of crawler excavators were sold and this figure is estimated to increase considerably to 50,091 units by 2018. Since these type of excavators offer higher horsepower, they are highly used at mining sites or for grading or landscaping hilly areas. Running on chain wheel system, they lift up the debris and soil though hydraulic power mechanism.
2. Long reach excavators: Having a long arm attachment and boom section, this strong equipment is usually used for the tough demolition tasks where breaking of tough walls and solid structures is required. This excavator’s long arms permits the machine’s operator to stay at a safe distance from the demolition site, yet perform the job successfully in minimum possible time.
3. Suction excavators: Also called as vacuum excavators, these types of excavators come with a pipe that is used to suck out loose soil and debris from the land through sharp teeth at the edge of the pipe. Before this excavator begins its excavation work, a water jet is used so as to loosen the mud or soil. This makes it easier for the machine’s suction pipe to suck the soil or debris. The suction excavators are used for exploration of underground elements.
4. Dragline excavators: Bigger in size and heavy-weighted as compared to other excavators, they are mainly used for large-scale construction projects which include surface mining, digging deep down the earth and other civil engineering tasks. Dragline excavators can further be of types i.e., standard mobile draglines and on-site draglines. On-site draglines are very huge in size and weight. Therefore, its separate parts are moved to the job site and it is there that it is assembled and built. They are generally used for canal dredging purposes. On the other hand, the standard ones are also bigger but are comparatively smaller than the on-site draglines.
5. Backhoes: They are the most common excavator machines used at the mining or construction sites. They have a bucket attached to the front part that faces the operator. The bucket extracts the soil by pulling it towards the driver before lifting. Although, smaller in size as compared to other excavators, they are used for various purposes. While there are many backhoes which offer good performance, Mahindra Construction Equipment’s (MCE) Mahindra EarthMaster VX backhoe model deserves a special mention as it exceeds expectation and boosts the overall performance to a very large extent. It features Banana Boom which offers 7 per cent more reach and 15 per cent higher dig depth at 4.22 meters as compared to other machines in the same segment. The banana boom supports a bigger bucket i.e., 0.27 cu. m bucket which is toughest in the industry. The equipment has priority built-in for bucket to enhance cycle time. Further, the joystick controls used to operate the boom makes it easy for the operators to comfortably operate for longer hours.
So, it can be concluded that a variety of excavator machines are used for varied purposes. Thus, it is important that you should know the different types and employ the right one at your construction site to get the best results.
Impact of Swachh Bharat Program on Earthmoving and Construction Equipment Segment
Government has undertaken a number of initiatives under this program.
One of the most important objectives of this campaign is to get rid of open defecation in India through the construction of individual, cluster and community toilets. The government is aiming to achieve an open-defecation free India by October 2, 2019. Huge amount has been sanctioned in the Union budget for the program. Lets’ take a look…
1. The total allocation for Swachh Bharat Program in Budget 2017-18 is Rs 16,248 crores.
2. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) which implements the program has been allocated Rs 20,011 crore in the Union Budget 2017.
3. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has two sub-missions—SBM (Rural) and SBM (Urban) and budgetary provisions for both of them are provided separately through the MDWS and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) respectively.
4. The SBM (Rural) has been allocated Rs 13,948.27 crore in 2017-18.
With the given sanctions and schemes, the Swachh Bharat Program is touted to get a major boost in the coming year. Owing to the major importance given to the campaign, municipalities and civic bodies are definitely focussing more on improving the cleanliness and sanitation facilities in different areas. This is leading to huge demand for Earthmoving and Construction Equipment (ECE) which are very much required to attain the above goals as the bulk handling of solid waste and construction of large number of toilets and public washrooms is possible only with these machines.
Impact on ECE segment
The Swachh Bharat Program is leading to creation of more number of toilets and better sanitation facilities. The State Government is also encouraging Gram Panchayats to build more toilets in their respective villages. In fact, according to surveys and reports, already thousands of toilets have been built and there are plans to build many more. To be precise, nearly 3,88,49,539 toilets have been built since the inception of the campaign, to encourage good sanitation practices. Now, for the construction of public washrooms and infrastructure development, there is always the need for various things including ECE. Thus, the campaign is directly impacting the ECE industry’s growth.
Another fact is that the government is aiming to end open-defecation system by the end of the year 2019, so the construction of toilets has to be carried out quickly. So, a large number of ECE will be required very soon. Hence, it is quite obvious that the Clean India Mission is certainly going to increase the demand of ECE.
Impact on backhoe loaders segment
Typically, the campaign has given a boost to the backhoe loaders segment in the ECE category. Backhoe loaders are extremely versatile equipment that are specifically designed to work in a variety of applications. These machines also hold the potential to be an ideal machine for solid waste management applications.
Mahindra Construction Equipment’s EarthMaster Backhoe Loader comes with a vast array of attachments like auger, forklift, dozer blade, standard loader bucket, high-tip bucket, six-in-one bucket etc., which makes the machine suitable for many applications. With the mechanical quick-hitch, one can easily switch between the vast ranges of attachments and can perform an array of jobs with utmost ease and comfort.
Not only the backhoe loader buying activity has increased since the launch of the campaign but the equipment rental market is also soaring high in the country. Increasingly, companies and contractors are hiring the BHLs to carry out the task of construction more public washrooms in urban as well as rural areas.
Here again, Mahindra EarthMaster backhoe loaders have an edge over the others as they offer…
1. High fuel efficiency
2. Huge savings as trained, competent and experienced manpower resources come with the equipment.
3. Savings on storage/warehousing cost as the equipment can be returned after the work is done.
4. 24*7 service support service to reduce the downtime.
5. REMOTECARE feature which greatly eases equipment tracking.
In a nutshell
It goes without saying the Swachh Bharat Mission has given a major boost to the ECE segment and it will continue to do so for the next couple of years. The Swachh Bharat Mission has greatly helped in increasing the profitability of the ECE segment. Not just profitability; it has also provided a means of more employment.
Thus, it can be safely concluded that the Swachh Bharat program is a boon for the ECE segment. It has not only helped in reviving the industry, but it has also helped in increasing the revenues generated by the segment.
Real Estate Including Housing for All by 2022 to Boost Construction Equipment Demand
If we go by the numbers, then the real estate market is estimated to grow to US$180 billion by 2020 driven by demand mainly from residential sector. Thus, it is quite obvious that the construction equipment segment in the country is also bound to grow. In fact, the real estate industry is touted to be a major game-changer for the construction equipment industry in India.
Further, with the government undertaking the development of 98 cities for the Smart Cities project across the country and launching the ‘Housing for All by 2022’ scheme and many such plans, the real estate sector and in turn the ECE market of the country is set to see the silver lining. Since, the real estate sector would be increasingly demanding advanced mechanisation, equipment and systems so as to achieve better quality of work along with timely completion of projects, it will bring about a huge change in the ECE segment.
Housing for All by 2022 to increase ECE demand
Particularly affordable housing growth will positively impact the ECE industry. This is because acknowledging the importance of housing issue in the country, government has launched a massive campaign that promises to provide housing to all its citizens by the year 2022. As per the estimates, the vision would require development of about 11 crore houses with investments of over USD 2 trillion. This would directly create huge demand for ECE like backhoe loaders, excavators etc., and construction materials.
Taking a step further government has proposed infrastructure status for affordable housing in the Union Budget 2017-2018, thereby, enabling the banks to lend more money to affordable housing projects under the infrastructure category. Also, the allocation for Prime Minister Awas Yojana has been increased from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 23,000 crore so as to bring the country closer to realising the Housing for All mission by 2022. In addition, the cabinet has extended tenure of loans under Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana from 15 to 20 years. Thus, these moves are expected to boost the volume of construction activity across the country and impact ECE demand.
Other real estate factors to boost ECE demand
1. In the Union Budget 2017-2018, Government has extended the 100 per cent tax deduction scheme for affordable housing projects approved between June 2016 and March 2019, by two more years till 2021.
2. In the same budget, it stated that by 2019, one crore houses will be built in rural India for the homeless and those living in ‘kaccha’ houses.
3. The Indian Government also targets of investing about $377 billion in infrastructure by 2019. As a result, Indian construction equipment revenues are expected to cross $23 billion.
Overall, the Union Budget 2017-2018 has done its best to infuse confidence in the real estate market by unveiling a slew of measures to boost its growth. Further, the massive push for improvement in infrastructure including outlay for roads, railways and development of smaller airports to improve connectivity and other few developments are touted to have a positive impact on the real estate sector in the long run. Thus, the ECE segment has all the reasons to smile.
Bright future of ECE ahead
In 2015, emerging markets including India constituted 50 per cent of the total construction activities worldwide. However, the construction projects/activities spread across India, slowed down due to demonetisation of high currency notes in the last quarter of 2016 and early quarter of 2017. But now these projects are expected to gain speed again. Thus, the ECE sector is set to benefit from such real estate developments. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that other than the infrastructure sector, it is the real estate segment that is creating sustained demand for ECE in the country.
What more? As per the estimates, India expects a drastic 200 per cent expansion in the real estate segment as only one third of the buildings that it is targeting to built till 2030, has been constructed. Thus the overall Indian construction industry is expected to remain buoyant and with the government’s focus on creating world-class infrastructure, Smart Cities and Housing for All in the country, India is definitely expected to witness a spurt in construction activity and ECE demand.
If we go by the numbers then, the Asia-Pacific region is believed to register the highest growth in the ECE segment from 2016 to 2021 with India projected to be the fastest-growing market in the region. All the star players in the ECE segment of the country like Mahindra Construction Equipment (MCE) are gearing up to embrace this growth with grace by diversifying its range of offerings, introducing newer variants of the existing line-up and launching more innovative and environment-friendly products and services for the customers.