We are leveraging our extensive network of dealers to drive sales of mini excavators
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We are leveraging our extensive network of dealers to drive sales of mini excavators

- Rahul Shorey, Head-Sales (Construction), Tata HitachiThe mini excavator market in India currently comprises around 4-5 per cent of the overall excavator market and has been growing year-on-ye...

- Rahul Shorey, Head-Sales (Construction), Tata HitachiThe mini excavator market in India currently comprises around 4-5 per cent of the overall excavator market and has been growing year-on-year. Growth so far has been largely driven by a few South Indian states. “Growth will also come from government agencies in the rest of the country as they try to modernise, given the Swachh Bharat objectives,” believes Rahul Shorey, Head-Sales (Construction), Tata Hitachi, as he shares more on the market and the company’s plans. Which sectors are driving demand for mini equipment? Mini excavators are used for a variety of applications, from urban development to agriculture. Clearly, the main reason for their use is space constraint, where a normal excavator or backhoe loader cannot operate, and for work that requires greater efficiency and speed. Introduce us to your recent launches in this segment. As far as mini excavators go, Tata Hitachi offers ZX20U and TMX20 in the 2-tonne segment and the ZX33U in the 3-tonne segment. The 2-tonne excavators come fitted with 0.07 cu m buckets while the 3-tonne excavator is fitted with a 0.09 cu m bucket. Optional trenching buckets are also available. These machines are used in agriculture, real estate, civic and municipal applications. Tata Hitachi’s mini excavators are made with a focus on performance, comfort and simplified maintenance. The machines have high operational speeds and offer superior fuel economy. The operator’s station has been detailed with ergonomic controls and work area design. Apart from a robust design and boom swing features, the ZX20U and ZX33U come with zero tail swing, enabling workability in very tight spaces. The machines come with full metallic covers for greater durability and they open wide to allow easy maintenance. Special care has been taken to include radial air filters and air pre-cleaners where possible catering to Indian site conditions. Which mini equipment categories have seen continuous growth in the past couple of years? Within the mini excavator category, the 3-tonne class has seen continuous growth over the past couple of years. This has mainly come at the expense of the 2-tonne class, which started the mini excavator market in India. There is also a marginal contribution by the 5-tonne class. As most excavators in the 2-tonne class are imported and there is a mixture of both indigenous and imported machines in the 3-tonne class, the price value proposition has led customers tp prefer the 3-tonne class. However, we believe overall equilibrium between the different classes will be reached soon with the major share dominated by the 3-tonne class, followed by the 2-tonne class. We continue to believe that the 5-tonne market will remain a niche segment in the near term. What strategies do you apply to overcome challenges in the niche mini equipment market? We pioneered the mini excavator market and built it over the years. We introduced the TMX20 in the country way back in the late 1990s. That too, an indigenously made mini excavator. We have indigenised the 3-tonne HEX – ZX33U and will be doing the same for the ZX20U shortly. Therefore, we should have a better handle on the prices of these products. Further, we are updating the TMX20 so that it offers a better price value proposition for our customers. We offer a range of attachments like rock breaker, etc, so that the machines can be used in different applications and we will offer more attachments in the future. We have already established a compact vertical that focuses only on mini excavators and backhoe loaders as these products are considered by these categories of customers. We are leveraging our extensive network of dealers to drive sales of mini excavators. Which sectors are driving demand for mini equipment? Mini excavators are used for a variety of applications, from urban development to agriculture. Clearly, the main reason for their use is space constraint, where a normal excavator or backhoe loader cannot operate, and for work that requires greater efficiency and speed. Introduce us to your recent launches in this segment. As far as mini excavators go, Tata Hitachi offers ZX20U and TMX20 in the 2-tonne segment and the ZX33U in the 3-tonne segment. The 2-tonne excavators come fitted with 0.07 cu m buckets while the 3-tonne excavator is fitted with a 0.09 cu m bucket. Optional trenching buckets are also available. These machines are used in agriculture, real estate, civic and municipal applications. Tata Hitachi’s mini excavators are made with a focus on performance, comfort and simplified maintenance. The machines have high operational speeds and offer superior fuel economy. The operator’s station has been detailed with ergonomic controls and work area design. Apart from a robust design and boom swing features, the ZX20U and ZX33U come with zero tail swing, enabling workability in very tight spaces. The machines come with full metallic covers for greater durability and they open wide to allow easy maintenance. Special care has been taken to include radial air filters and air pre-cleaners where possible catering to Indian site conditions. Which mini equipment categories have seen continuous growth in the past couple of years? Within the mini excavator category, the 3-tonne class has seen continuous growth over the past couple of years. This has mainly come at the expense of the 2-tonne class, which started the mini excavator market in India. There is also a marginal contribution by the 5-tonne class. As most excavators in the 2-tonne class are imported and there is a mixture of both indigenous and imported machines in the 3-tonne class, the price value proposition has led customers tp prefer the 3-tonne class. However, we believe overall equilibrium between the different classes will be reached soon with the major share dominated by the 3-tonne class, followed by the 2-tonne class. We continue to believe that the 5-tonne market will remain a niche segment in the near term. What strategies do you apply to overcome challenges in the niche mini equipment market? We pioneered the mini excavator market and built it over the years. We introduced the TMX20 in the country way back in the late 1990s. That too, an indigenously made mini excavator. We have indigenised the 3-tonne HEX – ZX33U and will be doing the same for the ZX20U shortly. Therefore, we should have a better handle on the prices of these products. Further, we are updating the TMX20 so that it offers a better price value proposition for our customers. We offer a range of attachments like rock breaker, etc, so that the machines can be used in different applications and we will offer more attachments in the future. We have already established a compact vertical that focuses only on mini excavators and backhoe loaders as these products are considered by these categories of customers. We are leveraging our extensive network of dealers to drive sales of mini excavators.

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