Incorporated in June 1998, and commencing its manufacturing operations in 1999, Schwing Stetter (India) Pvt Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of Schwing GmbH, a $ 1.30 billion German concreting machinery manufacturer and part of the XCMG Group. Schwing Stetter is a pioneer in manufacturing equipment for concrete preparation, placement, transportation and recycling. The company manufactures batching plants, placing booms, pumps, truck-mounted boom pumps, shotcreting machines, truck mixers for transporting readymade concrete to construction sites, truck mixers with pumps, concrete recycling plants, plastering pumps, self-loading mixers (SLMs), self-propelled mixers and sludge pumps. Schwing Stetter (India) also sells and services the newer range of equipment launched from GOMACO and XCMG. It caters to the requirements of infrastructure developers and acts as an OEM supplier to various RMC companies. Schwing Stetter has manufacturing units in 12 countries including Germany, Austria, the US, Brazil, Russia, Ostrava, the UK and India, supported by sales and service centers in France, Netherlands, Austria and Sweden as well as representations in over 150 countries worldwide. V.G. Sakthi Kumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter (India), shares more on the company, its legacy, plans and prospects…. What is a key parameter that has contributed to you being among the most admired brands in construction? Our customers buy equipment worth a lifetime and they become part of the Schwing family; we cater to their needs anytime and anywhere. This bond is what makes us one of the most admired companies. How did you fare against the backdrop of the pandemic? Sales have gone up steadily. Our last two quarters saw excellent business despite the pandemic with the second best figures for the corresponding quarters in any previous years. We had a cascading effect of our cost-cutting efforts throughout the lockdown that had a positive impact on the bottomline. Our initiatives on cost control in the sales pitch and administrative overheads have drastically improved our net retail price. Our online lead management has helped. But this sustainability is under threat owing to skyrocketing material costs, especially steel. In certain segments, especially batching plants, SLMs and concrete boom pumps, our market share has seen a significant improvement of 5-10%. What do your customers value most about you? Our commitment to them. Their trust shows the kind of service we provide. Are your products priced higher than your competitors? Yes, by at least 15 %. We are a high-quality concrete and construction equipment manufacturer with a reputation for high reliability and long service life, matching the hi-tech specifications that customers require. Tell us about your plans for FY21-22 that will enhance your ‘admiration quotient’. We have recently launched our global manufacturing hub at Cheyyar in Tamil Nadu, which is poised to increase our capacity across most in-demand products and cater to our growing export orders.