Caterpillar has been part of the India growth story for the last several years. The first Caterpillar equipment was sold in the country in 1930 and the company was among the pioneers in establishing a manufacturing footprint, and this is the 50th year of Caterpillar manufacturing in India. “We have a lot of products that are not only Made in India but also Made in India for the world,” says Vivekanand Vanmeeganathan, Director, Caterpillar India. “We have been exporting to almost all parts of the world – America, North America, Europe, Japan, Africa, and Asia.” The company has six state-of-the-art world-class manufacturing facilities producing a diverse set of product lines to its customers in and around the country. Vanmeeganathan shares more… What is a key parameter that you think has contributed towards being one among the ‘Most Admired Brands’ in construction? Caterpillar has always been the global leader for all equipment that we provide in the construction space. The company has been among the most admired brands. One of the biggest reasons that we attribute to the success of the brand is the quality and durability of the product not just in India, but world over. For me, the brand equity and image the company carries are the primary reasons why Caterpillar has made it to the top 10 list. In the backdrop of the pandemic, did you manage to increase your sales over the previous year's same period? Sales is the function of many things and the pandemic is not the only primary reason why I would say this. Globally, much has changed in the last two years. People were impacted – customers, suppliers and of course Caterpillar operations as well. However, market sentiments are getting better as we come out of the pandemic and we have a strong reason to believe that the future will be brighter. According to you, what is that one thing that your customers value most about you? What customers value most is the product that they get and its operating efficiency as per their requirement. Second, the customer can count on us for the product’s lifecycle cost, which is what we have been focusing on. Are your products priced higher than your competitors? Pricing is subjective, and depends on how you look at it. One is the cost of the equipment versus the total cost of ownership. Going by Caterpillar’s philosophy, the focus is on total cost of ownership, which means the lifecycle cost and not just initial cost. And, if you are to look at lifecycle cost, we offer the best. How will your FY22-23 plans continue to contribute to this admired quotient? It is going to be like any other year. At Caterpillar, what we look at is the 95-year plus legacy that the company carries. We want to be the most admired brand for the next several decades or centuries. We believe it as our responsibility to carry the legacy forward. “If you look at Caterpillar’s philosophy, the focus is on total cost of ownership, which means the lifecycle cost.”