Sanjay Saraswat, Head – MHCV, Ashok Leyland, on how the market is progressing for tipper trucks and dump trucks. How is the market progressing for tipper trucks and dump trucks in terms of production and sales? How do you see the demand for tippers and dumpers in future? The tipper market is projected to grow at a good pace over the next few years, owing to increasing number of infrastructure projects and availability of easy financing options offered by financial institutions. Which are the key growth drivers of tippers and dump trucks? The key growth drivers of tippers and dump trucks are the road works, irrigation projects, and mining. We are expecting a normal growth and close to about 30 per cent for complete year when compared to the last year. What are the key technology trends in tippers and dump trucks? The technology trends in tippers and dump trucks are increasing day by day. Our range of trucks comes with a unique modular system that are profitable for the customers by having higher productivity, safety and efficiency-enhancing features. In general, customers look for better operating efficiency in terms of payloads, capacity, and mileage and enhanced driving comfort. So all the new technology is revolving around these. What are the major challenges for tipper trucks and dump trucks in the current scenario? The trucking industry along with the other sectors have been changing. In the trucking industry ‘Driver’ plays a crucial role, likewise the BS 6 engine too plays a crucial role. A lot of training and understanding is required. The BS 6 engine is sensitive to correct fuel and maintaining the quality of diesel exhaust fuel (DEF) is a challenge in itself. How do you look at the impact of emission norms in the truck market? At Ashok Leyland, we looked at new emission norms as an opportunity to develop the AVTR range of trucks. Our new range of engines have higher horsepower and we have moved towards better power to weight ratio. This migration to new emission norms has benefitted our customers with better total cost of ownership, ergonomic comfort for the drivers, thereby driving demand. What are the opportunities emerging in construction and mining for tipper trucks and dump trucks? We have witnessed many new players coming in, in the mining industry. This has helped the overall growth.