Bright prospects for mobile cranes

01 Aug 2019 CW Staff

Mobile cranes in India have come a long way since being pioneered by Escorts about 40 years ago. Ajay Mandahr, CEO, Escorts Construction Equipment, reminisces that Escorts was the first to offer the Hydra range of cranes, which are capable of both lifting and carrying a load as against cranes that just lift and do not carry, and later introduced the Hi-PNC (new generation pick-‘n’-carry) crane. On the back of the great success of pick-‘n’-carry cranes, Escorts soon evolved into a leading player of mobile cranes globally.

Today, pick-‘n’-carry cranes and truck cranes are typically considered to make up the mobile cranes segment, which has been buoyant in the past two years, according to Pradeep Sharma, President, Action Construction Equipment. In the last year alone, he notes that mobile crane sales crossed the 11,000 unit mark, the highest ever in terms of volume. Sharma expects the demand for mobile cranes to touch all-time highs in coming years.

Mandahr reckons the annual demand for mobile cranes exceeds 10,000 units and expects this class to grow at a CAGR of 15-18 per cent over the next five to six years. According to him, infrastructure development, spanning roads, railways, etc, is the major driver of the market. “Mobile cranes also find use in the defence, industrial, housing and port-handling sectors. In future, we expect the housing sector to emerge as the next big driver to further propel this segment.”

Urban infrastructure such as metro projects across Tier-I and Tier-II cities; freight corridor, airport expansion and modernisation; Swachh Bharat and smart city projects; elevated roads, advanced rail networks and the upcoming bullet train project; infrastructure development including roads (Bharatmala), flyovers and bridges; and refinery expansion are driving the demand for mobile cranes, says Sharma.

CHARU BAHRI

Real Estate

04 Sep 2025

Mumbai Records 11,230 Property Deals in August 2025

Mumbai’s property market remained resilient in August 2025, with 11,230 property registrations recorded under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction, according to data released by Knight Frank India. While this marks a 3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline compared to 11,631 registrations in August 2024, activity stayed robust despite the marginal dip.On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, registrations fell 11 per cent from 12,579 deals in July 2025, indicating seasonal moderation. However, the city’s stamp duty collections still reached Rs 10 billion, reflecting a 6 per cent..

68 Jammu-Katra Trains Cancelled Amid Rain Damage

Jammu and Katra railway services remain severely affected as Northern Railway announced the cancellation of 68 trains—both incoming and outgoing—until 30 September, due to extensive track damage caused by heavy rains and flash floods. Meanwhile, 24 trains are scheduled to resume operations gradually.The Jammu railway division has experienced a complete halt in services for the past eight days, following track misalignment and breaches at several points along the Pathankot–Jammu section. Torrential rainfall since 26 August led to widespread flooding and damage, stranding hundreds of passe..

Bangalore Metro MD Reviews Reach 6 and Phase 2A Progress

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director, Dr J Ravishankar, IAS, conducted inspections of key metro corridors on 29 and 30 August, reviewing the progress of Reach 6 (Pink Line) and Phase 2A (Blue Line).On 30 August, the inspection covered Reach 6, a 21.39-km corridor stretching from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, with 18 stations. This stretch is part of Phase 2 of the Bangalore Metro project. Dr Ravishankar assessed the status of civil works, finishing, track laying, and system integration between Kalena Agrahara and MG Road.Earlier, on 29 August, the MD inspected Phas..