Covid-19 boosts technology use in road construction

14 Apr 2021 Editorial Team

As the pandemic continues to spur interest in technology among road construction companies, this article delves into the reasons that are encouraging manufacturers to engage in more R&D. Captains of road construction and equipment manufacturers share their insights and analyses:

Sanjay Saxena, Senior VP & Head of Heavy Equipment Business, Sany Heavy Industry India
Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director and CEO, Wirtgen India
Deepak Shetty, CEO and Managing Director, JCB India
Sandeep Mathur, India CE, Brand Leader, Case India
Soumendra K Mohanty, Managing Director, SMC India
Sanjay Londhe, Director & CEO, Projects, Ashoka Buildcon
Blesson Varghese, Managing Director, Astec Inc. (Asia)

Read the article here.

Despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic, 8,169 km of national highways were constructed between April 2020 and January 2021, marking a construction rate of around 28.16 km a day. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India have worked effectively as a catalyst for the sector, spurring huge demand for construction equipment during such a challenging period. As the pandemic continues to spur interest in technology among road construction companies, this article delves into the reasons that are encouraging manufacturers to engage in more R&D. Captains of road construction and equipment manufacturers share their insights and analyses: Sanjay Saxena, Senior VP & Head of Heavy Equipment Business, Sany Heavy Industry India Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director and CEO, Wirtgen India Deepak Shetty, CEO and Managing Director, JCB India Sandeep Mathur, India CE, Brand Leader, Case India Soumendra K Mohanty, Managing Director, SMC India Sanjay Londhe, Director & CEO, Projects, Ashoka Buildcon Blesson Varghese, Managing Director, Astec Inc. (Asia)Read the article here.

Infrastructure Transport

30 May 2026

Chembur Metro to Boost East Mumbai Links

MMRDA is advancing eastern Mumbai’s urban mobility network, with the upcoming Chembur Metro Station set to emerge as a key interchange and the Mumbai Monorail preparing for relaunch.Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, conducted a site visit to Chembur Metro Station along with Kanhuraj Bagate, Managing Director, MMMOCL. He also visited the nearby VN Purav Monorail Station to review system preparedness and ease of interconnectivity.Once operational, the interchange is expected to offer commuters across the eastern suburbs quicker access, smoother transfers and seamless conne..

Equipment

30 May 2026

Herrenknecht TBMs Drive Thane–Borivali Tunnel Progress

Herrenknecht India has supplied two of the four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) required for the 11-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel Project being developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The project is expected to reduce travel time between Thane and Borivali from 60–90 minutes to around 15 minutes while easing congestion across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.The first two Single Shield TBMs, named Nayak and Arjuna, feature 13.34-m cutterhead diameters and are designed for hard-rock excavation. They will be deployed to tunnel through the challenging geological..

Resources

29 May 2026

KBL Launches Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set

Kirloskar Brothers (KBL) has launched its Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set, an integrated fire protection solution designed to improve operational efficiency, remote monitoring and installation flexibility. The system was inaugurated by Ms Madhuritai Misal, Hon. Minister of State for Urban Development, Government of Maharashtra.The Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set is a factory-tested, pre-packaged solution that combines FM/UL-certified motor and engine pump sets with IoT-enabled remote monitoring. Designed to deliver a flow rate of 170 m³/hr at a head of 100 metres, the system aims to provide..