At CASE Construction, practical innovation matters. Our equipment is an evolution of fine-tuned products built to solve your challenges through more intuitive design. Every customer experience begins and ends with support from people that represent a brand known for its heritage of strong values and steeped in 180 years of knowhow.
1.How has CASE grown over the years and what a milestone has it achieved?
CASE Construction Equipment, with a history of 180 years is immersed in a heritage of strong values and knowledge. By the beginning of the early twentieth century, CASE had globally established itself as the leading manufacturer of construction equipment. CASE Construction has been operating in India for over 30 years now and has been proudly contributing to the “Make in India” and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives by offering machines that are manufactured at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh for global customer base.
CASE India has been a market leader in the Vibratory Compactor segment and has sold over 20,000 units in India. CASE India also provides best-in-class Loader Backhoes with more than 40,000 units sold in India.
2.What has been CASE’s journey during the COVID period and after the lockdown?
The lockdown in last two years had impacted multiple businesses and created a lot of uncertainty for the overall CE industry. At CASE, we transformed our challenges into opportunity by incorporating various measures. We digitised our customer touchpoints for anyone to get information with a click of a button. Moreover, our sales team were constantly in touch with our dealer partners to understand and solve any issues they are facing during the time. For skill upgradation with new technology and new normal operations, we conducted online training session for our as well as partners (vendors, dealers, etc.). We also continued to engage and be in constant touch with prospective customers. For existing customers, we have given extensions on warranties and retail loans to take the pressure off and further strengthen our relationship with them. Additionally, CNH Capital, our financial arm is making sure there’s enough capital available for customers who wish to make purchases. We’re hoping that any liquidity crunch is alleviated through their efforts.
3.As quality comes with a price, how do you balance quality with affordability?
One of the major factors that help us provide the highest quality equipment at affordable price is the fact that we have been sourcing parts and components from India - from engines and engine parts to forgings and other critical components.
At CASE, we are constantly working to make our equipment cost-effective for the customer. Our product features technological advancements in maintenance frequency and fuel consumption. This helps us ensure that the operating costs for the equipment is best that the customer can get. Additionally, through our in-house retail finance company ‘CNHi Capital,’ we offer various financing options to the customer reducing the economical strain on them.
4.What are the new products showcased by CASE in recent years?
CASE has recently launched a range of new products at the EXCON. These include the highly anticipated 770 NXe 49.5hp Loader Backhoe, alongside the 770 EX Plus and 851 FX CP variants. The CX220C LC Excavator and 1107EX Compactor were launched to the public. We also launched the C series of Motor Graders by showcasing the 845C Motor Grader at our pavilion at EXCON. We already offer a full range of products that are ideal for construction and mining sectors and are suitable for various operating conditions and will continue enhancing this range in the future.
5.What are your plans for capacity expansion and for growing your basket of value-added products?
At CASE, we offer a full range of construction equipment to cater to the needs of the developing countries like India. We have launched multiple new products at the recently concluded EXCON 2021, and most of them are made in Pithampur. Currently, our plant is utilised 70% of its full capacity which is 10,000 units. This will be further increased basis requirement in near future.
6.Due to COVID-19, several industries are now using new technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, etc. How is the construction and infrastructure industry using these technologies? Does it affect the industry or employment?
The construction and infrastructure sector are definitely incorporating new technologies to make our processes and products equipped for an increasingly tech-savvy market. The use of data analytics and newer methods are increasingly being incorporated while researching for any product. Additionally, at a group level, CNH Industrial has recently inaugurated the India Technology Center, specifically to use new tools for RD and collaboration with CNH global team. This includes tech tools like like Cloud, VR, SW, Electrification, Autonomous, Advance Analysis, Simulation, Automation, and Mechanical & Electrical design, etc. Technologies such as these help in efficiency and dexterity in the industry. However, we do not believe they affect employment or the need for human resources.
7.What will be the industry's outlook for coming years?
There is lot of potential in the Indian CE market as it is expected to grow from $208.3 bn last year to $250 bn by 2026, accounting for a growth of nearly 4% CAGR. With supportive PLI schemes and campaigns like Make in India and Atmanirbar Bharat there has been an increased focus on building newer and better manufacturing infrastructure. The demand for construction equipment is not only driven by local ambitions, but also global industry requirements. At CASE, we have been following these development closely and have been introducing products with technological enhancements and advancements. Basis current market situation of rising fuel and labour cost, construction companies prefer equipment which are cost effective and are highly productive in nature. Customers prefer machines that adds value to their work with reduced downtime. All the equipment offered at CASE are smart machines that reduce dependency on extra labour, offers comfort and convenience while keeping operators safety at the heart.
8.We have already had so many debates on women's empowerment. So, what is CASE doing for women's empowerment or to encourage women?
As a part of CNH Industrial, CASE India has taken multiple initiatives that supports skilling and upgrading female employees. The company globally believes in providing equal opportunities to all the employees which has be testified by the recently awarded Best Organizations for Women 2022 by The Economic Times. The award focuses to recognize the organizations that provide unique growth opportunities and conducive environment to its women employees to grow and thrive as a professional. At CNH Industrial, as part of our journey to promote diversity and inclusion, we are setting new standards and taking initiatives to make our organization a place where our women employees could succeed and prosper in their professional journey. Moreover, the company introduced a CSR initiative - Project Udaan, that supports women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with financial assistance and training to develop them into future leaders. Furthermore, CNH Industrial has also recently committed to hiring women trainees from Banasthali Institute, an all-women university in Rajasthan.
9.How CASE participated in EXCON-2022? What were your expectations from this big event?
At EXCON, CASE India not only showcased its product offering with an impressive display of 10 machines, but also had a special celebration, as the brand has completed 180 Years since its inception. CASE also showcased technologies that power the engines in its construction equipment. Since EXCON was taking place after a long hiatus, it also presented us the perfect opportunity to engage with our stakeholders, face-to-face. The brand’s finance arm, CNH Capital and other retail financiers were also at hand, to advise visitors, offering them attractive finance packages for ease of purchase. During EXCON, we received some bulk orders for backhoe loaders, graders, and compactors from medium and large contractors as well as bookings from retail customers.
10.What positive impact will the Budget 2022-23 have on the infra industry?
Given the post pandemic scenario and the overall impact on supply chains, followed by tensions in Europe and the overall slowdown over the last couple of years, the 2022-23 Budget can only be termed as progressive. Not only does it have the potential to bring the infrastructure industry, but all core sectors out of the current slowdown.
We believe that the budget can play a major role in restoring the balance in the core sectors by attracting private investment, allocating more resource for core infrastructure development, and by making policies to ensure faster project approvals. The strong focus on highway construction and the monetization of the highway bundles gives stakeholders several options to take advantage of opportunities. The announcement of Gati Shakti Master Plan and aligning it with the National Infrastructure Pipeline will help accelerate the projects and this is quite encouraging for the infra industry as well. We believe this push for the infrastructure industry will also benefit the construction equipment industry as it will lead to higher demand and we are looking forward to see all the positive outcomes of this budget.
From:
Editor’s Desk: Construction Mirror
