KYB Conmat, with over 13 years of experience in the industry, is one of India’s leading manufacturers of concrete equipment and holds a top three position in most segments, including batching plants, paving machines, transit mixers, and self-loading mixers. Kalpesh Soni, Vice President – Marketing, KYB Conmat, speaks on how his company is hearing up for Excon 2023.How is your company preparing for Excon 2023? Excon attracts a diverse range of industry professionals, potential customers, and partners. Exhibiting at Excon gives us the chance to put our brand in the spotlight. This heightened visibility helps us strengthen our brand presence in the market. Staying ahead of the competition is essential, and Excon allows us to demonstrate our technological advancements and innovation. This helps differentiating us from competitors and position our brand as a leader in the field.What steps is your company taking to address sustainability and environmental concerns through your product offerings?KYB Conmat is one of India’s leading manufacturers of concrete equipment and holds a top three position in most segments, including batching plants (20 CuM – 240 CuM per hour with twin shaft mixing technology), road and canal paving machines, concrete pump, transit mixers, and self-loading mixers. We are also growing in the concrete pump segment. We incorporate sustainable materials and manufacturing processes in our equipment. This includes the use of eco-friendly materials and reducing our carbon footprint in the manufacturing process.Our self-loading concrete mixers (SLCMs) are IOT enabled, BS-4 and ARAI compliant, and offer better fuel efficiency, high productivity, better mix quality, faster loading and discharge due to an advance blade design and electronic batching system with printer, produce more concrete per batch by optimised drum capacity, which reduces the overall cost per cubic meter of concrete. Further these SLCMs offer superior manoeuvrability by single joystick control, four-wheel steering/four-wheel drive system, also offer superior operator comfort due to reversable operator seat and balanced load distribution on front and rear axles. How do you look at the market in India for your products?The market for construction equipment products in India has shown significant potential and growth prospects. Several key factors contribute to the positive outlook for this market:Infrastructure development: India has many ongoing and planned infrastructure development projects, which includes roads, bridges, airports, metro systems, and smart cities. These projects drive the demand for construction equipment.Urbanisation: India’s urban population continues to grow, leading to increased demand for residential and commercial construction. This, in turn, fuels the need for construction equipment.Government initiatives: Government initiatives like Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, production linked incentive (PLI) schemes and focus on infrastructure projects like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, new industrial corridors, etc. have encouraged domestic manufacturing and investments in the construction equipment sector.Construction boom: The construction industry in India is experiencing a significant boom, driven by private and public investments in real estate, commercial spaces, and industrial projects.Technological advancements: Advancements in construction equipment technology, such as telematics, IoT integration, and automation, have improved efficiency and productivity in the construction sector.What are the various challenges faced in the sector you are in?The construction equipment sector faces several challenges that can impact its operations and growth. These challenges vary depending on factors like geographical location, economic conditions, and industry trends. Here are some common challenges faced by the construction equipment sector:Skilled labour shortages: The construction sector often faces shortages of skilled labour, including equipment operators and maintenance personnel.Equipment maintenance: Ensuring regular maintenance and repairs can be expensive and time-consuming, affecting the equipment's efficiency and uptime.Project delays: Delays in construction projects, whether due to weather, permitting issues, or other factors, can affect equipment utilisation and rental revenues.Aging equipment: Maintaining older equipment in a safe and efficient condition can be challenging, as parts may become obsolete, and repairs can be costly.Inflationary issues: Due to completely unpredictable global headwinds, there is high pressure on the whole supply chain, leading to an increase in cost of the overall products. Inflation is one of the most challenging aspects, which is not in anybody’s control and has tremendous impact on the whole sector.To address these challenges, we invest in research and development, seek cost-effective maintenance solutions, adopt sustainable and efficient technologies, and prioritise safety and compliance with regulations. Additionally, strong relationships with customers and a focus on innovation helps us overcome some of these challenges and maintain competitiveness in the industry.Give us an understanding of the post-sale services offered by your company? We take pride in providing exceptional after-sales service, and our sales and service network is robust, consisting of regional offices and channel partners. In the past three years, we have introduced channel partners to expand our dealer network, and we offer a range of combo parts, including our own spares warehouse, which is easily accessible through our various depots and channel partner locations, allowing us to provide this service across India and globally. Our 24/7 customer care centre provides online support to customers through our online helpline centre, where our personnel can assess the plant and provide online service support. KYB Conmat is constantly exploring business opportunities for expansion, and our products are known for high performance and low maintenance. We are committed to providing prompt customer service and support, and the management oversees the process of expansion to ensure that they maintain their reputation as a technologically advanced and customer-focused company.