Sany India: Batch Mix Plants, Excavators, Cranes & Pilig Rigs

Deepak Garg, Managing Director, SANY India and South Asia, discusses the company’s achievements, products like Batch Mix Plants, Excavators, Cranes & Pilig Rigs, and plans to strengthen its position in the construction equipment industry of India.

SANY India has announced a significant milestone wherein the company has surpassed the 30,000-machine mark in India. Please elaborate on this.

This achievement is a testament to SANY India’s commitment to provide high–quality, reliable and innovative equipment to the Indian market. Surpassing 30,000 machines operating across India fills us with immense pride. This significant milestone reaffirms our commitment to the domestic construction equipment market, and we foresee a future brimming with potential for further growth. As we embark on the next chapter of our journey, we pledge to continue innovating, pushing boundaries, and redefining industry standards.

SANY India has been recognised as ‘Naye Bharat Ka Nirmata’ with our machines actively contributing to every major and minor infrastructure project across the nation. We are not merely participants; we are at the heart of India's infrastructure. This statement captures the central role we play in shaping the nation's progress. We are deeply grateful for the trust and support that our customers have placed in us, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with the highest levels of quality, reliability, and performance.

How much localization in its products has SANY India achieved?

Sany India has been advocating and practicing ‘Vocal for Local’ since its inception. By emphasizing local manufacturing, the company strives to diminish costs and streamline the supply chain, thereby making eco-friendly equipment more economically accessible for customers. Presently, the company has attained a localization rate of 40%, with an ambitious target to elevate it to 75% within the next 3-5 years. This strategic initiative not only addresses cost-related challenges but also aligns with SANY's steadfast commitment to sustainability. Furthermore, SANY has made substantial investments in research and development, ensuring that its products remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

SANY India’s newest entry in the company’s product portfolio - the Asphalt Batch Mix Plant – will face competition from many multinational OEMs and local producers as well. How will you position your plant amidst the competition?

We are the third largest multinational in the world in construction equipment business. No doubt, there are many OEMs in this business, but high class and more efficient technologies still allude India. We are still using the same technologies since the last 50 years or so and will continue to do so. However, with SANY bringing the latest technology to India, others are now forced to follow our steps.

Let me give you an example; when a few years back we brought a 120 cbm/h concrete batching plant to India, everybody wondered what new SANY was offering, given the many well established manufacturers were already present here. We told our customers that our 120 cbm/h plant will deliver 120 cbm/h, whereas all other batching plants of 120 cbm/h were delivering 100 cbm/h, which meant that our plants would give 10% extra production.

Another USP of our 120 cbm/h batching plant is the 2 cubic meter mixer introduced on the plant, whereas all other manufacturers are using 3.5 cbm mixers on the same capacity. With 2 cubic meter mixer, the cost per cubic meter for the maintenance came down from 10 rupees to 6 rupees for the customer (a 40% reduction on maintenance cost). This is unheard in the Indian market! This meant that the customer became 25% more efficient on production and 40% more efficient on cost. This is what technology is all about, and this is what our Asphalt Batch Mix Plant will offer.

There is big difference in the mixing processes of concrete and asphalt. While concrete allows for a reduction in the mixing cycle from 90 to 60 seconds per batch, asphalt presents a different scenario. With asphalt, maintaining specific temperatures for aggregates and bitumen is crucial, along with the incorporation of RAP, making it an entirely distinct technological process. How does your hot mix plant demonstrate greater efficiency and productivity compared to your counterpart?

This is what the issue is: that what we believe cannot be done, will be done. No doubt the technology required is different since a concrete batching plant is different from asphalt or a hot mix plant. But once it starts working at a site, you will realize that it is giving at least 20% extra benefits to the customer in terms of production. Secondly, the better quality of the hot mix that you get is another benefit. Thirdly, the operating cost will be 20% lower. Hence, users will see that we are giving a more efficient and more cost-effective technology to the customer.

There are a lot of discussions on decarbonization, and electric and hydrogen fuels; what is SANY’s approach to these aspects in the construction field?

SANY’s contribution to decarbonisation and alternate fuels like electric and hydrogen is evident in the technology we use in our products. Today, SANY products are more energy efficient (as shown during Excon ‘23). Our range of excavators is now 10 to 15% more energy-efficient compared to what the same models used to be 5-8 years ago. Earlier, they used to consume 20 liters per hour of diesel, today, it is 16 to 17 liters of diesel per hour. In fact, all our products that we displayed at Excon 23 have more advanced technology, better engines, better controls, better hydraulics, and lower fuel consumption, thereby emitting lower carbon emissions into the environment. The BS5 emission norm is likely to kick in from 1st of April 2024 and SANY India is already ready with BS5 compliant machines.

Some of the industries that we are keen to cater to with our electric machines, are port machinery and the reach stacker. So we are introducing electric products based on the ecosystem that is available in India. We have already sold 15 units of our electric reach stackers in India. This 100% battery powered reach stacker is the first in India.

We have introduced our 870E electric excavator, which is a cable driven excavator that can be connected directly to a power source in any mine, and we have brought out all-electric trucks. I got an enquiry for 100 electric excavators for a road construction project, but to use them you need the infrastructure for charging. Yet we are introducing environment-friendly, electric-fuelled products.

We have also introduced a 70-ton fully battery powered mining truck for use in iron ore and cement sites. If used properly and maintained well, the customers’ cost of operation will come down by almost 70%. Our newly launched hybrid truck crane uses diesel when it moves on roads but when working at sites it can be connected to an electric power source.

So, in terms of environment friendliness at construction sites, we are designing and manufacturing products that are fuel efficient, products that are transitioning to new energy sources (alternate fuels), and products that are biodegradable or recyclable.

How is IoT enhancing the performance of your products?

All our new products are IoT-enabled. To give an example of the effectiveness of IoT enabled machines, our piling rig was in action during the rescue mission in Uttarakhand. The piling rig was used for vertical drilling of 80 to 90 meters. It completed 50% of the work in one day. Sitting in Pune, I had a live view of the depth that the piling rig had reached. Today, not many OEMs are offering IoT enabled machines.

What are SANY India’s investment plans for the next five years?

Currently, we have one manufacturing plant with a capacity to make 900 machines per month. We will be investing about Rs.1000 crores over the next three years in manufacturing our entire range of products, along with their localisation. We have about 300 touch points across the country, which we will increase to 500 or so in the next two to three years.

In the North-East, we are expanding in a big way; we have expanded our dealer network and our touch points and are adding a separate office in Sipsagar for some of our special products.

We undertake a lot of R&D and are focusing on standardization of our products, which will make them more cost-effective.

How does SANY India plan to further strengthen its position in the Indian market?

SANY India has been a pioneer in the Indian construction machinery industry for over two decades. It has successfully expanded to a growing network of 42 dealers and over 260 customer touchpoints in India and South Asia. The company has a strong presence across all segments of the industry, including road construction, mining, infrastructure, and real estate.

In Crawler Cranes, Truck Cranes, and Pilig Rigs we are India’s number one with more than 50% market share. In Excavators, we are number two with more than 18% market share. In Mining Trucks, we are number two with our differently designed trucks and off-highway trucks. We also have a significant presence in the wide-bodied trucks. In fact, SANY trucks are being used in major MDOs, in mine developments, and in large mines, along with our mining excavators.

Our new ultra large Excavator SY1350C-10 of 135 tons is equipped with 7 to 8 cum bucket and a 760 hp high power latest technology engine and a fully electric controlled hydraulic system. This is the first product that has got a high import content, but going forward, by March or April 2024, it will be made in India and all these components will be localized.