Satish Raikar is the Regional Sales Manager (West & North Region), CEJN Products India. A BE Mechanical from Mumbai University, Satish has a total experience of 12 years in the construction equipment industry.

The year that went by - in fact, the last two years - put the country´s mining sector through one of its toughest tests. The Supreme Court ban on iron ore mining in Karnataka in 2011 and in Goa in 2012, alongside the Coalgate scams and environmental restrictions severely impacted this sector, and led to a considerable dent in the growth of the CE sector during this period.

Supreme Court´s ban on iron ore mining in Karnataka and Goa, and the Coalgate scams and environmental restrictions had severely impacted the mining equipment sector. But with the growing demand for increased output of coal, iron ore and other minerals, the demand for mining equipment and machinery is expected to grow manifold.

German investors are taking a positive long-term view of Indian market and continue to invest in their operations to tap growth opportunities. Maharashtra, with around 39 per cent share of German investments, remains the most attractive destination, says Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India. Excerpts from the interview.

We position ourselves as a premium player offering the lowest environmental impact and total cost of ownership with the help of technology, added with durability and reliability, says S Prabhakaran, Vice President - Industrial & Marine Power Systems Volvo Penta. Excerpts from the interview.

A leading Indian contractor relies on Potain cranes for a landmark project.One of India´s largest contractors is using three of its seven´strong fleet of Potain tower cranes to build Wave One, a landmark commercial development in Noida. Leighton Welspun Contractors deployed the MC 125s at the job site in 2011 and they will continue to work 22 hours a day,

Heidaigou coal mine in China has added two new Grove rough terrains to its fleet of cranes. Included in the order were a 60 tonne capacity RT765E-2 and a 135 tonne RT9150E complete with a 60 m main boom. The RT9150E also has the Twin-Lock boom pinning system. Maximum reach with jib extensions is 95 m.

Suvilas Properties & Construction has taken delivery of a Liebherr 85 EC-Bi flat top tower crane for its maiden project, the Suvilas Royal Guardenia residential development in Jalahalli, Bengaluru. With a 45.4 m maximum hook height and a 50 m radius, the five tonne crane will be used for lifting steel rebar and concrete slabs on the two-acre site.

Shriram Equipment Finance Company (SEFC) is planning to raise about Rs 150-200 crore from private equity (PE) investors and rope in strategic investors. Umesh Revankar, Managing Director of Shriram Transport Finance, said the company is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 15 per cent.