Greaves Cotton is expanding its construction equipment range and diversifying into selling road construction machines.

The company launched three models of Greaves S Valve stationary concrete pumps that can pump 50-80 cubic metres of concrete an hour up to a height of 100 metres, for high-rise buildings and distances of 400 metres, needed for infrastructure projects such as tunnels, dams and bridges. The S Valve is a feature that can pump concrete at great pressure.

Addressing media persons at the launch of the concrete pumps at its factory about 45 km north of Chennai in Gummidipoondi, R. Nandagopal, Chief Executive Officer, Construction Equipment Business, Greaves Cotton, said the company has also entered into a marketing arrangement with Japan’s Nikko to sell its hot mix asphalt equipment in India. These are used in road construction projects.

India allows duty-free import of asphalt equipment which has a capacity of more than 150 tonnes an hour. Greaves Cotton will soon make the Japanese company’s range available in markets here.

This also gives Greaves Cotton an opportunity to get into fabrication of local components, where possible, to set up this equipment.

The launch of the S Valve range of concrete pumps gives the company access to a larger segment of the market. Last year’s demand for stationary concrete pumps is estimated at about 700 machines, with the S Valve-equipped machines accounting for over 70 per cent. Greaves Cotton was then selling ‘flat gate machines’, which have a lower pumping capacity.

Now with its concrete pumps getting more muscle, Greaves Cotton is confident of expanding its presence in the market, he said.

>balaji.ar@thehindu.co.in

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