Industrie COMETTO S.p.A. is one of the largest manufacturers of trailers, semi-trailers and self-propelled vehicles in the world. The Italian company entered the Indian market in 1970 and has been consistently catering to Indian customers for over four decades now.
Looking to expand its presence in India, COMETTO has set a number of targets for 2020 in terms of market share, products and technology adoption. Commenting on the plan, Mr. Ramesh Balan, Head – Business Promotion (India), stated: “Currently, our products are doing well in various segments like windmills, shipyards, space, and infrastructure in India. By 2020, we plan to double our market share in the country.”
He said the company plans to launch 2.75 m modules with four tyres (two tyres in each axle) in modular trailer configuration, which will be appropriate for the 18 ton/axle line or lower load requirement and hydraulic goosenecks with various load options to eliminate ballast weight, which will be appropriate for economic transport requirements.
COMETTO introduced a number of innovative products in the Indian market this year as part of its India-specific goals for 2020. They include HDT-G heavy duty modular trailers that provide high torsional moment, greater resistance to flexion, and a high payload capacity of 45 ton/axle line at 0.5 km/h; the MSPE EVO3 series of self-propelled electronic modular trailers with electronic steering and an increased technical axle load capacity of 70 ton; COSMO, a new transport management software program for 3D transport simulation with modular trailers; extendable trailers with hydraulic suspension for carrying heavy loads; and electric modular trailers which are environment-friendly self-propelled units designed for industrial applications.
Offering a glimpse of the company’s roadmap to achieve its goals for 2020, Mr. Balan said: “The products are well in place. We are also exploring the options of assembling certain configurations in India to meet the domestic market requirements. If it is successful, our market share will increase further.”
Mr. Balan is also confident that the requirement for self-propelled vehicles will increase in the next few years. He said that COMETTO is a global leader in terms of technology and has the perfect configurations to meet the requirements of the Indian market. Recently, the company transported a gigantic 14,750 ton ship block in South Korea using its MSPE EVO2 fleet, which received considerable attention in the ship building industry. The company is also supplying custom-built vehicles to various customers and predicts that the market will draw a lot of attention in the coming years.
Discussing the company’s key focus areas until 2020, Mr. Balan disclosed: “COMETTO plans to focus on shipbuilding, windmill and space segments. Road transportation requirements are expected to grow in the next two years, and we have already positioned our products for these segments. We are also keen to position our new HDT – G and MSPE EVO3 series for optimum use to prove their versatility.”
By M.K. Prabhakar