Our SmartFleetz customer for this edition is Kalinga Commercial Corporation Ltd. (KCC), a leading mineral raising contractor, logistics operator and exporter of ores and minerals based in Odisha. We landed in Bhubaneswar and headed straight to KCC’s head office in Baramunda to meet Mr. Soumya Ranjan Samal, Managing Director, KCC. We were welcomed by an automatic door at the office reception which was the first indication of the class and stature of the company and its way of doing business.
KCC, which went public in 2009, was mostly dealing with the transport and supply of commodities to various consuming centres and storage points, including the interior areas of different districts in Odisha. The company subsequently diversified into the mining sector which has today become its primary business area, with minerals being mined and transported across Odisha and other States.
KCC has a fleet of over 250 vehicles, most of which are tippers from Tata Motors, Eicher, BharatBenz, MAN and AMW, with all tipper bodies built by Hyva. The firm deploys the most modern and sophisticated machineries and equipment not only for production of fine quality but also for maximum volumetric growth. The company is working on a number of future projects in the area of material handling, transportation and raising contracts for various clients, including Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. (OMC), Odisha Mineral Development Company Ltd., Nilachal Ispat Nigam Ltd., etc.
‘Baadshah of Radials’ testified
KCC’s operations are in extremely demanding condition, given its vehicles run at soaring mercury levels needing to pass through steep gradients of ups and downs. Under such circumstances, the criticality of tyres goes several notches up as any sort of damage to the rubber rollers could result in severe trouble for the company in terms of work backlog, slower turnaround time and a consequent drop in productivity and profitability.
KCC has managed to tide over all the challenges and obstacles with respect to tyres, thanks to the unmatched performance and outstanding service rendered by its key tyre partner JK Tyre. Says Mr. Samal: “We have partnered JK Tyre for the past 12 years and have seen highly reliable and excellent performance of radial tyres from JK which has further strengthened our relationship. For better performance and smooth operation of the mines where ore, over-burden/waste and finished products are transported, the emphasis is on the availability and health of the tippers. Wear and tear of tyres is usually an important cause for breakdown of tippers that affects our production. So the tyres have to perform really well. In this regard, we had tried using different tyre brands, both local and foreign, and have observed that the durability and performance of JK radials is the best in the market. There is no doubt that JK Tyre is the Baadshah of radials in the country.”
All the 10.00 – 20 and 11.00 – 20 tyres in KCC’s fleet of 15-ton tippers are from JK Tyre, which goes to show the kind of confidence the tyre maker has built in the fleet outfit’s mind. “JK tyres’ performance has not only helped us achieve our targets but also helped enhance the production at our Kurmitar mines in Khandadhar deposit, Putul Pani iron ore mines at Gandhamardhan deposit and Daitari mines at Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. Even over the surface with hard boulders and high gradient ghat roads with downward movement of loaded trucks, the tyres have given 20 per cent better performance, resulting in huge fuel saving and cost reduction”, adds Mr. Samal.
So, is it just the excellent performance of JK tyres that has kept KCC delightfully pleased? Not at all, as we hear from the KCC MD. He says: “JK Tyre is the best and fastest in delivery of products which no one else has been able to match. JK does not only sell tyres to us but through its Fleet Management Program also takes proper care of aftersales support and maintenance by giving advice as and when required. The JK aftersales person visits our sites regularly to check the tyres and also trains our team and drivers on tyre maintenance. We are very happy with their aftersales service which is an important reason why we prefer JK Tyre.”
KCC performs two rounds of retreading on its tyres which further extend the tyre life. The company is interested in setting up a retread unit within its own premises in order to save time and bring down costs and is in discussion with JK Tyre regarding the same.
Stronger ties ahead
At present, KCC accounts for about 30 per cent of the total iron ore production in Odisha and caters to nearly 100 per cent of OMC’s demands. The company proposes to enhance its production to 20 million tonnes per annum by 2020 and looks forward to further fortifying its partnership with JK Tyre in future.
“We are currently doing a turnover of around Rs. 340 crores. We have recently bagged a new 10-year iron ore mining contract that would add another Rs. 150 crores to our turnover. So, by the end of FY17-18, we would reach the Rs. 500-crore mark. We would be adding 100 new vehicles for the new project and are considering Tata Motors, BharatBenz and MAN tippers for the same. As we grow, our relationship with JK Tyre shall also grow. We look forward to it and wish JK Tyre would rise higher and join the list of the top 12 tyre manufacturers in the world by 2020.”