Vibrant development in India’s crane market

More than 1,250 exhibitors showed their new wares to 100,000 visitors at India’s Excon show in December. Partha Pratim Basistha, ICST special correspondent, was there.

Several Indian and foreign crane manufacturers participated with cranes at Excon 2025, especially by displaying new variants in addition to completely new models. Among these there was a noticeable link to newer applications.

XCMG from China showed a 500 tonne lattice boom crawler among many more cranes at ExCon 2025 in India

India’s crane market remains highly competitive. Demand is subdued and rental rates have remained low for lighter crawler and wheeled mobile cranes. Rates and demand for higher-tonnage wheeled mobile and crawler cranes, however, has been firm, from industrial infrastructure construction, maintenance and the wind energy sector.

Depreciation of Indian Rupee against US Dollar has been a key concern for buying new and second hand cranes by corporate and rental agencies. That said, the recent Excon was a vibrant event. The following is a roundup of new cranes and industry news from the show.

The 13th iteration of Excon, South Asia’s largest construction equipment exhibition, ran from 9 to 13 December 2025 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, in the South Indian state of Karnataka.

Indian mobile, truck and crawler crane manufacturer Action Construction Equipment (ACE) displayed a slew of new products. Commenting on the new exhibits Sorab Agarwal, ACE executive director, said, “The new cranes bear testimony of our high end engineering capability and our deep understanding of what India’s project sites truly need. The cranes offer higher productivity, enhanced safety and more intuitive operation, while ensuring reduced total cost of ownership for our customers.”

A new products on display was the ACE NX 230. “The crane is an advanced, next-generation pick carry crane engineered with single-chassis, no-articulation architecture, better stability and precision. It is built as the safest crane in its segment, with a lower turning radius for exceptional manoeuvrability in congested urban or industrial environments,” Agarwal continued.

Another new ACE crane was the FC 150 pick and carry. It has a clutchless transmission that eliminates the clutch pedal and clutch function entirely for a smooth driving experience. “It reduces operator fatigue, enabling smoother, more precise manoeuvring, and also improving machine longevity by minimising mechanical wear.” Agarwal said.

ACE also showed a new tower crane, the FT 6040. It is a flat top with maximum 60 metre jib. “Its modular architecture, lightweight high-strength materials, and real-time digital monitoring enable superior stability, anti-collision protection, and precise load management even in congested, high-wind job sites,” explained Agarwal.

Articulating cranes

Palfinger showed its latest TEC series loader crane and announced a partnership to develop a new high technology centre in India.

In the loader crane market Austrian manufacturer Palfinger launched the PK 480 TEC truck mounted articulated boom crane to meet rising demand in material handling for waste treatment, for urban infrastructure construction, maintenance and other applications.

Alexander Susanek, Palfinger COO, commented, “PK 480 TEC will be available in India with a choice of truck chassis by the owner. The mounting of the crane and integration with the truck chassis will be done by our company. As regards whether the truck crane’s load chart will be derated, we will strictly adhere to our own operating standards without compromising on safety and performance.”

Also, during the show Palfinger and L&T Technology Services (LTTS), a specialist in AI and digital, and ER&D Consulting Services, announced a partnership to establish a global development centre in Pune, Western India. “The collaboration marks a significant step forward in strengthening Palfinger’s global engineering capabilities – enhancing speed, flexibility, and innovation. It also reinforces Palfinger’s commitment to the APAC region, particularly India, to drive innovation, scale up operations, and accelerate time-to-market for Palfinger. This is not only for projects in India but also for global development efforts,” said Susanek.

In the rough

In the rough terrain category Sany Heavy Industries India launched the SRC400CR BS-V. Commenting on the new model Sanjay Saxena, Sany India COO, said, “The crane has been engineered to deliver improved lifting capacity, superior operational stability and reliable performance for industrial and infrastructure projects.”

Potain’s new MCT 105 flat top tower crane dominated the Manitowoc stand at the 2025 ExCon show in Bangalore. Photo: Manitowoc

Tower crane manufacturer Potain launched the MCT 105 HS flat top, described as a wider coverage compact crane. This new model lifts 5 tonnes and has a 60 metre maximum jib to give maximum coverage on a jobsite. It uses the new B126 internal floor climbing system with the S26 mast.

The compact (1.2 x 1.2 metre) mast gives a maximum free standing height of 46 metres. Tip load on maximum jib is 1 tonne. It is made at Potain’s Pune facility in Maharashtra, western India.

XCMG India showcased an XLC series 500 tonne capacity crawler crane, plus 750 and 900 tonne capacity XCA series wheeled mobile telescopic boom all terrain type cranes. These heavy lifters are designed to meet growing demand from India’s wind power sector. Also on display were rough-terrain cranes ranging from 40 to 130 tonnes, among other products.

P.K. Krishnakumar, XCMG India CEO, said, “XCMG has successfully established its heavy lift crawler and all terrain cranes in the Indian market. This despite intense competition from European and US manufacturers known for advanced technologies and high safety standards. Our market positioning is largely driven by our high production capacity for truck mounted and crawler cranes at its parent facility in China. This has been enabling significantly shorter delivery timelines for customers in India as well as global markets, unlike the extended lead times typically associated with European, Japanese, and US manufacturers.

“The shorter delivery cycle enabled us to supply nearly 110 crawler cranes in the 60 to 150 tonne range for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project. We have also successfully expanded the adoption of our 350, 500, and 750 tonne all terrain cranes across India’s corporate and crane rental segments,” he added.

The upgraded TIL truck mounted 85 tonne capacity telescopic crane and tele handler for empty containers

Pick and carry

Tractors India Limited (TIL) displayed its new pick and carry on deck crane, the CarryKing 515. It also showed an upgraded TMS-885 85 tonne capacity truck crane, and the RT RST-8, a rough terrain empty container handler.

TIL’s new variant of pick and carry deck crane, the Carry King 515, lifts 15 tonnes at a 2.5 metre radius. Its 7.5 metre flat deck can carry long loads weighing up to 6 tonnes. Its maximum road speed with that 6 tonne load on deck is 15 km/h. Without load the crane can travel at 26.5 km/h. Its turning circle is 21.5 metres in front wheel steer mode and 13.8 metres in all-wheel steer.

CarryKing515 has a four section telescopic boom extending from 6.5 to 17 metres and 360 degree continuous slewing. It is built at the company’s Kharagpur facility in West Bengal, eastern India.

Sharing details on the new crane, Pinaki Niyogi, TIL chief technical officer and chief operating officer, said, “Based on the features of the lorry loader and truck crane, the Carry King 515, with its truck transmission delivers higher torque and more power.

“For better stability with the appropriate centre of gravity, we have placed the counterweight of the crane above the prime mover cabin on the rear of the boom. While the preceding product, the Pixef, had a full cabin, CarryKing 515 has a spacious half cabin, and better 360 degree visibility during loading and unloading. The half cabin frees up the deck space for additional loading of cargo,” Niyogi continued.

A 20 tonne variant of Carry King is also on its way and will soon be introduced, Niyogi divulged.

Commenting on the upgraded TMS 885 truck crane, Niyogi said, “The crane features a 360-degree slew and the new model comes with a refreshed design and enhanced features, including an increased lifting capacity of 85 tonnes, a more spacious air-conditioned cabin, and advanced disc brakes for improved safety.”

The TMS 885 has a five-section, full-power boom extending from 12.1 to 43.8 metres.