Gaurav Gupta on India’s Construction Equipment Recovery: Why Rising Costs Could Change How Contractors Buy

India’s construction equipment industry is entering FY2026–27 with a more encouraging demand outlook, but the recovery comes with a warning: higher input and logistics costs could make growth harder to convert into profitability. For contractors and infrastructure companies, the question is no longer simply whether to buy equipment. It is how to make that decision when project timelines, financing costs and operating expenses remain under pressure.

ICRA expects mining and construction equipment volumes to grow by 8–10% in FY2027, reaching around 150,000 units after a decline in FY2026. Yet the rating agency also expects operating margins for its sample of 14 large equipment players to moderate to 6–8%, from 8.4% in the previous financial year, amid higher steel, logistics and imported-component costs.

The contrast highlights a critical issue for India’s construction equipment market: demand may be recovering, but cost discipline will determine who benefits.

Growth Is Returning, but Cost Pressure Remains

The recovery is being supported by improving infrastructure execution, public capital expenditure and stronger exports. ICRA reported that domestic mining and construction equipment volumes rose 14% year-on-year in the first five months of FY2027, while exports increased 34%.

However, equipment costs do not stop at the purchase order. Steel prices, freight, imported components, maintenance and financing can all affect the total cost of putting a machine to work. Manufacturers may find it difficult to pass every increase on to customers, particularly in a competitive market. Industry reporting has also highlighted higher steel and logistics costs as concerns for equipment makers and contractors.

For contractors, this creates a more demanding buying environment. A machine that looks affordable at the time of purchase may put pressure on project margins if utilisation is lower than expected or costs rise during execution.

Contractors Need to Evaluate the Full Cost of Equipment

Gaurav Gupta, Founder and Managing Director of Suntech Infra Solutions Ltd, brings an execution-focused perspective to equipment decisions, where project requirements, utilisation and operational risks need to be considered together.

Founder quote for approval: “When equipment costs rise, the smartest decision is not always to buy or to rent. It is to understand the project requirement, expected utilisation, operating costs and the cost of downtime before committing capital.”

For contractors, this means looking beyond the initial price. The evaluation should include how long the equipment will be required, whether the project schedule is certain, what maintenance support is available and how quickly a machine can be mobilised. Equipment rental can offer flexibility for time-bound or specialised requirements, while ownership may make sense where utilisation is consistently high. The right choice depends on the economics of each project, not a blanket preference for one model.

The same discipline applies to rental operators. Fleet planning, maintenance, uptime and customer demand must be considered together. Adding equipment without a clear view of utilisation can tie up capital; running an inadequately maintained fleet can create downtime and weaken customer confidence.

Better Decisions Will Matter as the Market Recovers

The industry’s outlook remains linked to infrastructure execution, financing conditions and the direction of input costs. ICRA’s forecast points to a recovery in volumes, but its margin outlook underlines why growth alone is not enough.

For infrastructure businesses, the priority should be to match equipment decisions with actual project needs, evaluate lifecycle costs and build contingency into project budgets. For rental providers, reliability and transparent operating terms can become important differentiators when customers are managing tighter margins.

As India continues investing in roads, urban infrastructure, mining and industrial development, construction equipment will remain essential to project delivery. But a stronger market will not remove the need for commercial discipline.

For Gaurav Gupta, the larger lesson is that equipment strategy should be treated as part of project strategy. In a market where demand is improving but costs remain uncertain, the advantage will go to businesses that make decisions based on utilisation, reliability and total cost, not simply the price on the quotation.