Tata Projects enters bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2026 at a moment when the construction equipment conversation is moving well beyond the machine itself. For a company executing increasingly complex infrastructure and industrial projects, the question is no longer simply how much equipment is available, but how intelligently that equipment can be deployed, monitored and redeployed.
That shift puts fleet management, asset utilisation, predictive maintenance and digital intelligence much closer to the centre of project execution. Tata Projects is bringing this perspective to an exhibition where equipment manufacturers, technology companies and project owners increasingly meet around questions of productivity, connectivity and lifecycle value. Its own experience points towards a more integrated relationship between machines, data, people and project schedules.
At the heart of this approach is a move from asset visibility towards what the company describes as asset intelligence. The company is also exploring how AI, digital twins, connected platforms and alternative equipment strategies can extract more value from assets already within its ecosystem. This makes the perspective of its Fleet & Resources leadership particularly relevant as bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2026 opens its doors.
Yogesh Srivastava, Vice President, Driving P&L, Asset Management & AI-Enabled Transformation, Tata Projects, discusses in an interview with this writer how his company is approaching equipment deployment, digital transformation, sustainability and OEM partnerships in an increasingly demanding project environment. In the following conversation, he explains why the future of construction equipment management may depend as much on intelligence and adaptability as on the machine itself.
As Tata Projects executes its robust order book, managing asset utilization is critical to smooth execution. From a Fleet & Resources standpoint, how are your latest asset-tracking technologies and predictive maintenance frameworks helping to maximize equipment uptime and bring greater predictability to complex project timelines?
At Tata Projects, our approach to Fleet & Resources is guided by four core values: Safety & Integrity First, Accountability, Collaboration & Inclusion, and Value Consciousness. These values shape every decision we make, from equipment deployment and technology adoption to sustainability initiatives and stakeholder partnerships. Our objective is not only to deliver projects efficiently, but to do so safely, ethically, collaboratively, and with optimum value creation for our customers and society.
At Tata Projects, we see fleet management as a strategic lever for delivering predictable project outcomes rather than simply managing equipment availability. As projects become larger, more complex, and geographically distributed, success depends on our ability to anticipate demand, optimize resources across the portfolio, and make timely decisions based on reliable data.
Our focus is therefore on evolving from asset visibility to asset intelligence. Instead of looking at equipment requirements in isolation, we are creating an interconnected ecosystem where project demand, equipment availability, utilization patterns, and maintenance requirements can be viewed and managed collectively. This allows us to improve productivity while ensuring that resources are deployed where they create the highest value.
A good example is our AI-enabled Alternate Equipment Dashboard, which evaluates project requirements against the capabilities available within our existing asset base. The initiative has already analysed 47 categories of hired equipment and mapped them against 204 owned asset groups, creating a foundation for intelligent demand-to-asset matching across projects. This allows teams to explore redeployment opportunities before seeking external resources, improving asset utilization while supporting faster decision-making.
Looking ahead, the next phase is to make fleet management increasingly predictive. By combining operational data, utilization patterns, and project demand forecasts, we aim to strengthen equipment readiness, improve uptime, and build greater predictability into project execution from the earliest stages of planning.
TPL maintains a highly balanced portfolio across massive public transit systems and rapid, specialized private developments. How does your approach to fleet logistics and equipment deployment adapt when shifting between these distinct types of mega-infrastructure?
Our asset strategy is built on a simple principle: the right solution is not determined by the asset itself, but by the outcome the project needs to achieve.
Public infrastructure projects often involve large-scale, long-duration execution with significant emphasis on reliability, standardization, and sustained productivity. Private industrial developments, on the other hand, frequently demand accelerated timelines, flexibility, and rapid adaptation to evolving project requirements. While the project environments differ, our responsibility remains the same: aligning resources to deliver safe, predictable, and efficient execution.
To achieve this, we evaluate every requirement through a lifecycle lens, considering whether the optimum solution is to own, redeploy, refurbish, lease, or source externally. This allows us to maintain agility while ensuring responsible utilization of assets across the enterprise.
A recent example was at the Agratas project, where our team assessed the suitability of an owned screed paver for an application that would traditionally have used a hired slipform paver. The decision was driven by engineering requirements and operational suitability rather than conventional equipment preferences. Such interventions demonstrate how application-based thinking can unlock greater value from existing assets while maintaining project outcomes.
As infrastructure projects become more diverse, we believe the future lies in creating adaptable asset ecosystems capable of serving multiple project types, rather than maintaining isolated fleets for specific sectors or applications.
The industry is keenly watching TPL’s digital transformation. Could you share a practical example of how these “Construction Twin” concepts translate into real-world efficiency for heavy machinery on active project sites?
Digitalization is often discussed in terms of technology platforms, but for us its true value lies in improving execution on the ground. Technologies such as BIM, digital twins, AI, and connected asset platforms help create a common source of truth that links planning, resources, and site operations.
In construction, one of the biggest opportunities lies in improving the interaction between people, equipment, materials, and workflow. When these elements operate with real-time visibility, decision-making improves significantly and execution becomes more predictable.
One example is our pilot on smart material movement solutions, where automation, connected systems, and operational analytics were used to optimize the movement and distribution of materials on site. The results demonstrated more than 50 per cent faster material distribution, over two-fold improvement in productivity, and a reduction in manual effort equivalent to approximately 2.5 workers for the specific application. Beyond productivity gains, the initiative also helped reduce repetitive physical activity and improve overall operational safety.
What makes these initiatives particularly important is that they demonstrate how digital technologies can solve practical construction challenges. The future of construction will not be defined by individual technologies alone, but by how effectively data, equipment, and workflows are integrated to create safer, smarter, and more productive project environments.
With the Tata Group involved in next-generation industrial ecosystems, how is your department proactively preparing and scaling its heavy machinery fleet to meet the requirements of these complex projects?
As project complexity increases, equipment availability can no longer be treated as a mobilisation activity. It must become part of project strategy from the earliest stages of planning.
Our approach is centred on creating enterprise-wide visibility of future demand and matching that demand against available capabilities across the organization. We increasingly look beyond individual project boundaries and evaluate resources from a portfolio perspective. This allows us to improve utilization, enhance flexibility, and strengthen execution readiness for large-scale programs.
For example, during our planning exercises we have identified opportunities to strategically redeploy specialized assets such as piling rigs across projects where they can effectively substitute external requirements. In another instance, an underutilized transformer available at a project location was evaluated as a viable alternative to mobilizing additional equipment. These examples reflect a broader shift in thinking.
The question is no longer, “How do we procure a new asset?” Instead, it is, “Where does the capability already exist, and how can it be deployed most effectively?” That mindset becomes increasingly important as infrastructure programs grow in size, scale, and complexity.
Going forward, our focus is on building a responsive and agile resource ecosystem capable of supporting multiple mega-projects simultaneously while maintaining the levels of predictability and execution excellence our clients expect.
Given TPL’s sustainability goals, what alternative energy technologies or operational efficiencies are you exploring to reduce emissions from heavy fleet operations?
We view decarbonization as a resource productivity challenge as much as an environmental one. The more effectively we utilize, extend, and optimize assets and resources, the lower the environmental footprint of our operations becomes. Sustainability therefore needs to be embedded into everyday operational decisions rather than treated as a standalone initiative.
One of our most impactful focus areas has been asset and material life extension. Through refurbishment and reuse programs involving polymer sheets, cup-lock systems, formwork materials, and other construction support assets, we are extending useful life while reducing the demand for new resources. Collectively, these initiatives contribute to an estimated reduction of approximately 13,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually. Depending on the intervention, carbon reduction benefits have ranged from around 30 percent to more than 90 percent.
We are also exploring cleaner energy pathways. These include wider adoption of biodiesel for construction equipment and DG sets, solar-based solutions for site energy requirements, and waste-to-energy applications. At Noida International Airport, for instance, a biodigester pilot is converting organic waste into approximately 25 cubic metres of biogas per day, demonstrating how circular resource approaches can create both environmental and operational value.
Our long-term objective is to ensure that sustainability, productivity, and cost efficiency reinforce one another, creating solutions that are not only environmentally responsible but also operationally scalable.
As you engage with OEMs at bauma CONEXPO India, what factors are most important to Tata Projects when building long-term equipment partnerships?
The relationship between equipment owners and OEMs is undergoing a significant transformation. Historically, the focus was on equipment acquisition. Today, the conversation is increasingly about technology, performance, lifecycle value, and innovation.
At Tata Projects, we look for partners who can help us enhance productivity, improve safety, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen asset intelligence. As construction projects become more sophisticated, equipment must evolve from being standalone machines to becoming connected platforms capable of generating operational insights and supporting data-driven decision-making.
A good example is our growing focus on multipurpose equipment platforms. With the right attachments, a single excavator can perform multiple applications across project environments, improving flexibility and unlocking higher levels of utilization throughout the asset lifecycle. Such solutions create value far beyond the initial purchase decision.
When evaluating OEM partnerships, we increasingly focus on areas such as digital integration, predictive maintenance capabilities, energy efficiency, operator support, lifecycle optimization, and adaptability across applications. The most successful partnerships of the future will be those where OEMs act as innovation collaborators, helping develop solutions tailored to the realities of modern infrastructure delivery.
How is your team helping bridge the technology gap and ensuring subcontractors align with TPL’s data-driven fleet vision?
The benefits of technology can only be fully realized when they extend beyond the organization and into the wider project ecosystem. Large infrastructure projects are delivered through collaboration, and therefore the adoption of digital practices must include subcontractors, operators, service partners, and OEMs.
Our approach is to create transparency, simplify adoption, and integrate stakeholders into common operating frameworks. This includes structured engagement on equipment planning, maintenance practices, safety standards, utilization monitoring, and digital reporting tools. By creating a shared view of equipment requirements and performance expectations, all stakeholders can make more informed decisions and respond more effectively to changing project needs.
A key outcome of this collaborative approach has been improved equipment readiness and operational reliability. In certain operating environments, we have achieved equipment availability levels of up to 99 per cent, demonstrating what is possible when planning, maintenance, and execution teams work from a common data-driven framework.
As the industry continues its digital transformation journey, technology adoption will increasingly be determined by ecosystem readiness rather than individual organizational capability. Our objective is therefore to build an environment where technology, people, and processes work together seamlessly, enabling safer, more productive, and more predictable project delivery across the entire value chain.
