MINING AN IRONCLAD RELATIONSHIP

As water is to life, so is mining to everyday living – impossible to imagine without. The homes and offices we live and work in, the cars, trains and planes we travel by, mobile phones and appliances we depend on, the jewelry we wear, the games we play, the electricity we consume...everything requires minerals that need to be mined. “Iron ore mining is considered one of the greatest achievements of all time,” says Varun Gautam, Managing Director, Anand Mining Corporation. “And iron ore is certainly, the most important mineral of modern times. Forget structures and gadgets; just think of basic nuts, bolts, and screws... can we imagine life without iron?”

Headquartered in Katni in Madhya Pradesh, Anand Mining Corporation is a leading producer of iron ore. The Company operates seven captive mines in nearby areas. Spearheading operations in these mines is a vast fleet of Volvo Equipment. It includes 25 Volvo excavators - thirteen EC300D, six EC210D, and three each EC350DL and EC210B Prime machines - and 16 Wheel Loaders. It is a tough business - to mine and handle material deep in the hinterland, day in day out - but the Volvos are rising to the task, beyond expectations.

Boosting productivity, cutting costs
“We made the switch to Volvo six years ago, purchasing our first EC210B Prime Excavator,” says Varun Gautam. “There’s been no looking back since. Today, our production has shot up from 10,000 mt tons per day to 15,000 mt tons per day - all thanks to Volvo.” Gautam believes the 50% productivity jump his Volvo machines have delivered over the years is stupendous, particularly in a business as demanding as mining. He singles out the crawler excavator for its exceptional digging power and strong undercarriage.

Gautam also draws attention to the remarkable fuel efficiency demonstrated by Volvo machines. “We end up saving a lot on fuel cost,” he says. “That in effect means we get a double boost – productivity boost on our topline and fuel savings boost to our bottom-line. So there you are – best of both worlds!” He adds his Volvo fleet is optimized for maximum uptime by following clearly defined maintenance schedules. This has led to lower breakdown costs, further boosting business revenues and profitability.

Vocal for global and local
While Anand Mining Corporation’s primary reason to associate with Volvo Construction Equipment was the brand’s global reputation and presence, the Company is deeply appreciative of the role Navin Infrasolutions Pvt Ltd, the local Volvo dealer, has played in cementing the association over the years. “It is their unmatched service and support that adds value to our projects,” says Gautam. “Whether it is operator training or maintenance or MIS on machine operations, they have gone out of the way to ensure we get them all on time, every time.”

Anand Mining Corporation is on a major expansion drive. The Company has recently set up two iron beneficiation plants and two more are in the pipeline. New acquisitions are also on the table. The Company plans to acquire larger size construction equipment to further reduce cost per ton of operation – the focus is on improving efficiencies and scale. “But make no mistake, it will be Volvo,” says Gautam. “In fact, you could say, as mining is to daily life, so is Volvo to Anand Mining - impossible to imagine without.” He signs off with a smile.

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