TR Badarinarayan is president of the newly formed Potain India. He was previously chief executive of Shirke Construction Equipments, which was acquired by The Manitowoc Company. The new business operates under the name Potain India.

Shirke was a Potain dealer for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan and also manufactured cranes under licence. Potain India will continue to build Potain tower cranes and sell them throughout the region.

Badarinarayan joined Shirke in 1988 and served in a variety of roles before being promoted to chief executive officer. During his 19-year association with Manitowoc Crane Group and the Potain brand, he attended numerous training and orientation courses at company facilities in China, France, Germany and Italy. He also regularly represented the company at trade shows, conferences and other industry events.

Manitowoc Crane Group president Eric Etchart says continuity of quality will be crucial to the company's future success. "The success of Potain India relies on maintaining the strong relationship Shirke has developed with the market.

"We are delighted that Badarinarayan will be heading up our efforts. He is one of the most experienced and well-respected figures in the Indian crane market and the ideal leader to move us forward. Developing our infrastructure in India and retaining a highly qualified team of people shows customers our commitment to the region."