A new identity – Niterra India PVT. LTD. has brought in a new spark at the erstwhile NGK Spark Plugs (India). Ashish Bhatia looks at what has changed and what remains unchanged.
The erstwhile NGK Spark Plugs (India) Pvt. Ltd. stood out with its contribution prior to the OEMs transitioning from BSIV to BSVI emission norms. It’s spark plug played an important role in enhancing performance while the oxygen sensors aided in the reduction of exhaust gas emissions, especially in the high-volume two-wheeler segment. The introduction of its oxygen sensors was key to the BSVI compliance enforced from April 01, 2020. Hailed as the first company to launch BSVI-compliant spark plugs, the company’s oxygen sensors were a resounding success with the OEMs. It backed it up with a new range of ‘Glow Plugs’ and ‘Ignition coil’ for the four-wheeler segment too. The precious Metal spark plugs also stood out with longer life cycle. Fast forward to 2023, NGK Spark Plugs (India) has shed its old identity to turn Niterra India PVT. LTD. inspired by the Latin words ‘Niteo’ meaning shine and ‘terra’ meaning ‘earth’. Together, it signifies the company’s commitment to building a sustainable planet.
The change was called upon owing to the brand evolution at the global level. The announcement was well received by the company’s all India distributors, and sales team, and attended by company officials. Averred Managing Director of the company, Mamoru Musasa, “The company has, since its inception, expanded its business, mainly the internal combustion engine-related business such as spark plugs. Meanwhile, as outlined in the ‘2030 Medium-Term Management Plan’, the company, he drew attention to, is focused on diversifying into four new business domains of ‘Environment and Energy’ and ‘Mobility’, ‘Medical’, and ‘Communication’. The aim is to realise the business portfolio transformation. Sudipto Sanyal, Sr. VP SMD, Corporate Affairs, SCM at the company, stated, that while the new name ‘Niterra’ will be the Group company name, the iconic brands – NGK and NTK would continue to be the flag bearers and exist for the company’s respective businesses. The decision, a strategic one, was arrived at only after due consideration and evaluation of the company’s current brand identity and its future growth prospects. “We are aiming to create a new Niterra Group with the vision of Beyond Ceramics. Exceeding imagination,” he mentioned.
Key growth drivers
Niterra India is banking on offering innovative and customer-centric solutions as the key drivers of its growth plans. Sanyal informed us, despite a challenging last financial year, the company managed to meet and exceed its business targets with the help of its valued stakeholders including customers and partners. “We have successfully positioned ourselves as a significant Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) supplier in both the two-wheeler and four-wheeler segments and have also strengthened our aftermarket presence by partnering with over 200 distributors and 400 sub-distributors,” he stated. Building on the momentum gained last fiscal, the company, as per Sanyal, is leveraging the emphasis on emission norms by regulatory bodies and OEMs known to have steadily increased. He added that the company has consistently strived to anticipate future requirements with its product offerings. Today, the spark plug product range is already compliant with BSVI standards, and in future, the product pipeline will further the mission to prioritise carbon emissions reduction in a bid to preserve the environment.
As per Sanyal, the company is part of a society at large. As the society evolves, the company should also change and create products and services as per the evolving needs of the society. The company has already started expanding its product portfolio and added Ignition Coils, Sensor Sockets and Lubricants to its product range. Sanyal added that the company is actively considering a new service business through its newly launched NGK app., which connects the company to its channel partners and customers. ACI
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