Text & Photo: Bhargav TS
Automation of industries has become pervasive now. As the campaign ‘Make In India’ rooted its deep, many offshore players are earmarking India as their hub for several arms of their business. Coimbatore-based Janatics India deliberating on automation as India has umpteen man power to carry out the business effectively. Automation in pneumatic industries is a welcoming leap as overseas players are entering the industry through revised clearance initiative from the government. As before, it was not very difficult for the player to enter the market and this has to be seen as an opportunity for the fellow players in India. Indubitably 100% automation could also be realised with overseas players.
“Service and training were the 2 major accentuators which label Janatics as one of the leading players in the market. In the design stage we have to be need driven and in the delivery stage we need to be solution driven,” said G C Venkatesan, Executive Director, Janatics. He further said that the customers are cognizant of their pneumatic needs but when it comes to high end applications like servo, Janatics need to be very much competitive. After sales service market is luring and this is one of our major strengths.
G C Venkatesan, Executive Director, Janatics
Lot of design plans are in place but the product could not be developed unless there is a need from the OEMs. But the customers of Janatics are kept informed on the new product features that are available with them in advance. “We will always be alert for OEM signals and we can supply them according to their request, based on the design requisites. If standard product does not move well we have to look for opportunities.” said Venkatesan.
Overseas players see India as a fascinating market for their products to have an efficient supply base as they need to clinch on Indian suppliers. The import of components could surge their manufacturing costs hence they will bank on local suppliers where Jantics like companies could target for voluminous business. The quality plays a pivotal role but Janatics edges that too as it is already competing the overseas market and the standardisation of the processes with respect to quality is in place. Currently for Janatics, the export contributes only 5-6% as the domestic market for them itself is beguiling.
Though ‘Make In India’ oozes lot of players like a winged termites there are challenges to supply them the parts they look for. “We have though deliberating with overseas entrants, nothing has favoured our pocket so far and the process of supplying sample components and the specifications are in place. The supply strength and tenacity will be tested and also the reliability tests of the products are examined. We will not be the direct suppliers of pneumatic components to OEMs but we will supply for special purpose machines (SPM) manufacturers and in turn the SPM fitted with pneumatic components would be delivered to OEMs,” averred Venkatesan.
There are several shortcomings in pneumatic manufacturing which requires immediate attention said Venkatesan. It is a detrimental fact that college graduates cannot be employed without adequate training in this pneumatic industry though they have been imparted with this curriculum in their learning days. No doubt freshers have to be conferred training on the areas in which they have to focus on but this pneumatic training is consuming high efforts and challenges with regards to this are looming. “It is responsibility for the industries to identify the training needs and Janatics is already in touch with many universities and colleges for the accordance of training and the outcome based driven curriculum is on the go.’Make In India’ heralds Janatics as the prospective player to overseas entrants and unambiguously success stories will be queued up to get addressed.
