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 ARB bearings, a major player in the automotive and industrial bearings space, has launched two new products. One is the AP3 Grease, which is outsourced and marketed by the company, and the other is a UJ Cross for application in tractors and commercial vehicles. The company has also commissioned a new plant at Kundli in Himachal Pradesh, according to Vinod Goel, director (marketing) at ARB Bearings. Established in 1990 with the manufacture of taper roller bearings, the company in 1996 installed imported machinery and testing equipment to further the cause of becoming a manufacturer of high quality bearings.
 Launching advanced automotive bearings late last year as part of its stress on grabbing a bigger pie of the automotive bearings market, the company has lately been doing a lot of work to further improve the quality of the products. “Demand for quality is going up and customer expectations are high,” says Vinod Goel. Adding that the new plant at Kundli was started after shifting the Badli plant, he explains that ARB Bearings is adding new technology, new testing equipment, new machines and a new facility.
 Declining to elaborate further, Goel draws attention towards the company having earned the TS certification. “We got TS certification last month. This will position us better to target OEMs, and we are aggressively pursuing it,” he says. Having a fair presence in the OE segment with supplies going to tractor and combine makers in north India, the company is eyeing the international OE markets. Winning ISO 9002 certification in addition to the commencement of the manufacture of spherical and cylindrical roller bearings in 1997, the company expanded its business to reach out to the export markets of Sri Lanka and USA in the year 1998. Exporting to the Middle East markets from 1996, the year 1998 also saw the company getting into the production of ball bearings at a new unit at Badli. This would help the company to cater to the growing client base in north India. Producer and suppliers of diverse bearings, of different types and different sizes including customised ones, ARB Bearings currently has a product range of over 100. According to Vinod Goel, many of these are exported to more than 32 countries. Taking over Delhi-based NYK Bearing Co in 2000 with a capacity of 6-million bearings per annum, the company's export volume jumped from 6-million to 12-million in the year 2004.
 The company is today equipped with the latest design and modelling tools like Auto Cad, 3D modelling, stress analysis, 3D problem solving, reverse engineering, design review/verification, design lab, standards room, etc. Catering to the customised bearing market, the company strives for continuous quality improvements through training programmes, in-house workshops and by implementing international standards of manufacturing. Manufacturing bearings for various applications like automobiles, diesel engines, steel plants and rolling mills, cement and thermal plants, paper mills, electric motors and pumps and homes appliances like fans, mixers, etc., among the client base of ARB Bearings are public sector companies like various state transport undertakings and the ministry of defence. While the TS certification will boost the image of the company and present it the much needed strength to penetrate the OE markets, competition is fierce. Quips Goel, “Competition to ARB Bearings comes from different quarters – from companies that specialise in different bearing types – some in bearings for the steel industry, some in the automotive industry and so on.” With a sourcing office at Rajkot, which is acknowledged as a strong bearings and engineering goods manufacturing hub in India, the company has an in-house forging and manufacturing facility, giving it a competitive advantage.
In discussion with CV makers for supply of bearings, ARB Bearings is also looking at OE export markets. Concludes Goel, “Competition is growing and we are finding news ways to beat it. We are also focusing on brand awareness.”
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