Even if the automotive industry has been touching a low in recent times, Pune-based Jagadamba Auto-Components Ltd is all set to double its capacity of making transmission gears and shafts, reports Huned Contractor
In 1996, when Pune-based Ravi Patodia had already established a business of manufacturing head-light and tail-light assemblies for various vehicles over a period of seven years, especially two-wheelers, there knocked an opportunity that gave his fortunes a new fillip. Bajaj Auto Ltd, which was their primary client, approached his company Jagadamba Lamps Ltd to set up a machining facility and venture into the making of transmission gears for their two-wheelers. "We realised then that the demand for these products would only grow in the years to come and therefore took up the challenge," Patodia says. Later, in 2003, the company started making shafts used in four-wheelers and six-wheelers, and renamed Jagadamba Auto-Components Ltd (JAL).
Mr Ravi Patodia
"It was one of our wisest decisions and over the years we have increased our customer base that now includes Eaton, Eicher, Tata Motors, Oerlikon, Fairfield and Swaraj Mazda along of course with Bajaj Auto," Patodia informs. Located at Koregaon Bheema on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, Jagadamba Auto-Components has gained a reputation of being a preferred source of forged and machined components with a turnover of about Rs 2.5 crore (USD 25 million). As manufacturers of over 300 different products for customers across the globe, the portfolio comprises not only the transmission gear assemblies and shafts for all kinds of vehicles but also hydraulic gears for pumps and motors, and sprockets. With a division called Trans-Auto International that is engaged in the same manufacturing process, Patodia is now all set to scale up its capacity in forging and machining from its present capacity of 225 million transmission gears and shafts per annum. "We have a target of three years to double the production figures," he says, notwithstanding the fact that the automotive industry has been going through a repetitive cycle of ups and downs. "No doubt the year 2012 was negative for the automotive component manufacturers but what we have done in the meantime is to spread our customer base and foray into exports, especially to the US and Europe where the quality of our gears and shafts has been found to be on par with their requirements," Patodia states.
On a parallel track is an expansion strategy of concentric diversification and vertical integration to serve new customer groups. "To give you an example, we are now planning to include casing for the gear assembly for which we will set up a different production platform," he explains. There was also a blueprint in place for getting into the sintered components business. Sintered parts are powder metallurgy structural parts made mainly of iron powder. As they can be moulded into precise and complex shapes, they are widely used in products including automobiles, office instruments, and home appliances. "However, for the time being this has been shelved because of certain market forces and for the simple fact that this line of production can pose a threat even while stretching the horizons," Patodia says. Elaborating about the company's infrastructure, Patodia points out JAL has invested over Rs 1.2 crore (USD 12 million) in state-of-the-art plant and machinery that includes such sections as forging, CNC turning, vertical machining
centre, broaching, gear cutting, gear shaving, heat treatment, honing, grinding, shot blasting, and shot peening. "Our workforce, through their experience and knowledge in the field, have been able to provide customers DIN quality 7-8 and JIS grade 5-6 accuracies through the gear shaving process," Patodia adds. As for maintaining a high level of quality,
Patodia informs that JAL is a TS 16949 certified company that provides its customers with process capability studies maintained with SPC systems, CPK, and gauge R&R analysis.
And now with his son Nikunj having joined the company since last year, JAL has charted out a new vision for the future. "We would like to also get into making off-the-shelf transmission products that would call for research and development. The technology in the automotive segment is moving ahead at a brisk pace and we see tremendous potential in offering our clients packaged solutions. As such, we are now open to technology sharing and production with OEMs in India and abroad," he says.
(Mr Ravi Patodia, Jagadamba Auto Components Ltd, Pune. Mobile: 093701-25007. Email: ravi@auto-components.com)