The unprecedented growth of the Indian automotive industry resulted in the advent of numerous garage equipment suppliers across the length and breadth of the country. While some outfits tested waters with low-cost equipment, the others opted for sourcing world-class globally acclaimed products. However, there are very few players who went the extra mile by offering quality aftersales services and tailor-made solutions.
In order to bridge the gap, Emerging Auto Solutions & Technik (East Auto) was formed as a one-stop solution to cater to the needs of automotive workshops which were growing all over. The company was floated by Mr. Rishikesh Sahay, an industry veteran with a wealth of experience in the field of automobile workshops & bodyshop automation. Prior to this, he was helming the operations of a leading garage equipment supplier company based in north India.
In order to gain a further insight, we caught up with Mr. Sahay, who stated: “After being in the garage equipment industry for nearly two decades, I was deliberating on running a company that would understand the absolute requirements of customers and would offer complete solution, i.e. ‘Consulting’, ‘Training & ‘Equipments’. With reliable equipment & modern repair methods, I came up with EAST AUTO which would help its customers ensure better quality repair, increased productivity and optimum safety, thus offering them a whole new experience of customer satisfaction and delight. So, rather than delivering products, we are giving a suite of solutions under one roof for the automotive workshops. I have a dedicated team for aftersales support who are highly skilled to operate and service the products sold by us.”
Within the first year of its operation, East Auto will be clocking Rs. 50-60 million in its annual turnover and is looking to treble it to Rs. 200 million by FY 2015-16. The company’s target group comprises dealer workshops, multi-brand workshops and private workshops. In the initial phase, East Auto will be serving the passenger vehicle industry, followed by the commercial vehicle industry in the subsequent phase. As it intends to deliver on time, it is already running a 2,500 sq. ft. dedicated warehouse at Ghaziapur, Delhi. The product delivery period varies from four to six weeks depending on the product availability and the size of the order.
“In order to ensure that our products are optimum utilized in the workshops, we provide on-job training to operators / technicians and also educate them on maintenance of the machine. We are also coming up with a training facility in Kolkata by Q1 2015-16, where we will conduct regular training programmes for body and paints validated by the OEMs in India”, he added.
Mr. Sahay, in his maiden interaction with the media on behalf of East Auto, said: “Apart from being a holistic player in the garage equipment space, I envisaged a firm which is based and more focused on East India. Today, everybody claims they are a pan-India company. But there is a marked difference to the requirements of customers in different regions. For instance, a customer based in Guwhati will be different from a customer in Chandigarh. I have myself been into this automotive aftermarket industry for more than 17 years and have represented many world leading brands in India like Blowtherm, Beissbarth, Car-O-Liner, Celette, Deutronic, Festool, GYS, IRT, Ravaglioli, Rotary Lifts, Space, Saima and Trisk. So, the idea of entrepreneurship was driven more by passion. I realised that there is something beyond selling equipment.”
It has to be mentioned here that East Auto is providing a complete set of workshop equipment, from mechanical tools, wheel service, diagnostic to body & paint shop equipment. Referring to its key product lines, Mr. Sahay stated: “My core competence lies in body and paint shop area which I have specialised in for more than 17 years. We have collaborated with many good companies like Car-O-Liner, GYS, IRT, Snap-On Furthermore; we are also offering indigenised paint booths which are in tune with European quality standards. It’s a green concept with low fuel consumption and lower power consumption. The response has been fantastic. We are holding discussions with other companies too as I am looking for specific aluminium repairs. We are also talking to existing collaborators to locally make their products in the future.”
Since the release in 1973 of Car-O-Liner’s very first alignment bench and mechanical measuring system, the company continues to pursue excellence in collision repair equipment. Its product range covers complete collision repair systems, measuring and diagnostic systems, vehicle data, alignment bench systems, anchoring and holding systems, welding and induction heating systems & workshop organization/inventory control systems.
GYS is a French family-owned manufacturing group that engineers, designs and offers complete welding & cutting solution and battery service equipments for automotive and industrial segments.
Referring to the emerging opportunities in the CV market, Mr. Sahay said: “The market is truly evolving and that is the future for us. With new players like AMW, Bharat Benz, Mahindra, MAN, Scania, Volvo, etc., coming in we do expect some enhanced business opportunities in this space. Whatever product range that I have, all these equipment manufacturers are already rolling out products globally for the CV space. In that way, it will be a logical progression for us. So after establishing a foothold in the passenger car space, we will definite diversify into the CV space. We already have welding & cutting equipment, wheel balancers, tyre servicing equipment, lifting equipment in limited numbers now. The products are sold against confirmed bookings. If there is a surge in demand, we are ready to cater to them even in the near term.”
Talking about its future course, Mr. Sahay affirmed: “We intend to cater to most of the automobile workshops with an array of state-of-the-art tools & equipment and to offer them modern equipment & process for enhanced safety, improved productivity and increased profitability. We would also like to develop correct understanding of present & future requirements of the industry and offer them comprehensive solutions which are contemporary in technology and yet give value-for-money. Above all, we would definitely like to enhance the skill level of technical workforce in the area of body & paint repairs. We aim to deliver results through innovative technology and better service, backed by years of experience and are here to tackle complex challenges by providing effective and unique solutions.”