FIEM, a four-decade-old company, is one of the leading manufacturers of automotive lighting, signalling equipment and rear view
mirrors. Catering to the needs of almost all segments of the automobile industry and to most of the OEM customers in India, the company has scripted a trail-blazing path in its field with far-sighted vision, innovation and sheer dynamism. Today Fiem is a formidable name in the automotive lighting industry. We talk to Mr. S. Narayanan, Head – Commercial & International Operations, to exact detailed information on the latest developments and future plans of FIEM.
With a view to staying close to its customers, FIEM has set up eight state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the country, four in the North and four in the South. It has two units in Sonepat (Haryana), one unit each in Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh) and Rajasthan and three units in Hosur (Tamil Nadu), besides one unit in Mysore (Karnataka).
FIEM has been a regular supplier to all major automotive OEMs in the country, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, TVS, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Mahindra 2-wheelers, Scooters India, Piaggio, etc., while it also exports its products to Japan, the UK, Indonesia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Sir Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and other European countries. The company’s continuous focus on R&D and its commitment to deliver the best-in-class quality and service to its customers drive it towards product innovation that would satisfy the growing requirements of the modern day automobile manufacturers.
Says Mr. Narayanan: “Ever since the liberalization of the country’s auto industry, there has been a growing list of multinational companies which have brought the new products and technology to the Indian market. As a result, there is constant demand for Indian companies to develop and deliver better quality products within very short development times in order to compete with global competitors.”
Thanks to its customers’ trust and confidence in the FIEM brand, the company made a turnover of Rs. 600 crores in FY13 and, through continuous expansion and innovation, has set a target of Rs. 1,000 crores by the end of FY15.
Diversification
FIEM’s R&D Centre has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology with several international design engineers developing more than 40 new projects for both domestic and overseas customers.
The company has also gone in for diversification in two more additional segments, whereby in one segment it has started manufacturing LED luminaires for indoor and outdoor applications. The second segment is for LED display and signage panel for railways and buses. The diversification programme has been taken up in order to have sustainable growth in the challenging market situation, besides making use of the capacities and infrastructure to the fullest extent.
In the automotive sector the product range covers head lamps, tail lamps, rear combination lamps, front combination lamps, side-
indicator lamps, licence plate lamps, work lamps, fog lamps, projector lamps, side marker lamps, centre high mount stop lamps, roof lamps, beacon lamps, reversing lamps, warning triangle, reflex reflector, rear view mirror assy., etc. Further it also manufactures complete rear fender assembly, frame assemly, mudguards and various plastic parts and sheet metal components.
The company continues solidifying its position in auto component business by judiciously seizing the strategic growth opportunities and expanding the product portfolio under the diversification plan for manufacturing LED luminaires such as recess panels, down lights, spot lights, LED bulbs & LED tubelights, bay lights, flood lights, solar-based lantern and street lights, etc.
The company is also manufacturing its own LED drivers to ensure long life of the luminaires irrespective of the power fluctuations. LED is the future of the lighting industry, and globally LED lighting has been widely accepted in place of incandescent and CFL because of the advantages such as huge energy saving, long reliable life, low maintenance cost, eco-friendliness, minimal carbon footprint, etc.
“We are sure that the LED technology will be the next big phase of growth, and therefore we are continuously developing a range of new and innovative products. We see the LED technology as an important growth area for us in the coming years”, adds Mr. Narayanan.