Gibraltar, a 100 per cent indigenous manufacturer of air springs for commercial vehicles, is slowly but steadily making inroads in a segment which has traditionally been dominated by global technology and heavyweights from developed markets. The company won a breakthrough order from a global suspension manufacturer in India in 2014 and plans to build on the success with aggressive market expansion this year. Mr. Arpan Basu, Director – Marketing & Product Development, Gibraltar Airsprings Pvt. Ltd., outlines his company plans and voices his views on the industry.
Excerpts:
Business in 2014
2014 has been a very important year for Gibraltar. We received our first order from a global suspension manufacturer during the year. We have substantially increased production at our Howrah plant which is now ISO 9001-2008 (for manufacturing and designing), ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified by DNV-GL as well.
Major plans for 2015
2015 will also be a crucial year for us. We are planning to launch different types of convoluted air springs for trucks and trailers for the replacement market as well as the Indian OEM segment. We are planning for a formal ‘global launch’ in order to reach out to the global replacement and OEM markets. Our plant is gearing up to double the production capacity in 2015.
Expectations from CV industry in 2015
Being a 100 per cent Indian manufacturer of air springs, we are looking forward to receiving a big boost under the Government’s ‘Make in India’ programme.
Industry policies & developments expected in 2015
• A substantial hike in import duty is required for products like air springs or air bellows which are now successfully made in India for commercial vehicles and railways.
• Real support is required from nationalized banks like SBI to SMEs for the automobile sector. Though there are a number of policies and schemes in place to support SMEs, their implementation is not to the desired extent.
• Indian OEMs should try out the products manufactured by Indian SMEs like us and help boost industrial growth.
Medium- to long-term outlook
If 50 per cent of the present government plans are executed, there will be substantial growth in the next 3-5 years. The industry will be led by SMEs, and so will the economy in general.