In an exclusive interview with Rajesh Rajgor at IAA 2022, Sanjeev Taparia, Senior VP (Sales and Marketing), National Engineering Industries, opines that both the domestic and foreign markets continue to seem solid and thinks that the output will improve going forward
Overview of Products and Presence at the show
As a long-standing participant of IAA, NBC (a brand of National Engineering Industries Limited) has made a name for itself in the commercial vehicle industry as well as in the American and European markets. We have been very dominant in this market and this is the ideal platform for us to showcase our products and discuss the most recent technology we are introducing for the transportation sector. Currently, we have been concentrating on wheel hubs and are attempting to introduce new products.
We are also bringing in new bearings for e-axles and e-transmissions for electric automobiles. We have expanded the range of standard bearings in our product line to include high-speed, low-noise options that are appropriate for electric vehicles. In this particular event, this is the key area on which we are concentrating.
Expectations from Exports
As you are aware, the market has been significantly impacted by both the pandemic and the current geopolitical scenario due to the Russia-Ukraine war. You will be surprised to hear that even if we talk about Europe’s energy issue and hearing about recessions, the commercial vehicle market is still doing well. Certainly, there are some supply chain problems that make it difficult for the original equipment manufacturers to meet their production targets, but the demand itself is quite strong.
Also, the customers we have spoken to over the past three to four days have very healthy pipelines. On the demand side there is hardly any concern. However, chip shortages and the lack of some materials may pose some worries. Nevertheless, OEMs are working to resolve these difficulties as quickly as feasible. Overall, I would say that the commercial vehicle market is currently holding steady. We don’t expect the demand to decline any time soon and therefore we expect a solid order flow.
Enhancements in Product Line
The majority of our products are of the highest quality, and we constantly strive to extend the life of the bearings. We also create products that require limited maintenance over lifespan, which means they must be extremely durable and made of only the highest quality components. We have been serving the European market for a while now and I am happy to report that so far our record is 0 PPM (no defects in 1 million parts). Additionally, our clients are satisfied with the performance of our products, and we collaborate constantly with them to improve the heat treatment, the products’ durability and the addition of certain components such as grease and seals that last longer so that our customers can enjoy a performance that requires zero maintenance.
Update on Indian Market Biz
The Indian market has experienced some difficult times over the past two to three years, but as I speak, things are looking up. If I focus on this month specifically, production has almost reached the pre-pandemic levels. We were present at the ACMA and SIAM conference, which was held in Delhi, and the projections are quite optimistic. In the upcoming months, we anticipate that the commercial vehicle market will see solid growth. The Indian market continues to appear healthy, and we hope that moving forward the output will get better.