The domestic market leader in needle roller bearings and cylindrical roller bearings and in a range of special products such as crankpins, cages for the 4-stroke engine application and other related motorcycle products, NRB Bearings is creating value through innovative design and high end technology. “Today over 90 per cent of vehicles on Indian roads have NRB bearings providing friction solutions directly or through ancillary suppliers,” beamed Ms. Harshbeena Sahney Zaveri, Vice Chairman & Managing Director. “In fact we are world number two in the field in terms of sheer volume of supply to the motorcycle industry globally.”
NRB has 6-8 per cent global market share in the high-end car transmission and a significant market share in the CV segment. It virtually supplies bearings for the entire range of tractors in India and some multinationals. This makes NRB the largest product range provider in the Indian Industry. “We have primarily 5,500 customised solutions, and this year we attempted to provide a unique light-weight bearing solution. We created a new drawn cup solution to replace a conventional solid, heavier cylindrical bearing for the balancer shaft application. This breakthrough design led to a substantial weight reduction in the engine. Our advanced technology R&D centre has been the key facilitator in the development of this innovative, breakthrough technology,” averred Ms. Zaveri.
The ability to use disruptive technologies to make product at optimized cost has helped NRB Bearings carve a niche for itself in the industry.
2020 and beyond
NRB Bearings is looking at emerging business segments as well as geographies for exponential growth. “Just like our exponential growth in the 2000s was driven by 4-stroke engines, we are looking at exponential growth by entering railways, off-highway marine, defence, construction, while at the same time foraying newer geographies like Japan and Korea to serve customers globally,” disclosed Ms. Zaveri.
Clearly by 2020 NRB Bearings wants to be present in every mobility application at the global level on similar lines as in the Indian market. The company has a plant in Thailand to specifically understand the region and focus on quick deliveries. It also has a company in Germany, and it is also actively looking at investments in Mexico and many other geographies with a special focus on Europe.
She explained: “We are focused on doing things strategically and as well as we can, one at a time, and don’t do create multiple priorities at a time. We don’t chase growth at the cost of quality of products or sell in the replacement market at deep discounts when the market is down. Our organization has clarity on long-term goals and building value and our brand. We believe in having a significant presence in the areas that we decide to concentrate on. We want to be seen as an active friction solutions provider partners globally and want OEM customers to look at us as one who understands their technology needs and can help them create sustainable and high performance vehicles.”
Make in India for NRB is making technological breakthrough and creating conceptual innovation. “Our differentiator is the ability to create value through innovative design, leveraging technology to optimize cost and performance,” concluded Ms. Zaveri.