Setting new benchmarks with top-notch product quality
Over the last year, we have covered a lot on how the Indian truck application space has gotten far more organized than how it used to be some years ago and how some new entrants have scripted success stories with a completely different approach to building tippers, tip-trailers and related products. We now bring you the story of yet another razor-sharp focused firm VAZRON Industries that has recently entered the truck application sector, hell-belt on changing the way the sector operates and adamant to bring in a corporate approach to the trade. Mr. Abhishek Jain, Director, VAZRON Industries Pvt. Ltd., gives us the details in this exclusive interview.
Excerpts:
When did VAZRON come into existence, what does the brand name signify and what is the purpose and vision of the company?
VAZRON Industries Pvt. Ltd. is a part of the Narmada Group of Industries operating in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand with decades of experience in steel manufacturing and food processing. VAZRON was established in 2016 as a part of the group’s diversification plan to cater to the ever-increasing demand for all types of commercial vehicles like tip-trailers, tippers and various types of trailers, etc.
VAZRON derives its name from two words – Vajra (which means strong as a rock) and Drone (one of the latest electronic gadgets that flies in a controlled way); our brand name symbolizes that our products are rock solid and come with the latest in technology.
The main purpose of starting VAZRON was to cater to the strong demand for good quality tip-trailers in Chhattisgarh. From our discussions with fleet owners and customers in the mining and mineral transportation sector, we felt the need for a manufacturer who could do business in a corporate way and deliver better products than existing manufacturers.
Our main aim is to provide high-quality and cost-effective tipper & tip-trailer solutions with a clear focus on achieving client satisfaction and on-time delivery and execution. We want to set the benchmark in our field by implementing superior innovative technology, offering competent tipper & tip-trailer engineering and providing excellent customer service.
Please list out the range of products you currently offer in the market. Apart from your standard products, do you also offer customized solutions based on customer request?
Our main products include tip trailers, tippers, flat bed trailers, semi low bed trailers, box trailers, car carriers, rock body tippers, curtain trailers, skeletal trailers and customized bodies. Our first prototype was ready by September 2017 and we started our sales from January 2018 soon after receiving the certification from ICAT.
In addition to our regular products, we keep constantly innovating and are excited at any opportunity to develop tailor-made solutions for our customers. There was a customer who wanted a heavy-duty semi-low bed with hydraulic ramp for transporting construction machinery weighing nearly 80-ton; we delivered one as per the specs. There have been few more such special requirements we have fulfilled using our engineering strength and technical know-how and customers have been really happy with the results.
We have recently started supplying load bodies too, in a corporate way. Fleet customers usually wait nearly a month to get the load bodies after placing order. We deliver the bodies within five days of receiving the order as a result of which customers can save on a month’s EMI which translates to significant savings. Added to it, they are able to save a lot more thanks to the additional payload our products offer.
How strong are you on the manufacturing side? What kind of machines is your plant equipped with and how do you ensure your products are of the best possible quality?
We manufacture our products at our plant at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. The facility has a total covered area of 80,000 sq. ft. and more than 2,00,000 sq. ft. of open space, with a capacity of producing 150 units per month.
The plant was designed and erected by our own team; we had visited some of the best facilities across India and also in Europe and came back with several learnings and best practices that have been incorporated in our facility.
In terms of manufacturing infrastructure, we have some of the best equipment in the country in our sector – EOT crane with capacity to lift a single piece of 40 mt, CNC cutting machine from KOIKE of Japan, plasma cutting machine from Hypertherm of USA, blast room of 75 sq. m. capacity, paint booth and lastly, a sheet bending machine of 9 m length – one of the very few in India and one of our biggest USPs since it enables us to deliver jointless trailers which significantly enhance the product quality. We have also come up with our own jigs & fixtures for many of our operations to ensure uncompromised quality and strength in each and every product that rolls out of our plant.
We have an in-house team of qualified design engineers for tipper & trailer design analysis, structure analysis, project management and strict quality control of finished products. We have also brought on-board a number of senior executives with valuable industry experience who help us run the business in a corporate way.
Thanks to the above setup, we are absolutely fine in giving delivery commitment to our customers and usually end up delivering the products before time.
What are your products’ USPs that make them superior to competitors’?
We have done a detailed study of the commercial vehicle industry in India and compared it with developed markets like Europe. We have visited the best CV trade fairs including the IAA in Hanover, Germany, and found those markets to be far more advanced and way ahead of ours.
Globally, the focus for truck applications is to reduce the unladen weight so that customers can carry more payload. Leveraging our market understanding and sound technical know-how, we are able to offer customers end-to-end solutions with the lowest unladen weight for better utilization of their vehicles. We consider this as one of our biggest USPs against our competitors.
Another major difference in our products is that we use only branded components such as brakes from WABCO, hydraulics from Hyva and proven brands for axles & suspensions. Thanks to our expertise in steel manufacturing, we know exactly what type of steel will deliver the best results in our products. We use automobile grade high tensile strength steel of strength 460 mpa and 550 mpa which optimizes the trailer weight, making them nearly 500-600 kg lighter. This gives our customers higher payload carrying capacity which directly translates to better earnings.
How important do you think regulations are to bring about a change in terms of adherence to safety and improving the overall efficiency in the truck application space?
Regulation is very important because without it anyone can build products at any length, with any dimensions; there will be no guidelines which does not help organized players like us. Our regulatory authorities should study mature markets and see if some forward-looking concepts can be introduced here. For instance, the concept of road trains (a prime mover with two trailers attached one behind the other) does not exist in India; it can be a highly beneficial one for customers and drivers and can improve the efficiency of the trailer market, especially in routes where the road infrastructure is well developed.
How many VAZRON products are currently operating in the market? Which are the regions you are currently present in and how do you plan to further expand your reach?
We have over 800 units of VAZRON tip-trailers and tippers successfully operating in the market at present. We have catered to some very big fleet owners including some who have taken over 100 vehicles from us; we also work with medium- to small-sized fleets and help them graduate to the next level with our superior products.
In terms of geographical reach, we are today present in Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, MP and UP. Our vision is to be present in all four zones of the country within the next five years. At present, we are exploring the possibility of putting up an assembly unit in UP; our next target will be to enter either South or West.
What was your turnover for FY19? What more can we expect from VAZRON in the medium- to long-term future?
We clocked a turnover of around Rs. 70 crores for FY19 which was our first full year of sales. We have identified some interesting products for which we see good scope in India – floor sweepers, hook-lifts, side loaders, etc. We are exploring the possibility of entering these product lines and are mulling the idea of developing prototypes to create awareness in the market.
VAZRON is a relatively new player in the segment; the most important thing is we are learning and improving every day; despite being quite young in the market, we are also setting new benchmarks for others in the industry.
We are confident of our success because apart from selling products and providing solutions, an important aspect of our game-plan includes educating customers to go for branded products and not fall into the trap of unorganized players to save few thousands up front and end up losing money in the long-run. We believe it is possible and are encouraged with the kind of response we have received from the market; we hope to build on our initial success and make it big in the long-term future.