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Facility Visit - Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd

Modern Machine Tools - supplement March 2012

New Heights

Aiming
of Excellence

An organisation is defined by the people behind it and at Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd, its employees are always at the forefront vouching for the organisations credibility and quality. The common chord that runs through all verticals right from the top management to the operators at the shop floor is the hunger to learn something new and remain a step ahead in the race. And this is probably the reason why the organisation, which is one of the youngest aerospace companies, is still able to offer the most unique services in India today.

Debarati Basu
growth, the company is treading the path to be the pioneer in the industry to offer high precision aerospace machining. Stepping out of the herd always comes with the challenge of being accepted by the masses. But Indo-MIM (as it is commonly known), has broken the ice by making their work speak. In this short span, the company is already AS9100 Rev B certified for its machining shop and plating facility and has got approvals from leading aerospace companies in the US, UK and India. This young facility has already bagged production orders from leading aerospace companies in the world. Aerospace has come in waves to India. Around a decade ago, there were hints of aerospace in India. If you are too early to the game, you have to wait a long time for the results. And if you are late, you will find yourself amidst heavy competition. It was a question of timing and luck for us. We were at the right place and the right time to enter the market. After gaining competence in Metal Injection Molding (MIM) technology, our Chairman, Krishna Chivukula, and

xactly 15 months ago, the vast expanse of 28,000 sq ft at Doddaballapur, Bengaluru was an empty land with just a plan on the course of action to enter the most thriving sector of Indian machining industry and to build a facility which would offer state-of-art services for the aerospace industry. Today, the expanse is dotted with buildings that house a skilled-team that delivers advanced precision machined components for marquee aerospace customers. With its quick and rapid

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Facility Visit - Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd

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the Board of Directors decided to enter the aerospace industry, said Sridhara Ramachandran, Vice President and General Manager, Aerospace Products Group, Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd.

Shop Floor Excellence

Sridhara Ramachandran, Vice President and General Manager, Aerospace Products Group, Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd. We have an excellent team and a can-do culture. 5 years from now, if anyone thinks of Aerospace in India, they should think of IndoMIM first.

The key factor behind the success of any organisation is the people behind the job and the employees of Indo-MIM define the organisation. This became evident while visiting the shop floor where every employee behind each high precision equipment stood as the proud owner of the knowledge gained through the process. Building the right team is the most important factor. We had a plan in place, but we needed the right people to execute it so we scouted the planet to find the best talents and got them together. Aerospace being an emerging industry in India, finding shop-floor personnel with prior aerospace experience is difficult. But this is an industry where there is a lot to learn, said Ramachandran. Explaining the approach of the company for choosing the right people for the job, Ramachandran adds, We see if the candidate has the right attitude, is curious and has the hunger to learn. We provide intensive training and expose the shop floor personnel to various jobs ranging from simple to complex. We have trainees who spend a year rotating through various departments so that they have exposure to all aspects of a job.

Strategy for Success

Aerospace today is one of the most dynamic sectors in the Indian manufacturing industry. This sector is expected to grow significantly over the next decade. The key driver behind this growth is the $30 billion plus offset obligations for aerospace majors from the West. To play in the aerospace sector requires not just the deep pockets for investment but also a patient investment mindset. At some point you have to break the chicken and egg dilemma. You can delay the decision to invest until the probability of winning an order is significantly

high or invest and prove to the customers that you are committed and serious on executing to a plan. Our company decided to take the risk and make a reasonable investment, Ramachandran. To garner a profound knowledge about the need of the industry, the organisation polled leading aerospace companies to understand what they are looking for and to analyse the areas other Indian companies have usually failed in this industry. We then formulated a strategy to penetrate this industry. We placed an emphasis on people, hired a solid team and then supported them with the right capital equipment. People focus and the strategy to keep the supply chain simple has worked well for us, explains Ramachandran. While building the team was the most crucial decision, buying equipments was no haphazard process. To make optimal investments on equipments and technology, the company did an extensive survey of the major OEMs and their specification of machining requirements. The equipments, thus assembled, are an

impressive set of investments done with a long term and holistic vision to effectively cater to major section of the OEM demands. Such extensive planning helps the company to be ready for every production order instead of starting from the scratch for every new client. This also helps to lower the cost of production, making the business more competitive. Taking feedback from OEMs is also an effective measure adopted by the company to be ready on time.

Vision 2015

Vivek Chivukula, Manager - Business Development, Indo-US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd. We did not want to make the same mistakes that others had made in this sector. We work in a way so that when leading companies walk into our shop floor, they wont feel out of place.

The supply chain in India for the aerospace industry is still in a formative stage. The present supply chain is complex and riddled with uncertainties due to a weak infrastructure in India. Understanding the weak links in the supply chain and working towards eliminating them has been a constant effort of the group. Quality and hundred percent ontime delivery performance is key in the aerospace industry. With just a handful of machine shops involved in aerospace machining, parts hop from one special process facility to another and it goes all over the country before it comes back as the final product. We want to simplify the supply chain process and for that we aim to co-locate everything in one campus and make it a one stop state-of-the-art shop. This would not just save on time but also ensure better quality inspection of products, said Vivek Chivukula, Manager- Business Development, IndoUS MIM Tec Pvt Ltd. The Doddaballapur facility already has precision machining and special process shops. The special process facility offers services including non-destructive testing, heat treatment, a comprehensive list of chemical processing, painting, surface cleaning and part marking under the same roof. Indo-MIM has proved that effective planning, long term vision and a good team to hold on to the reins is all it takes to reach the skies.
debarati.basu@infomedia18.in