‘India on its way to become next manufacturing plant for the world’

Metrology sector has been witnessing certain ups and downs in the past couple of years, particularly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the sector is doing all it can to revive the market, the major metrology players have also pulled up their sleeves to change the sentiments within the technology users.

Being pioneers in promoting the technology, CNCTimes.com has taken the mantle of helping the sector’s revival.

In an informal conversation with Bhalchandra Chorghade, Editor, CNCTimes.com, the Head-- Business Development & Marketing of Carl Zeiss Metrology (India), Mr. Manoj Sundaram shares his thoughts about the metrology sector and the measures needed to be taken. Following are the excerpts:

Q. How is the metrology sector doing, particularly after the pandemic?

A.  Six months into the pandemic, most of the corporate and MSME sectors adopted new ways of working and moved on quickly towards global cues of Geopolitical considerations and local directions of Make in India. Metrology business has been a benefactor in a positive way. Now, since the restrictions are over or reduced, and especially, we are seeing the investments increasing and the manufacturing sector has picked up its CAPEX for consideration. The PMI has increased and the understanding to be prepared for business as cyclic waves has sunk in. There is a growth after pandemic, a much better improvement over pre-pandemic era.

Q. What are the current challenges being faced by the industry? How is it coping up with the same?

A. Right now, the major challenge the industry is facing is how the changing environment of the market can be sustained and how we can ride the wave? Overall, the challenge we see is not in terms of business but in terms of scalability, capability, global expansion and required skillsets. To support these activities, the biggest challenge is the improvement of the manufacturing quality.  India is having potential to be “Manufacturing plant for the world”. This can be achieved with a three-point approach of Quality, Speed and Consistency. The Quantum jump in these factors come by improving Employee skillset development, Automated processes reducing human involvement and digitialised approach at every level to see patterns (in data) which can be an enabler to any business.  The industry is coping well to these demands and challenges while measures are being on an individual level.

Q. What are your expectations from the industry?

A. We have expectations of growth for the Indian market to create a global impact. Sensing the growth in next decade, we have invested heavily in our competence centres with equipment and skilling our people in new age technologies and measurement solutions around EV, battery, medical plastics, aero foil blades, consumer electronic sector. Furthermore, we have introduced Pay per Use for all high-end measuring technologies making it affordable to startups and MSMEs. We humbly want to submit to Indian industry to make use of our investments and give us more challenges to solve.

Q. What are the current sentiments as regards advancements in the technology?

A. With the Indian industry marching towards international benchmarking in Quality, Speed and Consistency, quality systems are undergoing major upgrades. Indians have always loved understanding technology but have shied away from implementing it at scales which create an impact in the international scene.  It is changing and we see a lot of small companies ordering quality equipment in multiple units and discussing open orders for stagewise growth. Be it any CAPEX project, industry has become more future oriented and these changes are reflecting in the choice of technology people are going for. Metrology field has been no different in serving those expectations.

Q. ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and Make in India campaigns are the talk of the town. What are your views on the same, particularly as regards metrology sector?

A. The answer is in 2 parts. We welcome and are part of this initiative with our CMM manufacturing facility at Bangalore. We are one among the 4 production locations for ZEISS globally and are a strategic alternative for our HQ. We export CMMs from Bangalore to the world markets. We are also internally analysing the implications of this policy in certain   mission critical applications. The long-term impact of technology selection and procurement thereof and its cascading effect on quality and metrology is to be experienced. Hence, our suggestion is that a pragmatic view will be required for this policy in selecting metrology equipment for mission critical applications and manufacturing in defence, space and programs of national importance.

Q. Do you think that Indian manufacturers are capable to match their global counterparts?

A. Today with the correct processes and components India manufactured goods are at par with Global quality. Many global companies have their manufacturing or source critical components from India. We from India make metrology equipment, prescription lenses and are expanding in a multi-fold steps. With superior Quality, Speed & Consistency we are successful and so can any Indian manufacturer be.