When one talks about garage equipment in India, there is one name which strikes the mind in a flash – Madhus. Madhus Garage Equipments Pvt. Ltd., established in 1987, has grown into a company of its kind over the last quarter of a century. Founded by Mr. B.M. Ravi, with the complete backing of his parents and two brothers, along with his wife, Mrs. Meera Ravi, and his friend, Mr. Anthony, Madhus has today become a reputed name in the field of garage equipment not only in India but also across many other parts of the globe.
In April this year, Madhus held its Silver Jubilee celebrations following its successful completion of 25 golden years in the industry. The event saw representatives from its principal companies come together, while the entire workforce of Madhus was present alongwith other well-wishers. We take a look at the Madhus journey that kick-started in 1987.
In fact, it was in 1983 that Mrs. Meera Ravi joined her husband in performing wheel alignment manually. Mr. Ravi, with the kind of vision he had, was not satisfied with manual operation and was keen on computerizing his tyre shop. In 1984, the outlet got its first computerized wheel alignment machine, a first in the country as well.
At the same time, Mr. Ravi was vigorously looking to step up the technology level with new additions, and that was when Hofmann, a global garage equipment brand, was looking at potential distributors in the Indian market. Mr. Ravi seized the opportunity to become an authorized distributor for Hofmann products in India. This was when Madhus Garage Equipments was born, in 1987.
However, bagging the distributorship did not happen overnight. Mr. Ravi had his set of challenges. Since there was neither an authorized distributor nor proper service back-up for Hofmann products in India then, Mr. Dankert of Hofmann invited Mr. Ravi to a four-week training at his company facility in Germany to get a better understanding of the products. After successfully completing a quick hands-on test given by his first mentor and teacher, Mr. Dieter Muth, Mr. Ravi, a B.Com graduate, managed to win the confidence of the Hofmann team. The fact that he accepted to service the equipment, apart from selling them, made Mr. Ravi the unanimous choice for the distributorship. With this, Madhus became the first Indian company to import garage equipment in a systematic way, while also providing after-sales support to customers. In December 1987, in the presence of Mr. Dankert, Madhus Enterprises (Hofmann Division) was officially incorporated.
Says Mrs. Meera Ravi: “Then (in 1987) started the continuous tour programs of Ravi, the never-ending phone calls at odd hours from customers across the country, endless bargaining on the prices…on the landline. We didn’t have mobiles then!”
It was hard work indeed for the initial team of three – Ravi, his wife as well as his friend Anthony who took care of servicing the equipment like a real expert.
In 1988, the company got its first orders from Mr. Loonchand, Siremull Hirachand, Chennai, Mr. Ravi Shankar, Laxmi Enterprises, Bangalore, and Mr. Shashi Nayar, Prabat Tyres, Pune, while Sangoi Tyres, Pune, was also among the first few customers. Madhus has maintained an excellent track record when it comes to customer satisfaction. This has been driven by Mr. Ravi’s sincere efforts in looking after the customer requirements and delivering unmatched quality when it comes to aftersales service. The Madhus customer base has rapidly expanded over the years, and today the company has opened offices at numerous locations across India.
Mr. Ravi pays due credit to Hofmann for his company’s success, especially when it comes to service and availability of spare parts. He says: “Hoffman taught me two important things – service and availability of spare parts. When we started with Hoffman, the company sent me a big invoice for spare parts, without which we could not start selling. Thus I learnt the importance of having spare parts even before starting with sales. Madhus has consistently invested in spare parts, and that has been one of our main strengths.”
Another important focus area for Madhus has been training. The company currently has its own training centre at its headquarters in Bangalore, and has a technically-strong service team of over 75 people, one of the largest in the country. Madhus has also consistently expanded its sales team, most of whom prefer staying with the company for long term, which is a reflection of the positive work atmosphere at Madhus.
The company has been part of many trade events in India and abroad, and has bagged many laurels from its principal companies at the Asia-Pacific level as well. “Winning awards at the global level has always been one of my dreams, and Madhus being adjudged one of the best garage equipment suppliers in Asia Pacific is a proud moment for us all. The awards are testimony to our consistent efforts in improving quality and constant focus on customer satisfaction. I thank my entire team and our customers for their support.”
Looking back, Madhus started its operations in a 100 sq. ft. cabin with just three people. Today it owns a premises of 5,000 sq.ft. with a team of over 175 members. The company currently works with some of the biggest global names in the field of garage equipment and continues to deliver its best to its customers, while keeping its principal companies happy with better-than-expected results in the Indian market. As Madhus begins its next journey, towards its Golden Jubilee, we wish the company the very best to scale new heights that would enable it to have its due place on the global map in the years ahead.
“Winning awards at the global level has always been one of my dreams, and Madhus being adjudged as one of the best garage equipment suppliers in Asia Pacific is a proud moment for us all. The awards are testimonial to our consistent efforts in improving quality and constant focus on customer satisfaction. I thank my entire team and our customers for their support” – Mr. B.M. Ravi
“The 25 years have been memorable for us. It is with the support of all our customers that we have reached this milestone today. We started with a small team but today we have a strength of over 175 people, with sales and service centres located in many cities, covering even the urban villages in the country. We thank everyone who has supported us throughout our journey.”
– Mr. Narasimhan, Director, Madhus
“I wish all the members of the Madhus family all the very best for the future. We have come this far and I am sure with your continued dedication and hard work we can take Madhus to greater heights. And hopefully one day we will meet for the Golden Jubilee anniversary of Madhus Garage Equipments.”
– Mrs. Meera Ravi
Ravaglioli Garage Equipment
Associated with Madhus since: More than 15 years.
Products offered in the Indian market: Two and four post lifts, scissors lifts, truck lifts, test lanes, tyre changers and balancers for car and truck.
Experience in the Indian market so far: Fast growing market, with the majority of customers looking for entry level products but a growing number looking for the best products available at the International level, in order to work better and faster, and offer perfect service to customers. Through Madhus we target this clientele.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: Through the opening of Madhus’ new offices in Delhi, we count on a fast development in north India and also on new approvals from the major vehicle makers. Also, the good reputation of RAV products, Madhus’ unmatched aftersales service, and thousands of machines working perfectly in the field, we are confident of growing sales arising out of customer satisfaction.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: At the base of our relationship with Madhus and in particular with the owner, Mr. Ravi, we appreciate the honest and clear talking, constructive partnership, being open to innovation, and the common full engagement to serve better and cover better each day the Indian market.
Hunter Engineering Company
Associated with Madhus since: 2000
Products offered in the Indian market: Primarily tyre changers, wheel balancers, wheel aligners for both passenger cars and heavy duty trucks. They are offered in both conventional and 3D variations.
Experience in the Indian market so far: Our experience in the Indian market has been very exciting. In a short span of time, we have seen the Indian landscape change from being very conservative to innovative and willing to accept and try new technology. This has given us an opportunity to test our latest innovations in the market with much success.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: Our growth in the past few years has been quite phenomenal and is in tandem with the growth forecasted by the Indian government. We expect this to continue, driven by the strong economy and our continuous launch of new and innovative models in the market. The next two years will be exciting for Hunter as we further consolidate our market position as the leading supplier of wheel service equipment.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: Our experience with Madhus has been a great one. Madhus has played a key role in not only developing the Indian market for Hunter but at the same time it has changed the landscape of the wheel service equipment market in India. The company has set high standards in both sales and marketing and also in training the market on the importance of using leading technology and precision when carrying out balancing and wheel alignment operations. Today, we accept Madhus as our Platinum AAA distributor.
Car-O-Liner
Associated with Madhus since: 2004
Products offered in the Indian market:
o Collision Repair System – MARK6, QUICK42, BENCHRACK, SPEED
o 3D Electronic Measuring Systems – CAR-O-TRONIC VISION
o Spot Welding – CTR12000, CTR7, CR500
o Mig Welding – CMI3000, CM220, CM193
Experience in the Indian market so far: Car-O-Liner has been in the Indian market since 1999. More than 500 OEM workshops spread across India are using Car-O-Liner equipment which is officially approved and endorsed by all major car manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Maruti, Hyundai and Ford, among many others. Car-O-Liner has been the largest supplier of body repair and collision repair equipment in India for the last decade and is proud to retain the leadership position till date.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: To bring the latest technology on automotive body repair to India and help improve the quality of repairs for car owners and help car manufacturers improve their CSI.
– Launching fully automatic spot welder CTR12000.
– Launching quick repair systems – Quick42 and Speed platform.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: Our partnership with Madhus has resulted in great value creation for the automotive body repair industry in India. It has not only brought the latest technology to India for improving productivity of workshops but has also delighted the car owners with better quality and safety of repairs done on their vehicles. This value creation has created considerable wealth for Car-O-Liner as well as Madhus and we wish to plough it back into our service activities for our customers in India.
Telwin
Associated with Madhus since: 2008
Products offered in the Indian market: We are offering complete solutions for welding and cutting materials, from inverter spot welders to Mig welders, including dent pulling, plasma cutting and the latest and very interesting induction heating. We also have battery charging and starting area where we provide a complete assortment for the battery care specialists.
Experience in the Indian market so far: The Indian market has been very demanding since the beginning, looking for approved equipment. We have collected, thanks to the good cooperation with Madhus, lot of information about the market, in order to develop features in our products which would suit Indian customers. In the past few years we have experienced a steady rise in demand especially for Mig Welders and Plasma cutters, and since last year this growth has been expanding to all segments.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: We have very ambitious targets for years 2013 to 2015, thanks to the introduction to specific technologies like the ‘Smart Autoset’ which allows the spot welders to identify automatically the thickness and the material to be welded, eliminating the possibility of operator mistakes. We also expect substantial growth through many innovative products like the Smart Inductor and the Battery Chargers.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: The experience has been positive and I have to recognize that Madhus is a company unique in Asia and can aim for competence and will to be the best distributor in the western world, ‘bridging the gap’ as stated in the company’s motto.
Besides this I also say that we appreciate their cooperation, particularly in being straight-forward. We hope to strengthen this link in the future and achieve new targets together.
CAPELEC
Associated with Madhus since: 2010
Products offered in the Indian market: Gas analyzers, smokemeters and headlight testers.
Experience in the Indian market so far: We have been working in the Indian market since 2004, offering OEM solutions – gas bench, smoke head and RPM counter – to Indian equipment manufacturers.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: Developing a strong cooperation with Madhus so that Capelec becomes a recognized supplier of anti-pollution and headlight testing solutions in India.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: Capelec considers Madhus as the best supplier of equipment and hi-tech solutions in India. Not only has Madhus developed a strong sales network all over India but furthermore they have clearly understood that service is the key point to ensure customers’ loyalty to the brand. Madhus’ service organization is unique in India. Last but not least, Mr. Ravi is a person who has a vision and the capacity to anticipate oncoming changes.
“I was working for Hofmann Werkstatt – Technik for about 40 years. I have been associated with Madhus Enterprises from day one when Mr. Ravi started his technical training in Germany. The training went on for nearly four to five weeks.
When I first visited him in Bangalore he had only few employees in his tyre workshop. Mr. Ravi was taking care of the sales and technical service of the equipment – balancing machines, tyre changers, engine analyzer and hoist. Madhus Enterprises did grow very fast and was in a short time one of our best customers. Every time when I visited Mr. Ravi, he had hired more employees to take care of customer service. I guess he would still remember what I told him about service: ‘You sell very good products but your service must be better than the product and must be done in quick time’.”
– Mr. Dieter Muth (in blue coat), Mr. Ravi’s first mentor and teacher in garage equipment technology
TEXA
Associated with Madhus since: 2011
Products offered in the Indian market: Thanks to Madhus’ cooperation, we have promoted and offered to the Indian market our air-conditioning service stations, the Konfort.
Experience in the Indian market so far: We have experienced two successful years so far in the Indian market, promoting our A/C units, and also establishing a base for the expansion of our product range. In fact, the core business for TEXA is Automotive Diagnostic Equipment for cars, trucks, two wheelers, agricultural and construction vehicles, and marine engines.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: TEXA’s target is to expand even more the cooperation with Madhus, offering to the market our Multi-brand Diagnostic Equipment, in order to be a major player in the Indian diagnostic market.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: We could not hope for a better partner in this great adventure. Madhus Garage Equipment is a company that completely reflects our own core values: major attention to the aftersales service, highest quality offered to the market, continuous search for development. The Indian market is currently one of the fastest developing and most important worldwide. We have great targets together with Madhus, based on a very positive business relation with them.
JOSAM
Associated with Madhus since: 2012
Products offered in the Indian market: Straightening equipment and accessories for trucks, cabs, light duty trucks, buses and other industrial equipment that require straightening.
Targets in India for the next two to three years: Currently Madhus is doing a fantastic job in engaging OEMs to introduce the straightening equipment product range to vehicle manufacturers to invest in productivity, efficiency and safe work practices while dealing with heavy duty vehicles in the area of production and body repairs.
Experience of partnering with Madhus: Madhus is a professionally passionate company in the products they represent, high in customers’ engagement, strong dedicated sales team with the consistent desire to learn and excel.