Oerlikon’s Drive Systems Segment India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Oerlikon Group with its Oerlikon Graziano and Oerlikon Fairfield product brands, is banking on its next generation technology in order to double the turnover to Rs. 2,000 crores. The Indian arm of the Swiss-based company has already established itself as a leading global provider of complete drive systems, synchronisers, high-precision gearing solutions, transmission components, clutches and shifting solutions for agricultural, construction, railway, on & off highway and automotive industries. Currently, nearly half of its business is derived from the domestic market, with the balance coming from overseas sales in the US, the UK, Mexico, Europe, Turkey, Italy, Brazil, Russia, China, etc.
Commenting on its business outlook, Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Executive Director, Drive Systems India, told MOTORINDIA: “We work very closely with our customers and are one of the biggest players with the innovative driveline technology. We have to keep on innovating in order to maintain our market leadership and keep on discussing with our clients on how to improve vehicle’s efficiency, adapting to new engine emission norms, etc. We offer international quality products at Indian costs, which gives us an edge over others. We are on par or even much better than European and the US quality products.”
It may be recalled that Oerlikon’s Drive Systems Segment has been present in India since 1999, with its production facilities in Greater Noida, Belgaum and Gujarat.
Quizzed about the next generation technology that Oerlikon has at its arsenal, Mr. Aggarwal stated: “We were the first company to bring the synchronizer technology in India for tractors, which was later extended to commercial vehicles and construction equipment. We were the first to bring the ‘Gleason Face Hobbing’ technology for bevel gears in 2008-09. Furthermore, we were also the first to bring the ‘Electron Beam Welding’ technology, which, in a powershift mode, optimizes the transmission weight and reduces the cost of transmission. We also have the technology wherewithal for electric transmission for zero emission vehicles. Whenever the India market is ready, we can bring these transmissions to India for electric vehicles.”
Asked to shed some light on its accomplishments in the CV space, Mr. Aggarwal said: “We have worked on new synchronizers to ensure that the comfort and shift parameters (of a vehicle) are good. Ultimately, it results in improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. We have designed the products in such a way that driver comfort is there complemented by the fact that the transmission and engine synchronization is optimum which results in higher fuel efficiency. We started with single cone synchronizers, then moved to double cone synchronizers with different grades of material like bronze, molly low and molly high coating, ground molly, carbon rings.”
Even though the company didn’t reveal its clientele, Oerlikon is believed to be supplying its products to marquee OEMs like CNH, John Deere, TAFE, M&M, Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Escorts, JCB and Club Car. Plans are afoot to strike alliances with many new domestic and global vehicle makers.
Mr. Aggarwal added: “All the leading OEMs (in the non-PV segment) are our customers. CVs is the highest growth markets in India, and we are in touch with everyone in both the bus and truck segments. We are working on some modules and sub-assemblies for OEMs. Within the CV segment, I foresee HCV growth to be much faster than medium and light commercial vehicles because of the new highways being constructed in the country. Once that happens, the LCV segment growth will also be equally fast.”