The Pune-based Ador Powertron Ltd., a part of the Ador Group, is on a growth trajectory. The company formed in 1986 absorbing the power electronics division hived off by Ador Welding, thrived on two major products namely High Voltage Rectifiers and High Current Rectifiers. HVR and HCR found their applications in electrostatic precipitators used in power plants. Thus the company’s focus became more pronounced in clean air systems. No wonder the company is using the base-line ‘Peace of Mind’ in all its communications defining the benefit it offers to its customers at large. “‘Peace of Mind’ is what you get when you use Ador products, says Somnath Singha, the effervescent Managing Director of Ador Powertron, which has added three more product groups to its portfolio. One is Security Systems comprising CCTVs and UPS. These products are meant for the safety and security of people and buildings alike.
Ador’s foray in to the Traffic Business came as a natural corollary. This again was within the ambit of safety to bring peace of mind and safety on Indian roads. Its Variable Message Signs jetting out on highways caution rash drivers. Under Traffic, Ador has introduced Crash Barriers or Rollers which are placed in accident prone turns. These are designed to withstand multiple pressures and hits. These barriers prevent the vehicles from toppling and save the lives of drivers. Attenuators on trucks or vehicles alert the drivers and help them to be extra cautious. The fourth division of of the company offers products & systems which are strategic and help in intelligent border management. The high range cameras help in electronic surveillance of the border spanning 5 km from the control room, thus obviating manual patrolling. The company also supplies mill grade UPS systems for power back-up. The modular UPS, either solar or normal type, cater to power banks. “We also supply critical power sources for warfare,” states Somnath Singha.
Quantum Leap
The turnover of the company which was hovering at around Rs.40 crores in previous years soared to Rs.90 crores last year. “We are now growing at a rate of 50-60% year on year. And if everything goes well, we must achieve a turnover in the vicinity of Rs.350 crores in the next 5 years,” declares Somnath Singha in quiet optimism.
When asked as to what are the steps being taken to achieve this goal, the MD has this to add: “In terms of infrastructure, we are fully geared. We have two modern plants in Pune. For manufacturing clean air systems, our existing production set-up has enough capacity. Our Traffic Division is just eight months old. For this Division, we are shortly installing the latest production equipment including a Robotic System sourced from Japan, Europe and China. Similarly, for Security Systems, we are getting sophisticated manufacturing tables, test equipment, etc. from Japan, Taiwan and Korea. We shall also go in for additional qualified manpower to work in sync with these systems.
Ador Powertron has a workforce of 135 people as of now – a seasoned and dedicated lot who are trained to excel in everything they do. The veterans work shoulder to shoulder with the new generation people who are found to be a bit impatient for everything,” says Singha. “Since we are in high tech manufacturing and in the niche market, 90% of our people are engaged in product development and manufacturing. The remaining 10% is looking after sales & service. The industry norm is in the ratio of 60:40.”
Growth Strategies
As part of the growth strategy, Ador Powertron is embarking on new technologies, increasing product-lines, using Internet of Things (IoT) to make systems talk to each other, and QR codes are embedded to help talk to the system to ascertain the specifications and history of service or maintenance requirement.
Ador’s clean air products are going to power plants, state electricity boards and direct customers like L & T, NTPC, Alstom, etc. Clean air is a steady and established business for the company with a market share of 63%. Ador Security products are going partly to the Government and partly to direct customers like L&T, Wipro, HFCL, Sterlite, etc.
The company’s Traffic products are mainly B2B. L&T and Mahindra & Mahindra are some of the major customers. Ador Powertron is said to be the only manufacturer in India having all the relevant international certifications including UL, CE, ROHS, EN, etc. The Defence products are of course exclusively B2G.
The company is also exporting its clean air products to some 74 countries across the globe.
“Today we are in a unique position where others are benchmarking us for quality and reliability,” reveals Singha. The company is very strong in understanding the customer requirements and in subsequence product development, manufacturing, quality assurance and operational efficiency. It is also strong in value engineering. The company considers people as its major asset.
The company is quite upbeat about its new product lines namely Security, Traffic and Defence which are hitched to growth driven markets. The smart cities and infrastructure development programs initiated by the Government are expected to give a new fillip to the company’s business.
“The business dynamics and environments are changing fast. We have to adjust ourselves to these changing scenarios and also keep pace with the emerging trends in technologies. Like in the country, in an organization too leadership is everything. Thought process should be on. Human assets should be managed well. People have to be mentored and transformed in to champions. We must indulge more in engaging customers by giving the right solutions, we have to develop a strong vendor base and supply chain, and finally we have to keep all stakeholders happy,” remarks the managing director.
– P.K. Balasubbramaniian