“Soon we will launch new products like Couplings, Adaptors, Valves etc.”
Says Mr. Rajesh C. Bhandari, V.P. – Sales & Marketing, Gates India Ltd.
 
Please give us an outline of your range of products and their utilities.
For hydraulic applications:-
    (a) wire braided hose SAE100 R1/R2/BCS 174
    (b) textile braided hose as per SAE100 R3/R6
    (c) wire spiral hose as per SAE100 R12/R13/R15 & as per EN856 R12/R13/SP/SH
   
For industrial applications:-
    (a) Blacksnake hose for use in petrol/diesel dispensing
    (b) Carbon free (non-conductive) hose for use in induction furnace cable cooling application
    (c) Aviation ground refilling application
    (d) Sandblast application
    (e) Pneumatic/Air-water application
 
Elaborate on your manufacturing operations in India: the location of plants and technology used.
 
We have a hose manufacturing plant in Lalru, Disst- Mohali and assembly unit in Faridabad. We use global technology controlled from United States. 
 
What are the key drivers of your industry?
(a) Off-highway vehicles, which have application in infrastructure projects.
(b) Steel mills and induction furnaces.
(c) Petrol pumps and compressors
(d) Heavy commercial vehicles
(e) After market for the above
 
Training facilities provided to your employees.
Gates provide elaborate training program to its existing as well as new joinees
(a) Training to operator level by internal faculty.
(b) Specialized training by outside faculty.
(c) Technical and application training through design centre at Denver.
 
Do you follow the same standards of quality worldwide? What are the measures taken by you to ensure that your products are of the highest quality?
 
Yes, we take utmost care of our quality standards. Gate produces world class product which looks the same, performs the same and feels the same irrespective of the location it is made. Our design is controlled at United States and we exercise product/process control by change management.
 
What are your recent ventures?
(a) High pressure wire spiral hose
(b) Recently launched couplings in few of the popular terminations for wire braid hose and plan to launch complete global spiral couplings
(c) Shortly launching Adaptors, Quick release couplings and valves.
The above launches are towards providing port to port solution to the customers.   
 
What are your views on competition?
We have all international players in the country like Parker, Eaton and Manuli, with Parker having manufacturing facility in India competes closely with Gates. There are other low cost domestic brands like Polyhose and Sony.
  
Gates India boasts of an impressive list of customers. What are the Marketing Strategies which have led to the success of your organization?
 
(a) Gates designs products to meet specific requirement of OEM’s
(b)We are heavily recommended OEM brand with construction equipment manufacturers like JCB, Tata Motors and Cummins.
(c) We do VE-VA (value engineering and value analysis) exercise with our existing and potential customers.
(d) For after market visibility we do lot of BTL activities like customer meets, seminars, training programs and participation in exhibitions. We also carry out ATL activities like magazine advertising. This gives constant visibility to our brand.
  
How does your company contribute to the growth of industry in India?
Gate produces world class product which looks the same, performs the same and feels the same irrespective of the location it is made. This has set quality and service benchmark in the hydraulic industry. Gates also conducts Safe hydraulic program regularly to provide technical inputs to the customers. Due to Gates global presence, new developments at the customer end can be easily replicated from any other Gates global customers.
 
Outline your plans for the company in the future.
Gates want to extend its market leadership from only hose to hydraulic system. In this endeavor, a series of new product launches are planned like Couplings, Adaptors, Valves etc.
  
Any message for our readers
Our technological leadership and understanding of the application enables us to provide customized solution. We look forward to customer’s providing us with their challenges and we will use our products and knowledge to help them to overcome it.