PL Muthusekkar, Managing Director, Nord Drivesystems Pvt Ltd, points out that Nord has managed to clock in an impressive growth in India and globally despite the odds.

How was the experience at Excon 2019 like? What products did you showcase?
The experience at Excon 2019 was quite fulfilling. We showcased numerous products at the fair. A good deal of our products finds immense use in crushers, material handling conveyors. We also displayed the large industrial gearboxes which going forward we plan to assemble in India itself. Then there were some star products like Bevel Helical Gear Boxes which is used in material handling, lift applications, man-material lift applications as also for crushers and conveyors kind of applications.

We have also displayed a decentralised drive,motors, gearbox and variable frequency drives all put together in one which is used for indoor and outdoor applications. Basically, for baggage handling like Airport baggage handling, both inside or outside, as well as for conveyors and which is equal to servo application is a very expensive solution. But instead of Servo we can go for this decentralised drive.

What kind of new technological innovations can we see in the above mentioned products?
Almost all our gearboxes and gear motors are industry 4.0 ready. So that means it can communicate from one machine to another machine, one motor to another motor. Let’s say a baggage is stuck in the airport baggage handling system owing to which there is an additional load on the conveyor. There are 15 to 20 motors in the conveyor line and they figure out the exact location and provide an additional torque to push it out. So, these are all intelligent drives.

What is the scope of customisation in Nord’s products?
The scope of customisation is limited. We don’t engage in complete customisation. Customisation is constrained to areas like mounting, specific shop dimensions, fitment issues or some special ratios. But in general, we try to promote a standard on off the shelf products. A lot of R&D has gone into designing the existing products in our product portfolio. Moreover, it has been proven to work efficiently over numerous decades. Nord is a 55-year-old company, so, we would like to sell the products which are proven rather than reinventing the wheel.

What is Nord’s USP vis a vis competition in the market?
To begin with the product has a Unicase design that is designed as a single piece housing that means the entire gearbox has only one piece. So, machining can be done in a single setting bore multiplism, parallelism, everything is done in a single setting. This synergy ensures that the produce, irrespective of the volume involved is identical in shape and size. Even the largest gearbox we offer has a Unicase design, considering no one else offers the same, it is an exclusive offering from Nord

As far as our products are concerned, we believe in fit it and forget it. Having said that the second USP I would like to mention in terms of attitude is the response by our team; whether it is post sales or pre sales, the response is timely and affirms a proper resolution.

How optimistic are you about Nord in the current market scenario?
Even in the current scenario, Nord India is growing at about 10 per cent and achieving double digit growth. This speaks a lot about our position in the market. Under demanding circumstances, we have continued to deliver in terms of price and the support desired. Even globally Nord is growing, clocking in a growth of 7 per cent in the current year (2019). This speaks volumes about Nord as a group and its status in India.

Could you shed some light on your export plans?
(Amit Deokule, General Manager – Sales at Nord): All the exports are handled through our channel partners globally. From our Indian subsidiary, we handle exports for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

What products are you planning to launch in the upcoming year and also in the medium term?
The upcoming year, we will be launching products which are IoT enabled and industry 4.0 ready. Products which will play a major role in preemptive maintenance. We have already launched products in this range, and this year we will be adding more to it. We will also be launching some specialised industrial gearboxes offering high thermal capacity etc. Most of our launches will happen in Hanover, Germany.

How do you see the sector progressing in 2020?
It might take at least a quarter or even more for the sectors to revive. In 2019, the budget offered sops and benefits to the industry. In the coming year I hope the 2020 budget shifts the focus on addressing the challenges faced by the economy and the industry including GST rationalisation. I think the banks too need to be open for business in terms of financing.

All things considered, even after the precise regulations are in place, it might take at least another three to four months to see its effect on the ground.

Nord is a 55-year-old company, so, we would like to sell the products which are much proven rather than reinventing the wheel.
PL Muthusekkar, Managing Director, Nord Drivesystems Pvt Ltd

Nord handles exports of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. We do all exports forming the answer for that market and this is handled through our channel partners globally.
Amit Deokule, General Manager – Sales at Nord Drivesystems Pvt Ltd