JVR Forging on Growth Spree

"We are in the process of associating with many Indian and foreign customers who are looking for quality manufacturing units (we being TS 16949:2000 certified unit from UL Inc, USA) and on the other hand we are constantly upgrading our plants and machineries to meet the customers' demands. The Government support is essential in industry friendly policies, lower excise duties, transparent systems and quicker implementation of decisions of policy matters. We intend to tap the ever-growing earthmoving, transportation, highway engineering equipment market with supply of forged, casting, machined and fabricated assemblies. We plan to grow organically at 60% per annum for next three years, "says Mr. Jagdeep Singal, Managing Director, JVR Forgings Limited in his interview with SKK.

What is JVR's take on the current infrastructure development in the country and the role forging industry can play in promoting these developments?
Infrastructure is the buzzword and getting the serious attention from all spheres. JVR’s product range comprises a wide range of machined components besides forgings hence when we discuss about JVR, the engineering industry as a whole, which has been witnessing a rapid transformation. Today, the world is moving towards India for sourcing of consistent quality oriented high-tech engineering components. We too are setting up a high-tech plant in Ludhiana (Magma Mettcast Limited) for precision auto castings and related products.

How do you see the future prospects and problems of the Forging Industry in India, the support the industry looks to Government to put forging sector on fast track along with other developments?
The forging industry in India has been grappling with many problems viz forging quality steel, increasing competition within India and with China, low profitability, lack of captive resources in India viz nickel etc. At the same time the top 10- 12 forging companies have been doing very good, as their sales and profits are on increasing trends. So keeping a positive frame of mind, on one hand, we are in the process of associating with many Indian and foreign customers who are looking for quality manufacturing units (we being TS 16949:2000 certified unit from UL Inc, USA) and on the other hand we are constantly upgrading our plant and machinery to meet the customers’ demands. The Govt support is essential in industry friendly policies, lower excise duties, transparent systems and quicker implementation of decisions of policy matters.

How JVR proposes to integrate its activities into the present focus on infrastructure development and its recent initiatives to take advantage of the booming conditions?
In expansion plan, we are targeting to provide full range of structural items which will be helpful in Reducing the erection time for high-rise buildings. Further in we are targeting for heavy fabrication for construction equipment.

What are JVR's various manufacturing and fabrication facilities, their locations and its product range? How vital are these products to ensure quality construction work and at the same time ensure safety at construction sites?
We have the high definition plasma cutting, automatic welding machines and latest testing equipment (NDT) to ensure the safety of the product supplied. We have several welding machines of reputed make. The teams of trained and experienced engineers are equipped to deliver quality products. JVR has two manufacturing plants; one at Ludhiana and another one in Kandla SEZ. In these plants, we are manufacturing Scaffoldings and Auto components besides supplies to Railways and Defense.

Managing costs is increasingly becoming a challenging task for the organizations to sustain it in the present competitive business environments. How JVR proposes to deal the situation in view of increasing input costs and at the same time to ensure cost effectiveness of its product range and have an edge over others in the industry?
Increasing costs are indeed one of the major problems particularly when there is complete instability of prices. Many a times, we have to supply long term orders on losses due to sudden surge in prices. Most of the measures that we can undertake to make ourselves cost effective, have already been taken or are under the process. If we are compared with the plants of our size and capacities, we can certainly prove to be among the most cost effective ones and at the same time the best quality producers consistently. What is out of our hand is to control the raw materials prices, which do not show any sign of calming down even in future.

JVR is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company. What are various Quality Control systems placed at its end to ensure the standardization and testing from the word go to finish?
JVR Forgings Ltd has imbibed and institutionalized the TQM practices at all level. Through strict practice of PDCA, SDCA Cycle, Kaizen Culture and Quality Circle we have been able to delegate the organization’s vision from receipt to dispatch.

With world class testing facilities like Spectrometer, CMM, computerized UTM, Eddy Sorter machine, MPI, Spectra scope, profile projector, image analyser, in house calibration room and standard operating procedure, we ensure that our products are consistent and meet all the customer requirements.

Is there any expansion plan for the future? What are company’s targets for the future and its possible market share in the next two-three years?
Yes, we intend to tap the ever-growing earth– moving, transportation, highway engineering equipment market with supply of forged, casting, machined and fabricated assemblies.

We are expanding in decorative and fittings through stainless steel, aluminium die casting route. For all these, we have our plans to meet requirements pertaining to high-rise constructions with Impeccable safety.

We plan to grow organically at 60% per annum for next three years. We have massive expansion plan and grow our market share substantially.