Dear viewers, I am with the CEO of KTM Techno Solutions, Mr. Makwana, to understand and learn from his experiences in our industry. Mr. Makwana started his own company in 2015 and within a span of three years evolved as a big manufacturer of CNC machine tools.
For the benefit of our readers, please tell us about your journey and how you started your career in this company?
I have a twenty year – experience in the machine tools industry and established KTM in 2015 with the aim to develop a manufacturing line in machine tools. Manufacturing commenced in June 2016 and within two years we were manufacturing everything from smaller turning to larger turning and VMC machines. I feel a sense of pride in telling you that we were able to compete against the top 10 manufacturers in this sector. We manufactured models which even they couldn’t develop; for instance, in C frame VMC Machine we have developed Technology X-2100 / Y-900 / Z-900 which has not been developed by any of the top machine tool manufacturers in India. We were able to develop this technology at a competitive cost as well.
Please tell us how you started this company?
As I said, we started this company in 2015 in a very small office space, say 8 by 10 ft. Within six months this space expanded to 1500 square feet and after one year we were operating from a 15000 square feet space. In the coming month, we plan to extend it to 35000 square feet. All the way we had only one goal, which is to build the best quality machines and offer it at the most competitive price to our customers. And now our machines are being installed all across the country, be it Bombay, Pune, Aurangabad, Faridabad, Delhi, Kerala, Bangalore or Punjab!
Congratulations! But there are a several machine tool manufacturers in India. So what is the uniqueness of your company and how are you beating the competition?
Our uniqueness is in the difference in designs and models of our products. It is completely different from the turning and VMC machine models manufactured by the top 10 manufacturers in India. We are offering higher quality in terms of specification and stroke wise at a competitive price. Because of this, we are winning in a competitive market.
Let me give you an example. Like I said earlier, the 2.1 meter C frame VMC machine is not available with the top manufacturers in India. It is developed by us and we are selling it for 60 lakh rupees. If any customer demands the same specification in the double column machine the offer can easily be around Rupees 1.2 crores. So that is one of our distinctive features. We give importance to the customer’s needs and provide them the best specifications at the most competitive price.
What are the challenges you are facing currently?
The constant challenge we face is to understand the need of the customers better than others. And this is always a work in progress.
What about challenges like running the company or obtaining a bank loan?
We have not faced any such issues. Like I said earlier, our journey started from a small office room to 35000 sq. ft. space with plans to expand our company to 30000 square metres within 4 years. This is my growth vision.
Very ambitious plans, I should say?
Yes, we are working towards that vision.
Any new machinery you are planning to develop?
Yes. In every exhibition, we try to introduce something different. So far we have participated in five exhibitions and the next one is scheduled in November. Here we plan to display two turning and one VMC machines. In February we have plans for the exhibition in Punjab. Our objective is to bring out something new in every exhibition, like in automation, or in 2 – spindle or 3 – spindle. The urge is to introduce new technology.
All the products in our basket, the machines we manufacture are doing well in the market. Our biggest achievement is that every product and models we have manufactured have been commissioned successfully in the market.
How do you market your products across the country while you are situated in Rajkot, quite in the interior of Gujarat?
We have done a lot of research and study on how to supply our machines all over India. We have created a team of dedicated machine tool specialists who can handle everything from installation, commissioning and approval of the product, besides just sales and service, in and outside Gujarat. I have mentioned earlier the places I have been supplying. The channel partners we have created have been handpicked with care. Our team consists of people possessing 30 to 40 years of experience in machine tools. So this is our asset and advantage.
What else are the needs in your industry? What plans do you have for the long term?
The requirement for Industrial machine tools is increasing. Our target is to get into the OEM automobile industry within two years, in companies like Maruti and Mahindra. So our target is to place our machines in these industries. Then after one year, let us see, we have plans to supply our products to the government service sectors. You can say our motto is best quality, best models, at competitive prices.
Do you have any policy expectations from the government?
Yes. As we are all working in the MSME segment, we expect the government to support us with good technology and infrastructure. So, all that is currently manufactured in five years could be done accomplished in three years. All this work in progress; let’s see when we get there.
Have you benefited from GST?
100%. Before GST they were too many complications like C form, accounting hassles, innumerable forms like 402,403, etc. After GST, all these have been simplified and I think it will get better.
Do you have anything to say to our readers?
The E-magazine Machine Enthusiast what you have brought it , is very much useful to the end users and the machine manufacturers’ . This will benefit everyone because people have to know what the progress is we have made in manufacturing and you are covering all aspects.
