L K Gupta, Proprietor, Shivam Electronics, elaborates how the company has carved a niche in the industrial automation products market as an importer, stockist and distributor with a simple mantra of high quality and prompt support.

Industrial automation is a very competitive field. How did Shivam Electronics break into this business?

We began in a very small way in 1995 after the liberalisation of the economy led to a massive influx of new manufacturing enterprises and there was a need for products in the automation domain not available widely in the country. The idea was to serve the customers with an assured and regular supply of quality components for productivity improvement. So we painstakingly started with identifying global suppliers with high reputation.

What are these companies from whom you source the products, and what are the applications?

We have various tie-ups with reputed manufacturers for import and distribution of their products in the Indian market. This includes well known brands and names like TAIE, Fotek, Optex, Qwinwell, Meanwell, Karlo & Samyoung, among others. We import these products from companies originating in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China. The product range includes: PID controllers and digital temperature controllers/indicators; digital panel meters and digital timers/counters; inductive/capacitive proximity sensors, analog sensors, photo electric sensor, humidity sensors/controllers and digital calibrators; safety light curtains; switch mode power supply (SMPS); solid state relays (SSR); thyristor controls and recorders; AC drives; non-contact temperature indicators/sensors, converters (USB to RS232/422/485/TTL); and mineral insulated (MI) thermocouples, compensating cables, etc.

All these products are used in all manufacturing industries for electronic controls and automation requirements. There are wide applications for these products.

What is the USP of the company, as these are also available with many other suppliers?

That is true, but our USP is that we ensure timely supplies regardless of the order size. All our products are sold or stocked by us in India to give immediate delivery to valued customers. We provide high quality products and prompt support to our customers, which in turn cuts down the time for maintenance of the machines and ensures production schedules are maintained. Today no industry can afford any downtime.

What about the quality aspect of the products and their reliability?

As already stated, we are not a manufacturer but just an importer and distributor. The quality aspect is taken care of by the respective manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. We have done due diligence about the quality of these products which are exported all over the world by the respective manufacturer.

These are global companies with their own R&D set ups and constant innovation process to stay ahead in their respective fields. As such, the customers are assured of high quality and also get the applicable warranties. Product upgrades and updates are regular features.

All our principals have a qualified team of engineers to manufacture the products and before dispatching the products, all are checked under the quality control processes instituted by their managements.

So what is the key differentiator and the reasons for your success?

Our marketing strategies have led us to this success – strategies that include selection of best quality products, low pricing, warranty of products, easy availability and excellent after sale support.

What is the scenario presently in the industry?

We have excellent growth prospects in this field as automation is rapidly gaining ground across industries.

The recent policy initiatives by the government, especially progressive policies for electronics manufacturing industries, is now bearing results and in the coming years, the industry is bound to grow at high rate.

How effective is the distribution network?

We have created a very wide and effective dealer network in all states and major industrial areas to first sell the products and more importantly, offer dedicated support. All our dealers have sales & service engineers who offer prompt service support to the customers.

Our focus is on being in regular touch with customers through print media and social marketing sites; participation in meetings and seminars held by various trade organisations from time to time.