Industrial Products Finders speaks to Gary Weston, Sales & Marketing Director, Werner Electric India, to investigate the close working relationship between a proud global German manufacturer and an Indian company bearing the same name. Excerpts…

Werner Electric has a century year old history. How old is the company’s Indian association?

Established in 1910 Werner Electric GmbH is the world’s most experienced and respected electrical components manufacturer and supplier to every industrial, processing and manufacturing country across the world.

The Werner Electric brand is also the most highly respected electrical components brand in the world offering the largest catalogue in the world of over 40,000 electrical component products across 40 industrial categories from switches, pushbuttons and indicators – to relays and sockets, contactors, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, sensors and power supplies – to LED light bars, light curtains, logic controllers, mosaic systems and wireless remote controllers.

Today Werner Electric products are synonymous with quality engineering, innovative design and unparalleled continuous reliability in the world’s most demanding and hostile industrial environments.

With year-on-year interest from companies, consultants and distributors, Werner Electric products were then imported into India from Germany. Extended import delays together with the associated costs of an imported premium product proved inhibiting for market penetration so development of market share in India then was very slow. The demand for Werner Electric products was there but availability was then difficult.

In 2011 Werner Electric India Pvt Ltd was registered as a fully autonomous subsidiary, managed and staffed by Indians. Since company inception just four years ago, Werner Electric India is today experiencing year-on-year growth and expansion across India with head office based in Mysore and factories, sales offices and distributor network across the country.

Werner has a broad product portfolio of electric and automation products. Are all these available to Indian industry?

Werner Electric products continue to be designed, developed and manufactured in Germany – then imported as base units and assembled, tested, stocked and supplied in India.

Werner Electric India was formed to import the base components from Germany and then assemble each component here at our factories specifically to Indian industrial standards and customer specification.

Every electrical component is available in India direct from the Werner Electric India catalogue of over 40,000 products over 40 industrial categories. These include: switches, indicators, sensors, logic control boards, relays, sockets, terminal blocks, circuit breakers, contactors, PCBs, power supplies, LED light bars, light curtains, mosaic mimic boards, wireless remote switch controllers.

Werner Electric India does not supply any other products than Werner Electric components.

This is a very competitive India market so what strategy does the company follows in India. What are the key Werner Electric USPs?

Every industrial market across the world today is a very competitive market. Our relatively late arrival into the India industrial market makes this more competitive for us with the influx of cheap components and established market share from the Far East, SE Asia and USA.

However recent changes in the economy present exciting possibilities for growth as India takes its place in the world as a centre of excellence in the manufacture of bluechip retail, FMCG and technology brands. These premium consumer and industrial brands demand exacting standards with continuous output in keeping with worldwide customer demand. These brands will not tolerate unreliable standards, poor quality and late delivery.

The key to success lies in the quality and reliability of key integrated components in every aspect of large-scale industrial plant, manufacture, process, engineering and automation. One faulty small cheap relay could halt an entire factory and production with all the associated consequences and penalties. Panel builders, engineers, specifiers and consultants want a balance between reliability, performance and price, which is now what Werner Electric products can fulfil.

We therefore focus and concentrate on brand building across India informing customers that Werner Electric premium German components are now here in India with local outstanding specification, local customer support, excellent prices and outstanding value compared to cheaper rival products.

Werner Electric supplies products to every industrial country worldwide and the key USPs for us remain and always: Premium German quality component design, innovation and quality build Unparalled component reliability, productivity and performance, and Customer focused product availability, delivery, service and technical support.

What is the nature of Indian operation – wholly owned subsidiary or a joint venture? Any manufacturing activity in the country?

Werner Electric Pvt Ltd is an independent privately owned and registered India company with the registered head office in Mysore. The company throughout is operated with Indian management, staff and resources. Mr Vinod Gupta is Managing Director and owner of the company.

We are a customer focused company – not product or sales focused company. We import the base components from German into India to our factories where they are assembled to India specification and industrial standards of certification and approval. The Werner Electric India head office based in Mysore provides logistics and administration with our sales offices and distributors providing essential consultancy, product and technical support.

Do you have any expansion plans?

Our short term focus is to establish the Werner brand across India meeting customers, introducing our wide range of products and building brand profile. We remain confident in the quality of the Werner reputation and brand as we are confident in our products.

Our short term investment is in keeping with our business building with investment in facilities and resources constantly making improvements in delivery, logistics and support. In a constant state of growth and expansion we also have a particular focus on recruiting high quality ‘rising stars of India’ in technical sales and customer support.

Longer term we foresee possible opportunities further afield outside India across South East Asia, Middle East and Far East.

What are the company’s achievements?

Our biggest achievement is launching and establishing the Werner Electric India company, building the business infrastructure and witnessing year on year growth and expansion in a highly competitive components market in India.

We pride ourselves on the bluechip brands and customers we are working with today. We have an excellent sales team. We have achieved much in such a short time.

Any breakthrough product launches in 2015 that have made a difference?

Werner Electric has a 100-year-old traditional heritage of constant product evaluation, enhancement and product development in keeping with customer needs and technological developments.

Our most popular and significant product launch is our Wireless Remote Controller. This lightweight controller is lightweight, hassle free and feature packed providing control of up to 50 simultaneous devices with excellent levels of safety and energy saving.

How is the present business environment for Werner Electric India?

As the country establishes itself as a global centre of manufacturing, production, processing and automation excellence for premium consumer and industrial brands so there is an increased requirement for premium quality components for every aspect of electrical engineering in factories and plant across the nation.

In today’s business environment, reliability, productivity, performance and the right price is key to business success. Werner Electric components based on their renowned German heritage, innovative design and quality engineering have an outstanding reputation and proven ability for reliability and endurance in the most hostile industrial environments.

The current business environment has good potential for Werner Electric in India.

What are the future plans for Werner Electric India?

Our immediate plans are our plans for the foreseeable future until we have built a solid business and customer base in India. We continue development of our distributor network, infrastructure, logistics and sales offices across India.

With eyes remain fixed on the now but we are also vigilant for changes and opportunities for the future that may shape our destiny.

India is in an exciting period of transformation and evolution to realise its full potential. We hope to play our small part in this new chapter in the story of India.

Contact: Gary Weston, Sales & Marketing Director, Werner Electric India. Email: Gary.Weston@wernerelectric.de