In this interview with Rakesh Rao, Nimesh Purohit, Director, B S Hydro-Pneumatic, raises concerns of the SME sector and how COVID 19 is changing the way businesses are operating.

Pneumatics and hydraulics - which is the use of fluids under pressure to generate, control, and transmit power - is commonly used in a wide range of industries. B S Hydro-Pneumatic Pvt Ltd - a manufacturer of quick couplings, fittings, and valves - is a recognised name in the fluid power segment. In this interview with Rakesh Rao, Nimesh Purohit, Director, B S Hydro-Pneumatic, highlights emerging trends in fluid power and how COVID 19 is changing the way businesses are operating.

How has B S Hydro-Pneumatic has evolved over the years?

After making a humble beginning in 1980, B S Hydro-Pneumatic Pvt Ltd has come a long way and today it is a recognised name in the fluid power segment. The company - which is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of quick couplings, fittings, and valves - is known to design and manufacture quick coupling solutions that work safely and reliably for many years. 

Our customers from various industry segments use our products in many critical applications. They really look upon us to give them complete solution. So, we are not just a product supplier, but a resource for them to find answers to their challenging problems. 

What is the status of fluid power industry in India? 

After electric, the next source of motion power in any application (including automation) is pneumatics and hydraulics. I don't think that there will be any industry which does not use any sort of fluid power in the application.

Liberalization, when many multinational companies entered India (either directly or through collaboration), gave a major boost to the fluid power industry with a lot of new applications coming in the country. The market is opening up and there is a lot of scope with new changes like automation, IoT, etc. Most of the robots and advanced automated products use pneumatics and hydraulics. We see a good future for fluid power industry.

What kinds of valves do you manufacture? Who are your key customers for valves?

Our products like quick couplings, hose fittings, hose assemblies, Camlock couplings and valves, find application for handling all types of fluids (oil, water, power, gas, semi solids, etc).

Types of fluids used differ from industry to industry. Nuclear power plants use heavy water, petrochemicals and fertiliser plants use hazardous solvents like liquid ammonia. Our products go into all these applications for handling the fluids. We provide customised solutions to the customers as every fluid/industry has its own dynamics and characteristics.

Some companies do a lot of solvent unloading (like unloading a tanker in the underground tanks). About 20,000 to 30,000 litres of liquid needs to unloaded in few minutes. So they require a connection which is quick and highly strong to increase the efficiency of the operation. Here they use quick Camlock couplings.

Will the drive towards advanced automation and Industry 4.0 aid the growth of the industry?

At present the manufacturing industry is going through a tough time due to COVID 19 pandemic. To maintain social distancing, companies will have to keep less number employees in factories. At the same time, they will have to manage their production efficiently. Hence, companies will have to incorporate some sort of automation in their plants.

Pneumatics and hydraulics are needed for the smooth functioning of the automated processes and products. As a result, there will be good scope for fluid power products.

What are your expectations from the government during this crisis time?

COVID 19 is a global pandemic and there is a lot of uncertainty in the market. In the absence of treatment option, precaution is the only way to minimise the impact. While there are standard guidelines being issued by the government to restart factories, implementation of them on ground is a challenge. Also, a company may not have any control over the employee beyond factory walls.

The last two months there was almost zero production. Government has given instructions to take care of employees. But what about the financial burden on the company? There were more than 4,000 notifications over the last 40 days, but there was not a single solid relief package which was given for SMEs. Quite frankly, we have been waiting for some announcement about relief measures.

We have to find the right equation between health and economic. We cannot ignore either of the things. Otherwise, people will starve.

We expect the government to look at the situation and offer workable solutions to solve the issue by considering the ground realities.