Setting up a branch in Chennai proved to be a rewarding decision for German Ringfeder Power Transmission GmbH

The Indian market offers great opportunities to German companies. Endowed with a stable legal and political framework and a pool of skilled workers, the country is the fastest-growing democracy in the world. For a global player like Ringfeder Power Transmission it was only logical to establish itself on the South East Asian subcontinent. A specialist in the field of shock-absorbing and keyless connection technologies, the company entered the Indian market by setting up a state-of-the-art office and storage complex in Chennai in 2008.

Besides clamping sets and elements, shrink discs and shock-absorbing devices, Ringfeder Power Transmission India offers the tried-and-tested Gerwah couplings. India's need for modern machinery and components has been increasing in recent years - a trend which will continue, confirms Dheepan Ramalingam, who has been heading the Indian operations since 2008. In his opinion, the German-Indian cooperation is a win-win situation: "To meet its high demand, India greatly depends on advanced, high-quality systems from Germany. For a company like Ringfeder in turn, India's booming market, its pool of qualified personnel and the flourishing economy are extremely attractive."

Despite the fact that the Indian market is considered very sensitive regarding prices, the products by Ringfeder Power Transmission enjoy great popularity. 'Made in Germany' continues to be a distinctive sign of quality all over Asia. Of course, there is a great demand in the cheaper products offered by local competitors, too, especially when customers become aware of the difference in price. "To address this problem, we remind potential buyers of the good engineering support and service of Ringfeder Power Transmission to convince them to spend a rupee more," says Mr Ramalingam.

But that is not all. Thanks to the facility in Chennai, lead time could be reduced from three weeks to three days. Instead of flying them in, the necessary components are now shipped to India in large quantities. This is made possible by the spacious warehouse and the possibility to have the systems assembled right on site. Air freight charges that sometimes used to be higher than the product price have thus been made redundant. As a consequence high-quality products can be offered at a more competitive price than before. The strategy has paid off. "Since the subsidiary branch started operation we have recorded increasing sales year after year," Mr Ramalingam says proudly.

Ringfeder Power Transmission GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of premium components in the fields of shock-absorbing and keyless connection technologies. The diversified range of the global player can be divided into three segments: under its brand Gerwah, the company from Hessian Gro