Omron Automation India, part of Omron Japan - a global leader in automation technology, has strengthened its efforts to expand its business in Maharashtra in this FY. As a part of the endeavour, the company organised a B2B seminar - 'The Catalyst' - along with an OEM workshop in Pune. On this occasion, IPF spoke to Sameer Gandhi, the company's managing director about the company's products and plans

Could you elaborate about what your company does?

Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Omron Corporation is a multi-billion dollar, diversified company operating in industrial automation, electronic components, social systems, healthcare, and environment fields. Established in 1933, today it is a global leader in the field of automation with around 36,000 employees in over 35 countries .The company has regional head offices in Singapore, Beijing, Amsterdam, Chicago, Gurgaon and Sao Paulo. Incepted in 1993, Omron Automation India caters to over eight industrial segments, viz., packaging, automotive, material handling, solar, food and beverages, textile, and panel handling applications. The product portfolio includes industrial components, automation systems, sensing and safety, motion, and drives and software.

Of late, Omron has been concentrating on the solutions business, which solves management problems on diverse production sites. It is rapidly expanding its operations with focus on major cities, viz., Mumbai, Gurgaon (NCR), Bangalore, Pune and Chennai. It is also making its presence felt across the other parts of India by appointing resident engineers to address the ever-challenging requirements of the clients. A major factor in Omron's progress globally and locally has been the strong commitment towards its customers keeping 'quality first' as the prime driving factor.

What are 'The Catalysts'?

'The Catalysts' is a series of technical seminars held by the company across the country to educate its customers and industry decision-makers on its innovative platform - Sysmac, the NJ Series - and other solutions in industrial automation for better machines and leaner productions. The seminars are an important part of the business expansion strategy of Omron Automation in India. We have already conducted such seminars in Mumbai and Delhi successfully. Maharashtra is the most industrialised state of India and Pune plays an integral role in this by being the premier hub for varied manufacturing facilities such as automotive, engineering, electronics and electrical parts, etc. Owing to this miscellany and the wide scope of work, we find it an ideal destination to reach out to a wider base of OEMs as well as end customers based out of the city and adjoining areas such as Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane and suburban Mumbai.

What exactly is Sysmac?

Sysmac - System for Machine Automation Control - is a robust and versatile automation platform, which denotes true integration by enabling machine control through one network and one software. NJ-Series MAC (Machine Automation Controller) integrates logic, motion, vision and safety on EtherCAT as the fastest network; the software - Sysmac Studio - includes configuration, programming, simulation, and monitoring. The advantages include efficient and extremely fast network for complex motion; improved machine performance with greater accuracy and speed; simplicity in wiring; easy for troubleshooting and maintenance; and reduced machine development cost and man-hours.

Is the company working on developing any new technologies?

Omron's philosophy of innovation driven by social needs encourages us to develop not only new technologies but to develop next generation technologies, which will generate value for our customers. For example, we have established an automation centre in Mumbai, which is the fifth such development of ours across the globe, where we can create solutions and prove any particular concept before implementing it at a customer's shop floor.

How will the future trends in the automotive industry, in particular, impact the company?

The future of the automotive industry will be revolutionised by rapid introduction of new designs and multiple variants which would require more alteration and integration in the existing manufacturing lines and more flexible manufacturing, thus generating challenging requirements in the field of automation. This would translate into more business opportunities for industrial automation players including Omron.

Is India a solution providing hub for any other neighbouring countries?

No, as of now Omron's India operations are focused only on the domestic market.

Omron Automation P Limited, The Qube, 5th Floor, Unit No: 501-504, M V Road, Marol, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 059. Tel: 022-71288400. Email: mumbai_enquiry@ap.omron.com