RSB is a leading global engineering institution with a Deming Award for Business Excellence from JUSE, Japan, a globally accredited mandate for highest product quality and service, manufacture wide range of auto-comp products. To get more insights about its prominence and uniqueness, we bring you an exclusive interview with Mr. Rajnikant Behera, Executive Director.
IS: Kindly brief us about the Founder/CEO and the motivation behind venturing into this particular industry.
Mr. Rajnikant: In 1975, two visionary young entrepreneurs from Jamshedpur from humble middle class background plunged into the hurly burly world of business with a passion and dedication to do something different, to traverse a different path. They knew not the contours of the path, but were confident that the ultimate destination would be success. For them, “Dreams were Responsibilities”.
The brother entrepreneurs are Rabindra Kumar Behera and Suvendra Kumar Behera (fondly known as RK and SK respectively). They founded the “International Auto Products”, a sole proprietorship company and the operations commenced in 1975. RK Behera, the founder and current CMD of RSB Transmissions (I) Ltd, along with his brother SK (Vice Chairman & Managing Director), led and guided International Auto Products through its growth. After several transformations it became a public limited company, International Auto Limited in 1994, which eventually merged with RSB Transmissions (I) Limited in 2009.
IS: Kindly brief us about the company.
Mr. Rajnikant: RSB is a leading global engineering institution with turnover in excess of INR 2000 crore, manufacturing wide range of products, viz. Propeller Shafts, Steering Systems & Components, Transmission Components & Assembly, other automotive components, etc, and Construction Equipment Aggregates. Presently, it has 13 manufacturing plants spread over 7 locations in India, namely Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Dharwad (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), Cuttack (Orissa) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh); and one each in Homer (USA) and Silao (Mexico).
RSB operates in two verticals, namely Automotive and CMI (Construction, Mining & Infrastructure) Equipments & Aggregates.
RSB’s Indian and overseas customers are leading Indian and global OEMs like Tata Motors, Tata Hitachi, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, John Deere, Fiat, Ford, Allison Transmissions, American Axle, Eaton, Magna, GKN, Daimler, Renault Nissan, Kamaz, Caterpillar, Terex, JCB, Kobelco,, Komatsu and GE, Volkswagen, PSA Peugeot Citroen, etc amongst others.
IS: What are the different products and services?
Mr. Rajnikant: In the Automotive Vertical, RSB is a leading global manufacturer of Propeller Shaft/ Steering Systems & Components, an array of Axles including Front, Trailer, Tractor, Dummy & Axle Beam, Fully Finished Gears, Shafts, Hubs & Sleeves and passenger car steering systems, viz Manual/Power Steering Gears, Steering Rack & Pinion, Tie Rod, Hydraulic/Aluminum Pumps, Transmission Components like Differential Cases, Yokes and Carriers for medium and heavy commercial vehicles, passenger cars, tractors and light commercial vehicles.
In the CMI segment, it is a leading manufacturer of heavy fabrications and aggregates like Frames, Arms, Booms and Buckets for excavators, back hoe loaders and front end loaders.
IS: What is the USP of the company that serves as an advantage over competitors and benefits clients/customers? Please share awards and recognitions.
Mr. Rajnikant: RSB Auto Vertical is part of elite global quality corporate after having been conferred with one of the world’s highest awards in TQM (Total Quality Management), Deming Prize by JUSE (Union of Japanese Scientists & Engineers) at Tokyo, Japan, for achieving all-round business excellence.
Hence, we have a continual in-built flexibility and wide cushioning to take on any challenges and explore opportunities hitherto untapped. Our rugged systems are ever-ready to meet the OEM requirements – whether by design change, enhancement of variants, changed DNA or upgraded product version. As a backward integration, our Casting Plant has already gone in steam at Mania, Cuttack, and Odisha. Besides, our Forging Plant at Cuttack, which was commissioned few years back, is doing well.
We have a dedicated subsidiary, I-Design Engineering Solutions Ltd, which take care of design and development, validation, testing, value engineering and future-ready product, besides indulging in continual exploratory exercise of technological advancement in allied fields. Since we continue to do SWOT analysis at planned intervals for future growth, we do not shy away from challenges.
Our portfolio of awards is filled to the brim (70 nos since 2013), to mention only a few:
- Deming Prize from Juse, Japan, for Business Excellence
- From Tata Motors for Overall Best Performance, Demand Fulfillment Performance, Environment Friendly Initiatives in Supply Chain Management, Best Quality Supplier,
- Ashok Leyland for Supplier Quality Excellence & Supplier Samrat Competition,
- Best Domestic Vendor Partnership Award Vendor Partnership and Sustained Performance in Quality from Tata Hitachi,
- Quality Excellence from leading media, Machinist (Times of India Group) which was telecast in Times Now and Manufacturing Today,
- HR Excellence Awards from Manufacturing Today, Woman Glory, World HR Congress at Kula Lumpur, Transformance Business Media,
- CSR Excellence Awards at World CSR Congress at Kula Lumpur, Machinist (which was telecast in ET Now, Manufacturing Today), Amity University and Woman Glory.
IS: Share with us the challenges faced by companies in the Automobile Component Manufacturing Industry.
Mr. Rajnikant: Industry 4.0, or Fourth Industrial Revolution, is already witnessing the robots and humans working together, while on-line feed to production lines is taken over by autonomous vehicles. The Cloud Computing has connected designers to factory employees through sensor networks; communication technologies and software interacting autonomously besides facilities connected in real time to suppliers and customers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Cloud makes analysis and comparison with parts and processes for optimal performance and e-systems enable robots to learn and operate with minimal input without human intervention.
IS: How is the company leveraging technology for better products?
Mr. Rajnikant: We, at RSB, being a Deming Prize enterprise(Auto Vertical), with “Continual Improvement” deeply implanted in every sphere of our activity and use of latest state-of-art machines/robotics, manufacturing high precision components measured to microns, are exploring the technology for component manufacture keeping digitization in view, to be in tune with AVs.
IS: How is the ‘Make in India’ initiative benefiting the industry?
Mr. Rajnikant: Ease of doing business has been the cardinal aspect under the “Make in India” initiative which has motivated companies globally to invest in India. The benefits derived from this initiative are conspicuous in the following:
- GST has relaxed the procedural system involved in tax and also aided in reducing the production costs.
- Digitization has taken the centre stage with seamless on-line system in core areas.
- Liberalization of Foreign direct investment has been brought about an increase in the inflow of funds and has also helped in making India an open economy with job creations.
- Connectivity, which is key to expand the businesses, has considerably improved with vast expansion in infrastructure.
- Technology did not have its presence in the rural areas. However, now, with BharatNet making digital delivery of various services across the country is initiated.
- India has taken lead in harnessing power from winds and solar power.
IS: How you handle its Societal and Environmental Responsibility?
Mr. Rajnikant: RSB Group believes that true happiness comes when the good fortune is shared with those who are not as fortunate as we are. Therefore, Group has made CSR an essential fabric of business life with humble endeavor to think not just from the heads, but also from the heart. We believe that business is not about making money, but creating social values and do public good – an obligation beyond the requirement of law to peruse long term business goals that are good and bring about positive impact to the society.
Group believes in conducting business in ethical way and in the interests of wider community by responding positively to emerging social priorities and expectations, a forward approach to act ahead of the regulatory confrontation and balance at all times the interests of stakeholders.
With a view of enhancing and enriching the lives of those around us, Group has undertaken various efforts to bring about a positive difference in the lives of denizens by taking up several initiatives and thereby address the social needs The Group and its people make a positive difference by working aggressively in areas of community development. Group has the earnest efforts to shape a brighter future by contributing in efforts to rural under-privileged in rural.
RSB pursues the triple imperatives of protecting the environment, socio-economic upliftment, and sustainable developmental models for growth.
IS: What would be your advice for the budding start-ups and entrepreneurs in the industry?
Mr. Rajnikant says
- First and foremost is Demand Forecast (short term & long term) and product sustainability in the face of technological changes.
- Concretize sourcing of resources – financial or human
- Focus on changes in business scenario continually
- Make your product continually redundant by innovation, lest competitor will make for you.
- Focus on CARE (Customers Are Really Everything)
- Human Capital is precious. Treat employees as our family member and partners in our growth.
- Do always something for the society.
- Think and do innovatively and differently.
IS: Brief us about the company’s future perspectives.
Mr. Rajnikant: There will be paradigm shift for wheels-on-the-move as Electric Vehicle will be dominating the future globally to mitigate the climate change and protect the environment from auto emissions and pollution.
We are aligning our strategy to take on this change and Industry 4.0 as well.
