Pulraj Electronics Pvt Ltd manufactures quality and high-reliability commercial electronic assemblies. It also offers a wide range of engineering and production services. In 2008, the company shifted its focus entirely to EMS as it saw a decline in the automatic washing machines market. In a conversation with Ruchira Prasad of Electronics Bazaar, Hemesh Patel, director, Pulraj Electronics, talks about how the company started its journey and what lies ahead for it.
By Ruchira Prasad
How it all began
Pulraj Electronics Pvt Ltd (PEPL) was set up in 1992 by Navnit Patel, the MD, and Pulkesh Patel, a director of the firm. PEPL had commenced operations with the design and development of electronic circuits and was the first Indian company to indigenously manufacture washing machine controllers. The company was also the first in India to introduce the fuzzy logic feature in washing machines.
Subsequently, the company entered into the indigenous manufacture of controllers for OEMs, which were mostly being imported then. In 2008, PEPL shifted its focus entirely to EMS, as it saw a decline in the automatic washing machines market.
At present, the company offers several indigenous solutions and products to Indian companies. It manufactures quality and high-reliability commercial electronic assemblies. PEPL also offers a wide range of engineering and production services. It has expertise in design engineering, which entails circuit design and printed circuit board layout, assembly line production along with all aspects of inspection and testing. The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified. It offers customised solutions by making detailed prints or designs, as per its clients’ specifications.
What it deals in
PEPL provides EMS for all types of circuits. The company is focused on assisting its customers with prototypes, pilot lots and subsequent production of their circuits. The company’s USP is its very quick turnaround time, which allows customers to test their products and enter into production as soon as possible.
The manufacturing set-up
PEPL’s set-up comprises a fully automatic SMT line. The company does not cater to extremely high volume production and generally does up to two to three turnarounds in a day. Its pick-and-place machine is capable of placing 15,000 components per hour (CPH).
Types of machinery used
PEPL has the following machines at its manufacturing set-up in Navi Mumbai – DEK’s solder paste printer Horizon 8, a printer, pick-and-place equipment (iPulse M20), Vitronics MR 933 lead-free reflow oven, a loader and unloader, conveyers (Nutek), AOI (CyberOptics), an ultrasonic cleaner, etc. All these machines are used for different manufacturing purposes.
The path to success
Hemesh Patel, director, PEPL, recounts, “Someone has rightly said that success is mostly achieved after many failures, and the same is true with us. Initially, we had to face many hurdles in relation to dead stock, finance and quality. However, with experience and qualified staff, we have overcome all these problems and are in a strong position now. Many times, luck also plays a crucial role but one thing that we have stood by is our commitment to our customers and this has also made our customers stand by us.”
PEPL’s take on ‘Make In India’ and its advice to others
“The ‘Make in India’ initiative is definitely beneficial for the EMS sector; however, it will take some time to gather pace. It is quite commendable on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain a continued focus on the ‘Make in India’ propaganda and it’s surely going to bear fruit in the coming years. Several top companies are setting up their manufacturing bases in India and it’s just a matter of time before things take off. Every month, we are seeing certain sops being introduced. These include a reduction in the number of permissions to be obtained, incentives, a one-window platform, etc. Time is of the essence and we will be able to see the results in a couple of years,” says Hemesh Patel.
“I would recommend entrepreneurs to keep a close eye on this sector, as every business takes time to set up. So if they start now, they will be ready for the market in the years to come and will be able to easily cope up with the demand,’’ Patel advises.
“The main benefit for us is that India has gained a position on the world’s manufacturing map which, till now, was only about China. This campaign will help in the setting up of several big companies in India, which in turn will benefit EMS players like us as it will bring in orders,” he concludes.
Expansion plans
Talking about the company’s growth plans in the coming years, Patel says, “To increase our business, we regularly place advertisements in leading electronics magazines and also participate in trade shows across India. We strive to be competent in terms of delivery and quality, and based on this, our customers come back to us and also give us leads to new customers. We still have a long way to go and are moving forward slowly but steadily.”
