Interacting with Deccan Herald, Pragati Automation Chairman Ashok V Sathe said that CNC helps in replacing conventional machines to bring in much higher skill level in doing machine operations like drilling. “Manufacturing sector is witnessing a whole lot of changes in India. So precision in activities are going high. Our R&D division is on an advanced stage to develop CNC indigenously. We hope it will be ready by the end of the current year,” Sathe said. Sathe, who was recently awarded Vinod Doshi Outstanding Entrepreneur Award in Machine Tools by IMTMA (Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association), does not believe in mere laurels but wants to scale Indian machine tool industry newer heights globally.
The company, which is engaged in the manufacture of servo drives and motors, is all set to enter the Chinese market by setting up its first assembly plant in Shanghai. “The demand for machine tools in China is over 50 times that of India and there is a huge potential for us to manufacture and sell in that country.
The plan is to build a plant with an initial investment of Rs 15 crore,” he said.
On its Indian expansion, Sathe said plans are afoot on capacity addition in its existing plants in Bangalore, Belgaum and Kolhapur in Maharashtra. “We are setting up a new factory in Belgaum at a four-acre plot on the city outskirts. The company has drawn up a capital expenditure plan of Rs 50 crore for expansion,” he said.
Currently, Pragati exports 40 per cent of its production all over the world.