KNOWLEDGE
IS POWER Engineering conglomerate Kirloskar takes innovation and excellence very seriously. This historic company has long enjoyed a reputation for exceeding in both these fields. Emma-Jane Batey discovers just how this is achieved by speaking to director Aditya Kowshik.
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irloskar Pneumatic Company Ltd is a key part of the Kirloskar Group of Companies, a $1.2bn engineering conglomerate based in Pune, India. Established over 100 years ago, the Group has been able to hold onto the best of its lengthy experience while still utilising the very latest in available technology and business development strategies. Consequently, the Group has grown to become a leading engineering operation, attracting the best engineering talent to work alongside excellent sales, marketing and manufacturing employees. The company was founded by the grandfather of the present Kirloskar family and although it is a public limited company, the family retains an absolute majority, with some shares traded on the Indian stock market.
Historically, the company has centred its activities on the air compression sector. With other companies within the Group dedicated to products such as diesel engines, Kirloskar Pneumatic fulfils the role of being perfectly tuned to niche markets, with its system engineering skills adding value rather than simply ‘making’ a product. Mr Kowshik elaborated on the specific details of the transmission division: “We don’t create off the shelf products. It’s all about using our extensive engineering skills to deliver tailor made solutions that perfectly match our customers’ requirements. Here, we also offer a mega watt range of transmission products that are engineered precisely for windmill and marine applications.”
Pneumatic experts
The overriding expertise at Kirloskar is its air compression systems knowledge. The company was one of the first in India to establish an ecologically-friendly refrigeration product, which continues to be an important factor in its operation. This gas compression system is traditionally ammonia-based, but the greener Kirloskar version uses hydrocarbons, which are considerably cleaner than ammonia. “We use simple hydrocarbons such as propane and butane,” Mr Kowshik continued. “Our innovative system has further positioned us as a speciality systems supplier. This is supported by the fact that many of our customers for these products are in
As a provider of a range of compressed air, air conditioning, refrigeration and hydraulic power transmission products, Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Ltd is specialised in the manufacture of pumps. Director Aditya Kowshik explained to Industry Europe how the business is made up of three core divisions. “We are essentially three companies in one, with each of the three divisions running independently but with the support of the company and the Group,” he said. “We have an air compression division, a transmission division and the third division comprises air conditioning, refrigeration and processed gas all together.”
Keeping it green
