Steelbird International pumps Rs 40 crore in new air filter plant

Domestic component maker Steelbird International is investing Rs 40 crore for a new plant which it says will help it expand its manufacturing capacity. The company says the new unit will be spread over 40,000 sqft, and will come up in the vicinity of its existing plants in Pant Nagar, Uttarakhand.

According to Steelbird the new facility is equipped with the latest machinery and complies with the international standards of quality control and pollution norms. The facility will complement the company's overall production capacity, which is currently pegged at 60,000 units per day, and will scale it to over 100,000 units, combing air filters, and rubber parts which include dampers, O-rings, oil seals, matting’s, dust covers and foot-rest covers for two-wheelers.

As per the company around 80 percent of the capacity has already been booked. Manav Kapur, executive director, Steelbird International, said: “The time right now is rather scary for conventional players in the automotive business, but the next three to five years are still going to see an upward trend. With commitment from our customers, we decided to invest in this new facility with a vision to recover the capital over the next three years.”

“Having over 5,000 retail points in the country and five zonal warehouses, network expansion is another focus on our agenda for growth over the next couple of years”, he added.

Steelbird International has presence in the OEM, export and aftermarket segment, with key customers that include – Greaves Cotton, Tata Ficosa,  Lumax and Royal Enfield. The export markets include Italy, Germany and neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

According to the company it is working towards a new strategy to step into the future. While it has already switched over to being technology oriented in its standard operating procedures by implementing SAP across its systems and using Industry 4.0 and IoT-enabled sensors for machines to electronically generate notifications in case of errors.