BRANDED CONTENT: Yudo India Bets Big on Manufacturing, Technology and Faster Delivery

Founded in South Korea, Yudo is one of the world's leading manufacturers of hot runner systems, supplying advanced injection moulding solutions to the automotive, packaging, medical, electronics and consumer goods industries. With a presence in more than 45 countries and nine global R&D centres, the company combines innovation with engineering expertise. Yudo India, established 25 years ago, has emerged as a key manufacturing and technology hub, supporting both domestic customers and global operations with world-class precision engineering. Vishal Agarwal, President, Yudo Hot Runner India shares the company's vision and mission.

Yudo has more than doubled its Indian production capacity. What market signals gave you the confidence to make such a significant investment at this point?

Several signals came together at once. Domestic demand for precision plastic components has been rising steadily across automotive, packaging and medical, and industry estimates put India’s injection-moulded plastics market on track to reach around US$38 billion by 2030. If you observe the trend, the car launch time from design to end-product has become very short, what used to take 2-3 years now have become few months. This means the OEMs need tool also at faster pace.

Considering all this, we had to ramp-up our production. At the same time, Make in India and the PLI schemes are drawing more component manufacturing into the country, which directly lifts demand for hot runner systems. With 25 years in India and close to 70% market share of the automotive hot runner segment, we could see the order pipeline building ahead of our existing capacity. Doubling output was a response to demand we could already see in front of us, not a bet on demand we hoped would arrive.

India is emerging as a global manufacturing hub. How do you see the country's plastic injection moulding industry evolving over the next five years, and what role will Yudo India play?

The next five years will be about depth, not just volume. India’s injection moulding industry is growing at a healthy pace, but the bigger shift is towards higher-precision, higher-value parts, thinner walls, better surface quality, more engineering plastics, new materials and more use of recycled material.

Automotive, medical and premium packaging will lead this move, and sustainability and automation will run through all of it, as moulders are asked to cut waste and energy while raising output. Yudo India’s role is to make sure Indian manufacturers do not have to look abroad for advanced hot runner technology. We want to develop and build that technology here, support it here, and help our customers adopt it quickly.

As the industry matures, our job is to be the technology partner that helps Indian moulders compete with the best in the world.

Your new Vasai facility combines design, simulation, R&D, manufacturing, assembly and testing under one roof. What advantages does this integrated approach offer customers?

The biggest advantage is speed and accountability. When design, simulation, R&D, manufacturing, assembly and testing sit under one roof, a project does not have to travel between different sites or vendors. We can move from design and mold-filling simulation to a built-and-tested system much faster, and catch issues early rather than after production.

For the customer, that means shorter development cycles, fewer surprises, and a single point of responsibility for the whole system. It also means our engineers work closely together, so what we learn in testing feeds straight back into design. In a market where delivery time and reliability matter as much as price, this integrated model is a real advantage over the conventional approach of sourcing pieces from many places.

The Automotive industry is currently your largest domestic customer. With vehicle technologies changing rapidly, how are the requirements for hot runner systems evolving?

Automotive is changing faster than at any point I can remember, and hot runner requirements are changing with it. Lightweighting and electric vehicles are driving more plastic then ever into the cars larger and more complex parts, new under-body and battery-related components, and parts that were earlier made in metal.

Buyers want flawless surface finish, often with precoloured materials with in-mould decoration, which demands very precise flow, thermal control with advance valve-gate control. Engineering and Glass filled plastics, along with recycled content, are becoming common, and these are harder to process.

All of this means hot runner systems have to offer enhance thermal control, precise runner balance, with warpage control specially for large parts, and the ability to handle demanding materials consistently, while using less energy. Our development work is focused exactly on these needs.

Indian manufacturers are under constant pressure to improve quality while reducing costs. How do advanced hot runner systems help moulders achieve both objectives simultaneously?

This is the core strength of Yudo. A hot runner system has no cold runners, so there is far less material waste with every shot, which lowers cost directly. At the same time, better melt control gives more consistent parts, fewer rejects and less rework, which raises quality.

Faster cycle times mean higher output from the same machine, further we are able to reduce the machine tonnage also which results into big savings for the molders, and our modern energy-efficient controllers reduce power consumption. So the moulder is not choosing between quality and cost - a well-designed hot runner system improves both together. For Indian manufacturers under pressure on both fronts, that combination is exactly why the technology pays for itself.

The plastics industry often faces criticism over sustainability. How can better injection moulding technologies reduce material waste, energy consumption and environmental impact?

Injection moulding technology has a big role to play here, and hot runners are a good example. Because a hot runner system eliminates cold runners, it cuts the amount of plastic used and scrapped on every cycle - less material in, less waste out. Energy-efficient hot runner systems and better thermal control reduce power consumption. The technology also makes it easier to process recycled and bio-based materials well, and to produce lightweight parts that help vehicles use less fuel or energy. And by delivering good surface quality straight from the mould, it can remove secondary operations like painting, which further cuts energy and emissions. Better moulding technology does not solve every sustainability challenge, but it meaningfully reduces waste, energy use and environmental impact.

Many global manufacturers are looking to diversify their supply chains. Is India becoming a strategic export base for Yudo's global operations?

India’s importance in our global network is clearly growing, and the direction of travel is towards India doing more, not less. Global manufacturers are rebalancing their supply chains towards resilient, well-connected locations, and India fits that need with its talent, cost position and expanding industrial base. Our Vasai facility is built to serve domestic demand first, but it also strengthens India’s ability to support Yudo globally over time.

The Indian manufacturing sector is embracing Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. How is Yudo integrating smart manufacturing, simulation and data-driven engineering?

Digitalisation runs through how we design and build. Out facility is 90% is paperless, every process is connected with ERP, all the machines programs are done on CAM, and we have lot of customised AI-based software which helps in smooth manufacturing, operations and production planning. Industry 4.0 is not a separate project for us; it is built into how we develop technology and how we help customers run their moulds better.

Competition in the hot runner business is becoming increasingly intense. Beyond price, what are Yudo's key competitive differentiators?

Price alone is never a lasting advantage. What sets us apart is the combination of global technology, decades of knowhow with strong knowledge of Indian manufacturing industry and its implementation - design, R&D, manufacturing, assembly, testing and service, all in India, backed by Yudo’s worldwide experience.

We have been in India for 25 years, longer than anyone in this segment, and we hold close to 70% of the automotive hot runner market, which reflects deep application knowledge across demanding parts. Customers get not just a product but engineering support, faster response, reliability and a partner who understands their process. When something goes wrong on a line, that local expertise and service is what matters and that is very hard to match on price alone.

Looking ahead five years, what would you like Yudo India to be recognised for - not just in terms of production volumes, but in technology leadership, innovation and contribution to Indian manufacturing?

In five years, I would like Yudo India to be known as a technology leader, not just a large producer. I want us to be recognised for developing advanced hot runner solutions in India, including technology that serves global customers for the quality of our engineering talent, and for helping Indian moulders raise their game. I would also like us to be seen as a responsible, sustainable manufacturer and a strong contributor to India’s self-reliance in precision manufacturing. Volumes will grow, but the recognition I care about is for innovation, capability and the role we play in strengthening Indian manufacturing.