Innovation TIMES | 1Innovation TIMES | 1Innovation TIMES | 1Innovation TIMES | 1

TIMESIssue 37, Jan 2015

Golden Jubile

e

Edition

Guiding Lights

Fifty Years Young and Counting...

Reflections on a Golden Fifty

LeaderSpeak

Nostalgia

“Little David”

INSIDE OUT

Innovation TIMES | 2 Innovation TIMES | 3Innovation TIMES | 2 Innovation TIMES | 3Innovation TIMES | 2 Innovation TIMES | 3Innovation TIMES | 2 Innovation TIMES | 3

GuidingLightsCompletion of 50 years of Divgi Metalwares is certainly a cherished moment in its history.

These years witnessed a great amount of technological and economic upheaval in India and it stands to the credit of Divgi Metalwares that it endured and reinvented itself for changed times.

When TATA Motors Pune was established (TELCO in those days), Divgi Metalwares was already a supplier to TATA Jamshedpur with over a decade of experience in the

manufacturing of various types of gears and precision parts. I carry very fond memories of several pioneering technological innovations undertaken by the organization for TELCO that

spoke eloquently about the customer-centric approach to its business while adopting a no-compromises policy when it came to quality and delivery.

In the immediate wake of liberalization in 1991, Divgi Metalwares allied with BorgWarner to help TELCO develop the 4WD system on the entire range of TATA utility and sport-utility vehicles. They used their strong base in manufacturing to quickly assimilate technology from BorgWarner and developed an impressive range of transfer case products for a range of vehicles from Tata. Divgi Metalwares has been an exemplary TATA supplier in following the TATA code of conduct and constantly striving to move up the value chain with technological advancements. It is indeed gratifying to see them evolve from a modest machining supplier to a supplier of a sophisticated drivetrain aggregate.

I was pleased and impressed to learn that Divgi facilities now export to Korea, China, Thailand, and the United States and have been doing so since the early 2000’s. I am sure that Divgi Metalwares will continue to surge forward in its quest for excellence in the manufacturing world. On this occasion of its Golden Jubilee, I would like to specially congratulate all members of Divgi Metalwares who have strived to achieve this milestone and my best wishes to them for a successful and prosperous future.

Prakash TelangFormer Managing Director

TATA Motors Ltd.

Bhaskar Divgi

Anand Divgi

Umesh Divgi

M. B. Swamirao

Mohan Divgi

Ramrao Divgi

Bhalchandra Divgi

3 | Innovation TIMES

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime,And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate;Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.

An excerpt from “A Psalm of Life”HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

5 | Innovation TIMESInnovation TIMES | 4Innovation TIMES | 4Innovation TIMES | 4Innovation TIMES | 4

2014

2010

2006

1980s

Late1960s

1996

2002

1995

1964

1960 - 62

1998

1965

1957

1994

19421919

Early1970s

Fifty Years Young and Counting...

Bhaskar and Bhalchandra Divgi’s sons joined the family business; helped Mahindra to localize the Peugeot BA10 transmission components; Two of India’s first 3 modern automobile transmissions localized with considerable contribution by Divgi Metalwares to Hindustan Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.

Developed full set of BA10 transmission components for M&M. Validation completed by French experts

Divgi Metalwares made several parts of the BorgWarner T90 3-speed transmission, the Dana T18 transfer case, and the engine timing set for the Kaiser Willys ‘Hurricane’ 90 hp petrol engine. These Mahindra Jeeps with the Vickers recoilless guns mounted on them played a stellar role in destroying many squadrons of Pakistani Patton tanks at the Battle of Assal Uttar in the Punjab.

Joint Venture agreement signed with BorgWarner Automotive, USA to manufacture a wide range of products for the SAARC region.

Became first independent gear manufacturer to introduce gear teeth honing in India.

Ramrao Narsingrao Divgi (RN) born in Divgi, near Kumta in the Karwar District of the then Bombay Presidency of the British Raj.

Divgi Metalwares formed for manufacture of metalware components, gears and other powertrain components. Consolidated business with orders from Philips, Kirloskars, Mahindra and TATA Engineering

Became first parts supplier to Mahindra and Tata in India with the full complement of blanking, gear cutting, finishing and grinding machines to manufacture drivetrain components

R N partnered with C.H. Khizar Mohammad & Co of Madras and started Meeran Trading as his first business venture.

Ramrao and Bhaskar Divgi diversified into audio components and systems in partnership with Ramakrishna, ‘Ram’, Chattopadhyay and Madhusudhan Timblo. Precision Radionics started for manufacture of cone technology speakers

Achieved QS9000

Volvo Eicher added as new customer.

Diversified into manufacturing with Kraft Tools set up with help from brothers Bhalchandra and Bhaskar; Pune branch serviced Kirloskar Oil Engines, Kirloskar Pneumatics, and Mahindra & Mahindra

Divgi Metalwares became India’s first company to manufacture automatic transmission gears for John Deere’s Funk Powertrain Division in Coffeyville, Kansas, USA.

Heat Treatment furnaces added to make Divgi Metalwares a full service transmission component manufacturer. Added Mahindra, Eicher, Escorts, and industrial and construction equipment customers Marshall & Sons, Chennai (Madras), VOLTAS, Siemens, BHEL, and Bharat Petroleum.

Project Columbia: Exported components to Ford, GM, Hyundai and SsangYong

Developed 2 critical shafts for PTU for front

wheel drive based all wheel drive system for

M&M W201 project.

Innovation TIMES | 4 5 | Innovation TIMES

Innovation TIMES | 6 Innovation TIMES | 7Innovation TIMES | 6 Innovation TIMES | 7Innovation TIMES | 6 Innovation TIMES | 7Innovation TIMES | 6 Innovation TIMES | 7

‘Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

To stand on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of any institution and look back at the wake of fifty years gone by is a very special privilege and opportunity. This is especially so when that institution started life as a small scale manufacturing enterprise in the economic world of independent India of the early to mid 1960’s. In theory, Nehruvian policies in India of that era were supposed to incubate and nurture indigenous economic activity with the License Raj to temper, in the eternal wisdom of New Delhi, the unbounded and vaulting economic ambition of India’s businessmen. In practice, the realities were harsh with crippling shortages of everything from capital and trained people to equipment, raw materials, and markets. Starting a small scale manufacturing enterprise took imagination, self-belief and confidence, and, at the key testing point, tremendous courage to stay the course through complex uncertainty.

By 1964, Ramrao, ‘RN’, Divgi’s relentless serial entrepreneurship had taken him over a period of 22 years from international trading in the British Raj, through construction contracts in the erstwhile princely Nizam State of Hyderabad, to experimenting with supply of machine tool parts and engine gears to Mysore Kirloskar and Kirloskar Oil Engines, respectively. His most ambitious project yet with his engineer-brother Bhaskar, the plan to make contemporary cone-type speakers with American technology incubated at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA had just been struck down by the imperious mandarins of the DGTD in Delhi, thus perpetuating, ironically, the asymmetric monopoly of the Dutch multinational

Philips. RN and BN picked themselves up along with their band of brothers and the remnants of their business plan, and struck out in Divgi Metalwares with what they knew best – the manufacture of gears and screw machined parts.

They say that the hardships of pioneering new things are a test of the value and belief system of an organization and the people who lead it, and build the culture by which the organization lives, and so it was with Divgi Metalwares. The early entrepreneurial days were marked by tremendous challenges but also a certain can-do spirit, and a down-to-earth drive for results that got the attention of customers like the Kirloskar Group, Mahindra, Tata Engineering, Escorts, Eicher, Siemens, VOLTAS, and various other companies. Ramrao and Bhaskar Divgi’s entrepreneurial style could be described by 2 maxims: ‘The only way of discovering the limits of the possible was to venture a little way past them into the impossible’, and, ‘while daring ideas could get beaten like pawns in a chess game, they could always start a winning game’.

Under RN and BN’s leadership style, Divgi Metalwares learnt to question the status quo, observe trends and patterns in the marketplace, connect individual dots to see a bigger picture, network with all stakeholders (RN was a veritable walking database of global contacts), and continuously experiment to discover the next basis of competitive advantage. These rudimentary lessons in creativity and innovation snowballed to enable Divgi Metalwares to assemble a veritable arsenal of capabilities and competencies that won the attention of a new generation of customers like John Deere, JCB, Caterpillar, and BorgWarner. Eventually, the BorgWarner relationship evolved into a market development arrangement that quickly metamorphosed into a joint venture in 1995.

Reflections on a Golden FiftyDivgi Metalwares Pvt. Ltd. (Estd. 1964)

What had started in 1964 as baby steps in learning manufacturing as a subcontractor to Mahindra & Mahindra Jeep Mfg Division at the new integrated works in Kandivli came around as a full historic circle with the formation of the joint venture with BorgWarner in 1995. From making BorgWarner-designed parts of the famous T90 3 speed transmission for the Mahindra Willys Jeep to making the entire BorgWarner designed electronically controlled transfer case for TATA Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra brought Divgi Metalwares to the forefront of Tier 1 product technology companies in the automotive industry of India. This partnership also facilitated access to global markets for the capability developed in Divgi Metalwares and transferred to the DivgiWarner joint venture. The Divgi Metalwares frugal and lean manufacturing culture and capability went on to support customers in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, UK, and the USA. This occasion is also a moment to pause and express thanks to the many people who joined their cause to that of this enterprise and helped it bloom and mature. My individual words can never be enough to encompass the debt this enterprise owes to several hundred members and associates of the company who with great dedication, commitment and self-sacrifice helped to successfully build this first generation manufacturing enterprise in India. Special mention must be made of the management team of the 1970’s under the leadership of Bhaskar Divgi that implemented a system of management, when no computers were available, that pioneered many elements of standardization in all aspects of running a manufacturing organization that the world came to know many years later as the ISO 9000 standard for a fundamental and comprehensive quality system. These investments in assets, knowledge, and capabilities made in the 1970’s enabled the technical achievements of the 1980’s and the 1990’s leading to the eventual graduation to making complete transmission systems on some of India’s iconic models from Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.

None of this would have been possible without the trust placed in the can-do spirit and drive-for-results of the company by its many pioneering customers and the solid backing of Saraswat Bank. Starting under the mentorship of Shantanurao Kirloskar whose Kirloskar Group companies were not only the first customers but also the largest purveyor of machine tools, Divgi Metalwares benefited from the life-giving vision and indigenization efforts of Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors (then known as TELCO), Eicher Tractors, the Escorts Group, and Hindustan Motors.

In this long journey of fifty years, the role played by Saraswat Bank and its sagacious Board cannot be overstated. Its many distinguished Chairmen, Board members, and executives encouraged, supported,

counseled, and, at times, indulged the entrepreneurial exuberance and energy of Divgi Metalwares. I am deeply grateful to Saraswat Bank and am confident that this relationship will deepen, broaden and further endure in the years to come.

Today, as we stand at the dawn of a new global era of industrialization in India, the challenges seem even more daunting as the world’s mightiest companies have descended on the Indian marketplace for what seems like a winner-take-all gladiatorial contest where there are no other places on the podium. Once again, it is a test of imagination, competence, and self-belief. We have to draw learning and inspiration from our legacy and heritage. And there is quite a bit of it. After all, Divgi Metalwares was one of India’s first independent SME’s to manufacture precision automotive transmission components, India’s first independent supplier of modern 5 speed manual transmission gears, India’s very first manufacturer of automatic transmission gears in the early 1990’s, and, as India’s first Tier 1 drivetrain system supplier via the joint venture with BorgWarner, the first Indian company to supply complete electronically controlled 4WD systems to an automotive multinational like Ford Motor Company and to China and Thailand.

We have to once again question the status quo, draw our unique perspectives and insights, act with integrity and use a global ecosystem of knowledge, resources and opportunities as a force-multiplier to meet the future. At Divgi Metalwares, Bhaskar Divgi’s legacy was that economic needs were always combined with the passion for knowledge and excellence to yield continuous innovation so critical to staying future-ready. In closing, I give the final word to the poet, who said,

‘My object in living is to uniteMy avocation and my vocationAs my two eyes make one in sight.Only where love and need are one,And the work is play for mortal stakes,Is the deed ever really doneFor Heaven and the future’s sakes.’

On this note, I wish you all the very best for the New Year.

Thank you and Godspeed!

Jitendra Divgi

RamkrishnaChattopadhyay

Ramrao Divgi Bhaskar Divgi

Innovation TIMES | 6 7 | Innovation TIMES

Innovation TIMES | 8Innovation TIMES | 8Innovation TIMES | 8Innovation TIMES | 8

LeaderSpeak

Dear Divgi Team Member,

I am pleased and honored to congratulate Divgi Metalwares for your 50 Years of SUCCESS and PROSPERITY. The Divgi Family and the whole “Divgi Team” should be PROUD of everything you have accomplished.

My first involvement with Divgi Metalwares and the Divgi Family was in the early 1990s. BorgWarner engaged Divgi Metalwares as a strong competitive supplier of high quality gears and shafts for Borg’s manual transmissions and transfer cases. From this initial business relationship grew a strong bond of mutual respect and trust that created the embryo that has grown into DivgiWarner. Divgi Metalwares and the Divgi Family became the guiding light for BorgWarner’s entry and growth in the Indian market.

For me, it was very enjoyable to watch the growth and success of both Divgi Metalwares, our partner, and DivgiWarner our JV. As I look back on my career, I feel like a proud grandparent knowing that I was fortunate enough to participate in DivgiWarner’s development and at the same time be able to watch Divgi Metalwares successful growth.

As a result of the business relationship between Divgi Metalwares and BorgWarner, I was personally able to discover the many interesting items that India has to offer, from new types of food to world famous attractions. I will also never forget the various Dedication and Celebration ceremonies that I was invited to attend; in addition to the numerous interesting conversations I have had with RN, Jiten, Arun and Hiren over the years. These delightful memories are burned into my mind. Also, our business involvement with Divgi Metalwares has allowed me to create friendships with executives at Mahindra and Tata Automotive in addition to my close relationship with the Divgi family.

In closing, I look forward to following the continued success of Divgi Metalwares and your various joint ventures under the strong leadership of Hiren and Jiten.

Congratulations to the whole Divgi Team for your 50 Years of Growth, and I wish the Divgi Family and the Divgi Team 50 more Years of Prosperity!

With Warmest Regards and Memories,Tim Manganello

Retired Chairman and CEO - BorgWarner Inc

Dear Jiten,

Congratulations on completing 50 years of partnership with Mahindra & Mahin-dra Ltd.

We take great pride in this long and successful association that started of in 1957, when M/s. Divgi Warner started supplying Gears & Shafts to M&M.

We, at Mahindra, have been privileged to witness M/s. Divgi Warner scale to new heights. Your contribution has been integral in creating some of our most success-ful vehicles. Be it the ‘Single & Dual cone Synchronizers’ for the iconic Scorpio, or the ‘Triple Cone Synchronizer Technology’ deployed for the first time in India on our XUV500, your components have helped us deliver a delightful and pleasurable drive to our customers. I must appreciate and acknowledge the innovative mind-set and hard work that your team has put in delivering these to Mahindra. We are also quite pleased to have you as our strategic partner and a single source for Mahin-dra’s iconic 4x4 vehicles electric shift transfer case.

I thank you for your immense support over the last five decades, and I urge every-one at M/s. Divgi Warner to maintain the same intensity in the years to come.

On behalf of everyone at Mahindra, I wish everyone at M/s. Divgi Warner all the success and growth in the years to come.

Pawan GoenkaExecutive Director and President Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors)Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

9 | Innovation TIMESInnovation TIMES | 8

Innovation TIMES | 10 Innovation TIMES | 11Innovation TIMES | 10 Innovation TIMES | 11Innovation TIMES | 10 Innovation TIMES | 11Innovation TIMES | 10 Innovation TIMES | 11 11 | Innovation TIMESInnovation TIMES | 10

Dear Jiten,

“Always lead, never follow” - Ratan N Tata

Although the concept of planned socio-economic development and the license raj were deeply embedded into Indian business strategy across sectors and scale, pri-vate enterprise took less than forty odd years to get liberated since Independence. There was a critical mass of hardliners who were sure and believed that few people can do the ‘thinking for others’ and this even influenced the setting up of state cor-porations for SMEs. Unfortunately most of this enabling space was cluttered with technocrats. The hardliners set up more shops to deliver financial, legal literacy and so on. The missing piece was actually entrepreneurship! Divgi Metalwares belongs to this distinct and precious breed for enterprise. Very few in the founding generation were hard core technocrats, legal, banking or finance experts!Prof. Stuart Hart, well known author and thought leader of our times, while pro-posing a hypothesis to solve the tough problems of poverty through imaginative ‘en-terprise-solutions’ talks about ‘reverse-innovation’, meaning, what we can learn from the poorest of poor and so on. In a more business context, it would mean referring to that school of entrepreneurs like Divgi to create mature extended shop-floors for a symbiotic cross-learning culture to mutually benefit. Be it quality, cost effectiveness or finding alternate processes, it was all about how to make more value out of less – which is what giants in the automobile or manufacturing sectors precisely needed at all times. When reforms were set in motion and large companies need to off-load work in increasingly large quantities, every vendor developer looked out for a typical Divgi who has foresight to invest and build the right capacity and capability – in spite of justifiable apprehensions at different times. This helped Divgi and their customers to forge ahead where others did not make it for many similar reasons. This fore-sight is also about values – the business sense in frugality, the common sense in simplicity and the willingness to accept challenges irrespective of the immediate constraint of resource. Divgi Metalwares carved a new role which was deeply re-lational beyond the normal transactional one. It brought satisfaction and purpose to both sides!In a completely different but another national context, to a small tribe of Chitrapur Saraswats Divgi is more than a family name. For a Community of largely career seekers, Divgi is a role model – as a cohesive family business creating jobs. These are invaluable lessons when India will soon have hundreds of millions of youth, many of who may be significantly educated or at least skilled, looking for work opportunities. Personally, my fondest hope lies in the fact that having reinvented through many a challenges and revolutions Divgi may also become a forerunner in the Sustainabil-ity space – so that the Journey continues: whenever there is a challenge, the solution is Divgi!

Anant G. Nadkarni Formerly with Vendor Development at Tata Motors & Group Vice President, CSR / Sustainability, Tata group

Dear Jiten,

To be successful in a business for 50 years is an outstanding achievement and provides a benchmark for emerging entrepreneurs everywhere. My heartiest con-gratulations go out to Divgi Metalwares upon achieving this glorious milestone.

I would like to share a lesson learned from my 20+ years association with the Divgi family. During this time, I had the opportunity to visit India many, many times and had quite a bit of anxiety on that very first visit back in 1992. After be-ing hosted with great generosity during that initial visit of 2 weeks that had several stops around India, my colleague and I sat down to discuss what we had just expe-rienced. Our eyes were widened with the desire to progress the Indian automotive industry and to gain access and share in the available technological knowledge of the global automotive industry. The memories that were gained in that first visit remain some of the strongest and fondest yet today.

While business practices were similar in some cases and not so much in other are-as, it was very evident that the Divgi family endeavored to meet requirements with whatever they had and with whatever it took to complete the job. Knowledge and ingenuity were combined to manufacture components with assets that were readily available. This attribute has successfully carried forward to this day.

The most valuable lesson that I learned was this, never lose sight of the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with anyone. Especially when encountering dif-ferent cultures, different practices, different approaches to doing business. Never lose sight of the benefits that can be realized by just getting to know someone that you deal with on a business level. After all my visits to India, the one thing that I tell people when they ask me about the trials and tribulations of international busi-ness is that there are a lot of good people in the world. Don’t let the global media preclude your expectations. I am enriched from my personal relationships with my many friends in India and owe it all to the Divgi family.

John LewisSenior Sales Manager,

BorgWarner & Director – DivgiWarner

LeaderSpeak

Innovation TIMES | 12 Innovation TIMES | 13Innovation TIMES | 12 Innovation TIMES | 13Innovation TIMES | 12 Innovation TIMES | 13Innovation TIMES | 12 Innovation TIMES | 13Innovation TIMES | 12 13 | Innovation TIMES

The Mahindra Jeep in the above picture mounted with the Vickers recoilless guns played a stellar role in the Battle of Assal Uttar in the Punjab during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

The Battle of Asal Uttar, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, was the biggest tank battle fought after World War II. It was fought from September 8 through September 10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its formidable Patton tanks and infantry into Indian territory, capturing the Indian town of Khem Karan 5 km from the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated, and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar. Smart tactics and a successful Indian strategy led to the demise of the Pakistani advance. The Indian troops assumed a horseshoe shaped defensive position with Assal Uttar as its focal point. In the night, it flooded the sugarcane fields. The next morning, the Pakistani tanks, consisting mainly of M-47 and M-48 Patton tanks, were lured inside the horse-shoe trap. The swampy ground slowed down the advance of the Pakistani tanks, and many of them couldn’t move because of the muddy slush.

The Mahindra Jeeps with the Vickers recoilless guns mounted on them with a crew perfected in their gun drills provided the perfect maneuverability of this mobile gun platform in marshy terrain to decimate the entrapped Pakistani tanks. 100 Pakistani tanks, mostly Pattons, and a few Shermans and Chaffees were destroyed or captured while the Indians, by their account, lost only 10 tanks during this offensive.

Divgi Metalwares made several parts of the BorgWarner T90 3-speed transmission, the Dana T18 transfer case, and the engine timing set of the Kaiser Willys ‘Hurricane’ 90 hp petrol engine (including a thermoplastic timing gear) that propelled this little David against the Goliathan Patton Tank of the Pakistani Army in the above decisive battle of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

“Little David”

Mahindra CJ-3B

Dear Shri Jiten Divgi,

I am extremely delighted to learn that M/s Divgi Metalwares Private limited has success-fully completed its journey of five decades and is commemorating its golden jubilee year. It is indeed a proud moment for the Divgi group of industries to attain golden jubilee landmark.

The Saraswat Bank has a long association with Divgi Group since inception when the company base was first set up in Pune. It is also a proud moment for the Saraswat bank to be associated with the esteemed company for fifty long years. The company’s journey of five decades, as the Bank saw, was not smooth sailing but it was a stren-uous tumultuous journey which withstood all the challenges and vagaries of time. The Saraswat bank relationship with the company in this long journey through thick and thin got more and more steadfast in course of time. The Bank look upon Divgi’s as an extended family of the Saraswat bank.

I recall, when I was posted at Pune region in nineties, I had the opportunity of meeting late Shri R.N.Divgi, the found-er promoter of the company who built this company with his hard work, patience, dedication and devotion along with the vision he carried in the making of the company. So also, I am a witness to the smooth succession of the company in the able hands of technically and professionally qualified second generation of Divgi family who were instrumental to contributing significantly in transformation of the company to the present status.

I am sure, the company under your able leadership will attain greater heights in future by continuing to maintain its pace in this innovative and competitive world and march forward in its quest for excellence.

I and the Saraswat bank extend our warmest wishes and accolades to the company, its management and employees on this momentous occasion and congratulate one and all for achieving this golden milestone.

With sincere regards,

Smita Sandhane Dy. Managing Director The Saraswat Co-Operative Bank Ltd.

Dear Jiten,

I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the entire team at Divgi Metalwares on this historic and proud occasion. Divgi Metalwares has been one of the pioneers amongst the Automotive Tier 1 suppliers for various types of gears and have been known for their leading efforts to keep pace with tech-nology whilst meeting the customer’s requirements on quality and delivery.

I would like to extend my best wishes to the team DMPL for a great future and many more glorious milestones to come.

Warm regards,Dilip HuddarHead- Supplier Quality, Tata Motors

LeaderSpeak

Innovation TIMES | 14 Innovation TIMES | 15Innovation TIMES | 14 Innovation TIMES | 15Innovation TIMES | 14 Innovation TIMES | 15Innovation TIMES | 14 Innovation TIMES | 15Innovation TIMES | 14 15 | Innovation TIMES

“I got the best knowledge & experience of my profession” ---Anil Gokarn

“The love and affection bestowed upon me by the promoters of Divgi group of companies and their family members was mind-blowing”. ---Thankachan P Puthenvilayil

“As the organizations grew one thing which was strong and common across the years and hasn’t changed, is values and treating every employee as family.”

---H. V. Raghavendra Rao

“I am proud to be a member of the organization who is the pioneer of GEAR INDUSTRY” --- Anil Joshi

“During my stay Divgi Metalwares, I had many occasions to learn new practices and innovative methods of various machines and process functions”.

---S. S. Anikhindi

“When I walk down the memory lane, I still remember vividly the day I joined 32 years ago as a Production Manager at Sterling Heat Treaters, a Metallurgical arm of Divgi group and retired as Technical Director in 2000. Under the able guidance of the Divgis, I got an insight as to how to deal with the clients and maintain good relations, which helped me to grow professionally. I wish to conclude by quoting a few lines “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”.—Hellen Keller.

---R. Y. Abhyankar

“We enjoyed those days as part of transformation of the organization, be it computerization, process orientation, productivity or adapting to technology change for the next generation. The best of core manufacturing setups and the homely environment with empowerment really helped me to gain industry experience as a solid foundation for progress in my career.” ---Pattanshetti “DML was a perfect place for learning with the help of experienced seniors’ guidance. Shri B.N.Divgi always treated employees as their family members even in difficult hours.” ---Radhakrishna Bhat

“During the period of 18 years of service in DML, I had a great opportunity to work with great mentors, teachers and gurus like Mr. B.N. Divgi and L.C. Jhamb and many others who shaped me as a Mechanical Engineer and a Management Professional. This period was a great and valuable part of my life”.

---Vishwas Kajrekar

Nostalgia

“I have learnt a lot of things in Divgi, which have helped my future life.” ---N.S. Mane & P. D. Kajrekar

“Divgi Metalwares was family company for us. The company made us very-very strong independent decision-making persons. It was like a home to us which we will never forget.” ---Mrs. Jyoti Phadake, Shmt. V.S. Kane, Mrs. Vijaya Parkhi, Mrs. Philomena Dsouza, Vijayamma and M.M. Deshmukh, M. B. Bhat, K. Venkatesh

“It is kind of DML executives to arrange this “GET TOGETHER on the occasion of Golden Jubilee of DML. With this, people (staff) & arrangement, people could meet after so many years. Old memories were revived. Wish all the best for coming years & hope to attend PLATINUM JUBILEE celebrations. ---Kishor Kalbag

“I am grateful to all directors of the company for their help in my service”. - --S.D. Uravane

Standing from left to right : Ms. V. P. Parkhi, Ms. V. S. Kane, Ms. Philomina D’souza, Ms. S. Mitragotri,

Ms. C. D Phadke, Ms. Vijayamma , M. W. Deshkumh, M. S. Jagtap, K. Venkateshan, Bharat Divgi, Anil Joshi,

R. Y. Abhyankar, M. A. Bhat, T. K. Billye, C. Dassharma, P. D. Kajrekar, R. S. Bhat, Mr. S. V. Savadkar,

T. K. R. Pillai, Anil Gokarn, P. B. Deshpande, R. V. Talwar.

Sitting from left to right : S. D. Deshpande, G. M. Shet, S. S. Anikhindi, S. G. Belgaumkar, K. M. Kalbag,

Bhaskar Divgi, Arun Idgunji, V. D. Kajrekar, N. S. Mane, Jitendra Divgi, Hirendra Divgi, P. P. Thankachan.

Innovation TIMES | 16Innovation TIMES | 16Innovation TIMES | 16Innovation TIMES | 16Innovation TIMES | 16

As automotive technology proliferates in the emerging automotive markets of the world, one of the last frontiers of novelty yet to be made available to consumers in these emerging markets is the convenience of automatic transmissions at affordable prices. Today’s emerging markets are the growth markets of tomorrow, and various estimates point to these markets eventually altering the relative composition of the global automotive industry in the next 10 to 15 years. At least 3 fundamental approaches to achieving automatic power delivery are available today, although none of them has been assimilated to any significant extent in the emerging regions of the automotive industry worldwide. Advances in stepped automatic technology (the conventional incumbent) compete with those in automated manuals and continuously variable transmissions, CVT’s. Arguably, the answer to which technology is most suitable depends on the overall value proposition that can be offered to the consumer in terms of price, fuel economy, pleasing performance and a certain standard of durability and reliability.

The technology to meet the necessary conditions of fuel economy, performance, durability and reliability is all available given that automatic transmission technology, in one form or another, has been around for more than 70 years in the automotive industry. It seems therefore that the preponderant sufficient condition to meet is the ability to offer an attractive price in a sustainably profitable manner. The dynamic state of flux of the emerging markets, rife with ferocious competition, and driven by the steady unyielding forces of globalization, is ripe for explosive innovation that alone will achieve the goal of providing the convenience of automatics at affordable prices.

There are 3 significant trends that could drive innovation. First, the demographic and economic saturation of the developed countries implies that installed capacity and the technology and knowledge base there are in an economic state of jeopardy. Second,

All Matter in this Newsletter is Copyright & is meant for private circulation only. For additional information visit www.divgi-warner.com

the hardware and software of the industry are slowly, but steadily, moving to regions of the world that have a more competitive combination of economics, demographics and growth. And finally, as this phenomenon restores some degree of economic parity, the rising purchasing power of these economically emerging regions of the world is reflected in higher foreign exchange reserves accompanied by simplification and lowering of import duties and taxes. The logical consequence is evident – the capacities created by outsourcing, in combination with the natural pull or demand on the knowledge and advanced manufacturing capacities in the developed countries could progressively accelerate the transfer and assimilation of technology in emerging markets.

The speed with which engine technology, including electronics, for emission control, fuel economy and sheer power performance is being integrated in China and India is a pointer that the mystique of automatic transmission technology will not remain much longer. Companies that seek a product leadership role in the industry will proactively develop a flexible strategic approach that integrates product design with sourcing and manufacturing and is based on deep market and economic insights. They will challenge conventional wisdom, stretch the limits of possibilities, and lead the revolution!

At Divgi, our entrepreneurial heritage inspires our knowhow, passion and innovation to seek out practical solutions for our OEM customers by combining the discipline of product leadership with the cost competitiveness of India. Not only do we bring distinctive solutions, but we have the capability to work with customers to provide a migration path over the next several years of the planning horizon of the automotive industry. So watch this space!

Back to the FutureAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY FOR EMERGING MARKETS