Established in 1986 in Mumbai, Maharashtra as a wire rope and speciality wires manufacturing company, Bharat Wire Ropes Limited is now a multi-billion enterprise and one of the largest manufacturers of wire ropes and slings in India with an ever growing global presence. The company manufactures strands, wire ropes and slings for use in various industries such as general engineering, material handling, onshore and offshore oil exploration, and others. In a recent interaction with Wire & Cable India, Mr. M.L. Mittal, Managing Director, Bharat Wire Ropes Limited, spoke about the company’s history and journey, specialized product portfolio, recent developments, views on the Indian and global stainless steel wire industry, ongoing challenges in the Indian stainless steel wire industry and solutions to the challenges.
Wire & Cable India: Could you please take us through the business journey, milestones and achievements of your company?
M.L. Mittal: Bharat Wire Ropes started in 1986 and the company was acquired by us in 2010. Since then, we have focused on growing the company from an SSI unit to a nearly INR 600 crore company in a span of 12 years. We established a state of the art wire rope manufacturing plant in Chalisgaon, Maharashtra, which is one of the largest plants globally, exporting to over 52 countries. Moreover, we got listed on NSE & BSE in 2016 and now we are ramping up capacity to increase our capacity utilization. BWR has always believed that to make a quality product, we need quality machines and that is the reason, we have installed the best machines from reputed manufacturers across the globe. We have invested in cutting-edge technology, some of which is developed ‘inhouse’ helping us to be more efficient. Our focus on quality and value creation has helped us gain some of the biggest clients globally, a testament to our vision of becoming one of the largest manufacturers of steel wire ropes.
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WCI: Brief us about your specialized products, along with the recent developments at your organization.
MLM: Our core product is wire ropes ranging from 5mm to 90mm with maximum reel weight of 60 MT, with applications in elevators, mining, cranes and material handling. We have 14 different licenses along with ISO from TUV. We have managed to produce wire ropes that have achieved the highest breaking loads in the world. In terms of recent developments, we are currently focused on increasing capacity utilization by adding balancing equipment. We are also adding new products to cater to various demands which were previously not part of our product portfolio.
WCI: Describe your infrastructure and manufacturing setup for the steel wire sector along with their manufacturing capabilities.
MLM: Our Chalisgaon unit, one of the world’s largest wire rope making facilities, is set up in an area of 64 acres which commenced full operation in 2016. We have machines imported from Germany and South Korea consisting of brands like Sket and Steuler. This is one of the most advanced units for wire rope production with backward integration up to wire rods which is our raw material. This enables us to have full control on the quality and specifications. Our total combined wire rope manufacturing capacity is 72,000 MT per annum.
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WCI: Please share your views on the Indian vis a vis the global steel wire industry. What is the role of the Indian government in the growth of this sector?
MLM: I believe that India is at the cusp of a breakout in manufacturing, with a strong thrust from the government in this sector. With improving infrastructure, educated manpower, PLI schemes, export incentives and a strong domestic market, we are in a strong position.
“ I believe that India is at the cusp of a breakout in manufacturing, with a strong thrust from the government in this sector. With improving infrastructure, educated manpower, PLI schemes, export incentives and a strong domestic market, we are in a strong position. ”
WCI: What are the major ongoing challenges in the Indian steel wire industry?
MLM: Major challenges are the lack of technical know-how and exposure to the best global practices, as well as competition from companies from Turkey, Vietnam and South Korea.
WCI: How is your company contributing towards addressing these challenges?
MLM: Bharat Wire Ropes has started working closely with educational institutes and the academia to give us an edge especially in the wire ropes sector. Furthermore, we are also focused on improving our value proposition by improving efficiency and quality. This will, in turn, help the industry to grow and cater to the global market.
