Bartell Machinery: India Moving Toward Scalability, Future-ready Technologies

India is not just a high-growth market but also as a competitive manufacturing and export hub, says Mr. Mike Hovey, Director, Global Sales, Bartell Machinery, in an exclusive interaction with Wire & Cable India. Indian wire and cable manufacturers prefer scalable, future-ready technologies that enable phased capacity expansion while maintaining operational flexibility and Bartell Machinery meets this demand with a practical, productivity-led approach. The company combines energy-efficient machine designs with smarter process optimisation and material efficiency, extending equipment life cycles and improving process stability in the wire and cable manufacturing.

Wire & Cable India: Please briefly outline your company’s cable and wire industry product focus, including key technologies, product types, and principal end-use sectors.

Mike Hovey: Our company specializes in advanced manufacturing solutions for the wire and cable industry, with a strong focus on stranding and armouring technologies that support high-performance cable production. We design and deliver high-speed stranding machines and interlock armouring machines engineered for precision, reliability, and consistent output, even in demanding operating environments.

Beyond core machinery, our portfolio is complemented by automation and quality-control solutions that enhance process stability, improve productivity, and ensure compliance with increasingly stringent industry standards. These technologies help manufacturers achieve higher line speeds, better conductor geometry, and repeatable quality while optimizing energy and operational efficiency.

In addition to equipment and technology, we place strong emphasis on after-sales service and technical support. Our experienced service team supports customers throughout the machine lifecycle from installation and commissioning to preventive maintenance, process optimization, and upgrades. With a combination of on-site support, remote diagnostics, and quick access to spare parts, we help ensure high machine availability, consistent performance, and minimal downtime, enabling our customers to operate with confidence in demanding production environments.

Our solutions are widely used in the production of power cables and specialty cables, where mechanical integrity and long-term performance are critical. The primary end-use sectors we serve include power transmission and distribution as well as ESP (Electrical Submersible Pump) cables, which require robust construction and precise armouring to perform reliably under extreme electrical, thermal, and mechanical conditions.

Watch: Top Cable Companies in India

WCI: Within your core product segments, how would you characterise current demand conditions and order visibility?

MH: The demand across our core product segments remains stable to positive, underpinned by sustained long-term investment in power infrastructure. These structural drivers continue to support demand for reliable, high-performance stranding and armouring solutions, particularly in power and specialty cable applications.
While short-term fluctuations are visible due to macroeconomic factors such as geopolitical uncertainty, and project phasing, overall order visibility remains reasonably strong. We see healthy enquiry levels and solid conversion, especially for projects involving capacity expansion, modernization, and specialty cable production, where technical performance and process reliability are critical. Overall, despite near-term uncertainties, the medium- to long-term outlook across our core segments remains constructive.

WCI: Within your manufacturing offerings, how do you currently assess investment sentiment among wire and cable producers, particularly in emerging markets such as India?

MH: Investment sentiment among wire and cable producers, particularly in emerging markets such as India, remains fundamentally positive, supported by strong long-term structural drivers. Continued investment in power infrastructure, renewable integration, and electrification is reinforcing confidence across the sector.

That being said, capital deployment has become more selective and disciplined. Producers are increasingly focused on investments that deliver measurable improvements in productivity, efficiency, and asset reliability, rather than pursuing expansion for volume alone. This reflects a more mature investment approach, with close attention to return on capital, total cost of ownership, and long-term competitiveness.

In India, in particular, manufacturers are demonstrating a clear preference for scalable, future-ready technologies that enable phased capacity growth while maintaining operational flexibility. Decision-making is increasingly strategic, with greater emphasis on technology differentiation, local service capability, and long-term partnership value.

WCI: Which customer or application requirements are currently exerting the greatest pressure to improve productivity and quality within your product range?

MH: The strongest pressures to improve productivity and quality are coming from customers operating in high-performance and critical cable applications. Key requirements include tighter dimensional tolerances, higher and more stable production speeds, and consistent quality over extended, continuous production runs, where even small deviations can have significant downstream impacts.

At the same time, customers are placing greater emphasis on process stability, reduced scrap rates, and repeatability, driven by rising raw material costs and the need to maximise yield. There is also increasing demand for enhanced traceability, real-time process monitoring, and data-driven quality assurance, enabling manufacturers to document compliance and maintain tighter control over production variables. These pressures are particularly pronounced in low voltage power cables, and specialty cable applications, where regulatory compliance, safety standards, and long service life are critical. In such segments, quality expectations are non-negotiable, and productivity gains must be achieved without compromising reliability or consistency.

WCI: Which manufacturing disciplines, automation measures, or quality-assurance practices have delivered the most tangible improvements in your yield or rework reduction?

MH: The most meaningful improvements have come from a systematic shift toward automation and data-driven process control. The adoption of closed-loop control systems and in-line quality monitoring has enabled manufacturers to detect and correct deviations in real time, resulting in measurable reductions in scrap and rework and a more stable production process.

At the same time, precision tooling and standardized setup disciplines have significantly improved repeatability across shifts and production runs, leading to shorter start-up times, fewer adjustments, and consistently higher first-pass yield, even at elevated line speeds. Equally critical has been the emphasis on preventive maintenance and structured operator training. These practices have delivered clear gains in equipment availability, process consistency, and output reliability, ensuring that productivity improvements are sustained over time rather than achieved at the expense of quality.

WCI: How are sustainability and decarbonisation goals translating into practical changes at your company?

MH: Our sustainability and decarbonization goals are being delivered through practical, productivity-led actions. We are focused on energy-efficient machine designs, process optimisation, and material efficiency that enable customers to produce more with less lower energy per unit, reduced scrap, and minimal reprocessing.

By extending equipment life cycles and improving process stability, our solutions consistently deliver measurable gains in yield and energy intensity, translating sustainability into lower operating costs, faster payback, and stronger long-term returns for our customers.

WCI: How are cost pressures across raw materials, energy, or logistics being managed without compromising product reliability or compliance?

MH: Cost pressures across raw materials, energy, and logistics are being addressed through a disciplined engineering and sourcing strategy, rather than through any compromise on reliability or compliance. We are focusing on engineering optimization, modular machine platforms, and design standardization to manage input costs while preserving performance and regulatory integrity.

At the same time, we are strengthening supply-chain diversification and localization to improve resilience and reduce exposure to logistics volatility. Equally important is our close collaboration with customers to ensure that technical specifications are precisely aligned with application requirements, avoiding unnecessary over-engineering while maintaining full compliance with industry and regulatory standards. This approach allows us to control total cost of ownership for customers, even in a volatile cost environment, while continuing to deliver consistent quality, reliability, and long-term operational confidence.

WCI: How has the wire and cable industry benefited, in practical terms, from automation or real-time digital control?

MH: Automation and real-time digital control have delivered tangible, operational benefits across the wire and cable industry. In practical terms, they have enabled higher and more consistent productivity, faster and more repeatable setup cycles, and reduced dependence on individual operator skill, all while maintaining strict quality standards. The use of real-time digital monitoring and closed-loop control allows deviations to be identified and corrected early in the process, rather than after production. This has translated into improved equipment uptime, lower scrap and rework levels.

Also Read: SETIC & POURTIER: India Becomes an Investment Hotspot for Advanced Technologies

WCI: Looking ahead three to five years, which wire & cable segments or applications are most likely to drive the next investment cycle?

MH: The next investment cycle in the wire and cable industry is expected to be driven primarily by power transmission and distribution. The strongest demand for wires and cables is coming from the power and renewable energy sector, driven by transmission and distribution expansion and the rapid shift toward solar and wind projects. Construction and infrastructure including housing, metro rail, highways, and smart cities are also major contributors.
At the same time, telecom and digital infrastructure are fueling growth with the rollout of 5G and data centers.

Emerging sectors like electric vehicles and railways are creating new demand channels, making the industry’s growth broad-based and sustainable. Future investments are likely to be technology-led rather than purely capacity-led, with manufacturers prioritising advanced, automation-ready manufacturing solutions that support quality, productivity, and long-term operational resilience.

WCI: How do you see India as a market?

MH: India represents one of the most dynamic and strategically significant markets for the global wire and cable industry. Sustained investment in infrastructure, expanding domestic consumption, and growing export orientation continue to create strong, long-term demand across multiple cable segments. What is particularly notable is the evolution of Indian manufacturers toward a technology- and quality-led mindset. Producers are increasingly prioritising efficiency, process reliability, and compliance with global standards, positioning India not only as a high-growth market but also as a competitive manufacturing and export hub. As a result, India is emerging as a core long-term market for advanced wire and cable manufacturing solutions, supported by a combination of scale, technical ambition, and alignment with international quality and performance expectations.