KRSNA Engineering was founded over three decades ago in a small apartment in Mumbai, fuelled with a singular vision to become a pioneer in the field of textile machinery manufacture, capable of delivering to their clientele products of the finest quality. Today, they stand amongst India’s most successful textile machinery manufacturers with their products being widely coveted for their reliability, robust construction and ease of operation. A sudden market trend in the 1990s led to the inception of numerous projects involving the use of knitting machinery as well as fabric processing machinery, which at the time could not be locally sourced.
Import Substitution
Indian textile companies had no choice but import the machinery essential to these processes from countries like Europe, Taiwan and Korea. This local unavailability of such widely desired machinery did not go unnoticed by Chairman M D Shah, who decided to dedicate his time and effort to the production of the required machines at their new factory in Ahmedabad. By the year 1992, KRSNA Engineering began to manufacture the soft flow dyeing machine, learning everything they could about the technical features of the machine, thus putting them in a sound position to address any queries their customers would have.
It was here that the company started to establish itself as a brand of the utmost reliability in the eyes of its clientele. Three decades of business in the textile machinery sphere gave the company invaluable exposure as well as the ability to understand and adapt to the protean requirements of their consumer base, resulting in constant improvements to their product portfolio. The first instance of their adaptability was demonstrated when the demand for synthetic fibres such as lycra and spandex overtook that of cotton knitted fabric in the 1990s, which motivated them to make the appropriate modifications to their machines so as to cater to this new wave of consumer demand.
Importance to Innovation
The ingenious changes that the company has brought about have resulted in exceptionally versatile machinery, which can be attributed to their in-house research and development department that to this day devotes time and resources to thoroughly understanding the products in demand and to improve their machines accordingly. With numerous other competitors in the field, the question that arises is what are the unique factors that have made KRSNA Engineering such a raging success amongst their clientele? “Several decades of experience in handling and improving our machinery have rightfully earned us the recognition as pioneers in the field,” Shah says.
Aside from adhering to the highest standards of quality, the company has ensured that steady after-sales service is available for every machine the company has installed. Their network of station engineers spanning across the Indian subcontinent guarantees that speedy technical supported is extended to the clients at a moment’s notice. Their unparalleled dedication towards extending the finest of services to their clients is commendable, to say the least, with past instances of utilisation of digital platforms to carry out machine installation in countries abroad in order to overcome the commuting issues posed by the pandemic. The company has exported its machines to over 24 countries around the world including, but not limited to, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Mexico, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia and the United Kingdom.
An impressive portfolio of ever-evolving products is another factor which has contributed to KRSNA Engineering’s prominence. Their adoption of the lean manufacturing competitiveness system has aided them in the manufacture of reliable and robust machinery displaying extraordinary performance. The company’s product portfolio boasts an impressive range of soft flow dyeing machines, long tube dyeing machines and textile finishing machines. Their washing range, comprising the combination of plain washers for overflow rinsing along with the Vibro® drum washer and the conveyor washer, boasts a significantly accelerated washing process.
Focus on Sustainability
Currently, the company has a workforce of eight qualified engineers and up to 20 skilled and unskilled workers who handle the manufacturing of up to 8-10 machines every month. Elaborating about the impact of the pandemic, Shah states that though it posed a big challenge, yet it ushered in an era of opportunity for the company. Indeed, the Indian government’s focused initiatives to curb polluting industrial practices coupled with KRSNA Engineering’s principle of manufacturing machinery that promotes sustainability proved to be a blessing for the company. With sustainability now being a priority more than ever, the company has prospered from the rising demand for sustainable dyeing machinery.
This is because their products are the most energy and water-efficient machines available in the market. In particular, their Continuous Range® which is capable of producing 1 kilogram of fabric with as little as 30 litres of water has gained huge traction post the pandemic scenario. Twice as of now, the company has earned awards from the president of India for their in-house development of energy-efficient, environment-friendly soft flow dyeing machines. Their zeal to protect the environment and their vision for a more sustainable future for the textile industry is encompassed by their plans to introduce energy and water-efficient machines.
This includes the open width vacuum extractor, the atmosph soft flow machine and the double nozzle soft flow jet. Director Chandresh Shah is extremely optimistic about the future of the company, stating that collaborations to develop more innovative products are certainly on the table. Aiming for organic growth in the coming years, one can confidently say that KRSNA Engineering’s dream – the supply of European quality machinery at Indian pricing to a wide range of customers – will turn into reality by the end of this decade. As Shah puts it, “Our success has always been measured by customer satisfaction and our dedication to manufacturing sustainable machinery, which we believe will play a vital role in shaping the future of the textile industry at large.”