If there’s an example to take a lead from, here’s one. Since inception in 1971, Precitex has grown to become the leader in the aprons and cots market globally. Its total commitment to quality, state-of-the-art manufacturing units, a workforce of highly qualified, trained, motivated and experienced technicians and sales persons are the factors that have authored this success story. Its products are designed and developed to suit various machine applications, howsoever demanding they may be. Here then is an insight into how the company has made it to the top…
Opportunities are generally hard to find and in some cases we must create possibilities for ourselves out of necessity. While it takes vision to foresee an opportunity, what it takes to promptly act upon one such opportunity is courage. A successful entrepreneur is one who embodies both of the aforementioned virtues, and is forever keen to make optimum utilisation of opportunities whenever the same present themselves. G T Dembla, Chairman of Precision Rubber Industries (P) Ltd. is a fantastic example of a visionary and courageous leader who has led his company and utilised the platform to improve the lives of many. The company, better known as Precitex, was established in the year 1971, and has developed to become India’s market leader in aprons and cots since its inception.
Humble Beginnings
Three technocrats, completely non-related but for their deific names, Ghanshyam Dembla, Ishwar Bajaj and Ishwar Thakkar came together from very humble upbringings and strong conviction for this exciting and niche venture. While Bajaj and Thakkar came experienced from the cots and aprons industry, Dembla brought with him the expertise of global and financial exposure. From inception there was job clarity as Dembla looked after finance and export, Bajaj handled engineering and Thakkar managed production and product innovation. Internally referred to as ‘Tridev’, their camaraderie and zest catapulted the company to new heights year on year.
“With the first plant at Wagle Estate in Thane near Mumbai measuring 7,000 sq. feet it was like a garage start-up those days,” says Dembla as he reminisces. “Growth was 25-50% YOY and the reasons were obvious – cots and aprons were imported and with the ‘licensing raj’ in place, lead times were 52 weeks and beyond,” he adds. Spinners needed cots that would roll and aprons that would move. Of course, textile mills in those days were the flavour of business. “With no off-the-shelf machines for cots and aprons, we designed SPM machines in-house and formulated products in our own rubber laboratory – something unheard in the industry then. The word ‘jugaad’ became popular much later while we practiced it in the early 70s and as rightly credited, it was the key to our success back then,” he adds.
“Not all was hunky dory and we had our share of challenges too. Rubber and many chemicals had to be imported and we too faced the same issues of licensing. But thanks to our vision of exports, imports were easier to manage. With good aassistance from associations such as AIRIA, TMMA, CAPEXIL, ITAMMA, etc. our voices were heard in Delhi to ease the process. Unlike now, reaching out to mills was an issue. While the product was in high demand, its performance played a very critical role in the quality of yarn and furthermore, the fabric and the garment and having mills accept a new vendor wasn’t easy. That’s when the ‘Pandavas’, the first five simultaneously appointed distributors played their role in ensuring Precitex gain the required reach and acceptance,” Dembla states. Precitex credits Apco Agencies (Ahmedabad), Swastik Trading Company ( Rajasthan), Parikh Patel and Co (Kolkata), Spintex (Delhi) and White and Co. (Coimbatore) for all the initial spade work in developing their markets and making Precitex a name synonymous with cots and aprons.
The Growth Phase
With the first plant in 1971 in Thane, it was only two years within which Precitex felt short of space and moved into a new larger premise of 20,000 sq. feet. There was no stopping them then. Soon, in 1978, Precitex expanded its manufacturing base in Umargam (Gujarat) and later Bangalore in 1980, North Carolina in 1982 which was a technological JV (Precitex offered technology transfer to with Hue Beveridge and Co, a North Carolina based company), and Indore in 1989. In those days having a joint venture – and even more, a plant in the US – was unheard of. With its global presence, Precitex has not only made the Indian textile industry but also the nation proud. Subsequently, the Thane plant capacities were moved to Umargam and Indore in 2007 as octroi and urban costs made it prohibitive to continue the activities there.
As spinning did not find favour in Karnataka and USA, Precitex humbly withdrew, though they yet maintain healthy relations with their then US partners. A slow phase crept in 2015 when the spinning industry in India kind of stagnated. But the management has always believed in the capabilities of the Indian spinner as they find the Indian textile technician to be akin to the IT coder, always superior, globally. So, the management kept adding capacities over time at their Umargam and Indore plants and to fast forward to current time, the Thane plant now stands as their state-of-art research and development hub coupled with a corporate office at Worli which provides key administration, finance and export-import functions.
As the plants multiplied over the years, so did their network of distributors and their team. They were agile to look for global opportunities and rapidly grow in export markets, appointing agents and establishing irreversible relations that made them grow steadily. Besides plants, over the years Precitex established offices in Delhi, Coimbatore (office-cum-stock point), Indore, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana with the recent addition being Rajasthan. Precitex has always been at the helm of continuous action, be it in sales, research and development or exports. The mantra that has led them so far is that one must not remain constant but keep growing.
The Right Philosophy
‘Advantage Customer’ is at the core of the management’s beliefs and as Niraj Thakkar, Director and Board Member for more than 20 years, puts it, “We don’t do normal.” Referring to the adage that “leaders don’t do different things, they do things differently”, here too the Precitex philosophy differentiates: “We do different things and differently, differentiating ourselves, distinctly!” Tongue twisting as it may sound, it surely makes sense when we look at what has transpired in their research and development centre over the last five decades. Precitex has had some of the best innovations in cots and aprons over the years, including being the recipient of the Research and Development Award in 2003 for the invention of PVC core cot.
It was the first-of-its-kind cot globally and Precitex received huge accolades and gained significant market share. The companies other products such as pre-glued aprons, alucore cots, skived aprons, soft plus cots and conductive (despite rubber being a non-conductor) cots have been some of the path-breaking products which have benefitted customers globally over the years. This philosophy of being different has made Precitex extend beyond products to services as well. Precitex Spinners Club is a CSR activity introduced in the early 90s. This was created as a single platform to bring the spinners together for sharing information and also insure them for accidental deaths.
Over the years, Precitex has contributed to more than Rs 4 million towards the families of the deceased in their tough times. Precitex conducted ITMA Europe spinning contest for students who could best answer questions drafted by a jury from the spinning academia and industry. The winner was awarded free tickets and accommodation for ITMA Europe. The purpose was to provide the required global exposure to the upcoming spinning community of students. Precitex also provides audit services to quality conscious spinners where a qualified and experienced Precitex team visits, audits, and trains and officially certifies the maintenance team in spinning mills for the best practices in the use of aprons and cots.
Taking the Lead
Precitex was among the first spinning accessories’ manufacturers in India who thought of exporting cots and aprons from the time they started manufacturing them. This is the reason why the company has participated in every ITMA Europe exhibition since 1979. With the idea of remaining close to its customers globally, Precitex has regularly been participating in India’s ITME exhibition, ITMA Asia in China, DTG exhibition in Bangladesh, ITM Istanbul in Turkey, IGATEX in Pakistan, Bandung Tex in Indonesia, Textile Machinery Exhibition in Japan and CAITME in Uzbekistan. This has paid rich dividends and Precitex has been getting top export awards from CAPEXIL and AIRIA year on year.
It is the ability of Precitex to offer top-notch quality products at competitive prices that machinery manufacturers like Toyoda, Rieter(India) and Marzoli in Italy prefer their cots and aprons on their machines. In fact, offering absolutely world-class products at competitive prices backed by their ubiquitous distributors and strong after-sales service has helped the company command a major share of business from big spinning groups like Vardhman Group, Trident, Nahar Spinning Mills, RSWM, Sutlej, Welspun, Shanmugavel Spinning Mills, GHCL, KPR, Precot, Pallava, Thiyagarajar, GTN, Viswateja, Lalitha Parameswari, Pratibha, Bhilosa, Birla Century, Alidra and Himson in India and Noman Group and Naheed Group in Bangladesh and Uztex in Central Asia.
Precitex is the first company to start helping and supporting its customers on product application to get the best life from cots and aprons as well as reduce maintenance costs in spinning mills by conducting buffing room audits, perthometer analysis (checking the RA value of cots) and technical seminars at customer sites. It is also the first and only cots and aprons manufacturer in the world to come out with a technical handbook on cots and aprons and today this handbook is used as a valuable guide by every spinning technician. The basic objective is to to provide customised solution for every problem.
The Assets
When probed about the most important factor in this journey, Niraj Thakkar promptly replies that credit must go to the team. He goes on to add that the company has been blessed with an incredible workforce where a devoted and hardworking team works tirelessly to make the brand an instant favourite wherever it goes. From a shop floor worker to the president, every individual is equally passionate about Precitex and this is not limited to the personnel but extends beyond to their distributors globally. All this put together is what forms the ‘Precitex family’. At all Precitex events, the second generation too are a part of the celebrations and it is this bonding that carries the brand and loyalty forward.
Besides the personnel, it’s the combination of culture and values which has positioned Precitex to where it stands today. Team work, transparent exchange, responsible attitude, excellence in execution, agility in action, innovative thoughts and trust in the team are the core principles on which the company thrives. “It is not only inputs from our customers but also from our passionate team that drives the organisation towards its vision. Precitex equally credits its stature to its vendors whom they also believe to be a part of their family,” Niraj states.
“Relations with most of the suppliers are at a personal level and on a first name basis and its camaraderie at a different level. This has given Precitex a unique position with the assistance provided from them being the key in research and development and creating new products. At Precitex, it is all-inclusive. For example, at the recently concluded internal event celebrating our anniversary, it was the team that came up with the joint vision, mission and values for the next five years,” he adds.
Road Ahead
On its 50th anniversary the team has rekindled itself with a focus on spinning. With a new logo and differentiating superior technological products such as AE 63, XP DF 83 and XP GY90, the company wants to give its customers an ‘Enhanced Spinning’ experience. The management is extremely optimistic about the future of spinning and is investing heavily into capacity expansion and technology. Industry 4.0 and Mechatronics are the buzzwords on the shop floor as the management believes that IT and automation will be the backbone of the organisation in the future.
In May 2020, while the spinning industry was speculating about its future on account of the negative impact caused by the pandemic and lockdown, Precitex’s management envisioned a shift in spinning from China and decided to invest and expand capacities – a move that is already paying off. Since the pandemic there’s also a young and energised team which is extremely buoyant about what can be achieved at Precitex and has been acting with vigour to propel the company to the next level. “We are very ecstatic about the future. Yes, there were concerns due to the second wave of the pandemic but that has passed. It was the sheer grit and passion of the entire team which has led to this transformation. The management firmly believes that the next five years of spinning belong to India, not only in terms of volume but also the variety of yarns being spun” concludes Niraj as Precitex readies itself to enhance the spinning experience of the spinners.
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Precitex Customer Testimonials
Neeraj Jain, Joint Managing Director, Vardhman Group, Ludhiana
We congratulate Precitex on its 50th anniversary. Our business relationship with Precitex is almost three decades old. We wish Shri G T Dembla, the Board of Directors and their entire team all the very best and wish them great success in the future as well. We are confident that Precitex will continue to serve the industry with the same enthusiasm and energy in the coming years too.
Rajeev Garg, Managing Director, Garg Acrylics, Ludhiana
Our business relationship with Precitex is almost 20 years old. We started doing business with them in 2001 in a small way and today Precitex enjoys a handsome share of business in our group at all our plants located at Ludhiana and Bathinda. So far we have had a good and healthy association with them and we are buying their cots and aprons for all kinds of yarns that we make. As our spinning capacities have grown over the last 20 years and we have gone into manufacturing multiple yarn products, Precitex has also changed gears to meet our requirements.
Their product performance and excellent pre and after-sales service is their big strength. Their team continuously works on educating our mill technicians on how to improve the life of cots and aprons and how maintenance costs can be reduced. Moreover, both Precitex and their distributor have their office in Ludhiana which helps them to service our mills very fast. As Precitex completes 50 years we wish Shri G T Dembla, Shri Niraj Thakkar and their entire team all the very best. We hope that the next 50 years will see them achieving bigger milestones and growing more and more.
Siva Balasubramanian, CEO, GHCL
We are happy to share that GHCL Ltd. (Unit: Sree Meenakshi Mills) has had an association with Precitex for more than four decades now. My direct association with Precitex started back in 1995. During the difficult time in the 90s, Precitex was the only cots and apron supplier that helped us overcome the challenges. The journey has been amazing over the years and I hope it will continue to be so. When I proudly say that our association is more than four decades old, one can understand how the relationship has been well-maintained over a long time.
Precitex is a pioneer in making good quality rubber cots and aprons suitable to run all textile fibres in our short staple spinning process. Over a period so many technology upgrades have taken place in textile machinery manufacturing and Precitex has adopted the changes immediately and always stood at the front to supply quality products to meet the requirements of the mills and help them achieve the desired quality of yarn without compromising on other major factors. The after-sales service of Precitex is commendable. It is a strong leader and therefore competitors will follow their strategy.
The cost performance ratio of Precitex’s products coupled with strong customer service has made them as a preferred vendor for GHCL. I would advocate that more than a product supplier, Precitex is a solution provider. I take this opportunity to congratulate Precitex for the successful journey of 50 years. My best wishes to the entire management team. I pray that they continue to add many laurels to their cap in the coming years. At this important juncture, I would like to remind Precitex that it must come out with non-buffing cots for textile machinery with enhanced lifetime since this will definitely help mills to achieve better operational performance without compromising on quality.
Dinakaran S, Jt. Managing Director, Sambandam Spinning Mills, Salem, Tamil Nadu
We have been associated with Precitex for more than 45 year. They joined us in the process of modernisation, expansion and new product developments and also shared their expertise with regards to supply, delivery, service and educating our technicians about new developments for 1.25 lakh spindles. Precitex understands our requirements and develops products for cotton, cellulose and polyester of all blends and natural fibres as per our needs. They are always ready to accepting all the changes and their service and delivery has always been prompt. On this occasion of their golden jubilee we wish Precitex more growth and hope that they will become a leading international brand. We also wish everyone good health in these trying times of the pandemic.
Pradeep Mehta, Director, Shree Siddhivinayak Cotspin (P) Ltd., Kolhapur
We have been associated with Precitex since 2007 when we first put up our spinning unit at Chipri in Kolhapur. Since then our journey with Precitex has been fruitful for supply of cots and aprons. Later, when we put up one more spinning unit on the same premise in the year 2017, we opted for Precitex without any hesitation. They score well on four counts: consistent performance, always meeting the delivery commitment, after-sales services and cordial and responsive dealer network. Given the fact that the textile industry is the mother of all industries in India, Precitex is definitely one of the leading suppliers of accessories within the spinning industry. We hope that Precitex will retain this prime position in the years to come with innovative products at competitive prices and enhanced lifecycles.
Chandrakant Gondalia, Managing Director, Aalidhra Group of Industries, Surat
We have been associated since 1995 and till date we are continuously moving ahead with the support of each other on all fronts like development of products as per process requirements and service support to the end-user including technical training as and when required. We are with Precitex due to their flexibility and in time product development as per the process or market requirement at reasonable price to performance and timely delivery. We wish Precitex exponential growth with more and more product development and hope it becomes a world leader serving our own country and overseas’ market with good techno-commercial viability.
Razeeb Haider, Managing Director, Outpace Spinning Mills Ltd., and R A Spinning Mill, Bangladesh, Director, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association
Outpace Spinning Mills and R A Spinning Mills would like to congratulate Precitex on this momentous occasion of achieving 50 years of reliable supply and service. As a preferred supplier, Precitex has provided us with high-quality products consistently and backed it up with dependable customer service that is second to none. We wish Precitex continued success and hope to continue our strong partnership for days to come.
Zubair Quasem, Director, Naheed Group, Bangladesh
We started our journey with Precitex 15 years ago. From the first day our relationship with Precitex has not only been business-oriented but has led to emotional bonding as well. Their innovative products, excellent after-sales service and prompt communication have made a difference against all other competitors. We want to congratulate the entire Precitex family for this long journey and our best wishes for this special occasion. Hope Precitex will achieve many more milestones in the near future.
Rafael Tavkhidov, General Director, Uztex, Uzbekistan
Uztex established a business relationship with Precitex in 2015. We were looking for a new supplier of cots and aprons for the equipment in our textile factories. The products by Precitex proved to be high-quality and durable with less breakage rate. Our yarn quality level increased due to their products and so we can maintain 5-10% of Uster statistics level. And their assortment meets all our needs in terms of technical requirements. We appreciate their price stability and commitment to precise shipments. Moreover, Precitex works only with internationally recognised documentation that greatly contributes to custom clearance and reduces costs. The only way to succeed in business is to sell quality products. Precitex is a highly reputable manufacturer and I wish them to keep being on top.