Bangalore, Karnataka -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/07/2013 -- India will emerge to be a key growth market for German based igus GmbH, the world’s leading manufacturer of energy supply systems including cables and all accessory components. The company also pioneered research in the field of Tribopolymers and today leads the world market in the field of high performance polymer bearings. In its first ever Press Conference held to mark completion of 10 years of its successful operations in India, the company today announced a slew of significant initiatives and growth plans for the India market, a decade which also marks igus efforts of having introduced, educated and grown the Indian market for innovative use of plastic technology in dry-tech bearings, high flexible cables and energy supply chains. Today igus supplies to diverse and fast growing sectors such as automotive, machine tools, robotics, medical, packaging, steel, food, textile, material handling, ports, cement, mining, energy, etc.

igus India grew nearly 25 times in the Indian market in the last 10 years and close to 40% growth in the last financial year- net sales in the country is expected to close at an estimated 60 crore at the end of FY 2012-13. igus India ranks first among its subsidiaries in growth percentage continuously for the last couple of years and top 10 fast growing markets for Igus globally. The company expects to double its growth in the country over the next three years to establish its undisputed leadership in the market for plastic bearing, high flexible cables and polymer cable chains. igus is continually investing in India, to both enhance its sales organization as well as infrastructure for assembly, storage and distribution. It looks to expand its current network of 11 offices to over 16 across regions in the coming year and will double its sales force to support the growth plans.

igus India from day one since its inception has remained debt free and on a strong growth path, continuously investing into the local operations and the availability of the large igus’ delivery program for our customers in India from 24 hours. To further support our growth plan and maintain the leadership position igus GmbH in the near future would look at investing in a state of art factory with the highest production standards based on Lean methodologies” said Marc Poensgen, Head, International Group Development – Asia, igus GmbH.

Further, he announced, “We are investing heavily in three strategic initiatives to support our growth plans for India: First, we have introduced a record number of 145 product novelties and extensions at the ongoing IMTEX, held in Bangalore and igus continues to invest more in material and product development. In the dry-tech polymer bearings division, we have over 8,000 items in local stock which today replace millions of metallic bushings, self aligning bearings, rod ends and linear guides which demands often continuous lubrication. Second, we are investing in delivery speed to ensure products from stock and are dispatched in 24 hours time or on the same day, to anywhere in the country. igus has no minimum order quantity, even one unit is possible. And finally, we are helping our customers reduce process and development costs significantly by investing in over 22 online tools specially for engineers besides other user friendly tools such as product finder, service life prediction, customized online catalogs with price and delivery displays, etc. which makes it extremely user friendly and reliable. Together these are meant to take the plastics for longer life philosophy that igus practiced and continues to practice to a whole new dimension and scale”.

Elaborating on the significance and potential applications of igus innovative technology, Antony P. Kurian, Managing Director, igus (India) Pvt Ltd said, “Modern energy chains and chainflex® cables from igus help to design and operate machines that are efficient in terms of energy and costs. Energy consumption can be drastically reduced by using the igus readychainsystems® as is proven by the over 5000 cranes running across India.

Metal chains are being increasingly replaced by lighter yet rugged plastic energy chains even in the toughest of working conditions, be it in a simple clean room application of a pharma company or in the extremes of molten steel handling ladle crane or in machine tool with 850°C hot metal chips. igus products and cable management systems can be deployed right from small workshop to the cable management system of telescopes installed on the Himalayas at -30 degree centigrade. The Chandrayan project telescope was also equipped with igus cable management system which eventually was part of the discovery of water in Moon. Thousands of gallons oil in lubrication and millions of man-hour in maintenance has been saved by the use of our dry-tech bearings which run without lubrication and maintenance be it in an auto rickshaw or a packaging line.”

About igus
igus develops industry-leading cable carriers under the brand e-chainsystems, chainflex® high-flex cables, iglidur® plastic plain bearings, igubal® spherical bearings, drylin® linear bearings, guide systems and xiros polymer ball bearings . These seemingly unrelated products are linked together through a belief in making functionally advanced, yet affordable plastic components and assemblies. With precision plastic moulding experience since 1964, cable carrier experience since 1971 iglidur® plastic bearing experience since 1983 and continuous-flex cable experience since 1989, igus provides the right solution from over 80,000 products available from stock, without any minimum order quantity. igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore with exclusive Indian partnership which was later taken over in 2002 to create igus India. Today igus® (India) Pvt Ltd, 100% owned subsidiary of igus® GmbH, Germany has established its presence in the whole country with a wide network of sales & service team. For more information visit: www.igus.in