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Products galore

Janaki Murali

ONE of the companies that has chosen to set up its facilities at the electronic city at Bangalore is the Maini group which recently introduced India's first electric car in Bangalore.

It was 28 years ago, that Maini Precision Products was started by S.K. Maini to manufacturer high precision lapping tools for MICO. The company was soon outsourcing for a number of multinational companies, including General Motors.

Today the Maini group companies offer a spectrum of products that include automotive components, machined castings and forging, manual/battery operated in plant material handling equipment and granites, tiles and slabs for domestic and export markets. Wi th manufacturing facilities in 12 locations in and around Bangalore, the group employs 1,400 people and has 80 specially trained suppliers.

The group spends seven per cent of its turnover on R&D. The Maini Technology Centre is recongnised by the Council of Science and Industrial Research for conducting research. Maini Industrial Consultants, Maini Technology Centre and Maini Info Solutions m eet the technology and R&D requirements of the manufacturing companies in the group.

Maini Precision Products was started in 1973 in Bangalore and has grown to four manufacturing locations making a wide variety of components, machined casting and forgings, machined aluminium die casting, miscellaneous parts for the automotive, material h andling and general engineering industry.

Karnataka Electronics, an ISO 9000 company, deals in auto assemblies for original equipment makers including diesel fuel filters, hand primers and filter inserts. This company, whose major customer is MICO, also exports special auto spares to Singapore, Italy and Germany.

Bangalore Commercial Corporation is an one-source marketplace offering services and represents German companies for the supply of machines and diamond tools. Maini Materials Movements specialises in in-plant material handling equipment and offers dock le velers, tow tractors and lift tables. The company also makes pallet trucks, stackers and platform trucks. This company also markets its products in Europe, US and Canada.

Some of the other companies under the Maini group are Maini Granites, Maini Industrial Consultants, Maini Abrasives, Hensel India, Berger-Maini Precision Products and Maini Info Solutions.

Of course in the news is the groups's REVA Electric Car company (RECC) which makes the group's electric car. The REVA was designed and developed by RECC in collaboration with the American Electric Vehicle Technologies (AEVT) California. RECC hopes to ent ice two wheeler owners graduating to a four wheeler. Reva also promises a `no gears, no clutch,' driving experience at a low running cost of 40 paise per km.

RECC which is promoting itself as an environment conscious company, has initiated several environment linked events. Although the first Electric Vehicle was built in 1834, its manufacture was curtailed by the arrival of the

internal combustion (IC) engine. Gasoline driven vehicles were faster and cheaper and were available in a wider range. Ready availability of petroleum products resulted in a further drawback, which affected the growth of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Although interest in EVs was rekindled in the mid 1970s with petroleum products becoming scarce, the EV industry did not grow, as it was expensive to be operational.

However, awareness of environmental issues like ozone depletion, the greenhouse effect and harmful effects of carbon dioxide emission are reasons will encourage the acceptance of electric vehicles now. Advances in research and development in the area of fuel cells has also made the long-term future for the electric motor car brighter.

Pic.: The REVA Electric car from the stables of the Maini Group is poised to make inroads into the automobile market.

(A broadsheet feature on electronics city, Bangalore)