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Issue 37, Jan 2015
TIMES
INSIDE OUT
 Guiding Lights
 LeaderSpeak
 Fifty Years Young and Counting...
 Nostalgia
 Reflections on a Golden Fifty
 “Little David”
Innovation TIMES | 1
Completion of 50 years of Divgi Metalwares is certainly a cherished moment in its history.
These years witnessed a great amount of technological and economic upheaval in India
and it stands to the credit of Divgi Metalwares that it endured and reinvented itself for
changed times.
Guiding
Lights
When TATA Motors Pune was established (TELCO in those days), Divgi Metalwares
was already a supplier to TATA Jamshedpur with over a decade of experience in the
manufacturing of various types of gears and precision parts. I carry very fond memories of
several pioneering technological innovations undertaken by the organization for TELCO that
spoke eloquently about the customer-centric approach to its business while adopting a no-compromises policy when it
came to quality and delivery.
Ramrao Divgi
In the immediate wake of liberalization in 1991, Divgi Metalwares allied with BorgWarner to help TELCO develop the
4WD system on the entire range of TATA utility and sport-utility vehicles. They used their strong base in manufacturing
to quickly assimilate technology from BorgWarner and developed an impressive range of transfer case products for a
range of vehicles from Tata. Divgi Metalwares has been an exemplary TATA supplier in following the TATA code of
conduct and constantly striving to move up the value chain with technological advancements. It is indeed gratifying to
see them evolve from a modest machining supplier to a supplier of a sophisticated drivetrain aggregate.
M. B. Swamirao
I was pleased and impressed to learn that Divgi facilities now export to Korea, China, Thailand, and the United
States and have been doing so since the early 2000’s. I am sure that Divgi Metalwares will continue to surge forward
in its quest for excellence in the manufacturing world. On this occasion of its Golden Jubilee, I would like to specially
congratulate all members of Divgi Metalwares who have strived to achieve this milestone and my best wishes to them
for a successful and prosperous future.
Prakash Telang
Former Managing Director
TATA Motors Ltd.
Bhaskar Divgi
Bhalchandra Divgi
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Umesh Divgi
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Anand Divgi
An excerpt from “A Psalm of Life”
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Innovation TIMES | 2
Mohan Divgi
Innovation TIMES | 3
3 | Innovation TIMES
Ramrao
Narsingrao Divgi (RN) born
in Divgi, near Kumta in the
Karwar District of the then Bombay
Presidency of the British Raj.
1942
1919
1957
R N
partnered with C.H. Khizar
Mohammad & Co of Madras and
started Meeran Trading as his first
business venture.
Divgi
Metalwares formed
for manufacture of metalware
components, gears and other
powertrain components.
Consolidated business with orders
from Philips, Kirloskars, Mahindra
and TATA Engineering
1964
Ramrao
and Bhaskar Divgi
diversified into audio components
and systems in partnership with
Ramakrishna, ‘Ram’, Chattopadhyay
and Madhusudhan Timblo. Precision
Radionics started for manufacture of
cone technology speakers
Early
1970s
Late
1960s
Became
first parts supplier to
Mahindra and Tata in India
with the full complement
of blanking, gear cutting,
finishing and grinding
machines to manufacture
drivetrain components
Fifty Years Young
and Counting...
1960
- 62
1965
Divgi
Metalwares
made several parts
of the BorgWarner T90
3-speed transmission, the
Dana T18 transfer case,
and the engine timing
set for the Kaiser Willys
‘Hurricane’ 90 hp petrol
engine. These Mahindra
Jeeps with the Vickers
recoilless guns mounted on
them played a stellar role in
destroying many squadrons
of Pakistani Patton tanks at
the Battle of Assal Uttar in the
Punjab.
Diversified into
manufacturing with Kraft
Tools set up with help from
brothers Bhalchandra and
Bhaskar; Pune branch
serviced Kirloskar Oil
Engines, Kirloskar
Pneumatics, and Mahindra
& Mahindra
Heat Treatment furnaces added
to make Divgi Metalwares a full
service transmission component
manufacturer. Added Mahindra,
Eicher, Escorts, and industrial
and construction equipment
customers Marshall & Sons,
Chennai (Madras), VOLTAS,
Siemens, BHEL, and Bharat
Petroleum.
1998
Became
first independent gear
manufacturer to introduce gear
teeth honing in India.
Divgi Metalwares became
India’s first company to
manufacture automatic
transmission gears
for John Deere’s Funk
Powertrain Division in
Coffeyville, Kansas, USA.
1994
1980s
Bhaskar
and Bhalchandra
Divgi’s sons joined the family
business; helped Mahindra
to localize the Peugeot BA10
transmission components; Two of
India’s first 3 modern automobile
transmissions localized with
considerable contribution by Divgi
Metalwares to Hindustan Motors
and Mahindra & Mahindra.
1995
1996
Joint
Venture agreement
signed with BorgWarner
Automotive, USA to
manufacture a wide range of
products for the SAARC region.
Developed
full set of BA10 transmission
components for M&M. Validation
completed by French experts
2010
Developed 2 critical
shafts for PTU for front
wheel drive based all
wheel drive system for
M&M W201 project.
2006
2002
Achieved QS9000
2014
Project Columbia: Exported
components to Ford, GM, Hyundai
and SsangYong
Volvo Eicher added as
new customer.
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TIMES
Reflections on a
Golden Fifty
Divgi Metalwares Pvt. Ltd. (Estd. 1964)
Ramrao Divgi
Bhaskar Divgi
‘Our greatest glory is not in
never failing, but in rising up
every time we fail’
Philips. RN and BN picked themselves up along with their band of
brothers and the remnants of their business plan, and struck out in
Divgi Metalwares with what they knew best – the manufacture of
gears and screw machined parts.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
To stand on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of any institution and
look back at the wake of fifty years gone by is a very special privilege
and opportunity. This is especially so when that institution started
life as a small scale manufacturing enterprise in the economic world
of independent India of the early to mid 1960’s. In theory, Nehruvian
policies in India of that era were supposed to incubate and nurture
indigenous economic activity with the License Raj to temper, in the
eternal wisdom of New Delhi, the unbounded and vaulting economic
ambition of India’s businessmen. In practice, the realities were
harsh with crippling shortages of everything from capital and
trained people to equipment, raw materials, and markets. Starting
a small scale manufacturing enterprise took imagination, self-belief
and confidence, and, at the key testing point, tremendous courage to
stay the course through complex uncertainty.
By 1964, Ramrao, ‘RN’, Divgi’s relentless serial entrepreneurship
had taken him over a period of 22 years from international trading
in the British Raj, through construction contracts in the erstwhile
princely Nizam State of Hyderabad, to experimenting with supply
of machine tool parts and engine gears to Mysore Kirloskar and
Kirloskar Oil Engines, respectively. His most ambitious project yet
with his engineer-brother Bhaskar, the plan to make contemporary
cone-type speakers with American technology incubated at MIT
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA had just been struck down by
the imperious mandarins of the DGTD in Delhi, thus perpetuating,
ironically, the asymmetric monopoly of the Dutch multinational
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Ramkrishna
Chattopadhyay
They say that the hardships of pioneering new things are a test
of the value and belief system of an organization and the people
who lead it, and build the culture by which the organization lives,
and so it was with Divgi Metalwares. The early entrepreneurial
days were marked by tremendous challenges but also a certain
can-do spirit, and a down-to-earth drive for results that got the
attention of customers like the Kirloskar Group, Mahindra, Tata
Engineering, Escorts, Eicher, Siemens, VOLTAS, and various other
companies. Ramrao and Bhaskar Divgi’s entrepreneurial style
could be described by 2 maxims: ‘The only way of discovering the
limits of the possible was to venture a little way past them into the
impossible’, and, ‘while daring ideas could get beaten like pawns in
a chess game, they could always start a winning game’.
Under RN and BN’s leadership style, Divgi Metalwares learnt
to question the status quo, observe trends and patterns in the
marketplace, connect individual dots to see a bigger picture, network
with all stakeholders (RN was a veritable walking database of
global contacts), and continuously experiment to discover the next
basis of competitive advantage. These rudimentary lessons in
creativity and innovation snowballed to enable Divgi Metalwares to
assemble a veritable arsenal of capabilities and competencies that
won the attention of a new generation of customers like John Deere,
JCB, Caterpillar, and BorgWarner. Eventually, the BorgWarner
relationship evolved into a market development arrangement that
quickly metamorphosed into a joint venture in 1995.
What had started in 1964 as baby steps in learning manufacturing
as a subcontractor to Mahindra & Mahindra Jeep Mfg Division at
the new integrated works in Kandivli came around as a full historic
circle with the formation of the joint venture with BorgWarner in
1995. From making BorgWarner-designed parts of the famous T90
3 speed transmission for the Mahindra Willys Jeep to making the
entire BorgWarner designed electronically controlled transfer
case for TATA Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra brought Divgi
Metalwares to the forefront of Tier 1 product technology companies
in the automotive industry of India. This partnership also
facilitated access to global markets for the capability developed in
Divgi Metalwares and transferred to the DivgiWarner joint venture.
The Divgi Metalwares frugal and lean manufacturing culture and
capability went on to support customers in Japan, Korea, China,
Thailand, UK, and the USA.
This occasion is also a moment to pause and express thanks to
the many people who joined their cause to that of this enterprise
and helped it bloom and mature. My individual words can never
be enough to encompass the debt this enterprise owes to several
hundred members and associates of the company who with great
dedication, commitment and self-sacrifice helped to successfully
build this first generation manufacturing enterprise in India.
Special mention must be made of the management team of the
1970’s under the leadership of Bhaskar Divgi that implemented
a system of management, when no computers were available,
that pioneered many elements of standardization in all aspects
of running a manufacturing organization that the world came to
know many years later as the ISO 9000 standard for a fundamental
and comprehensive quality system. These investments in assets,
knowledge, and capabilities made in the 1970’s enabled the
technical achievements of the 1980’s and the 1990’s leading to the
eventual graduation to making complete transmission systems on
some of India’s iconic models from Tata Motors and Mahindra &
Mahindra.
None of this would have been possible without the trust placed in
the can-do spirit and drive-for-results of the company by its many
pioneering customers and the solid backing of Saraswat Bank.
Starting under the mentorship of Shantanurao Kirloskar whose
Kirloskar Group companies were not only the first customers
but also the largest purveyor of machine tools, Divgi Metalwares
benefited from the life-giving vision and indigenization efforts of
Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors (then known as TELCO),
Eicher Tractors, the Escorts Group, and Hindustan Motors.
In this long journey of fifty years, the role played by Saraswat Bank
and its sagacious Board cannot be overstated. Its many distinguished
Chairmen, Board members, and executives encouraged, supported,
Innovation TIMES | 7
counseled, and, at times, indulged the entrepreneurial exuberance
and energy of Divgi Metalwares. I am deeply grateful to Saraswat
Bank and am confident that this relationship will deepen, broaden
and further endure in the years to come.
Today, as we stand at the dawn of a new global era of industrialization
in India, the challenges seem even more daunting as the world’s
mightiest companies have descended on the Indian marketplace
for what seems like a winner-take-all gladiatorial contest where
there are no other places on the podium. Once again, it is a test
of imagination, competence, and self-belief. We have to draw
learning and inspiration from our legacy and heritage. And there
is quite a bit of it. After all, Divgi Metalwares was one of India’s
first independent SME’s to manufacture precision automotive
transmission components, India’s first independent supplier of
modern 5 speed manual transmission gears, India’s very first
manufacturer of automatic transmission gears in the early 1990’s,
and, as India’s first Tier 1 drivetrain system supplier via the joint
venture with BorgWarner, the first Indian company to supply
complete electronically controlled 4WD systems to an automotive
multinational like Ford Motor Company and to China and Thailand.
We have to once again question the status quo, draw our unique
perspectives and insights, act with integrity and use a global
ecosystem of knowledge, resources and opportunities as a forcemultiplier to meet the future. At Divgi Metalwares, Bhaskar Divgi’s
legacy was that economic needs were always combined with the
passion for knowledge and excellence to yield continuous innovation
so critical to staying future-ready. In closing, I give the final word to
the poet, who said,
‘My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes.’
On this note,
I wish you all the very best for the New Year.
Thank you and Godspeed!
Jitendra Divgi
7 | Innovation TIMES
LeaderSpeak
Dear Divgi Team Member,
Dear Jiten,
I am pleased and honored to congratulate Divgi Metalwares for your 50 Years of
SUCCESS and PROSPERITY. The Divgi Family and the whole “Divgi Team”
should be PROUD of everything you have accomplished.
Congratulations on completing 50 years of partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
My first involvement with Divgi Metalwares and the Divgi Family was in the early
1990s. BorgWarner engaged Divgi Metalwares as a strong competitive supplier of
high quality gears and shafts for Borg’s manual transmissions and transfer cases.
From this initial business relationship grew a strong bond of mutual respect and
trust that created the embryo that has grown into DivgiWarner. Divgi Metalwares
and the Divgi Family became the guiding light for BorgWarner’s entry and growth
in the Indian market.
For me, it was very enjoyable to watch the growth and success of both Divgi
Metalwares, our partner, and DivgiWarner our JV. As I look back on my career, I
feel like a proud grandparent knowing that I was fortunate enough to participate in
DivgiWarner’s development and at the same time be able to watch Divgi Metalwares
successful growth.
As a result of the business relationship between Divgi Metalwares and BorgWarner,
I was personally able to discover the many interesting items that India has to offer,
from new types of food to world famous attractions. I will also never forget the
various Dedication and Celebration ceremonies that I was invited to attend; in
addition to the numerous interesting conversations I have had with RN, Jiten,
Arun and Hiren over the years. These delightful memories are burned into my
mind. Also, our business involvement with Divgi Metalwares has allowed me to
create friendships with executives at Mahindra and Tata Automotive in addition
to my close relationship with the Divgi family.
In closing, I look forward to following the continued success of Divgi Metalwares
and your various joint ventures under the strong leadership of Hiren and Jiten.
Congratulations to the whole Divgi Team for your 50 Years of Growth, and I wish
the Divgi Family and the Divgi Team 50 more Years of Prosperity!
We take great pride in this long and successful association that started of in 1957,
when M/s. Divgi Warner started supplying Gears & Shafts to M&M.
We, at Mahindra, have been privileged to witness M/s. Divgi Warner scale to new
heights. Your contribution has been integral in creating some of our most successful vehicles. Be it the ‘Single & Dual cone Synchronizers’ for the iconic Scorpio, or
the ‘Triple Cone Synchronizer Technology’ deployed for the first time in India on
our XUV500, your components have helped us deliver a delightful and pleasurable
drive to our customers. I must appreciate and acknowledge the innovative mind-set
and hard work that your team has put in delivering these to Mahindra. We are also
quite pleased to have you as our strategic partner and a single source for Mahindra’s iconic 4x4 vehicles electric shift transfer case.
I thank you for your immense support over the last five decades, and I urge everyone at M/s. Divgi Warner to maintain the same intensity in the years to come.
On behalf of everyone at Mahindra, I wish everyone at M/s. Divgi Warner all the
success and growth in the years to come.
Pawan Goenka
Executive Director and
President Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors)
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
With Warmest Regards and Memories,
Tim Manganello
Retired Chairman and CEO - BorgWarner Inc
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LeaderSpeak
Dear Jiten,
Dear Jiten,
To be successful in a business for 50 years is an outstanding achievement and
provides a benchmark for emerging entrepreneurs everywhere. My heartiest congratulations go out to Divgi Metalwares upon achieving this glorious milestone.
“Always lead, never follow” - Ratan N Tata
I would like to share a lesson learned from my 20+ years association with the
Divgi family. During this time, I had the opportunity to visit India many, many
times and had quite a bit of anxiety on that very first visit back in 1992. After being hosted with great generosity during that initial visit of 2 weeks that had several
stops around India, my colleague and I sat down to discuss what we had just experienced. Our eyes were widened with the desire to progress the Indian automotive
industry and to gain access and share in the available technological knowledge of
the global automotive industry. The memories that were gained in that first visit
remain some of the strongest and fondest yet today.
While business practices were similar in some cases and not so much in other areas, it was very evident that the Divgi family endeavored to meet requirements with
whatever they had and with whatever it took to complete the job. Knowledge and
ingenuity were combined to manufacture components with assets that were readily
available. This attribute has successfully carried forward to this day.
The most valuable lesson that I learned was this, never lose sight of the opportunity
to develop a personal relationship with anyone. Especially when encountering different cultures, different practices, different approaches to doing business. Never
lose sight of the benefits that can be realized by just getting to know someone that
you deal with on a business level. After all my visits to India, the one thing that I
tell people when they ask me about the trials and tribulations of international business is that there are a lot of good people in the world. Don’t let the global media
preclude your expectations. I am enriched from my personal relationships with my
many friends in India and owe it all to the Divgi family.
John Lewis
Senior Sales Manager,
BorgWarner & Director – DivgiWarner
Although the concept of planned socio-economic development and the license raj
were deeply embedded into Indian business strategy across sectors and scale, private enterprise took less than forty odd years to get liberated since Independence.
There was a critical mass of hardliners who were sure and believed that few people
can do the ‘thinking for others’ and this even influenced the setting up of state corporations for SMEs. Unfortunately most of this enabling space was cluttered with
technocrats. The hardliners set up more shops to deliver financial, legal literacy
and so on. The missing piece was actually entrepreneurship! Divgi Metalwares
belongs to this distinct and precious breed for enterprise. Very few in the founding
generation were hard core technocrats, legal, banking or finance experts!
Prof. Stuart Hart, well known author and thought leader of our times, while proposing a hypothesis to solve the tough problems of poverty through imaginative ‘enterprise-solutions’ talks about ‘reverse-innovation’, meaning, what we can learn
from the poorest of poor and so on. In a more business context, it would mean
referring to that school of entrepreneurs like Divgi to create mature extended shopfloors for a symbiotic cross-learning culture to mutually benefit. Be it quality, cost
effectiveness or finding alternate processes, it was all about how to make more
value out of less – which is what giants in the automobile or manufacturing sectors
precisely needed at all times.
When reforms were set in motion and large companies need to off-load work in
increasingly large quantities, every vendor developer looked out for a typical Divgi
who has foresight to invest and build the right capacity and capability – in spite of
justifiable apprehensions at different times. This helped Divgi and their customers
to forge ahead where others did not make it for many similar reasons. This foresight is also about values – the business sense in frugality, the common sense in
simplicity and the willingness to accept challenges irrespective of the immediate
constraint of resource. Divgi Metalwares carved a new role which was deeply relational beyond the normal transactional one. It brought satisfaction and purpose
to both sides!
In a completely different but another national context, to a small tribe of Chitrapur
Saraswats Divgi is more than a family name. For a Community of largely career
seekers, Divgi is a role model – as a cohesive family business creating jobs. These
are invaluable lessons when India will soon have hundreds of millions of youth,
many of who may be significantly educated or at least skilled, looking for work
opportunities.
Personally, my fondest hope lies in the fact that having reinvented through many a
challenges and revolutions Divgi may also become a forerunner in the Sustainability space – so that the Journey continues: whenever there is a challenge, the solution
is Divgi!
Anant G. Nadkarni
Formerly with Vendor Development at Tata Motors & Group Vice President,
CSR / Sustainability, Tata group
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LeaderSpeak
“Little David”
Dear Shri Jiten Divgi,
I am extremely delighted to learn that M/s Divgi Metalwares Private limited has successfully completed its journey of five decades and is commemorating its golden jubilee year.
It is indeed a proud moment for the Divgi group of industries to attain golden jubilee
landmark.
The Saraswat Bank has a long association with Divgi Group since inception when
the company base was first set up in Pune. It is also a proud moment for the Saraswat
bank to be associated with the esteemed company for fifty long years. The company’s
journey of five decades, as the Bank saw, was not smooth sailing but it was a strenuous tumultuous journey which withstood all the challenges and vagaries of time. The
Saraswat bank relationship with the company in this long journey through thick and thin
got more and more steadfast in course of time. The Bank look upon Divgi’s as an extended
family of the Saraswat bank.
I recall, when I was posted at Pune region in nineties, I had the opportunity of meeting late Shri R.N.Divgi, the founder promoter of the company who built this company with his hard work, patience, dedication and devotion along with
the vision he carried in the making of the company. So also, I am a witness to the smooth succession of the company
in the able hands of technically and professionally qualified second generation of Divgi family who were instrumental
to contributing significantly in transformation of the company to the present status.
I am sure, the company under your able leadership will attain greater heights in future by continuing to maintain its
pace in this innovative and competitive world and march forward in its quest for excellence.
I and the Saraswat bank extend our warmest wishes and accolades to the company, its management and employees
on this momentous occasion and congratulate one and all for achieving this golden milestone.
With sincere regards,
Smita Sandhane
Dy. Managing Director
The Saraswat Co-Operative Bank Ltd.
Mahindra CJ-3B
The Mahindra Jeep in the above picture mounted with the Vickers recoilless guns played a stellar role in the Battle of Assal Uttar
in the Punjab during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Dear Jiten,
I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the entire team at Divgi
Metalwares on this historic and proud occasion. Divgi Metalwares has been
one of the pioneers amongst the Automotive Tier 1 suppliers for various types
of gears and have been known for their leading efforts to keep pace with technology whilst meeting the customer’s requirements on quality and delivery.
I would like to extend my best wishes to the team DMPL for a great future
and many more glorious milestones to come.
Warm regards,
Dilip Huddar
Head- Supplier Quality, Tata Motors
Innovation TIMES | 12
The Battle of Asal Uttar, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, was the biggest tank battle fought after
World War II. It was fought from September 8 through September 10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its
formidable Patton tanks and infantry into Indian territory, capturing the Indian town of Khem Karan 5 km from
the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated, and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended
with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar. Smart tactics and a successful Indian strategy led to
the demise of the Pakistani advance. The Indian troops assumed a horseshoe shaped defensive position with
Assal Uttar as its focal point. In the night, it flooded the sugarcane fields. The next morning, the Pakistani tanks,
consisting mainly of M-47 and M-48 Patton tanks, were lured inside the horse-shoe trap. The swampy ground
slowed down the advance of the Pakistani tanks, and many of them couldn’t move because of the muddy slush.
The Mahindra Jeeps with the Vickers recoilless guns mounted on them with a crew perfected in their gun drills
provided the perfect maneuverability of this mobile gun platform in marshy terrain to decimate the entrapped
Pakistani tanks. 100 Pakistani tanks, mostly Pattons, and a few Shermans and Chaffees were destroyed or
captured while the Indians, by their account, lost only 10 tanks during this offensive.
Divgi Metalwares made several parts of the BorgWarner T90 3-speed transmission, the Dana T18 transfer case,
and the engine timing set of the Kaiser Willys ‘Hurricane’ 90 hp petrol engine (including a thermoplastic timing
gear) that propelled this little David against the Goliathan Patton Tank of the Pakistani Army in the above
decisive battle of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Innovation TIMES | 13
13 | Innovation TIMES
Nostalgia
“I got the best knowledge & experience of my profession”
---Anil Gokarn
“The love and affection bestowed upon me by the promoters of Divgi group of companies and their family members was mind-blowing”.
---Thankachan P Puthenvilayil
“As the organizations grew one thing which was strong and common across the years and hasn’t changed, is values and treating
every employee as family.”
---H. V. Raghavendra Rao
“I am proud to be a member of the organization who is the pioneer of GEAR INDUSTRY”
--- Anil Joshi
“During my stay Divgi Metalwares, I had many occasions to learn new practices and innovative methods of various machines
and process functions”.
---S. S. Anikhindi
Standing from left to right : Ms. V. P. Parkhi, Ms. V. S. Kane, Ms. Philomina D’souza, Ms. S. Mitragotri,
Ms. C. D Phadke, Ms. Vijayamma , M. W. Deshkumh, M. S. Jagtap, K. Venkateshan, Bharat Divgi, Anil Joshi,
R. Y. Abhyankar,
M. A. Bhat, T. K. Billye, C. Dassharma, P. D. Kajrekar, R. S. Bhat, Mr. S. V. Savadkar,
T. K. R. Pillai, Anil Gokarn, P. B. Deshpande,
R. V. Talwar.
Sitting from left to right : S. D. Deshpande, G. M. Shet, S. S. Anikhindi, S. G. Belgaumkar, K. M. Kalbag,
Bhaskar Divgi, Arun Idgunji, V. D. Kajrekar, N. S. Mane, Jitendra Divgi, Hirendra Divgi, P. P. Thankachan.
“When I walk down the memory lane, I still remember vividly the day I joined 32 years ago as a Production Manager at Sterling
Heat Treaters, a Metallurgical arm of Divgi group and retired as Technical Director in 2000. Under the able guidance of the
Divgis, I got an insight as to how to deal with the clients and maintain good relations, which helped me to grow professionally. I
wish to conclude by quoting a few lines “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”.—Hellen Keller.
---R. Y. Abhyankar
“We enjoyed those days as part of transformation of the organization, be it computerization, process orientation, productivity or
adapting to technology change for the next generation. The best of core manufacturing setups and the homely environment with
empowerment really helped me to gain industry experience as a solid foundation for progress in my career.”
---Pattanshetti
“DML was a perfect place for learning with the help of experienced seniors’ guidance. Shri B.N.Divgi always treated employees
as their family members even in difficult hours.”
---Radhakrishna Bhat
“During the period of 18 years of service in DML, I had a great opportunity to work with great mentors, teachers and gurus like
Mr. B.N. Divgi and L.C. Jhamb and many others who shaped me as a Mechanical Engineer and a Management Professional.
This period was a great and valuable part of my life”.
---Vishwas Kajrekar
“I have learnt a lot of things in Divgi, which have helped my future life.”
---N.S. Mane & P. D. Kajrekar
“Divgi Metalwares was family company for us. The company made us very-very strong independent decision-making persons. It
was like a home to us which we will never forget.”
---Mrs. Jyoti Phadake, Shmt. V.S. Kane, Mrs. Vijaya Parkhi, Mrs. Philomena Dsouza, Vijayamma and M.M. Deshmukh,
M. B. Bhat, K. Venkatesh
“It is kind of DML executives to arrange this “GET TOGETHER on the occasion of Golden Jubilee of DML. With this, people
(staff) & arrangement, people could meet after so many years. Old memories were revived. Wish all the best for coming years &
hope to attend PLATINUM JUBILEE celebrations. ---Kishor Kalbag
“I am grateful to all directors of the company for their help in my service”.
Innovation TIMES | 14
Innovation TIMES | 15
- --S.D. Uravane
15 | Innovation TIMES
Back to the Future
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY FOR
EMERGING MARKETS
As automotive technology proliferates in the emerging
automotive markets of the world, one of the last frontiers
of novelty yet to be made available to consumers
in these emerging markets is the convenience of
automatic transmissions at affordable prices.
Today’s emerging markets are the growth markets
of tomorrow, and various estimates point to these
markets eventually altering the relative composition
of the global automotive industry in the next 10 to 15
years. At least 3 fundamental approaches to achieving
automatic power delivery are available today, although
none of them has been assimilated to any significant
extent in the emerging regions of the automotive
industry worldwide. Advances in stepped automatic
technology (the conventional incumbent) compete with
those in automated manuals and continuously variable
transmissions, CVT’s. Arguably, the answer to which
technology is most suitable depends on the overall
value proposition that can be offered to the consumer
in terms of price, fuel economy, pleasing performance
and a certain standard of durability and reliability.
The technology to meet the necessary
conditions of fuel economy, performance, durability
and reliability is all available given that automatic
transmission technology, in one form or another, has
been around for more than 70 years in the automotive
industry. It seems therefore that the preponderant
sufficient condition to meet is the ability to offer an
attractive price in a sustainably profitable manner.
The dynamic state of flux of the emerging markets, rife
with ferocious competition, and driven by the steady
unyielding forces of globalization, is ripe for explosive
innovation that alone will achieve the goal of providing
the convenience of automatics at affordable prices.
There are 3 significant trends that could drive
innovation. First, the demographic and economic
saturation of the developed countries implies that
installed capacity and the technology and knowledge
base there are in an economic state of jeopardy. Second,
the hardware and software of the industry are slowly, but
steadily, moving to regions of the world that have a more
competitive combination of economics, demographics
and growth. And finally, as this phenomenon restores
some degree of economic parity, the rising purchasing
power of these economically emerging regions of the
world is reflected in higher foreign exchange reserves
accompanied by simplification and lowering of import
duties and taxes. The logical consequence is evident –
the capacities created by outsourcing, in combination
with the natural pull or demand on the knowledge
and advanced manufacturing capacities in the
developed countries could progressively accelerate the
transfer and assimilation of technology in emerging
markets. The speed with which engine technology, including
electronics, for emission control, fuel economy and
sheer power performance is being integrated in China
and India is a pointer that the mystique of automatic
transmission technology will not remain much longer.
Companies that seek a product leadership role in the
industry will proactively develop a flexible strategic
approach that integrates product design with sourcing
and manufacturing and is based on deep market and
economic insights. They will challenge conventional
wisdom, stretch the limits of possibilities, and lead the
revolution!
At Divgi, our entrepreneurial heritage
inspires our knowhow, passion and innovation to
seek out practical solutions for our OEM customers
by combining the discipline of product leadership with
the cost competitiveness of India. Not only do we bring
distinctive solutions, but we have the capability to
work with customers to provide a migration path over
the next several years of the planning horizon of the
automotive industry. So watch this space!
All Matter in this Newsletter is Copyright & is meant for private circulation only. For additional information visit www.divgi-warner.com
Innovation TIMES | 16
Innovation TIMES | 16