The Hindu Business Line : Tecumseh commissions rotary compressor unit

TECUMSEH Products India, part of the $2-billion US major, has commissioned its 7,50,000 rotary compressor unit capacity at its manufacturing base at Balangar, making it the first company to achieve this figure in the country.

The company is planning to make this centre its export base for the region, according to Mr Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director.

He said that a new rotary compressor would be available in six models and cater to the 1.5-tonne and 2-tonne ranges, which constitute almost 90 per cent of the market.

This being the only plant of Tecumseh in the region, it plans to cater to the Chinese and West Asian markets and the region in general.

The response to these rotary compressors has been extremely encouraging from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), both domestic and overseas.

Apart from being energy efficient, these compressors provide the dual advantage of cooling and heating options and can take temperatures of up to 54 degree Centigrade under ambient conditions. This was not possible before. Hence, West Asia provides immense potential.

Going forward, the company expects to manufacture compressors that can take high-voltage fluctuations and run without additional voltage stabilisers. Such products would be ideal for markets such as India, Mr Sondhi told newspersons.

Explaining the significance of the rotary compressor unit, Mr J.D. Chatterjee, Vice-President of Operations, said that the precision that this plant has brought about was a lot more than what the automobile industry has achieved in the country.

Currently, more than 80 per cent of domestic market uses rotary technology, now imported from China and South-East Asia. The rotary compressor market has been growing in the country at about 30-35 per cent annually over the last three years.

Typically, companies that assemble air-conditioners place orders with overseas companies in advance and wait for a couple of months for the orders to materialise given the issues of transport and other logistics problems. The Tecumseh plant will help OEMs bypass this problem.

Tecumseh India, which has two units - one near Hyderabad and the other at Ballabhgarh - recorded turnover of Rs 480 crore in 2004 and has projected revenues of Rs 600 crore this year.

Later this month, the new rotary plant is set for formal launch by the company Chairman.

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