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Pune, Dec. 29

Industrial and agro pumps manufacturer, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd (KBL), is implementing several measures including 10-day block closure at its Dewas plant to tide over the current economic downturn. The plant has already been operating on a 5-day week since earlier this month. Mr A.R. Sathe, Chief Financial Officer, KBL, said the company had witnessed a 20-25 per cent lower demand for agro pumps during November-December, traditionally months of brisk sales, necessitating the block closure at Dewas. A similar trend had also been seen with respect to the small and medium pumps manufactured at its Kirloskarwadi facility, Mr Sathe said, adding that a block closure had not been necessitated here as the extra capacity had been diverted to large pumps which have “enough of an order board”. However, the company has cut down third party manufacture drastically, and is making some of the outsourced products in-house, he said. Amongst the other austerity measures introduced at KBL are air-travel only by economy class, axing of petrol and telephone reimbursement above the prescribed limits and a ban on entertainments expenses like gifts, dinners and lunches. —

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