Elmin ties up with Babcock Welding
By Venkatachari Jagannathan | 25 May 2001
Mr. Parikshit Shukla, director of the Chennai-based Elmin Electrodes will swear by the Internet. And he has every reason to do so. A casual browsing of the net has got his company the much-needed technology transfer from Babcock Welding Products Ltd., part of Mitsui Babcock Energy Services Ltd, UK.
Searching for something on welding electrodes, Mr. Shukla chanced on the UK company's web site and after couple of e-mails and personal visits by the UK company officials to Chennai, Elmin Electrodes inked the technology transfer deal. The deal also allows the Chennai company to market the product under the brand Elmarc Babcock.
Ever since it was floated in 1988, the Rs. 2.5-crore turnover Elmin Electrodes has been manufacturing normal welding electrodes used in simple fabrication works. With competition being severe, the only area available for growth is getting into a speciality segment dominated by majors like Esab and Advani Oerlikon.
The technical tie-up with Babcock Welding will precisely facilitate that. "Now, we will be able to manufacture electrodes used in coal, gas and oil fired power generation, petro-chemical and process industries," explains Mr. Shukla. The deal ushers Elmin Electrodes into the bigger league.
Babcock Welding manufactures a wide range of high quality manual metal arc-welding electrodes for use in application, ranging from structural steel work to high integrity pressure parts, where optimum metallurgical properties weldability and non-destructive quality are
paramount. The company is in operation since 1938 when the first rutile type electrodes were developed.
"Apart from providing the know-how to Elmin Electrodes, we will use their electrodes in our
fabrication works," says Mr. P. Kanagaraj, deputy manager (QA) Mitsui Babcock Energy (India) Private Ltd., Chennai.
The Chennai company is in the process of setting up a nation-wide distribution network. The agreement with UK company permits Elmin Electrodes to export its products to the neighbouring countries and the Middle East. According to Mr. Shukla, Mitsui Babcock is involved in several power projects in the Middle East and this augurs well for his company.