Over time, Prime Group has diversified into different technologies and regions, but your thrust seems to remain on the core sectors of the economy.
Right from its inception, each entity of the Prime Group of companies, has been focused on the importance and role advancements in technology would play in speeding up the growth of the nation especially one that is driven through the core sectors of the economy. Thus, we began our global technological journey of ‘looking beyond tomorrow’ – something that has become the corner stone of all our corporate action.
Over the past nearly three & a half decades of existence, we have maintained the same steadfast thrust by seeking to continuously identify the most advanced cutting-edge technologies and infuse these into the Indian context by way of technology transfers, technical associations and joint ventures with technology leaders from across the world. In all this our mission has been the development of technologies that allow users to significantly enhance their productivity and efficiency. And we have ever ensured that the advanced solutions we provide are scalable to accommodate their future needs and result in lowering the effective costs of ownership, maintenance and operation.
This, I believe, is what makes the difference — not just at the level of improving the operational and financial efficiency of our customers but most importantly also the level of accelerating the economic growth of the nation.
PCI has been a major player in the Power sector for over 30 years. What are the products & services offered by the company?
Actually, Prime Group is a highly diversified group addressing many of India’s core sectors other than power sector alone. It has had an unparalleled exposure to working with some of the most advanced global technologies by working closely with some of the largest and the best technology providers and innovators. The companies of the group have infused cutting edge technologies to perfectly address the needs of India’s and the region’s core sector. These range from the power sector (including solar, wind, hydro and thermal), drilling and mining for oil and gas industries, chemicals & fertilizers, railways, defence, aviation and aerospace, process control industries, and even advanced solutions for mission critical preventive maintenance needs of allied industries globally.
Over the years, PCI Limited has acquired the reputation of being a leading force in the field of hi-technology & equipment, systems & machines etc., relating to power generation, transmission & distribution, precision engineering, power generation using solar and wind resources, thermography, cable fault location, online condition monitoring systems, high-voltage test equipment and protection test equipment for HV/EHV electrical installations, transformers, cables, turnkey projects etc. The Group’s diversified business interests also include manufacturing of engineering components including turbine parts, precision castings, turnkey projects including projects involving HV / EHV dynamic power conditioning systems with mega watt capacities.
Prime Group is also into state-of-the-art manufacturing, with manufacturing facilities at Nellore district’s Naidupet SEZ in Andhra Pradesh and in Manesar and Bawal in Haryana. The ultra modern world-class manufacturing facility spread over 100 acres at Naidupet, has a vast range of offerings that include heavy fabricated & heavy machined renewable energy components such as rotor, stater, gearbox housing, torque plates and stiffening plates for wind and hydro power; critical turbine components like hollow guide blades and steam turbine guide blade carrier assemblies upto 800 MW; main oil pump assemblies for 250/500 MW steam turbines; precision engineering components, assemblies and sub-assemblies for hydro turbines, power plants and other industrial applications; heavy fabrication of tanks for power transformers up to 765 KV class (up to 45 tons single piece) as well as other components.
We have our customers amongst all major segments of the economy and cover virtually all top of the line companies, government and private, and these include organizations like NTPC, Power Grid, NHPC, BHEL, IAAI, BEL, HAL, ISRO, TATA, Reliance, L&T, railways, Defence, HCL Ltd., CPRI, SAIL, IOC, DRDO among others – something that we truly value and greatly cherish.
What technological innovations/ new technologies have you introduced in your product range most recently?
In keeping with ‘Looking Beyond Tomorrow’ philosophy, we constantly strive to identifying, innovate & bring about the best of technologies for our clients. Of the many new introductions, the ones related to power & energy sectors are:
First by way of a Joint Venture between PHEL, a Prime Group company with Hubei Teweite Power Technology, (established by the cooperation between Hong Kong Teweite International Investment Ltd., and American Tewatt Compression Technologies Inc.) to deliver a vast range of Screw Air Compressors. Under the brand name of ‘Prime Tewatt’, these highly cost-effective, energy saving, high reliability vast product range, includes medium to high pressure Screw Air Compressors that perform reliably even under severe environmental constraints faced in mine blasting, water-well drilling, hydroelectric and infrastructure construction, oil and gas and mineral explorations etc.
The second innovative diversification too through PHEL, is the world-class Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP) in tie-up with ISOLI of Italy (industry leader since 1946). These highly advanced Static or Truck-mounted aerial lift equipment allow for safe, speedy and most efficient elevation for maintenance workers, tools and equipment to work at heights. These combine great maneuverability with superb working envelopes, making them ideal for telecoms and internet infrastructure installations; utilities; window cleaning, gutter clearing and other general high-rise building maintenance. These MEWP are capable of safely hoisting workers to a height of up to 60 meters.
In a group as diversified as Prime Group how do you ensure that quality standards are met?
As I said earlier, the Group’s ideology of ‘Looking Beyond Tomorrow’ forms the very basis of our philosophy & has governed the action of our companies: Be it the identification of technologies best suited for India; be it in-house manufacturing and conducting hi-tech research in our state-of-the-art, in-house R&D labs; be it setting and performing up to exacting global quality standards; or be it even in the hiring & training of our human/knowledge resource — we have always addressed issues with an eye on quality and on the future and how we can provide value to the entire global technological chain.
To us at Prime Group and within each of its companies, quality is a feature we remain cognizant and vigilant about at each stage of the procurement, manufacturing or execution process. The company is ISO certified to ensure highest levels of quality standards. Given the diverse fields of technological specialization and to handle the specialized needs of our customer base, each product division within each group company is structured as a decentralized module with its own range & scope of deliverables. Such scope calls for the correct identification of a client’s current need as well as his potential need of the technology mapped to his future growth. In fact the recognition and development of a precise long-term solution to an identified client need itself brings out the quality commitment in each of the product divisions. The structuring also calls for deep association with technology majors across the world and working closely with their core technology teams in order to be able to identify, develop & bring into India, solutions that are not only India-specific but are such that they create value for our clients. With such a level of commitment, quality is a natural by-product.
How do you see India and the role of the Group companies in the power and energy sector?
India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world today with huge opportunities for growth in several verticals such as the power sector and other core sectors of the economy related to infrastructure. Traditionally, power and energy sectors act as catalysts that further augment the growth story. I see India continue on a rapid growth through continued thrust in the core sectors of the economy. And in the power & energy segment, in particular, I see huge growth for the Group’s companies in the fields of power equipment manufacturing, power generation using renewable sources and distribution, EPC & turnkey projects, emergency restoration services and above all in predictive & preventive maintenance technologies & solutions.
In the power & energy segment, in particular, I see huge growth for the group’s companies in the fields of power equipment manufacturing, power generation using renewable sources and distribution, EPC & turnkey projects, etc states Padmashri Surinder Mehta, Founder & Chairman of the Prime Group of companies in an interaction with Electrical India…
