Female entrepreneurship leading the industry in adopting new technical standards.
Aadhunik Woodworking Machinery was founded in January 2015 to promote Woodtech Consultants’s machinery in Maharashtra and Goa. We successfully installed more than 500 machines during this time. Right from day one, Aadhunik focused on providing the best after-sales service at an affordable cost. As a result of that, we have more than 70 [… 75] happy and satisfied customers.
Aadhunik is a lady’s entrepreneurial initiative, and Mrs. Anagha Chapalgaonkar is the director of the company. Mr. Praveen Dhore looks after Aadhunik as CEO of the company. During this tough economic time, we connected with a few Turkish companies and decided to bring the latest technology to India at a very attractive price tag with European Standards.
Please tell us about your product range for the Indian market.
Apart from our starting businesses—panel processing machinery and solid woodworking machines—we added a few more products.
Considering growth in panel production in India, we added flat lamination lines. At the same time, the door industry and UPVC sector are growing, so we decided to add profile wrapping machines and foil slitting machines from Vermak, Turkey. To add to this, we have very specialised door machinery from Emin Tosun, Turkey.
In the furniture sector, surface finishing is the one area that is being focused on much now a days in India, and Indian panel producers are looking for the best UV coating and UV excimer technology, which we offer from the well-known Turkish manufacturer UVtek.
Also, we are the India representative for Neoflex and Spain for PUR adhesives in India.
As a machinery company, how do you ensure the maintenance of your service standards?
First of all, all our machines are industrial, high-tech, and state-of-the-art technology products. These products are proven across the globe. Our products are truly low-maintenance products. But still, to support our valuable customers, we have trained service engineers. We generally respond to any service call within 24 hours. Plus, our machines are supplied with fast-moving and critical spare parts with the machine itself.
We do not want to compromise on the service front. We are known for service in the market.
How would the woodworking industry fare in terms of automation?
Day by day, the level of automation is going to the next level in the woodworking sector due to mass production, quality, and the fact that many corporations are entering this sector. And in the coming few years, automation will be a key area in the woodworking sector here in India.
How much do you value safety, when it comes to your products, are your machines being designed with this in mind?
Safety is the most important point while designing our machines, and safety is the highest value while designing our machines.
What are your business plans for the next five years? Which cities and markets have good potential according to you?
In the next five years, we are confident of really good growth with our added products and technologies in the Indian market. Now the woodworking sector is reaching second- and third-tier cities, but still, Bangalore, Gujarat, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are hot attractions.
So what would be your key crucial message to the industry at large?
Focus on world-class quality; we have all the latest technologies available in India. Better quality at an affordable cost and mass production are key from this point on.
How are the metros and non-metros doing? How do you intend to penetrate into the Country’s tier-II and tier-III cities?
With furniture making, our industry is already in 2 and 3-tier cities. Now next step will be upgraded technologies and surface finish will be key area. And due to various government initiatives, the furniture sector is spreading its wings to rural parts of India.
What opportunities and challenges do you foresee in the Indian market?
The opportunities in surface finishing in the furniture sector are very good, and that will play an important role. The challenge is to offer better and better pricing as India is a cost-sensitive market with huge potential.