Situated in Tamil Nadu, India, INDO Shell Cast has been a reputed brand in the segment of iron castings and has become one of the biggest shell moulding foundries in the country. Starting with a small unit, the company now has grown into a multi-plant with two plants under its belt. The company has also been exporting its castings to the US and to various places in Europe. Also, nearly 25% of the production of the company has been exported every year.
In an exclusive interview with Machine Maker, Dr V S Saravanan, Junior Vice President of INDO Shell Cast, shared the company’s journey over the past three decades. INDO Shell Cast is a well-known brand in the casting industry, specializing in the shell moulding process. During its early days, the company produced an output of 10-25 tons per month, but it has now increased to an average of 1000 tons per month. This remarkable growth has led the company to cross a turnover of 200 crores. Dr Saravanan attributes this success to the company’s unwavering commitment to quality and innovation
From humble beginnings, the company has expanded into a multi-plant operation with two plants under its belt. In addition to its domestic operations, INDO Shell Cast has also been exporting its castings to the United States and various locations throughout Europe. Dr Saravanan revealed that roughly 25% of the company’s production is exported annually.
Dr Saravanan expressed optimism about the future of the foundry industry stating, “There is good scope for foundry industries in the future owing to the focus of European and US countries towards Indian companies. Our country has also started producing complicated castings in recent days and this only suggests that the scope has been increasing for the foundry industries in the coming days.” He expects the domestic market to grow 3x in the near future. Dr Saravanan also emphasized that the foundry industry plays a crucial role in supporting various other industries, both directly and indirectly. This factor is estimated to drive the growth of the market and contribute to its noticeable expansion in the future.
INDO Shell Cast is one of the leading shell moulding foundries in India that specializes in producing castings for a variety of automobile industries. The company produces castings with a weight range of 15 grams to 15 kilograms. According to Dr Saravanan, INDO Shell Cast produces an impressive 25 lakh castings per month. The company offers a wide range of casting varieties, including 250 different types. This diverse portfolio of castings allows the company to cater to the unique needs of its clients and remain at the forefront of the industry.
Due to its specialization in casting production and diverse range of offerings, INDO Shell Cast has established itself as one of the most reliable names in the industry. The company’s ability to produce a wide variety of castings has become its major USP for growth in the market. As one of the few companies engaged in the manufacturing of castings, INDO Shell Cast has earned a reputation for excellence and reliability, allowing it to maintain its position as a leading provider of castings in the industry.
Speaking about the challenges pertaining to the company Dr Saravanan said, “Finding efficient manpower has been a major challenge, not only for us but also for the foundry industry in general. In the recent past, we are not being able to get either skilled or unskilled manpower and thus are facing a dearth of human resources. So, finding the manpower as well as retaining them is a major challenge in this industry. Also, the unstable availability in finding of raw materials has also become a major problem with respect to the industry.” Stating his views on the issue of manpower in the industry, Dr Saravanan is of the opinion that in the near future robots may replace human resources in some areas. However, he also emphasized that it is unlikely for robots to fully replace humans in all areas.
