| …says Rohit Munot, Director- Operations, Harnex Systems. In an interaction with Sanjay Jadhav, he talks about the growing wiring harness market and how the automotive sector is driving its size. Excerpts…
The global wire harness market is expected to reach $197.39 billion by the end of 2031. How do you think Indian companies can strengthen their manufacturing potential along the same lines?
Originally coined way back in 2013, the strategy of China Plus One is where companies around the globe have started shifting their focus away from China. India is one of the major beneficiaries of such businesses. The world is also feeling the heat of the same since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Wiring harness being a labour-intensive industry, all eyes are on India for the same. Compared to other competing countries, the cost of labour is extremely cheap in India. With the Make In India initiative, instead of importing raw materials from other countries, India can build the infrastructure in-house & build a great competitive advantage.
An increase in demand for wire harnesses in the automotive sector is driving the size of the global market. How are you strategizing your business to meet the ever-increasing demand?
With EVs emerging strongly across the globe, there is going to be a huge demand for wiring harnesses in the coming days. Not just the automotive industry, but all other industries (genset, off-road, road constructions equipment, etc) are also moving towards the use of alternate fuel. To keep up with this increasing demand, we have been increasing our capacity and have set up two new plants. One of which is located in Central India (Pithampur, MP). From here, we can cater to all parts of India. We have also been exporting certain wiring harnesses and are looking to expand our foothold in the export market.
What are the key emerging trends in the wiring harness industry? How will they benefit the Indian market?
Increasingly partnering with technology solutions is one of the emerging trends. Automation techniques like the use of IoT in machines, Industry 4.0, etc, are some ways of working efficiently. Wiring harnesses play a major role when it comes to working within the space and weight constraints of the vehicle. India’s market, being full of resources, has an upper hand in contributing towards the above factors.
With focus being given to sustainable solutions, how is Harnex Systems working so that its manufacturing facility meets the requirements?
With one of our core values being eco-consciousness, our company has been awarded the Green Factory award. Moving towards a sustainable future, we work towards a lot of initiatives, like promoting the use of bicycles. There is an incentive of ₹500 per month for employees who use bicycles daily. We have solar panels installed at our facilities. The use of single-use plastic bottles is strictly prohibited. We also undertake tree plantation drives periodically.
As a new-age leader, what are your future visions for the company?
We believe in conducting our business according to certain values that we live by. We also believe in collaborative growth and are an extremely people-centric organisation. We encourage our people to explore their potential and help them realise it. With a purpose to create a sustainable society, our vision is to lead the industry through innovative solutions.
