We are privileged to introduce you to a dynamic and accomplished marketing leader, Mr. Prashant Sinha. With a career spanning over 17 years of rich cross-functional and cross-industry experience, Mr. Sinha has truly carved a niche for himself in the realm of marketing communications and brand development.
Mr. Sinha embarked on his professional journey in marketing communication and brand development, and since then, his trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. He’s adept at building brand recognition and pioneering profitable business strategies. His journey of growth took him from Happersberger otopront GmbH to Socomec Innovative Power Solutions, where he honed his expertise in Process Instrumentation and Power Electronics industries. His proficiency spans diverse products, from Uninterruptible Power Supply to Solar Switches, Energy Efficiency products, and even Medical Equipment.
Currently steering the marketing division at WIKA India for the EMEA & INDIA Region, Mr. Sinha showcases a multi-faceted skill set that includes strategic marketing planning, integrated communication, event management, market research, and much more. His role extends into product development, trade marketing, pricing, and brand management, making him a pivotal force behind WIKA’s strategic positioning and growth.
With a keen eye for strategic planning and problem-solving, Mr. Sinha is determined to create an ecosystem that propels rapid company progression. His expertise in leveraging market research, analyzing industry trends, and understanding customer insights fuels his ability to anticipate market dynamics and secure WIKA’s leadership in the industry.
Mr. Sinha’s journey doesn’t just stop at his professional accomplishments. With a Bachelor’s in Information Technology and a diverse educational background, including an MBA in Marketing & PR and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration in Retail Marketing, he brings a unique blend of technical and managerial skills to every role. Currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Engineering/Industrial Management from SBS Swiss Business School, his thirst for knowledge and dedication to personal growth remain unwavering.
As a strategic marketer, Mr. Sinha has revitalized brands, fostered business growth, and forged strong relationships with external agencies, corporate peers, and media representatives. His strategic approach and exceptional communication skills have transformed organizations and brought about optimal outcomes.
Join us in this interview as we delve into the mind of an accomplished marketing leader, exploring his journey, his insights, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Delve into Prashant Sinha’s insights on how WIKA India remains at the forefront of innovation in industrial instrumentation, adapting to technological shifts, and contributing to a sustainable evolution of the industry.
WIKA embarked on its Indian voyage in 1997 by setting up WIKA Instrument, India in Pune. In 1999, it inaugurated its initial calibration facility, and by 2002, further expansion took place with the establishment of a new factory in Pune catering to level, calibration, and SF6 gas requirements. The most recent enhancement to our Pune facility occurred in July 2023, with the incorporation of a cutting-edge force measurement and SKID production unit. Since its inception, WIKA has consistently broadened its footprint across four states— Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
In a move to fortify our operations, WIKA made strategic acquisitions in 2014. We welcomed two additional companies into our fold — Micro Precision, situated in Faridabad, and Switzer Instruments India Pvt. Ltd., renowned for its brands ‘Switzer’ and ‘Indfos’. Notably, these acquisitions included manufacturing facilities located in Chennai and Ghaziabad, respectively.
As the business continued to expand and there was a growing need of a new plant to manufacture products for our customers, we established a brand-new factory in Ghaziabad in 2021. The plant manufactures switches that cater to HVAC and railway segments. Our Chennai plant focuses on making pressure switches and temperature switches for process industries like railway plants, steel plants, power plants and others. Finally, our Faridabad facility manufactures Instrumentation Valves & Manifolds, Flow elements for DP-based measurements and also supplies export products supporting WIKA’s global key accounts.
WIKA’s presence in India has been dedicated to delivering top-notch quality and cutting-edge engineering within the realm of measurement technology. The organization plays a pivotal part in assisting Indian enterprises in attaining international benchmarks in precision manufacturing, thereby contributing to the establishment of India as a prominent export hub.
WIKA Global, known as WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG and headquartered in Germany, is a renowned specialist in Pressure, Temperature, Level, Flow, and Force solutions for critical industrial applications. With a legacy spanning since 1946, WIKA has consistently delivered world-class measurement technology under its commitment to being ‘Smart in Sensing’. This dedication to quality has persisted for nearly eight decades.
WIKA India, a fully-owned subsidiary, has been bringing this global standard and precision to India over the past 26 years. Positioned firmly in the Indian market, WIKA India operates with a forward-looking business approach, adept at meeting the demands of Indian manufacturers and providing them with top-tier instrumentation devices to achieve international manufacturing standards. Our solutions, designed to be intelligent, competitive, and future-ready, align seamlessly with industry megatrends and global shifts.
In line with our pursuit of global quality in instrumentation, the operations in India receive support from the WIKA Research & Development Centre in Klingenberg, Germany. This center embodies the company’s dynamism and innovation potential, which resonates in each product we offer.
Through the years, WIKA India has evolved into an export hub, serving the immediate neighboring countries as an extension of WIKA Global. This underscores WIKA India’s global stature in meeting the growing demands of the technology-driven measurement market.
WIKA’s product presence spans various industries, including Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, HVAC, Refrigeration Technology, Industrial & Medical Gases, Petrochemical & Chemical, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, Semiconductor, Power Distribution (particularly in SF6 handling), Medical Devices, Power Generation, Waste & Wastewater Treatment, and Basic Materials. Our ongoing commitment is to further broaden our industry reach by offering an extensive array of premier instrumentation solutions.
Our competitive edge comes from our slogan “Think Global, Act Local”. Our smart solutions are incorporated in a wide array of industries. Each industry has its own unique requirement. Hence, the same formula cannot be applied to all. Our team brings in high-end German engineering with localized customization to suit the needs of each manufacturer.
In addition, we believe that high-end ‘Quality’ should be supported by efficient ‘Service’ and ‘Calibration’. These are the two most important pillars on which WIKA rests its market leadership. Our motto is “Cut down your shut down”. Hence, WIKA’s cutting-edge instrumentation aims to bring down the shutdown time for the end users to save money and time in the process. While our strong distribution network ensures the availability of WIKA products in all major industrial towns, WIKA servicing too is available at doorstep. This comes as a huge value addition to the customers and helps us to stand out from the competition and make industrial processes safer, more efficient, and sustainable.
Furthermore, with the advent of 5G network and smart appliances, AI and automation is playing a pivotal role in every field. WIKA too has embraced automation and upgraded its portfolio with IOT-enabled products and devices to be at par with global manufacturing trends.
Smart Instrumentation is an integral part of overall asset performance management that includes a variety of functions like power management, maintenance systems, process automation, asset optimization and safety.
To ensure sustainability in manufacturing units, quality instrumentation is pertinent. It translates into lesser downtime and better results. Furthermore, to be in sync with global megatrends, WIKA has imbibed 3D’s- digitalization, decarbonization and demographic change in all its product offerings. This helps us to leverage our extensive array of sensing technology and optimize sustainable processes and performance.
With the ubiquitous penetration of automation in every field, the industry looks for increased returns on investment in smart technology with better functionality of machines, safety and eco-friendly operations. Instrumentation is the answer to all these for achieving continued growth, high-quality products and sustainability in the industry.
WIKA India’s growth story has been organic to support and be future-ready for market needs. As mentioned, we have production units in Pune, Chennai, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. Each unit caters to instrumentation products for various market verticals that we engage with.
Along with building a strong distribution channel across the country, we also provide impeccable after-sales support to provide 24×7 assistance to our customers, taking full responsibility for servicing the products. Our services can be grouped as follows:
Installation: WIKA offers end-to-end service- right from product selection to installation of the measuring units along with support for the commissioning of the instrumentation.
Calibration: WIKA calibrates its measuring instruments in its accredited calibration laboratories, or on-site at the customer’s location. Our recently launched Mobile Calibration Van brings service to the customer’s doorstep. This includes pressure, temperature and electrical parameters through one master switch. The endeavor is aimed at cutting down the time lost in the transportation of the product to the labs from the shop floor. The service is already in place in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with plans to expand across India in the future.
Repair: In case of breakdowns and repairs, our team of service technicians ensures that the measuring instruments are fully functional in the shortest possible time to minimize loss of operation for the customers.
Disposal: As a responsible manufacturing leader that aims to achieve global sustainability guidelines, WIKA helps its customers to adopt environment-friendly disposal of products.
Customization is the need of the hour. Every manufacturing process has distinctly unique needs. Thus, to optimize production quality, customized solutions are imperative.
WIKA serves a wide array of industry verticals, each with its specific needs. The process industries, which include the HVAC-led industries, the oil & gas industry, the agriculture sector, etc, have hazardous or volatile operations. WIKA has a range of highly sensitive devices, specially curated to withstand the high working pressures and explosive environments of the industry. For instance, WIKA’s range of pressure switches and other components ensure safety throughout the highly hazardous process of high-pressure oil and gas extraction. Similarly, pressure switches control panels effectively monitor pressure spikes or leaks, shutting down the process in such cases.
On the other hand, industries such as food and pharmaceuticals demand superior levels of hygiene and safety. In the industrial production of the food and beverages industry, shelf life, taste and color are important factors in determining customers’ buying behavior. Various instrumentation devices such as viscometer, consistency meters, electronic analytical balance, and other expansion thermometers for the refrigeration industry are important for the food and beverages industry.
WIKA believes that customization of products ensures precision manufacturing, quality control and safety in operations.
Being a socially and environmentally responsible global organization, social responsibility and environmental sustainability are key pillars of the company’s values. WIKA applies sustainability principles in the overall organizational operations by including an integrated management system and sustainability impact management that encompasses environmental, social, governance (ESG), and economic aspects. WIKA undertakes conscious measures to elevate the sustainability of the planet and future generations.
In achieving the sustainability performance target, WIKA also takes into account the impact of the company’s business activities on the environment and the stakeholders. For this, WIKA has embraced automation and upgraded its products to reduce the overall impact on the environment. We already have a road map in place to transform into manufacturing IoT-enabled products. The organization has made huge investments in futuristic market segments of appliances and products through a two-pronged strategy.
To realize the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), numerous strategic measures are being taken by the organization at several levels.
To begin with, integrating IOT and automated solutions is an integral way of incorporating sustainability throughout the value chain. Connected IoT devices increase the overall energy efficiency in any process, reduce wastage and take energy-efficient decisions.
Adding to this, WIKA is making bold strides in harnessing natural sources of power to have a direct impact on the organization’s carbon footprint. The company has heavily invested in installing solar energy and renewable energy in its plants. All four factories of WIKA India are fitted with solar panels. It is a huge step towards sustainability, making us an energy-positive organization.
Apart from this, all our processes – from vendor management to sourcing of raw materials, are based on the principles of green manufacturing, reaffirming our commitment to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Our team of expert engineers receives continuous training programs to be at par with global manufacturing and technological standards. This helps us to be abreast with the constantly evolving trends in the industry as well. Our German research and development center is the powerhouse of global technological innovation. Engineers at WIKA India work closely with their global counterparts to align the quality and precision in every product and service we manufacture with the same quality standards we provide to our customers.
WIKA India has been achieving double-digit growth over the last few years, and we are on a positive track to reach our target to double the company’s turnover by 2025. We already have a strong presence in India and intend to further strengthen our market share. Aided by a strong supply chain and distribution channel, we are expanding our product range with customized smart solutions.
Established as an export hub for the nearby geographies, we aim to expand our outreach and strengthen our presence globally. Individual calibration lab in each plant enables us to maintain accuracy in all the measurement devices. With a strategic growth plan in place, WIKA is equipped with superior and smart instrumentation solutions to contribute to the organization’s and the nation’s growth trajectory.
Leave a Reply