Amal Bhupendra Shah
CEO
In an exclusive conversation with CEO Insights, Amal shares interesting facts about his leadership journey.
What prompted your interest in the niche segment of coating?
I observed early in my career that Indian manufacturers are good at manufacturing the products but lack the final finishing this restricts acceptance from the consumers. In that sense powder coating was a boon for the industry. It helps in achieving fine finishes with low initial cost as well as semi-skilled labour and all this is achieved with the most environment friendly finishing technology. From here started my fascination for coating with powder, colour and finishes.
Brief us on your entrepreneurial journey. What initial challenges did you overcome?
I started working on making a powder coating machine. A turn of luck, and we had to shut down our factory. I was left only with liabilities of the old business, an old trusted brand, and a dream to make a powder coating machine. A change had also occurred in powder coating technology at that time, powder coating spray guns had begun gaining wide acceptance in western nations I started importing Swiss powdercoating guns in India and supporting the same with reliable
service.
Even though the products were excellent, I realized they were not suited for Indian working conditions. Spare part prices were prohibitive and it would curtail the growth of the technology in India which had huge import restrictions and pinching custom duties. After sales support from the manufacturer needed to be quick, efficient, and reasonable.
Here I got my Aha moment and made my mission making an efficient powder coating machine and providing reliable after-sales support.I was first in Asia to manufacture an integrated 100 KVA powder coating spray gun in 1983. Also, the first Indian to obtain the US Patent for a path breaking powder coating gun technology. And first from India to export powder coating guns all across the globe, including the USA, UK and Germany.
The initial years were spent in overcoming teething issues with the products, educating the industry on the process, and scaling up the business. The Indian powder coaters well appreciated our products for their efficiency and after sales support. In line with my mission of giving the best powder coating machine, we kept our innovation trajectory. In subsequent years, we introduced numerous innovative, patented products like Automatic Powder Coating Gun, Powder Spray Booth and Recovery, Reciprocators for Automatic Powder and Paint Application, and stride is still going on.
What different roles have you been under taking at Mitsuba Systems India LLP?
Building a team of passionate members and empowering them to contribute to the customers' success and the company's growth. In the initial years, I was solely responsible for strategizing and executing the growth of the company and wore multiple hats at that time.
How does your experience help you out to chalk out business
Even though the products were excellent, I realized they were not suited for Indian working conditions. Spare part prices were prohibitive and it would curtail the growth of the technology in India which had huge import restrictions and pinching custom duties. After sales support from the manufacturer needed to be quick, efficient, and reasonable.
The key driver for Mitsuba's success is its people, their zeal, energy, and fanatical approach of giving the best powder coating machine in this industry
Here I got my Aha moment and made my mission making an efficient powder coating machine and providing reliable after-sales support.I was first in Asia to manufacture an integrated 100 KVA powder coating spray gun in 1983. Also, the first Indian to obtain the US Patent for a path breaking powder coating gun technology. And first from India to export powder coating guns all across the globe, including the USA, UK and Germany.
The initial years were spent in overcoming teething issues with the products, educating the industry on the process, and scaling up the business. The Indian powder coaters well appreciated our products for their efficiency and after sales support. In line with my mission of giving the best powder coating machine, we kept our innovation trajectory. In subsequent years, we introduced numerous innovative, patented products like Automatic Powder Coating Gun, Powder Spray Booth and Recovery, Reciprocators for Automatic Powder and Paint Application, and stride is still going on.
What different roles have you been under taking at Mitsuba Systems India LLP?
Building a team of passionate members and empowering them to contribute to the customers' success and the company's growth. In the initial years, I was solely responsible for strategizing and executing the growth of the company and wore multiple hats at that time.
How does your experience help you out to chalk out business
operations for the company?
By creating the product from zero, I realized that there is no substitute for innovation. You can quickly go and buy a collaboration or technical know how but innovation in your factory would be lacking. You cannot buy the art and ability to constantly create revolutionary changes in technology, resulting in path-breaking products having international market ability.
What were the challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of organizations?
When you start without money and just basic education, you face every hurdle possible. The inner desire to make world class products and the enthusiasm with which each day begins opens the path to success. I never looked at the impediments which came as difficulty it was something I knew I would over come in the process of succeeding in my goal.
What strategies do you follow to overcome various challenges of customers and meet their requirements?
Consumers want a vendor who is a master of the field and not a jack of all trades. Consumers are looking for a partner who can positively contribute to their bottom line. We responded to this expectation by engineering innovative products with automation and precision. For example, making specialized powder coating machines for TMT rebar coating, pipe-line coating, aluminium container coating. We have heavily invested in the after sales system and human resources. What has not changed is our commitment to deliver the best powder coating machine across the world.
Amal Bhupendra Shah, CEO, Mitsuba Systems
Over the last 35 years, Amal Shah has worked with over a thousand companies in the manufacturing and design of their powder application equipment. He has also been awarded numerous US and Indian patents for his contribution towards the electrostatic powder application industry.
By creating the product from zero, I realized that there is no substitute for innovation. You can quickly go and buy a collaboration or technical know how but innovation in your factory would be lacking. You cannot buy the art and ability to constantly create revolutionary changes in technology, resulting in path-breaking products having international market ability.
What were the challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of organizations?
When you start without money and just basic education, you face every hurdle possible. The inner desire to make world class products and the enthusiasm with which each day begins opens the path to success. I never looked at the impediments which came as difficulty it was something I knew I would over come in the process of succeeding in my goal.
What strategies do you follow to overcome various challenges of customers and meet their requirements?
Consumers want a vendor who is a master of the field and not a jack of all trades. Consumers are looking for a partner who can positively contribute to their bottom line. We responded to this expectation by engineering innovative products with automation and precision. For example, making specialized powder coating machines for TMT rebar coating, pipe-line coating, aluminium container coating. We have heavily invested in the after sales system and human resources. What has not changed is our commitment to deliver the best powder coating machine across the world.
Amal Bhupendra Shah, CEO, Mitsuba Systems
Over the last 35 years, Amal Shah has worked with over a thousand companies in the manufacturing and design of their powder application equipment. He has also been awarded numerous US and Indian patents for his contribution towards the electrostatic powder application industry.