Dharmesh Arora started his 27-year-old career as a product engineer with Maruti. After a successful spell, he joined General
Motors where he held global leadership positions in India, Thailand, Mexico and USA. He joined Schaeffler in 2012.
Under his leadership, Schaeffler has consolidated its position as a leading supplier of high quality components and systems for industrial and automotive applications through three product brands - FAG, INA and LuK.
Arora is now charting a new course for Schaeffler. Schaeffler, with its global strategy ‘Mobility for Tomorrow' is establishing the course for future sustainable and profitable growth.
"The entire strategy is developed by keeping in mind the growing customer demands in all forms of mobility. The strategy is based on four mega trends- climate change, urbanization, globalisation and digitalization. From these mega trends, we have centred our attention upon eco-friendly drives, urban mobility, inter-urban mobility and energy chain," Arora says.
Schaeffler is also playing a crucial part in the field of innovation and
technology. "We have a strong local organization that is well integrated and supported by the Headquarters. Over the next three to five years, we will continue to invest in expanding our plant capacities, our product portfolio and engineering capabilities in the country. We are going to invest in our distribution network and all the logistics areas which will provide us substantial benefits in the long run."
In the last three years, Schaeffler has invested about Rs.145 crore each year, in India. "We particularly see big opportunities in India in areas of automotive including two wheelers, agricultural tractors, wind energy, railways, steel and other infrastructure related sectors. Going forward, we are doubling our investment into the India market from 2018."
Schaeffler India clocked Q-o-Q growth of seven percent. On a consolidated basis, the Schaeffler group in India (represented by three companies - Schaeffler India, INA and LuK) nine months' (Jan-Sep 2017) total income (net) stood at Rs.2,973 crore which is higher by 11 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2016. "We had witnessed some uncertainties due to GST implementation, but the company has delivered good growth in a challenging environment. We see potential of upwards of double-digit growth given our past performance," he shares.
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