Expert Speak: Mr. UK Sangal

3 critical points for fellow SMEs: SANTEC GROUP

To become an entrepreneur was always on my mind. Right after completing my BE degree in production engineering, with only Rs. 10,000 in my pocket, I decided to take a plunge into entrepreneurship and set up a company involved in manufacturing and marketing of hydraulic Presses & Cylinders. Santec took birth this way.


We started by marketing custom built hydraulic cylinders. Our basic modus operandi involved taking orders from customers and getting various parts manufactured through different manufacturers. Post this, we assembled the parts and tested the cylinders & machines. These were then sold under the SANTEC brand name.


Lesson 1: Outsourcing may not work for all businesses
It may sound easy to outsource different parts to different manufacturers and then assemble, test and send the product to customers. However, we experienced otherwise. During this process, I realized that to ensure best quality cylinders handed out to customers, a close watch on manufacturing was required. We rented a small workshop at the outskirts of Delhi so that we could bring quality into our focus.


This helped us have our first consignment exported to Sri Lanka within a year. We toiled hard, made dedicated efforts in the same. Seeing greater demand for our machines, we had to shift to a bigger workshop. In 2000, we expanded our line of products and manufacturing capacity at new facility in Mundka (Delhi). Now we have total three manufacturing units in order to meet demand of our valued customers both overseas & in India.


Lesson 2: ‘Getting it first-time right.’
Our prime motto, as would be for other business owners, is achieving customer satisfaction. At Santec, we have a special focus on this which helps us meet unique needs of our customers by setting high standards of quality and services. We try and offer best feasible solutions to our customers’ needs. This way we get if first-time right. This builds confidence in our customers. Today, we have our clients which includes corporate such as Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, Amtek Group, Toshiba, MRF, Ceat, Bridgestone, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd among others...


Lesson 3: Invest judiciously in right kind of marketing
I was fortunate to have support of my efficient & dedicated team of experienced people right from beginning. My wife, Richa heads our marketing team and has played a key role in the success Santec has seen today.

She has been proactively utilizing different forms of marketing to build our name in the market today. We have used the internet to the fullest to connect with our customers and find export business for ourselves. Associating with IndiaMART.com has helped us a lot in this. Such B2B marketplaces are not only cost-effective but also efficient in bringing business online from relevant buyers.

While these lessons are peculiar to our business, but I believe my fellow small and medium business owners will be able to relate to them at one point or the other when charting their own growth stories. I wish them the best.

The author of the article is Mr. U.K.Sangal, Founder and CEO, Santec Group.