GOOD, BETTER, BESTEN

Mr. K. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Best Engineers Pumps Pvt. Ltd.

Coimbatore is known for many things. It is also well-known for producing quality pumps for domestic and agricultural applications. Besten is the brand name for energy efficient, BEE 5 star rated pumps approved by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Besten pumps are manufactured by Best Engineers Pumps P. Ltd. headquartered at Thadagam Road, Coimbatore. The company makes a wide array of pumps for domestic and agricultural applications.

These include Centrifugal Monoblocs, Submersibles in 3″, 4″ and 6″, Centrifugal Jet Pumps, Shallow Well Jet Pumps (0.5 HP to 1 HP) and Self Priming Pumps which work under a wide range of voltage fluctuations from -30% to +10% to suit the Indian conditions. Two years ago, Best introduced Solar Pumps as well. These are 5 HP pumps which go with the requisite solar control panels. Solar Pumps are ideal for individual houses, buildings, banks, etc. The end user can avail of Govt. subsidy to the extent of 60% of the cost of the pump. According to Mr. K. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Best Engineers Pumps, solar pumps have a great potential in the regions where availability of electrical power is always a problem. Solar pumps can also be used in remote areas. Barring the initial investment, solar pumps entail no running or maintenance expenses. They are 100% energy savers for life.

Power Saving & Energy Conservation
Best Engineers Pumps are a member of the panel of BEE. Its open well submersibles, submersibles and monobloc pumps carry BEE 5 star rating. The company also makes VFD pumps which help save energy to the extent of 30%.

Power saving and energy conservation are the central tenets of the company’s vision. The founder, Mr. J. Gowrisankar was a self-made industrialist, visionary and philanthropist who had won many laurels for his outstanding contribution to the economic development of the region. He is said to have dreamt of making the entire pump industry solar-based. He was one who strived relentlessly to bring the efficiency level of Indian motors to the international level.

In keeping with his vision, Best is using energy efficient motors and alternative materials like stainless steel and engineering plastics to cut down the cost of the end products and pass on the benefit to the customer.

Pursuit of Excellence
Its R & D, headed by Mrs. Sripriya, also a Director, is continuously working on improving the existing products, making them more cost-effective and energy efficient. It is also working on development and improvisation of solar cells, solar pumps and wind energy controlled pumps. The company spends over 1.5% of its annual turnover on R & D. It is regularly introducing new generation pumps which are designed to work in adverse conditions in the Indian environment. Power quality problems are a major issue. Best pumps are built tough to outlive these conditions. Best is an ISO-9001/ISO 14000 and OSHAS 18001 certified company that follows the best of manufacturing practices to chisel out world-class products. The company has two manufacturing facilities, two component making units, and two foundries all within a radius of three kilometers. It has an 800 strong workforce committed to the pursuit of excellence. Its Marketing Wing, Best Pumps India P. Ltd. has 12 branches spread across the country. The products are sold through its network of 450 plus dealers. Best also exports its products. The company clocked a turnover of Rs.200 crores in the last fiscal.

Best manufactures roughly 4 lakh pumps a year. It has registered a steady growth of 10-15% per annum. “The downswing in the industry in the industry and the economy also affected us. We hope the coming year should be better,” states Mr. Ramakrishnan in quiet optimism. The company has a tie-up with a giant in consumer durables to market products under its brand name. Enlightening on its major strengths, Mr. Ramakrishnan says, Best has the wherewithals to meet any demand for pumps within a stipulated time. Based on the feedback from the customers, the company can simulate the field conditions and develop any futuristic product to suit the market requirements.

“We do continuous value engineering and come out with lasting solutions to help the customer,” elucidates Mr. Ramakrishnan who is also the Sr. Vice President of the Indian Pump Manufacturers’ Association (IPMA).

Laurels Galore
Best has won a number of laurels for its outstanding performance and contribution. These include the Udyog Patra (1987), National Award for Quality (1987), Transworld Trade Fair Selection Award (1987), Udyog Vibushan, ITID Quality Excellence Award (1992), and Bharathiya Jyoti Udyog Award (1992). To cap it all, it also received the Rajiv Gandhi National Award for Quality in 1995.

“The concept of taking the customer as a member of our family has helped us achieve the top position in the domestic market,” reveals Mr. Ramakrishnan. Best Engineers are quite visible in the social arena too. It has adopted a whole village for supply of water using its pumps. It is also running an upper primary school in the vicinity through a Trust

Mr. Ramakrishnan seems to say that his company is not satisfied by making the best pumps. He wants them to be the world’s best.

– P.K. Balasubbramaniian
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