We aim to bring Indian MHE up to global standards at half cost
Over the years, how has Elite evolved in the MHE space? 
Elite has come a long way from 1989 when we started our company with one product and one employee. We have been instrumental in educating the customer and providing all the information to the material handling industry and upgrading the Indian MHE industry. Our main goal is to bring the Indian MHE at par with the globe at half the cost. Cost cutting is one of our main aims; to always provide an in-expensive solution to the Indian customer. Since, we have been increasing our product base; our customer base is also increasing. We also have been influential in supplying to various industries like heavy engineering, aerospace, defence, agriculture, textile, steel, space and much more.

Are there any new developments in the last two years?
We have designed and developed new products for special applications to save time and energy for operators. Our products have also surpassed customer expectations. We have greatly saved the incurred cost for our end-users.

How is the demand for your MHE products from various end-user industries?
The demand for our products is always a huge amount. This is because labour cost is increasing and most companies depend on automation and cost saving solutions. We also help them to increase the productivity of existing labour.

What is the condition of the MHE market in India? What factors are driving the industry?
The MHE market in India has already grown and there are hardly any new players coming in. The industry is mostly divided into two parts; organised and unorganised. In the organised industry, the players are aware of the necessity of MHE and start to plan for the same from the start of the project. In the other sectors, industries manage without MHE. 

What are emerging trends in the material handling equipment industry?
At the moment, most customers are requesting automation and robotics. The next trend will be automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which are currently in its initial stages. Also, drones will be used for internal warehouses to transport and store light weight goods.

What is the effect of automation and digitisation on the processes?
With automation, India will be more competitive in the global market and will have an upper hand over other countries for supply of manufactured goods. With the advent of digitation the whole process gets easy and accessible to all. 

What are the key challenges faced by SMEs like you? What are your expectations from the new Union Government?
SMEs are not fully recognised in India yet and we are facing a lot of challenges. We are still receiving late payments and are not getting the required subsidy in the sector. The labour laws also seem to be very difficult for industrialists to follow.

What are your growth plans? 
Elite is ready to grow year after year. To make this possible, we invest in manpower, new equipment, and also continue to increase our capacity. We are also adding new products in our range and our development is linked to market standards.