Q. Since HIPP has gained this milestone, which was the first product manufactured in India? Where was it manufactured?
Honda India Power Products (HIPP) launched its first product namely Portable Generator Model EM650 manufactured at its Rudrapur factory in 1988. Buoyed by a strong demand from the customers, the company soon launched other well differentiated Generator models as well.
Q. Honda India has completed 36 years in Indian market. How has the journey been so far?
Our presence in the Indian market dates back to 1985, and manufacturing at our Rudrapur site began in 1988. We were primarily focused on making generators for the market after a few years of operation. The electric infrastructure was not well establishedwhen we initially started, and demand for generators was at an all-time high. After a few years, in 1991 we began to branch out into other industries and started manufacturing engines,and in 1992 we started building water pump for agriculture. Moving forward, we're actively aiming to grab a good hold of the construction sector as well. When it comes to these sectors, the majority of work is done by hand and manual labour, and we aim to help them to improve efficiency and relieve them from the burden of manual work by providing our products.
So far, our journey in the Indian market has been interesting, and we are pleased to find ourselves in a good position. In terms of our clients and individuals that use our products, we are expanding with them.
Q. What are the latest products offered by HIPP in India? Which is the highest selling product?
HIPP is well-known for its engine lineup, which includes engines for small construction equipment, agricultural equipment, water pumps, and generators. As a result of their high-performance and reliability, our engines are one of the most popular products. And these are the items we're concentrating on producing for the Indian market.
Q. When did HIPP begin exporting manufactured products and which are the key markets?
We began exporting in 1989, and our products were well received in the highly competitive international markets. We already export our products to some of the world's most important markets, including the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan, among others. HIPP currently exports its products to over 40 nations.
Q. Which key markets does HIPP export to? What are the most exported products?
The United States is a major export market for us, and we believe our products have a lot of potential there. We export engines and generators there.
Q. When did the Greater Noida facility first open?? What products does HIPP manufacture in the Greater Noida facility?
In the year 2000, we opened a state-of-the-art factory in Greater Noida. The manufacturing facility in Greater Noida is dedicated to the production of engines, water pumps, generators, and power tillers.
Q. How much investment has HIPP made to build its state-of-the-art Greater Noida factory?
On a cumulative basis, we've invested around 25 billion Indian rupees since the company's inception. We launched our Rudrapur plant in 1988, followed by a Puducherry facility in 1995, and in the year 2000 we consolidated our Rudrapur and Puducherry plants into the state-of-the-art Greater Noida Factory.
Q. Please share the product bifurcation in Agriculture & Construction sector equipment being manufactured?
The agriculture sector currently accounts for the majority of our manufacturing output. If we talk about construction industry, construction projects are still completed with the assistance of large, heavy machineries. We are working together with various OEMs in India to produce small construction equipment installing our engines, and we expect to see a favourable result shortly. The construction segment is experiencing strong growth, with revenues increasing year after year.
Q. How many people does HIPP currently employ in its factory?
There are about 1,100 associates working at our Greater Noida factory. Total staff strength, including Factory, Head Office & Field Sales staff, is about 1,400.
Q. Is there any plan to launch any new product for aiding the construction industry?
We don't make construction equipment; instead, we provide engines for small construction equipment, and we're doing rather well in this market around the world. Our engines are high-performing, tough and durable, and they can handle any situation that the construction industry throws at them. I believe we have the largest share of small construction equipment engines. As previously said, we are constantly collaborating with OEMs in India to power those machines with our engines. Concrete vibrating machines, plate compactors, concrete cutters, and various small construction equipment use our engines.
Q. How you are maintaining your position in the market among other manufacturers of your segment in India?
We are the market leaders in the generators segment, and we have a stronghold on the portable generator market in India. We also have the largest market share in the small engine segment. However, many diesel engines are still used in agriculture and construction, and HIPP is taking on these diesel engines with our small, clean, portable, high-performance gasoline engines manufactured in India.
Q. Going forward, what is your projection for this calendar year? What other goals you want to achieve in the year 2022?
For our products, we seek to achieve a high level of sales and manufacturing. We're always up for new challenges, and we're hoping to hit a lot of new ground in the coming months. In the Indian market, we're performing well, and our export numbers are rising, which we intend to continue in the coming years.
