‘India is the market of the future’

Sector-specific packing and process technology provider, Optima Group, inaugurated a new India office at Bengaluru. M Neelam Kachhap met Dr Jürgen Kuske, Global CFO and MD, Optima and Akshay Chikodi, Country Head India, Optima to know more about Optima’s plans for India

Tell us about the company.

Dr Jürgen Kuske: Optima Pharma is a Schwaebisch Hall-based German company with over 25 years of experience in sterile filling and capping systems as well as in the challenging field of lyophilization, isolation and containment technology. The company was founded in 1922 and is now in the third generation as a family-run business. It employs more than 1,980 people across the globe. We have 13 subsidiaries worldwide and about an export of over 80 per cent. We make tailor-made machines for customers. Technological advancement allows for the development of special single solutions as well as novel industry modules.

What is the turnover of the company?

Kuske: At Optima, the four corporate sectors i.e. pharma, consumer, non-wovens and life sciences, develop and implement sector-specific packing and packaging lines, and process technology. In the last year, our turnover was around 350 million euros half of which came from the pharma and life science division. More than 85 per cent of the sales were achieved through exports. It is very difficult to talk about market share as we serve a very niche customers and there are not similar things to compare with.

Akshay Chikodi (AC): The German packing machine industry continues to be an exception in the machinery construction sector, and we are the market leaders in some of our business. In pharma filling systems, we command 20-25 per cent market share.

Are all your machines customised?

Kuske: Our machines are tailor-made to customers’ specifications. Different customers may ask for different specifications, but all of them want safety and automation where we are highly specialised. The classical packing functions of filling and closing are combined with robotics, assembly, hygiene and sterile technologies, freeze-drying, converting and numerous other processes.

AC: All our machines are custom-made, keeping in mind all international standards. The machines are all CE certified. In fact, 80-90 per cent of our machines are specialised machines.

What are your views on India as a market?

Kuske: India is the market of the future. It is the right time to come and do business in India. When our customers want high quality with high safety and want to invest in good machines it is the right time for us.

AC: We are not targeting all pharma companies in India. Our target is to be able to provide specific solutions for 10-15 per cent of the pharma industry here.

Indian is a price sensitive market, so would you be making India-specific products?

AC: We are the only company that provides turn-key solutions for filling, freeze drying and isolation. Our machines are high priced. However, our customers make products for global market mostly the US and the EU. So, they have to have very high safety standards and quality. India is price sensitive but our technology is unmatched and we provide excellent services to our customers.

What is your plan for the India office?

Kuske: We have shifted to a new office and hope to get more sales from the country. In India we function under OPTIMA India Packaging Machines. We are also looking at enhancing our after sales service here.

AC: The India office achieved about five million euros last financial and we hope to double our revenue in the next year. Our sales cycle is very long from about six months to an year because it is a huge capex investment. Our strategy is to grow slow and steady.

Any last words.

Kuske: We take care of our people both internal and external.

mneelam.kachhap@expressindia.com