Their distinct features can be understood in terms of:

—Jane Goodall

Today, we live in a world, in which each of us is faced with the imperative of tackling climate change and responding to radical, fast paced shifts in global technology, consumption and population patterns. The emerging answer, gaining widespread consensus, is that sustainable development in perhaps the only way by which we can avert environmental and social disaster.

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, is at the very of core sustainable development. And world over, our world leaders are working towards this, making important progress in improving lives, helping decline extreme poverty and child deaths, improving greater access to education, jobs, and building sustainable energy, developing sustainable consumption and production policies.

ELGi has been focused on ensuring that its products are energy efficient and therefore have minimal impact on the environment, at no additional cost. With a first-of-its kind heat recovery system, ELGi is using 96% of the waste heat generated by air compressors to heat air (space) and water. This in turn eliminates the need for additional equipment to heat water and reduce CO2 emissions.

Apart from this, ELGi has been involved with several projects around the world to help conserve natural resources.

Cleaning Mirror Lake in the US

When the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in the US wanted to clean the historic Mirror Lake in Dover, they partnered with ELGi air compressors.

ELGi’s Rotair D300K compressors were used to fire carbon pellets to the bottom of the lake to trap contaminants.

At the rate we dispose of them, in 2050 there will be more plastic bags than fish in the water. There already are 4 trillion plastic bags, bottles and containers afloat in the oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch was discovered to the west of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean sometime in the late 80s, the same decade that plastic bags began to be used in supermarkets across the world. This field of debris continues to grow at an alarming rate and is now almost the size of India itself.

A clear sunny day, a picnic basket, a game of frisbee and enjoying a sunset by the lake – doesn’t it sound perfect? Sadly, though, if the latest reports are to be believed, 50 percent of the lakes in the world are polluted. Even if it seems glittery blue on the surface, life underneath may be choking.

Foundries occupy pride of place in Coimbatore’s identity as an industrial town. With over 500 units, it is the largest cluster of foundries in the country. It is also going to play a big part in fulfilling the country’s Make in India dream. This manufacturing hotspot is expected to see increased activity in the next couple of years, with a projected annual growth of 13-14 percent as against 5-7 percent in the past few years.

ELGi set up a foundry in 2013 to manufacture its own special castings for its air compressors. Among other applications, the castings manufactured at the foundry are used to make ELGi’s proprietary eta-V airends. ELGi produces close to 14,000 airends a year that power its wide range of compressors.

ELGi is perhaps the only company in the world with a foundry that makes metal castings for its own airends. The custom-designed castings follow international quality benchmarks for thermal distortion and deflection. The foundry fits into the company’s vision of becoming a world leader with its range of distinctive products that caters to a global customer base.

The Past

Established in 1960 in Coimbatore, India, ELGi started off as an air compressor and a garage equipment manufacturing company. Over the years, with strategic collaborations and a relentless focus on research and development, ELGi has made remarkable progress from an importer of technology to a self-reliant manufacturer of compressed air systems.

Throwing some more light on ELGi’s growth story, Dr. Varadaraj stated: “We started like everyone else. Indian companies went to Europe or America and got licenses from top companies. When you get the license, you invariably get post-generational technology. No one will give you the latest one. They will give you the ‘know-how’, meaning they will give you a set of drawings and say this is how you assemble the machine. However they will never tell you ‘why’. As a result, you become a constant slave to imported technology. When we started out in 1994, India was just opening up. We knew that if we go the licensing way, we will reach nowhere. We therefore had to build our own technology. We chose the harder path. From 1994 onwards we have been investing in R&D and latest technology. We learnt the ‘know-why’. We have also learnt the shifts that are taking place. Additionally, we have also learnt the direction of the shift. If you understand the shift and only respond to it, you are a follower. It is only when you learn to preempt the direction of the shift that you become a leader. You can say that we are now at the cusp of being able to lead with the next generation of air compressors.”

The Present

ELGi’s ‘know-why’ attitude has led to the development of some of the most technologically evolved air compressors of our time. Global leadership seems like the logical next step. But before that, ELGi must jump through many proverbial hoops. Debunking myths and preconceived notions about ELGi remains one of the most formidable challenges for the company.

“We have enough evidence to prove that we are at par or better than the best, but that doesn’t mean we are close to what we intend to achieve. Remember the odds that were stacked up against us. For one, ELGi was a relatively unknown brand in international markets. Then there’s always this stigma of a “Made in India” label, which I feel is more of a perception than anything else. It is a perception though, which is gradually changing. So, with all these limitations, in order to be competitive in these markets, being marginally better is not good enough. So that’s really what we are driving at. Customers in these markets can be unforgiving. And if it is an Indian brand, then the forgiveness quotient is even less,” observed Dr. Varadaraj.

Specifically in the Indian market, there is a general view prevailing that the company’s thrust on the textile industry has not been aggressive enough. Competitors have been relatively more direct and assertive about their capabilities.