Q. From ‘servicing’ to ‘manufacturing’ welding equipment, the growth story of Warpp is interesting. Could you narrate the humble beginnings of the company?

The year was 1994. Having put in some 10 years of service in the welding industry, I, Prabhudas Golla, had a cushy job. But I had an insatiable urge to do something of my own. I found a like-minded friend in Ramakanth Bhagavath, who had a working experience of three years then. We teamed up together along with one more colleague who parted ways within a few years of the company formation. An idea transformed into a reality when we started our commercial operations in 1995. In the beginning, it concentrated on repair and services of welding and plasma cutting machines along with supply of consumables for the same. Moving forward, we started manufacturing welding and plasma cutting machines. Soon we manufactured quite a few models of welding transformers, rectifiers and plasma cutting machines. Subsequently we started making step type MIG machines as well. In the year 2003 we began to import inverter-based welding machines and promoted the same under the brand name of WARPP-TIME. The product was well accepted in the market. This motivated us to introduce many models and establish our brand.

Q. Welding equipment manufacturers are many. How could you carve a niche for yourselves? And what’s your differentiated offer to the end user?

We always believe in walking the talk and giving value for money to our customers, who avail of our products and services, to the fullest measure. This is what has helped us build trust in our customers and carve a niche for ourselves.

Q. What’s your range of manufacture today?

We have a large basket of products and offerings. We offer a wide range of welding equipment and welding automation and special purpose machines such as PLASMA TRANSFER ARC (PTA) automation. The automation products include Welding Rotators, Columns & Booms, Positioners and so on. We also manufacture customised equipment for the pumps and valves industry.

Q. How comprehensive are your offerings for metal cutting?

In the year 2015 Warpp started selling CNC cutting systems. And in 2019, we ventured into robotics and laser cutting equipment. Today we have a wide range of solutions for both cutting and welding needs. Our plasma cutting and gas cutting equipment are designed and manufactured with utmost precision for robust performance.

Q. Please throw some light on your manufacturing facilities and wherewithal?

We have our modern manufacturing facilities in Vasai, near Mumbai – a 24,000 square feet area used for our manufacturing at Vasai. The factory is equipped with the best of production equipment. People are our greatest asset.

We have a dedicated and committed workforce of 110 people who go beyond call of duty to deliver their best and to complement the efficient equipment designed and installed for precision engineering. Quality is a watchword at Warpp, and so is productivity.

Q. What’s your contribution to welding sophistication, automation and productivity?

We believe in treading a path others won’t dare take. Innovation is the key to sophistication. We have come up with a plethora of innovative solutions for automation. Most of our developments are import substitutes to help the customer save downtime, and money and the country precious foreign exchange. Thus we make a catalytic contribution to nation-building.

Q. You are known for providing cost-effective solutions to the customer. Could you recount a customized solution you have offered recently?

We practice lean manufacturing in our facilities. Coupled with the best of inventory management and other O & M, we are able to keep our costs under check. This is how we are able to provide cost-effective products and solutions to our customer. A recent example is a customized solution we offered to a fuel tank manufacturing company.

Q. Welding equipment could be energy guzzlers unless they are designed to be energy efficient. How do your products help in energy saving?

The answer is very simple. It is all in the technology you use. We manufacture inverter-based welding machines that are highly energy efficient and saveenergy.

Q. How would you sum up your major strengths?

A committed and dedicated team of people with good product and process knowledge, good engineering, advanced technology, good network and good organisation & methods are some of the strengths which have earned the spurs for us in a highly competitive environment. Customer-orientation is the key to our success. We maintain a close rapport with our customer. We are proactive to their needs and requirements so that we are able to provide the best-in-class products and solutions in a cost-effective way.

Q. How do you propose to help the customer benefit from your vast process knowledge and engineering acumen?

We owe our very existence to our customers. The time has come for us to give back the benefit of our process knowledge and engineering expertise to our esteemed customers. Our endeavour is to help enhance operational efficiency and productivity at their end.

Q. What is the way forward for Warpp in the prevailing competitive business environment?

Business is all about relationship. We shall continue to maintain a cordial relationship with our customers. We are committed to provide them with quality products and unmatched service. Our endeavour would always be to support our customer, stay close to him, address his pain points and make his operations efficient and successful. Towards this end, we shall keep ourselves abreast of the technological advances in our domain, continuously upgrade our products & services and improve our skill sets.