By K.S.Someswara
Bring Back Time Keepers to the Nation
Bangalore has housed many a PSU’s and every one of them had its own field of activities to the benefit of the society and to the economy of the country. They are jewels in our industrial sector. HMT was undoubtedly one among them. Though started as a machinery unit in Bangalore it has diversified itself to produce many products like Tractors, Lamps which includes wrist watches and manufacturing units were located from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. HMT as a name got a brand value only through its Time machine (watches). The credit for the same should go to innumerable people from top management to skilled /semi skilled workers and to hosts of ancillary units who put their heart and soul in every watch they produced.
This effort of the workers had placed the name of HMT with a brand value on which the Watch unit was the jewel in the crown for many decades. When machine tool and other units were not performing adequately it is this watch unit which infused blood (finance) into the same so that every arm of the HMT is healthy and active. All these are done not only with a view to carry on the flagship but also with a social angle of feeding thousands of is employees and their families. At that the factories were run not as an industry but as a joint family.
Now, the watch unit which was the life line for the HMT for many decades is lying on a life sustained bed. It is a mockery of events over the period. Poor strategy of the stake holders like the government, unplanned approach of the company’s bigwigs with short sighted view in respect of the mood of the market, all colluded together to the present status of the company. It must be noted that only other consumer industry other than HMT that was made to fail was ITI. Many PSU’s with special mention to HAL which had a long phase of no work its employees has made a turnaround despite its limited market.
If HAL can see its golden days back why not HMT machine Tool or Watch unit can come back to its old track is the million dollar question. Without proper assessment of the market and following a rigidity in planning the watch unit in particular has lost the pulse of the market altogether.
Considering the ever increasing demand for wrist watches in the market the race in the demand-supply is still a race of Hare and the Tortoise. The onset of manufacturing the quartz watches has generated a fresh market and variety to the customers. The assembling of these electronic watches is much less complicated than its big sister, the mechanical watches. The liberalized economic policy of the country in the early 90’s led to a surge of these types of watches which came into the market with different brand names with a plethora of models and designs.
The management of HMT, over the period has failed to assess the mood of the market and had a laid back approach towards its so called competitors. The accompanied with several other lacunae, the colossal of HMT watches has reached its peril. The management at every point of time, especially in late 90’s instead of adopting out of the box ideas to hold its trusted benevolent has failed to rebuild the lost ground and only seen erosion of hard working and skilled labour. (Many were shunted out in the name of excess/VRS).
Has this long story of HMT can see a happy ending Shubham for the future? Yes, indeed it is a hard task and needs hard working of a dedicated management. They should motivate the work force through their ingenuity and make realistic strategies to get hold of the lost market.
Watches, despite the onslaught of modern apps like the mobile, I phone etc. has still holds its foot strong. Even today, it is a dream buy for every individual. It has certainly sustained the modern technology and has become a fashion accessory for both men and women with no age bar. They feel that trendy wrist watches will enhance their image and style. Some of the recent surveys indicate that the ladies who were strapped with smaller dia watches are preferring watcher with larger dials and its ornamental quality has boosted their style statement. Even reputed brands world over have adjusted their production line to this enlarged face (dial) of the ladies watches.
HMT as one knows is the only watch manufacturing unit in our country which has the capacity and technology to produce hand-would mechanical and automatic watches. These watches like Janata, Pilot, Rajat and others were house hold name. Such watches were its pride presentation from day one. It is assessed that these watches are still in demand and the company is unable to meet the same. Though many varieties of models of electronic watches are flooded in the market, the demand for a different variety is ever increasing. As stated earlier, there is always a huge gap in demand and supply in the watch market. Any number of new varieties has failed to satiate the customer’s desire.
HMT Watches has every chance to reinvent itself to bridge this gap. It has to rebuild its resources to manufacture its brand the mechanical and automatic watches in the Bangalore unit to the need of the day. These watches should showcase its exclusiveness by unparallel design and style so that every segment of the market gets an attitude of ‘may buy to ‘must buy’.
How this action can become a reality? A purposeful management- technicians and more imaginative marketing can do a lot of wonders to this pride of the nation. Indeed, the success on this road is not smooth and will not come in a golden platter. It needs highest dedication of the 60’s by the people of this 21st century. The company can concentrate towards mechanical/automatic watches with sophisticated design and elegance at competitive prices along with other categories of watches. It needs a Captain & a team of military ruthlessness and efficiency to meet the emergency of the situation. They should be given free hand to place the unit in the right track in a given time frame. This should be treated as an assignment given to our troops in case of an emergency. Such an effort will make us all see again out Time Keepers to the nation, the HMT Watches which will redeem its pride. Government, the main stake holder in these PSU’s should appoint men/women who can bring back the company to mainstream. There are many people like E.Sreedharan the wizard of Delhi Metro or many such zealous personalities who made a turnaround many sick industries. It will also brighten the hearts of many thousands like me who worked and still working and earned our livelihood honestly for many years which we owe to the company.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th T Block, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560041
