?In India We are expanding more than in any other country. India has a vibrant domestic market and so even in recession it has not suffered as much as China that is more depended on its exports. Thus, in India we are growing quite assertively,? says James W McGill, President Asia Pacific, Eaton Corporation.
Having worked in India since 1991, McGill is well aware about the market here. ?India then and now is different, no doubt. 1990s saw the formation of many new government policies and it was during this time when Eaton took over Westinghouse of which I was an employee,? recalls McGill. Then, Eaton had many well-known clients like Crompton and Greaves, SNS Switch Gear and BHEL who used its electrical components to upgrade their products and enter the global market. ?This has not changed much but now Eaton manufactures its products in India,? says Mcgill. The two factories are located in Nasik and Ahmednagar.
Today, Reliance, TCS, TATA, Mahindra and Mahindra, General Electric and MCB are few of its major clients. Its UPS systems are used by Reliance to keep up telecom services during power failures. Tractor companies like Mahindra and Mahindra use their hydraulic steering control devices which regulate fuel use. Besides, Eaton has entered into aerospace too. Its hydraulic systems have been used in the making of Airbus A380. ?About 800 components of the new aircraft have been provided by Eaton. Results show that the aircraft consumes 20% less fuel per seat when compared to the other airbuses. Moreover, our hydraulic systems have reduced at least one metric tonne of load off the airbus,? says Mcgill.
Besides, it has a firm foothold in the automotive sector and Kirloskar is one of its new clients. With sustainable growth being one of the major concerns today, ?we are aiming at providing energy efficient electrical systems to improve power quality, distribution and control. No doubt the company earned $15.4 billion in 2008 of which 55% was generated outside the US and 20% from developing economies like China and India. The company is turning towards green products. ?With increased emission of CO2 in the atmosphere and global warming being a major threat, manufacturing green products across all our segments is our primary focus,? adds McGill.
In India, ?the workforce is commendable. There are good engineering colleges that produce promising engineers. We are hiring diploma holders more now as our target is on continuous improvement,? adds McGill. For the benefit of the employees there are leadership programmes and also training for factory workers. Eaton University, a virtual university, also provides functional education to the employees. But, ?amongst all other things, the best thing that I like about Indians is their ability to bargain. They are the best negotiators and marketing is something they master at an early age,? says McGill.
While business has taken him through nooks and corners of South Asia, travelling still remains to be his passion and mountaineering is his favourite pastime. He is an avid reader and also loves golfing and playing football. A connoisseur of food, he loves Indian dishes and would have cottage cheese every time he is here.