From cassette tapes that when outlined an period to parts driving the long run, TDK’s story is one in all fixed innovation. On this dialog, Gagan Bansal, President of TDK India, shares how the corporate has advanced to form right this moment’s electronics and industrial programs, and the way their India technique, partnerships, and improvements replicate their mission to ‘be in all the things, and make all the things higher.’
Q. TDK just lately unveiled its new world tagline in September. May you share the story behind it and what it represents for TDK? Moreover, for a non-technical CXO who might not be conversant in the model, how would you clarify TDK’s function on the planet of electronics?
A. TDK began again in 1935 because the inventor of ferrite. Once I was a younger pupil, TDK was recognized for its cassettes. TDK was a family identify and a outstanding B2C model. However over time, TDK transitioned into parts, constructing our portfolio round ferrite-based merchandise, MLCC, Inductors, Piezo expertise, and communication gadgets.
The corporate’s enlargement has been pushed by in-house improvements complemented by focused acquisitions throughout key markets. For instance, we had firms like SAE Magnetics for hard-disk drives; EPCOS was acquired in 2008; Tronics and InvenSense had been additionally there for sensors; IC Sense, Micronas for Corridor-effect sensors; and ATL Batteries way back to 2005. At this time, batteries kind a significant a part of our income. Fairly probably, the smartphone you carry has a TDK battery. We additionally make medium-scale batteries.
For those who go searching, you’ll see your cell phone, smartwatch, dwelling home equipment, automobile, practice, and even the grid supplying energy to your private home. TDK operates behind the scenes, enabling practically each system.
That’s the reason our new tagline, which debuted in September, is ‘In all the things, Higher.’
Q. With India turning into a robust electronics manufacturing hub, how has this pattern influenced TDK’s operations, investments, or technique right here?
A. TDK’s presence in India dates again to the late Sixties via EPCOS, initially established as a parts division of Germany’s Siemens AG and later fashioned as a three way partnership between Siemens and the previous Matsushita. The presence leaped in 1996 with the institution of two manufacturing models, one in Nashik for capacitors and the opposite in Kalyani for ferrite, each of which have grown considerably over time. These services serve each home and export markets. The truth is, a big share of our manufacturing is exported.
As India’s electronics panorama advanced, significantly with the rise of mobile-phone manufacturing, we invested closely in battery manufacturing. At this time, we now have three models in Bawal and Manesar and just lately inaugurated one other in Sohna. These belong to TDK Company globally, and collectively they place us as one of many largest lithium-ion battery producers in India and the world. We’re additionally bringing transformer and chokes manufacturing in India into our present services.
Q. How vital is India to TDK’s Asia and world roadmap?
A. India is central to our world development technique as a market and as an innovation companion. That’s the reason we participated in Electronica India with one of many largest cubicles, numerous demos and expertise showcases, and over 25 worldwide delegates.
If you have a look at India’s 1.4 billion folks, the potential is big. There stays an enormous scope for development in vitality, mobility, communication, dwelling home equipment, and good applied sciences. We give attention to three precedence markets, together with Automotive, Industrial, and ICT. All three stay equally crucial to our India technique.
Q. How does TDK collaborate with exterior R&D and innovation actions?
A. Recognising India’s power because the third-largest startup hub globally, TDK launched TDK Ventures India, headquartered in Bengaluru. Via this enterprise arm, we now have invested in 4 deep-tech startups, every making use of TDK’s applied sciences in new and impactful methods:
- Infinite Uptime – Permits predictive upkeep via industrial IoT options.
- Exponent Power – Builds fast-charging infrastructure for business electrical autos.
- Fasal Applied sciences – Makes use of agritech to optimize crop yield and farm effectivity.
- Ultraviolette Automotive – Develops high-performance electrical bikes for city mobility.
Globally, TDK operates over 250 design centres and manufacturing models, together with seven manufacturing websites and a number of other places of work in India, making certain native entry to cutting-edge expertise.
Q. By which sectors—automotive, shopper electronics, industrial IoT, renewable vitality, or medical—do you see the strongest demand in India for TDK’s parts and programs over the following 2–3 years?
A. India has round 250 million households, driving a robust demand throughout all these sectors.
In every software, there are a number of phases like sensing, enter, filtering, energy administration, output, cloud connectivity, and many others. TDK, via its broad spectrum of portfolio contributors, contributes to every of those phases. Furthermore, we proceed to increase our portfolio for upcoming purposes like edge computing (with merchandise from Sense AI) and AI Good Glasses (with merchandise from Mushy Eye).
So, whether or not it’s right this moment’s conventional applied sciences or these of the following 5–10 years, TDK stays current throughout the total worth chain, actually in all the things, making all the things higher.
Q. What function do partnerships with Indian distributors play in TDK’s development technique?
A. Partnerships are essential. Past enterprise investments and incubation initiatives, we preserve deep engagement with Indian design homes and OEMs.
TDK has been in India for over 4 a long time, and I’ve personally been with the organisation for practically 30 years. We’re well-known throughout the nation, particularly amongst small and medium enterprises.
We now have a gross sales pressure of over 85 folks throughout a number of cities, with places of work in Noida, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata, in addition to dwelling places of work in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Indore. For our movie AC and PFC capacitor enterprise, we work with near 60 channel companions; for normal parts, we collaborate with roughly one dozen companions. Our mannequin is hybrid: we promote each immediately and thru distribution. We additionally have interaction with all of the main EMS firms in India.
Each buyer’s want is totally different, and each buyer is vital to us. Wherever we can not attain immediately, our distributors bridge that hole. This mixture works very effectively and can proceed to take action.
Q. Are there any thrilling product improvements that TDK centered on, which you want to share?
A. We’re driving a number of improvements globally. For instance, our full-laser color module for good glasses allows direct retinal projection, splitting mild into 16 million colors with very low energy consumption, which is right for AR/VR purposes.
One other breakthrough is free-air noise-cancellation expertise that mixes MEMS microphones, piezoelectric audio system, and digital sign processing. Not like standard headphones, it cancels noise with out requiring ear inserts.
Considered one of our prospects has developed a sensible cane for the visually impaired, integrating TDK’s MEMS microphone, a time-of-flight sensor for object detection, and a movement sensor for navigation.
After which there may be Piezo Hear, a paper-thin (about 2mm) speaker that produces high-quality sound on flat panels. You possibly can actually management the amount by touching the display. It’s a notable innovation shaping the following technology of ultra-slim TVs and shows.
All these are TDK’s personal merchandise, and whereas we regularly co-develop purposes with companions, the core expertise stays fully ours.
Q. Engineers usually face trade-offs between measurement, value, efficiency, and ease of integration when deciding on safety parts. How does TDK assist them with that?
A. That may be a nice query. Considered one of TDK’s largest strengths is in supplies expertise. It permits us to push miniaturisation whereas sustaining efficiency and reliability.
We provide intensive on-line simulation instruments on our web site, which assist design engineers select the appropriate parts. If these instruments are usually not sufficient, our native gross sales workforce connects them immediately with TDK’s design and growth engineers worldwide for collaborative growth.
The whole lot right this moment is getting slimmer, lighter, and extra energy-efficient, from smartphones to EVs, and TDK helps engineers at each step in reaching this.
Q. Would you wish to share any recognized instance the place TDK helped a buyer resolve a design limitation because of a novel product or system?
A. The good cane for the visually impaired is one instance that clearly exhibits this. By integrating sensing, sound, and movement applied sciences, we helped create a product that enhances mobility and security.
Many such collaborations occur collectively with our prospects, the place we contribute each expertise and software know-how. That, in essence, is how TDK provides worth.
Q. Any particular message you wish to share with design engineers studying this interview?
A. To design engineers particularly, my message is that this:
TDK is a top-end expertise firm. Our strengths lie in supplies, processing, manufacturing functionality, scaling, simulation, and testing.
If you work with TDK, you entry that experience immediately; there are not any intermediaries. We give attention to the full value of possession, not simply upfront pricing. Over a product’s lifetime, TDK options ship higher worth, greater reliability, and an enhanced end-user expertise.
Briefly, TDK provides 4 key advantages:
- Reducing-edge expertise and experience
- Greatest worth over the product’s lifetime
- Higher buyer and shopper expertise
- A one-stop store with an enormous portfolio and confirmed high quality
So, once you select TDK, you select a long-standing expertise provider with deep roots in India, and an organiaation that’s in all the things, in every single place, driving innovation and progress, and making an attempt to make the world higher.
