5 GOOD REASONS
My company, Ushtara Engineering Pvt. Ltd., makes, among other things, Prosthetics and Orthotics. Some frequent questions that potential customers ask me are;
"Why should I buy your product, when I can buy the Chinese product cheaper?"
or
"If I need top Quality why should I buy from Ushtara and not this German company?"
or
"What advantage does buying from Ushtara offer me over buying from an importer of Chinese products?"
"Why should I buy your product, when I can buy the Chinese product cheaper?"
or
"If I need top Quality why should I buy from Ushtara and not this German company?"
or
"What advantage does buying from Ushtara offer me over buying from an importer of Chinese products?"
This is my attempt at giving you 5 reasons to buy from an Indian Company, especially one like Ushtara Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
5 GOOD REASONS. Not some meaningless Gandhian-Ideological mumbo-jumbo like "be Indian buy Indian"
But first; a little competition analysis,
THE COMPETITION
We are competing in our mobility related endeavors with two types of manufacturers.
On the one hand, we compete with giant European and American firms like Ottobock and Ossur, some of them a century or more old.
On the other hand there are literally hundreds of Chinese manufacturers, like these guys and these guys, offering products of widely differing quality and price.
There are also others in this sector, like the state owned Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India and the Jaipur Foot Organization, but their products are either heavily subsidized or donated, so technically we are not competing with them.
A CASE STUDY
This is the Prosthetic Polycentric Knee that we manufacture;
It's called the XR2501. The Maximum Retail Price is INR 28,500. A comparable Chinese product costs INR 4,000 Ex-Shanghai and retails for about INR 6,500 in India. A German or American product with similar functionality costs INR 70,000 in India.
SO WHY BUY FROM USHTARA?
Here as promised are 5 good reasons;
1. COST
Typically my customer, who buys the product from Ushtara, is not the end user. Rather my customer is the organization or technician who fits the prosthetic to the user.
Here are some of the costs you will incur if you buy a foreign product albeit one with a cheaper retail price;
i) Inventory costs:
The price quoted by many foreign companies especially Chinese companies, is for a certain Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), which means that you probably have to buy more pieces of product than you have current orders for.
The price quoted by many foreign companies especially Chinese companies, is for a certain Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), which means that you probably have to buy more pieces of product than you have current orders for.
Because it takes 20 days to 6 weeks to ship to India from Europe / America / China. You are going to have to predict your demand at least that much in advance.
If you make a decision to buy from Ushtara, you have a lead time of only 3 working days on small orders.
ii) Quality Costs:
If you end up with a defective Chinese product, at best, they will replace it for you and you will have to bear the shipping and the cost of the additional time. At worst, you will have to absorb the entire acquisition cost.
As for the dent in your credibility...that's a cost few could carry.
Ushtara will replace defective products in 3 working days.
If you end up with a defective Chinese product, at best, they will replace it for you and you will have to bear the shipping and the cost of the additional time. At worst, you will have to absorb the entire acquisition cost.
As for the dent in your credibility...that's a cost few could carry.
Ushtara will replace defective products in 3 working days.
2. Accountability
i) A common legal framework:
How do you take legal action against a foreign supplier who reneges on his promise? Is it even worth the trouble?
How do you take legal action against a foreign supplier who reneges on his promise? Is it even worth the trouble?
Because Ushtara Engineering Pvt. Ltd., is a Company registered and located in India, we are subject to Indian Laws and Jurisdiction. Our contract with you says as much.
ii) A common ecosystem:
Ottobock supplies millions of components to the whole world. Chinese companies are powerhouses of cheap manufacturing. Compared to their total sales, your purchase is peanuts.
Because Ushtara works in a common ecosystem with you. We care about what you think. Your opinion has a direct impact on our future revenues.
Ottobock supplies millions of components to the whole world. Chinese companies are powerhouses of cheap manufacturing. Compared to their total sales, your purchase is peanuts.
Because Ushtara works in a common ecosystem with you. We care about what you think. Your opinion has a direct impact on our future revenues.
iii) Common standards:
With every purchase that you make from Ushtara, we will supply you material chemistry, mechanical properties and dimensional inspection reports. These reports are clearly traceable to relevant Indian standards.
With every purchase that you make from Ushtara, we will supply you material chemistry, mechanical properties and dimensional inspection reports. These reports are clearly traceable to relevant Indian standards.
Do you even know what Chinese standards look like? here's a clue; they're in Chinese.
3. Indian Solutions to Indian Problems
i) Environment:
The story goes, that the Indian army bought a whole bunch of BMP troop carriers from Russia in the late 1980s.
The story goes, that the Indian army bought a whole bunch of BMP troop carriers from Russia in the late 1980s.
But when they were testing them in the deserts of Rajasthan the air conditioner came on and started blowing warm air into the troop compartment. Because that's what the Russians needed on the Siberian Steppe!
Here's how we solved a uniquely Indian problem with German Technology
German prosthetics don't use these bushings, because most places in Germany are not dusty. Also Norwegian amputees don't go around planting saplings in the paddy field. Indian amputees do.
As a side note; the Chinese products have hardened steel bushings instead. Guess how long they took to rust in the torpid humidity of Chennai ... Wait for it...4 HOURS!
ii) Usage:
I am Indian, our engineers are Indian, our machines are Indian and most importantly our technology is Indian.
I am Indian, our engineers are Indian, our machines are Indian and most importantly our technology is Indian.
So what does this mean for you?
Here's an Indian solution to an Indian problem,
Here's an Indian solution to an Indian problem,
No European or American Product has the range of motion of the Ushtara XR2501. That's because Indians squat. The French don't.
4. Accessibility:
If you have a problem with you Samsung TV, can you call Lee Byung-chul? No way! You get an irritating phone message that says " For registering your product press 1..."
Simply put, I head Ushtara Engineering private limited. And you can talk to me about problems or suggestions regarding our products DIRECT!
I speak English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada fluently and Punjabi, Bengali and Telugu badly.
Don't believe me;
Here's my number : +91 99020 00483
Here's my email: sunil@ushtara.com
Here's our physical address:
Ushtara Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
No.9, Kempaiah Garden
14th Cross, Peenya Industrial Area
Bangalore - 560058
Here's my email: sunil@ushtara.com
Here's our physical address:
Ushtara Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
No.9, Kempaiah Garden
14th Cross, Peenya Industrial Area
Bangalore - 560058
Contact me and I WILL respond, promptly and courteously!
5. Flexibility:
i) Scale:
Need just one component or sub-assembly? We'll give you just one.
Need to borrow the knee to run a few tests? We'll gladly lend it to you for a month.
Need just one component or sub-assembly? We'll give you just one.
Need to borrow the knee to run a few tests? We'll gladly lend it to you for a month.
Need urgent supplies to cater to a recent natural calamity? We'll scale up with you .
We're flexible that way. We're Indian you see. Swalpa Adjust Maadi!
Try getting Ossur to respond to your time varying needs like that. Different story.
ii) Design:
Christian Medical College, Vellore, a customer of ours needed an extra long Pylon to meet the needs of an exceptionally tall individual.
Our response time: 1 working day.
Christian Medical College, Vellore, a customer of ours needed an extra long Pylon to meet the needs of an exceptionally tall individual.
Our response time: 1 working day.
Agreed, that was a fairly simple request, but the fact is we're willing to make design and manufacturing changes to meet your every need.
There you have it. 5 good reasons and 10 sub-reasons to buy Indian!
