On 11th August this year, VEMC turns 73. A business spanning the better part of the last century speaks volumes about our experience, expertise and competence. On the occasion of our 73rd anniversary therefore, we decided to take you down the memory lane by recollecting the years gone by.
Vijay Engineering and Machinery Co. was founded in 1948 by Late Shri Sharad Kumar Shah along with Late Shri Rajaram Shinde, both entrepreneurs par excellence with a penchant for engineering and machinery. Their first office was a 100 square feet room at Commerce House in Ropewalk Street Bombay. During those days, erratic electricity even in urban and commercial areas, often compelled users to look for alternatives for running their equipment. The company saw this as an opportunity worth exploring and participated in an import auction of Petter Field Engines. The product, owing to its high quality, turned out to be a great success and gave VEMC a spectacular start.
During the 1950’s, VEMC made its way to various government projects and forged associations with many renowned companies. These included Kirloskar Brothers, WRT Talwalkar Pvt. Ltd., Bush Electricals and MICO Full Injection Equipment Company. The diverse nature of these projects vastly added to our product basket and also to the depth of our client profiles. Strong emphasis on ethics-based business practices and customer-centred approach soon became the defining features of our brand.
The 60’s was a time of expansion for the company. In this period, the government framed policies that laid emphasis on providing basic necessities of life, especially water, to all citizens of the country. The dry hinterland of western India was an important focus area and became VEMC’s market for Vertical Turbine Pumps. After this, VEMC group took a bold step and went beyond their comfort zone of the western region, and established the Rajendra Engineering Company in West Bengal, as the state distributor of Cooper Engines.
Radical changes in the style of doing business were seen in the decades between 1970 and 1990. The scope of work changed from supply of products to taking up turnkey projects, especially in the water pumping business. With its dynamic leadership at the helm, VEMC was up for the challenge and established Shailesh Engineering in Bangalore, a company that mostly handled turnkey projects for government’s water supply scheme and thermal power plants.
As the Indian economy opened up in 1991, new challenges came our way. Multinational companies began making in-roads into the Indian market giving VEMC and its partners a very stiff competition. However, the many years of trust and high-standards of service now bore fruit as the company remained unfazed in the wake of this altered situation. In fact, new avenues, such as building and construction began opening up to VEMC. In 1996, VEMC was awarded as the number one channel partner across India! In the period from 2003-08, the company grew at a rate of 20% CAGR, owing largely to its government projects.
Thus, after years of arduous efforts and strongly rooted business ethics, VEMC has been able to carve out a unique brand image for itself: one that emanates unfailing trust, relentless confidence and an inspiring vision for the future.