Spectoms-the first Indian company to launch animal feed plants in India, can you please share its journey starting back in 1974 to date?
Although Spectoms started business in 1968 as a small company, it got registered by ROC in 1974 as Spectoms Engineering Pvt Ltd. with two Directors Mr. Arvind Shah and Mr. Navin Shah. Initially, the company was involved in taking up medium-sized jobs for private feed and food plants and Erection and Commissioning of Cattle Feed Plants for NDDB and other Government unions/Federations with the supply of balancing equipment like Elevators, Conveyors and Hoppers/Bins. Thereafter it also entered into manufacturing the main machines for Feed plants which were otherwise imported. Since then the company started supply of total feed plants on turnkey basis to NDDB and other Cooperatives. Further, the company also started turnkey execution of Poultry Feed Plants. The company executed more than 300 plants of various designs and capacities during the journey of 50 years. Every assignment undertaken is different and suited to the needs of the client. It received repeated opportunities to serve the same customers and they signify their continued reliance on the company’s service and engineering skills. It also entered into other diversified sectors like Aqua and Fish Feed Plants, Storage Silo Systems, Premix and Mineral Mix Plants, Soybean processing plants, and Salt Iodisation Plants. Assignments undertaken by SPECTOMS included large and medium, Government and Private clients in India and many small and large assignments abroad. On the export side, the company supplied plants and machinery to Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, Syria, Myanmar, Seychelles, and Bhutan. Presently the Company is leading in the feed plant manufacturing field.
The company started its journey with cattle feed plants, but the Indian poultry feed industry reached a different height and the Indian aquafeed industry is also expanding. What is your opinion on the hindrance to the growth of the cattle feed industry?
Although there is a sizable growth in the Cattle Feed Industry, the Cattle Feed Industry needs large and continued support from the Government and Cooperatives. The required development of the cooperative sector did not take place in the states other than Gujarat and Karnataka. That is the reason that the growth of the cattle feed industry is less.
There are multiple Indian and International technology companies catering to the Indian feed sector, how does Spectoms itself differentiate from the competition?
SPECTOMS since its inception has maintained the quality standards in manufacturing the feed mill machinery and equipment. It has never cut corners as far as quality is concerned. In this process, the company could not offer lower prices but in the long run, money spent on SPECTOMS machines has paid for it.
The global epidemic has interrupted every business, the Indian poultry sector was first to get its shock, how has been its impact on the new feed mill projects?
Definitely there is an impact on the feed mill projects. The projects which were under negotiation stages are kept on hold. However, we expect to come out of this situation very soon.
COVID-19 has created a lot of awareness for food and feed safety, some players have even started feed safety audits, how do you see its importance in India?
Although the food and feed industry have realized the importance of safety after COVID 19, it was always a necessary area to be given the best attention. Blessing in disguise COVID 19 alerted the Industry on Safety issues and now some of the players have started safety audits.
Automation is disrupting every business, where does Indian feed industry stand in terms of adopting it?
Automation is playing a big role in feed plants as it brings consistency of feed and avoids human errors. Also, it accelerates the feed making process thereby increasing the overall plant capacity without adding machines and power.
Where do you see Indian feed industry 10 years down the line? Where Spectoms would be?
There is a very bright future for the Indian feed industry in the coming 10 years and SPECTOMS would be the strong and dependable partner to the feed mill owners.
by Abhay Shah, Spectoms Engineering Private Limited
