From supervisor to a successful entrepreneur

Babu now owns three auto ancillary units and employs 300 people

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Meet S Babu, a science graduate who became an entrepreneur by accident. Babu began his career as a supervisor at Sampath Engineering Enterprises and now he is heading a group of small-scale units manufacturing lapping tools and valve guides for automobile industries and automobile ancillaries.

“I joined as a supervisor at Sampath Engineering Enterprises in 1974 on Magadi Road. Later, circumstances compelled me to become one of the three investors with a 50 percent investment in that company. My investment was Rs 6,000 while two others invested Rs 6,000. H Chunilal was our financier. He gave a loan of Rs 1 lakh,” recalls Babu with a smile.

Later, he started Tee Vee Engineering Enterprises in 1980, Anu Engineering Enterprises in 1985, and Ashwin Precision Products in 1990. “When I began my career as an entrepreneur, there were three employees. Now, there are 300 employees working at my three units that have an annual turnover of Rs 78 crore – Rs 34 crore worth goods are being exported and Rs 44 crore worth goods are supplied to local customers,” says Babu.

In 2001, he established his fifth unit Preci-Mac Engineering Enterprises at KSSIDC Industrial Estate, Kumbalgod to manufacture and supply precision machine products. He transferred orders from Ashwin Precision Products to this unit to supply products (hydraulic gear pump covers) exclusively to Mivin Engg Technological Limited, Bangalore. Preci-Mac Engineering Enterprises was accredited with ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2011. It is not that his entrepreneurial career has been a bed of roses. He has to incur a huge loss when his other entity Mecfab Engineering Pvt Ltd was flooded with Vrishabhavathi water a few years ago.

Babu was Treasurer for Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) during 1999- 2000 and got elected unanimously as president of KASSIA for the year. He was elected unanimously as a Treasurer of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) for the year 1998-1999, and 2002-2003 and president of FKCCI for the year 2005-06.

He said the secret of his success as an entrepreneur is hard work, dedication, and meeting the deadlines to supply products and the last but not the least is realizing the importance of respecting customers.