A candid conversation with CEO IMS Electric Mr. Azfar Saeed
In the past couple of years IMS Electric (Pvt) Ltd has been the topic of conversation in the engineering community in terms of their recent acquisitions and shrewd business acumen showed by their leadership in mapping out the future of the company. The buying out of manufacturing plant from Schneider Electric and the take-over of Heavy Electrical Complex have been some huge achievements of the company recently.
Engineering post had the opportunity to have a candid conversation with Mr. Azfar Saeed who is the CEO of IMS Electric Pvt Ltd. Mr. Azfar Saeed has international experience under his belt working in giant corporations of the world including Siemens global headquarter located in Germany, the plant of Lucky cement located in Iraq and many others. During the conversation he said that IMS Electric is trying to focus on bringing manufacturing trend back in the country by leading from the front “In the past years due to various reasons the manufacturing facilities which were located in Pakistan were forced to relocate out of the country. We at IMS Electric have made a slogan to Bring Manufacturing back to Pakistan. This will not only create employment for the people but will also help the country in decreasing the current account deficit,” he said.
IMS Electric is not only working for increasing manufacturing capacity but also working on improving the technology of manufacturing in Pakistan to decrease dependence on imports. While explaining this step Mr. Azfar Saeed said that the multinational companies are bound by margins and are only willing to sell their own products for while IMS can produce different kinds of products in the manufacturing facility “We are working towards a paradigm shift in Pakistan where we will be able to provide turnkey solution to the customer will be able to manufacture products by sourcing parts from different vendors. We aim to bring technology in the country,” he said. This can be a monumental step for enhancing the local manufacturing capabilities for Pakistan as up till now we have always been focused on importing components and assembling them here and no one has truly paid attention towards initiating technology transfer for the industries. This step of bringing innovative technology to the country can be our stepping stone towards revolutionising the local industry.
During the conversation when replying to a question about how IMS Electric manages to stay ahead of it competition in the country he said “The core of our strength is the superior qualifications and trained engineers working for us. We employ talent that no other local industry has. Moreover our technology is superior to others which is a huge plus point,” This qualified team is well equipped to provide commission and installation as well as after sales services for the products being installed for the client.
With that said there is still a lot of competition in the market with many players providing cheaper rates as well as the customers getting more price conscious day by day. When asked how IMS Engineering manages this issue in a way which ensures business growth the CEO Mr. Azfar Saeed replied “Although it is true that due to the economic situation the customers are reluctant to go for expensive options but at the same time we have quality conscious customer here as well who understand just how important it is not to compromise on product quality. Realistically installing a high quality product is cheaper in the long run as it is reliable and less prone to breakdown and our customers understand this,”
Earlier this year IMS Engineering successfully bought Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) which is a state of the art facility designed to manufacture power transformers. While commenting on this acquisition Mr. Azfar Saeed said “Heavy Electrical Complex is now completely operational and production is in full swing. We are working towards improving our products and developing state of the art transformers there as well. We have also received requisite approvals from WAPDA for production and orders are in the pipeline,” he revealed
Every company for a vision for its growth in the future and sets its objectives to align with that vision. During the exclusive conversation with Engineering Post when Mr. Azfar Saeed was asked where he sees IMS Engineering Pvt Ltd in the next five years he said “As of right now I believe that In the next 5 years IMS Engineering will be the prime energy company in Pakistan. We aim to become the number one player in terms of production of electrical products in Pakistan and turnkey solution providers in the country. As we all know we are witnessing rearrangement of global players in the Pakistani market some restricting their operations while others are pulling out. In the future this could translate to a bright opportunity for the local manufacturers producing quality products as market demand will increase with global players pulling out and the vacuum has to be filled by local companies,” he said.
IMS Engineering with Mr. Azfar Saeed at the helm is planning to change the prevailing traditions in the country. With his vast international experience, Mr. Azfar Saeed is has seen the working of international organisations and hopes to bring the same traditions in Pakistan. A very visible lacking in our system is the absence of liaison between the Academia and Industry. IMS Engineering is planning to work towards decreasing this gap in the future “All over the world the Industries work in close coordination with the academia of the country. This way the industry flourishes and the academia stays up to date with the latest innovations being used in the market. IMS Engineering will work to create a strong liaison between academia and industry for the betterment of the country,” he said “It has been my experience all over the world that Pakistanis are extremely hard working people we just need to harness their energy and direct it towards positivity and IMS Engineering will play its role for making this possible,” he added
