As workshop space grows scarcer and technician shortages deepen across the automotive service industry, the Puducherry-based garage equipment maker Manatec Electronics is redesigning its technology to help customers do more with less, while preparing to launch dedicated ADAS calibration equipment within the next six months to a year.
Speaking to this publication, Mr. Kalaiichelvan Mananathan, Managing Director, Manatec Electronics, said, with real estate, especially in metros, increasingly hard to find, the company has developed products like its NEO wheel alignment system, purpose-built for space-constrained roadside workshops and tyre outlets.
Beyond equipment alone, the company also offers customers professional layout design assistance, using dedicated software to plan machine placement and utility requirements like air and water piping, ensuring workshops make the most of limited space. “I think customers will not only buy equipment, they also see a lot of value coming from us in terms of designing the space for them,” he said.
Manpower optimisation is another growing priority, driven largely by the difficulty of finding and retaining skilled technicians. Since there’s no formal training institute in India for wheel alignment and balancing work, with training largely coming through informal channels and equipment suppliers themselves, retaining skilled staff has become increasingly important.
Mr. Mananathan pointed out the company’s Jumbo 3D truck alignment system as a clear example of how technology can help. The traditional six-axle truck alignment once required two to three technicians and roughly 55-60 minutes of measurement and adjustment work. On the contrary, the new system measures all angles in just three minutes, needing only one technician and cutting total time by nearly 60%.
On ADAS, the company expects strong growth in demand for calibration equipment, given that nearly every modern vehicle now carries some level of ADAS technology requiring periodic sensor calibration. Therefore, the company is developing its own dedicated ADAS equipment, alongside a combined ADAS-and-wheel-alignment solution, both expected to launch within six months to a year. In the meantime, it plans to offer customers a choice between its own indigenous equipment and imported, distributed equipment from partner brands, letting customers choose based on budget and brand preference, he highlighted.
On exports, he acknowledged that logistics disruptions and rising costs, intensified during the West Asia crisis, remain a significant challenge. Despite this, the company has maintained an export CAGR of 10-15% over the past five years, and expects growth to accelerate further once affected regions stabilise. Unlike some companies that have shifted operations to alternative hubs like North Africa, he said India’s relatively strong geopolitical relationships have kept market access largely intact, with logistics being the primary bottleneck rather than market entry itself.
To de-risk its export base, Manatec is actively expanding into more stable markets, including Southeast Asia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia (where it recently appointed a regional manager), along with growing focus on Latin America and Canada. Russia, once a significant market, remains on hold until conditions stabilise, while growth in the US has been muted and unpredictable in recent years. The company currently exports to 65-70 countries, with exports now accounting for about 50% of total manufacturing output, up sharply from around 30% previously.
Manatec currently operates two manufacturing plants in Puducherry, along with two overseas warehouses, one in Europe and one in the US. The company is currently expanding one of its manufacturing facility in Puducherry to further augment capacity, he added.
