Asian Bearing Ltd - Stock Valuation and Financial Performance

Asian Bearing (ABL) founded in 1982, is a joint venture involving the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCo). The company's plant is located in Belathur, near Hosur, in southern India. The key executives are SP Nagarajan, M Venkateswara Rao, S M Palanlappa Chettiar and PL Muthu. ABL manufactures ABL brand ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, ball thrust bearings, and has its own closed-die forging shop and ball production. Its primary product is a deep, broad line of over 125 ball bearing sizes; approximately 50 different tapered roller bearings are in the mix. Bearings can be produced in sizes from 12mm ID through 900mm OD. 52100 chrome steel balls are produced in metric and inch sizes, 3/16' through 13/32', grades 10 and 16.

It entered into a technical collaboration with VEB Kombinat Waelzlager Und Normteile (an amalgamation of bearing companies in Germany which markets bearings under the brand name DKF). Under the agreement, the collaborators were to supply all technical know-how and provide designs, drawings, etc to manufacture ball, taper and cylindrical roller bearings.

The company's products find applications in motors, handpumps, idlers, machinery and the automobile industry. It also manufactures components like nuts, blanks and rings for the textile industry and also supplies bearing rings to other manufacturers. The company's major customers are HMT, Kirloskar Bros, Enfield, Mahindra & Mahindra Tractors, Escorts, NLC, Bhilai Steel Plant, Crompton Greaves, Hindustan Sheet Metals, etc. In order to step up production of taper roller bearings, the company initiated self-manufacture of rollers and cages

During 1986-88, it came under the purview of sick industrial companies and reference was made to BIFR. In 1988-89, the company's rehabilitation scheme was accepted by BIFR and a relief package sanctioned. In 1993-94, it staged a remarkable turn-around and recorded a marginal profit against the losses made the previous years. During 1997-98, the Company shifted its concentration to Export of Bearings and & Auto Components. The company was exploring export possibilities in USA, UK, South Africa, New Zealand etc. It also acquired QS 9000 certification and ISO 9001 certificate from the earlier ISO 9002 during 1998-99. ABL has developed polyamide shields to replace metallic shields and also special polyamide retainers replacing metallic retainers, for high speed applications, for ball bearings.

ABL had been producing up to six million bearings per year, and tracks to build capacity for up to ten million bearings per year. In January, 2000 the company shut down its operations throwing more than 700 people out of work, after running out of funding options.

For not complying with the listing agreement the company was suspended for trading since February 3, 2003.