TekMak prides itself on being a ‘leader in the machinery manufacturing sector for many years’ and delivers customers with the highest quality and most innovative machines to enhance their business efficiency. Its product range includes three primary offerings: the tube and pipe manufacturing line, the slitting line, and the cut-to-length line. These machines are engineered to withstand demanding industrial environments.
Established in Istanbul in 1980 by Mr. Mahmut Akpapuk, TekMak initially focused on offering maintenance and renovation services for tube mill lines. Over the past ten years, the company has grown significantly, now supplying steel factories and service centers with full coil processing lines. It prides itself on being a ‘leader in the machinery manufacturing sector for many years’ and delivers customers with ‘the highest quality and most innovative machines to enhance their business efficiency’.
Utilizing the latest technological advancements, the company is capable of providing its clients with the most sophisticated equipment available. Mr. Ilker Uzer, the Export Manager at TekMak, specializing in steel coil processing lines, mentioned that their product range includes three primary offerings: the tube and pipe manufacturing line, the slitting line, and the cut to length line. These machines are engineered to withstand demanding industrial environments. The tube mill lines are capable of producing tubes of various shapes, including round, square, and rectangular, with diameters ranging from 0.13 mm to 323 mm, featuring a variety of sizes. The slitting lines are adept at handling HR, HRP, CR, GI, PPGI, SS, aluminum, and electrical steel strips, from 0.15 mm to 15.00 mm in length, with a range of variations. Meanwhile, the cut to length lines are designed to handle HR, HRP, CR, GI, PPGI, SS, and aluminum coils, from 0.15 mm to 25.00 mm in length, offering a variety of options. Mr. Uzer emphasized that these machines are crafted to meet stringent quality standards and can be tailored to meet specific customer needs. Furthermore, the company is committed to contributing to a sustainable future by integrating environmental consciousness into its manufacturing processes, as Mr. Uzer pointed out.
We started exporting to the Middle East, then Europe and then North Africa, and since 2016 we have been focusing on India because we believe in India’s future in the steel market, Mr. Uzer observed. He said that in the beginning, it was difficult even to sell the first line. Today that’s history. The company has been exporting to India since 2018 and has installed more than 20 lines in different parts of India, in places like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore and Raipur, and several other states. But the company is yet to install its first tube line in India. Mr. Uzer was hopeful, when our interaction happened at the Tube & Pipe Fair second edition which concluded recently in Hyderabad, that it would happen during or after the event.
With a total capacity of maximum 12 lines per year, today, it counts Jindal Steel and Power among its major clients in India. The company, which always prioritizes customer satisfaction, is also a pioneer in after-sales services. Our customers, he asserted, are supported by a professional team in technical support, spare parts supply and maintenance services.
When asked what innovations and technologies define its uniqueness in the competition, Mr Uzer emphasized: Quality. “Our quality level is similar to those of the European companies’, but at almost half the price. Our strongest point is, we provide a five years warranty, which is very rare. It shows that we are very unique,” he noted. And this five-year full warranty, he claimed, in electronic, mechanical and hydraulic makes the customers believe in their products.This is our strongest program, he added.
Mr. Uzer concurred with most leading exhibitors at the second edition of Tube & Pipe Fair that there is enormous potential in the Indian market. Although the company manufactures everything in Turkey and exports, he is hopeful that it could alter in the near future. That future could be India, given the prospects in the Indian economy or the fact that every player is eyeing a piece of the Indian pie. I am sure India has a bright future, not only for tube and pipe, but the entire steel sector, he mentioned.
He attributed this to the country’s vibrant and massive infrastructure developments. The steel pipes and tubes industry is one of the significant portions of the Indian steel sector. It contributes around 8 percent of India’s steel utilisation. The Indian steel pipe market is estimated to be INR 50,000-55,000 crore. That’s why we are more focused on India, he said. Mr. Uzer shared TekMak’s plan to build a factory in the near future in India to move the company’s manufacturing capacity to the country. According to him, the company had already done its market research way back in 2016, and that concrete assessment is the reason why they have been coming to India. The company doesn’t want to increase its production capacity in Turkey, instead, it wants that to be done in India. If we open a facility, maybe we can add five, six lines just for India, he said.
We started exporting to the Middle East, then Europe and then North Africa, and since 2016 we have been focusing on India because we believe in India’s future in the steel market.
Despite the market potential state and the varied prospects, the ride in the Indian market has not been without challenges. The experience of operating in the Indian market, however, has evolved significantly since economic liberalization. It can be said that bureaucratic hurdles have been reduced significantly over the years, and to propel growth or to unlock market potential schemes such as Make in India and Production-Linked Initiatives have been prioritized as well as promoted. They have definitely gained traction, and more will be rolled out. But they seem to have little to do with the equipment manufacturing companies like TekMak. I think this is not suitable for us, he said.
The company doesn’t want to increase its production capacity in Turkey, instead, it wants that to be done in India. If we open a facility, maybe we can add five, six lines just for India.
As far as challenges often experienced by companies like them with manufacturing setup elsewhere, he said that whenever they attend an exhibition, the first question he gets is: Do you have any machine in India? “They want to see, and we have to convince them without the actual machines. That’s why we are thinking of setting up a factory here. This is the main challenge for us. He, however, maintained that that gap, in a way, has been bridged as they have done installation of many lines.
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As of now, the company has no plan to launch any new products, instead it wants to focus on enhancing its product quality. “This is our main thing. Technology is changing, new technologies are coming. We are talking with new suppliers, we are putting additional equipment to the line,” he elaborated. “Our aim is to install in every state of India. Now we have many lines, and in 5 years I am sure we will make up to 50 lines, which we can manufacture in India also. This is our main target for now.” As the industry continues to grow, many players have grown big, new players have joined the game, remarkable technologies have been introduced and many are planning significant investments and footprint expansion. What is unique is the increasing roles advanced technology suppliers and players from allied industries have been playing, and in this ecosystem, the competition over the years has become more intense, with players offering cutting-edge technologies. It remains to be seen how much share of the Indian pie TekMak will get.
