Amid global supply chain disruptions driven by geopolitical shifts, tariffs, and economic uncertainties, Bengaluru-based Suprajit Group has crafted a flexible sourcing model for its global and domestic customers.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the company is offering a range of manufacturing options such as ‘on-shore,’ ‘near-shore,’ and ‘off-shore’ models, allowing its customers to balance cost and lead time according to their needs. This adaptive strategy isn’t accidental—it’s the result of a carefully orchestrated global expansion, deep operational expertise, and a sharp understanding of customer priorities, said N S Mohan, Managing Director & Group CEO, Suprajit.
Charting The Course
Suprajit began its journey in 1985 with just one product, one customer, and one location. Today, it has grown into a global company with multiple products, businesses, customers, brands, and manufacturing locations, under different entities such as Suprajit Engineering Limited (which includes Phoenix Lamps), Suprajit Automotive Limited, Suprajit Europe Limited, Wescon Controls LLC, Suprajit Mexico, Suprajit Hungary and Suprajit Inc USA.
A little over a decade ago, the group laid down a sharp, strategic roadmap: to become the world’s largest light-duty cable manufacturer—not by chasing technology, but by scaling up and going global. The cable business, though not high-tech, is vulnerable to commoditisation. The company’s answer, according to Mohan, was “scale and reach, built not through capacity expansion but smart acquisitions in transactional markets.”
Instead of setting up greenfield plants in saturated regions like Mexico or Eastern Europe—moves that would only intensify price wars—the company focused on acquiring underutilised assets, he said. Therefore, the West, particularly the US, was the obvious starting point. Suprajit’s first big global move was acquiring Wescon Controls, a leveraged buyout that brought not just a manufacturing footprint in the US and Mexico, but also entry into non-automotive sectors like agricultural equipment and power tools. This diversification marked the beginning of the company’s journey from a domestic two-wheeler cable leader to a serious global contender.
Next came the transformative acquisition of Kongsberg’s light-duty cable business. It elevated Suprajit to the second-largest player globally, adding large facilities in Mexico and Hungary, and expanding its presence into China. This multi-continent footprint gave the company a true multinational status, while cementing its position in both automotive and non-automotive domains.
Turnaround Playbook
Suprajit's global expansion took a bold step forward with the acquisition of Germany’s debt-laden SCS-Stahlschmidt. After an initial due diligence revealed the company’s financial unsustainability, Suprajit advised liquidation rather than revival. The plan: acquire the assets through bankruptcy, not the liabilities, and rebuild from scratch, Mohan said.
Recognising the risk of rival bidders, the company directly engaged with key customers—including Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler—securing their support by leveraging its proven track record in cables. With customer backing, the team proposed a focused resurrection strategy: drastically reduce SCS’s bloated 250-person German workforce, retain only essential engineering talent for customer interface, and shift central warehousing to Suprajit’s existing Hungary facility. This move enabled integrated European logistics with reduced overhead.
N S Mohan
Operational inefficiencies had plagued SCS for years, moving manufacturing from Germany to Hungary, Poland, and finally Morocco, without success. Suprajit’s approach was to empower the Moroccan plant locally instead of micromanaging from Europe. With regular on-ground leadership and support from India, the team identified Morocco as a viable low-cost production base close to key European markets.
Through strategic restructuring, localisation, and integration with its European operations, the company transformed a struggling asset into a valuable part of its expanding global cable business—reviving a failed enterprise while strengthening its position in the international market.
Storyline
To secure a long-term edge, Suprajit built a compelling global supply proposition around flexibility, cost, and speed. Customers were offered a clear three-tiered sourcing model: onshore (with plants in Kansas for the US and Hungary for Europe), nearshore (Mexico and Morocco), and offshore (India and China). Clients could choose the best fit—fast deliveries at a premium or lower costs with longer lead times. R&D and prototyping support was provided locally—Novi, Detroit for American OEMs and Germany for European clients—eliminating the need for cross-continental coordination in early-stage development, Mohan explained.
This localisation strategy found greater relevance amid shifting trade policies, tariff complexities, and the rise of regional manufacturing preferences. The company also strategically leveraged zones like Morocco, which benefits from lower US import tariffs, further sweetening its value proposition.
Parallelly, Suprajit deepened ties in the East. Its long association with Japan’s Chuhatsu culminated in a JV, Suprajit Chuhatsu, focused on Japanese OEMs. “Years of trust-building are now bearing fruit,” with business already underway in India and further expansion into Japan on the horizon. With Tata, Mahindra, Volkswagen, Renault, and Nissan already on board, Suprajit’s domestic market share stands at 30% in PV segment, poised to double through this new partnership, he mentioned.
Lighting The Way Beyond Cables
Anticipating that mechanical cables might see a gradual sunset, Suprajit diversified. Its acquisition of Phoenix Lamps revealed a viable “last man standing” strategy. Now a global supplier to Osram, Philips, Bosch, and Hella, the company runs a multi-brand, high-utilisation manufacturing operation. The model proved so effective that even Osram sold its Chennai plant to Suprajit—signing a long-term sourcing pact in the process. It boosted productivity post-acquisition, showcasing its core strength: scaled, efficient manufacturing. The lesson was clear—what worked for bulbs could well work for cables.
Beyond Cables & Lamps
True to its philosophy of 'de-risk and diversify,' Suprajit set its sights beyond cables and lamps—towards future-ready, powertrain-agnostic electronics. As EV adoption gained traction, the company identified a strategic sweet spot: electronics that cut across propulsion types. Recognising that the shift to digital was inevitable, it transitioned from mechanical to electronic instrument clusters, leveraging its experience with Royal Enfield and TVS.
Startup Mindset
However, lacking legacy credentials in electronics, it adopted a startup mindset—partnering with EV startups who shared their appetite for innovation. With big OEMs hesitant to back new entrants, these agile EV players were hungry for collaboration. Suprajit’s willingness to co-develop and scale made them a natural ally, he noted.
This venture into electronics soon extended to adjacent technologies—sensors and actuators. It also began supplying seat latch mechanisms, steering locks, and charging components to startups like Ola, Ather, Ultraviolette, and others. With full control over chip development, assembly, and end-of-line testing, the company carved a niche in essential EV sub-systems.
With confidence gained in India, Suprajit began pitching its electronics capabilities globally. It won its first electronics order in the US and brought PCB manufacturing in-house, previously outsourced to a French supplier. Today, PCBs made in India are shipped to the company’s Mexican plant, further boosting line utilisation and enhancing its global value proposition.
Braking - New Ground
Suprajit’s foray into brakes began as a timely response to market demand, sparked by the acquisition and revamp of a struggling Oswal plant in Bengaluru. Initially focused on the aftermarket, the company gradually entered the OEM space.
Noticing that components like levers, callipers, hoses, pads, and rotors were made by separate suppliers—leaving OEMs struggling with quality inconsistencies and tactile issues—Suprajit decided to own the entire system; it built end-to-end capabilities, starting with the development of its in-house Geometric Combi Brake System (GCBS). Unlike generic 50:50 front-rear braking splits, the company tailored brake force ratios to each vehicle type, enhancing rider safety and control.
Simultaneously, the company invested in friction material R&D, developing proprietary, copper-free brake pad recipes. It then expanded into calliper manufacturing and introduced a Mechanical Disc Brake System (MDBS)—a cost-effective alternative to hydraulic brakes, eliminating bleeding and leakage concerns while maintaining cable actuation.
Now, as ABS regulations loom over the sub-150cc segment, Suprajit is preparing to challenge incumbents through a technical collaboration with Italy’s Blu Brakes. The goal: scale up bicycle-grade ABS for motorcycles and scooters, unlocking a new frontier in accessible braking tech for India’s mass-market mobility.
Engineering The Next Leap
Building on its electronics foray through instrument clusters, sensors, and actuators, Suprajit has been steadily deepening its innovation game. At the centre of this transformation is the Suprajit Technology Centre (STC), a multi-disciplinary hub that now anchors the company’s pivot from traditional cable manufacturing to advanced electronic and mechatronic systems.
STC operates across four verticals—driver information systems, sensors and actuators, brakes, and a newly launched electrical division focused on compact motor solutions. Among its key breakthroughs is the development of patented throttle control sensors. One uses ferrite-based Hall-effect sensors to bypass dependence on costly permanent magnets, and the other employs an entirely optical-based system—eliminating electromagnetic interference altogether.
Suprajit’s measured approach to motors also reflects its core strength in scaled manufacturing. Rather than entering the crowded traction motor segment, the company has chosen to focus on low-voltage motors designed for actuation—such as those used in EV charging locks, fuel lid mechanisms, and latch systems. “Right now we are designing and integrating a motor for an actuator,” he said. These compact motors offer OEMs modular solutions that are lightweight, copper-efficient, and mechanically reliable. In many cases, they're enabling a shift from solenoid-based setups to smarter, more integrated motor-driven actuation.
For Suprajit, the strategy is clear: design & innovation, manufacturing scalability, and customer flexibility. The company isn’t merely expanding product lines—it’s evolving into a full-solution supplier for modern mobility systems, reinforcing its global positioning far beyond cables.
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