Evolution of the Japanese ties in Madras

It was WWII that dropped at an finish a big Madras worldwide hyperlink — settlements in Burma aka Myanmar. Following the Japanese takeover of that nation, 1000’s of Indians fled the place that they had known as house, a number of of them for generations. This exodus completed off the Nagarathar commerce with Burma for good. And 15 years later, additional instability in Burma would lead to one other wave of refugees, for whom Burma Bazaars and Colonies have been opened in Madras. In addition, there was a minimum of one air raid on the town by the Japanese, in 1943. It induced no injury, however concern of the Japanese led to the famed Evacuation of Madras a 12 months earlier.

The metropolis’s first interactions with the Japanese have been subsequently not encouraging. But there was a big inhabitants within the metropolis that sympathised with Netaji Subhas Bose and his Indian National Army, which acted in collaboration with the Japanese. Two a long time later, a Japanese Consulate was opened within the metropolis and has existed ever since. Thereafter, the town turned more and more conscious of Japanese items — initially handicrafts and textiles, after which, electronics.

By the Seventies, a brand new respect for Japan was rising, primarily based on their emphasis on high quality and their manufacturing processes. In 1974, Madras noticed the institution of ABK-AOTS Dosokai, a non-governmental organisation mainly within the promotion of Japanese language and consciousness about its tradition. This physique has executed yeoman service within the promotion of enterprise as nicely, and its presence was to play a pivotal position from the early Eighties.

Arrival of Maruti-Suzuki

With the arrival of Maruti in collaboration with Suzuki, and its plans for making automobiles in an remarkable earlier than volumes, the auto part producers of Madras sat up. Clearly, it was essential to grow to be suppliers to Maruti and that meant being one up on high quality. All of a sudden there was speak of lean manufacturing techniques, ISO 9000 certification, after which Total Quality Management. Japanese consultants arrived right here in droves. They solely spoke in Japanese, have been accompanied by interpreters, talked powerful and trashed all of the techniques in place. Rather than take umbrage, the Chennai firms girded themselves to qualify on high quality.

Madras led India on the standard entrance. In December 1990, Sundram Fasteners turned to first Indian firm to qualify for the ISO 9000 certification. And by the mid Nineteen Nineties, the brand new buzzwords have been TQM and the Deming Prize. In 1998, Sundaram Clayton Limited turned the primary Indian firm to obtain the prize. Then got here an entire host of others, together with Sundram Fasteners and the Rane Group.

Developing small firms

A less-talked about initiative, one pioneered by Ok. Mahesh of Sundaram Brake Linings, was by means of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association. Japanese consultants have been introduced in to get smaller firms to shore up their processes as nicely. This was made possible by means of help by ACMA.

By the time financial liberalisation had taken a agency maintain on India, Chennai firms have been nicely poised to cope with the world because of the standard initiatives imparted by the Japanese. But whereas we modified, the consultants by no means learnt to talk English, or Tamil.

When in 1995, Sundram Fasteners Limited (SFL) started work on qualifying for Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), its Managing Director Suresh Krishna entered right into a wager with Yamaguchi, the advisor. If SFL certified, he, Suresh Krishna, would ship his speech in Japanese and in flip, Yamaguchi would wish to deal with the employees at SFL in Tamil. Suresh Krishna attended courses in Japanese at ABK-AOTS Dosokai and have become fluent sufficient to ship his acceptance speech in 1998 when his firm certified for the TPM award. Yamaguchi by no means learnt Tamil.

Since then, Japanese presence in and round Chennai has elevated exponentially. In Tada, Andhra Pradesh, not removed from our metropolis, there’s a veritable Japanese enclave of firms. And Chennai-ites are speaking knowledgeably about sushi and sake.