A two-day Wire Technical Symposium, organised by Mikrotek in association with Niehoff India, was held on October 31 and November 1 in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, a hub for North India’s wire and cable manufacturing industry. The event drew participation from over a hundred professionals, including manufacturers, suppliers, and technical experts from across the country.
This Technical symposium was inaugurated by the chief guest for the event Mr. Lalit Sharma (KEI), along with Mr. Kamal Babu (Chairman and Managing Director) Mikrotek, Mr. Michael Biller (European Sales Director, Mikro), Mr. Jitendra Agarwal (MD, Pushp Profiles), Thalaj Malhotra (Director, Malhotra Cables), P. Ravi Kumar & Anto Joseph (Niehoff India), and Mr. Kjell E. Johnnsen (Head of Wire and Cable Division, Conoptica), and other senior industry leaders.
The inaugural session established the foundation for the following two days as it brought together experts who focused on technological progress, quality control and environmentally-friendly development as the fundamental elements of the wire and cable industry.
Key Voices and Industry Perspectives
Mr. Kamal Babu (Mikrotek) highlighted that this was the fifth edition of the Technical symposium and that hosting it in an industrial town allowed for direct engagement with technical professionals. “Since this event is focused on the technical aspect, we believe it benefits the industry greatly by allowing factory professionals to interact directly with field experts and discuss challenges,” he said. “We’ve tried to incorporate sessions on technology and innovation, hoping to ignite new ideas within the industry. With the Prime Minister’s Make in India vision driving domestic manufacturing, the scope of this field is ever-growing, and there’s a constant need to develop new products and technologies,” he added.
Focusing on market trends, Mr. Jitendra Agarwal (Pushp Profiles) underscored the growing potential of the copper and alloy segment. “There is immense scope for both copper and alloys, driven by the increasing demand from the power and data center sectors. We’ll need significant cable and electrical infrastructure, and the industry must be ready to meet that demand. The alloy sector, in particular, deserves more attention as it holds massive potential and import substitute,” he noted.
Day 1: Innovation, Interaction & Insight
The first day consisted of technical presentations which focused on new developments in copper and aluminium cable production. The experts presented production methods, testing systems and automation systems which they explained would help achieve worldwide standards through precise engineering, sustainable materials and consistent manufacturing processes.
Speakers included Mr. Michael Biller (Mikro), Ms. Dipanshi Aggarwal (Birla Copper), Mr. Chaitanya Goli (Niehoff India), and Mr. Kjell E. Johnnsen (Conoptica), each offering in-depth insights into material performance, process optimization, and testing solutions.
“This kind of initiative is what keeps our industry moving forward. It’s not sales-driven, but a knowledge-driven technical symposium. Every participant here walks away with practical insight that can be implemented back at their plant,” Mr. Lalit Sharma (KEI) highlighted.
“As the industry moves toward higher performance and sustainability standards, it’s crucial for manufacturers and technology providers to work hand in hand. A technical symposium like this bridges that gap, allowing engineers, suppliers, and technologists to exchange ideas that can lead to real, implementable change,” said Mr. Thalaj Malhotra (Malhotra Cables).
In his presentation that mentioned production waste utilization, decarbonization, and the circular economy, Mr. Kjell E. Johnnsen (Conoptica) said, “The sessions provided a rare opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences directly with some of the best minds in the field. The most valuable takeaway is understanding how new testing technologies and quality monitoring systems can be practically applied to deliver environmental benefits. Such discussions help translate global ideas into local and actionable solutions.”
“This technical symposium stands out was the in-depth technical discussions it has offered. It wasn’t just about showcasing products but about addressing real manufacturing challenges, from raw material quality to automation and testing. Events like this help us align our processes with global standards and prepare for the next phase of growth in India’s cable industry,” added Mr. P. Ravi Kumar (Niehoff Cable). “From a technical standpoint, the sessions reinforced how crucial data-driven testing has become. It was encouraging to see so much participation from technicians and plant managers,” said Chaitanya Goli, (Niehoff Cable).
“Copper cables are the lifelines of every industrial system. The presentations here helped underline that even small process improvements in drawing, annealing, or insulation can have a major impact on performance, efficiency, and safety. It’s a reminder that engineering excellence lies in the details,” shared Ms. Dipanshi Aggarwal (Birla Copper).
Day 2: Technology, Training & the Road Ahead
The second day expanded on the previous day’s activities through panel discussions, live demonstrations and practical sessions about production innovation, cable testing and quality control with steel as the main emphasis. The experts from Mikrotek, Niehoff, Strecker and Zeller-Gmelin presented their latest testing equipment, automation solutions and digital tracking systems which aim to improve measurement accuracy, workplace security and operational efficiency.
Participants shared experiences from field applications and explored ways to tackle manufacturing challenges collaboratively. “It’s fascinating to note that wire usage dates back thousands of years, as historical evidence shows. Over the years, we’ve witnessed continuous innovation in this industry. The cable sector today stands at a point where precision and reliability matter more than ever,” said Mr. Michael Biller (Mikro). “Customers expect consistency, performance, and sustainability and that can only come through continuous innovation and investment in testing and automation. This technical symposium gives us a chance to share those learnings and see how far we’ve come as an industry,” he added.
Knowledge Exchange
Participants engaged actively throughout, sharing feedback and technical perspectives. “The interaction here has been extremely valuable because it’s not theoretical. It’s about day-to-day challenges faced by cable producers and how technology can offer immediate solutions. When we talk about automation, testing accuracy, and efficiency, it directly impacts how competitive we are in both domestic and export markets,” shared Mr. S. K. Tyagi (Cords Cables).
“The need of the hour is collaboration. Whether it’s copper or aluminium, we all face similar challenges. When we come together to discuss them openly and learn from each other’s experiences, the entire ecosystem benefits,” said Mr. Tushar Nagdev (Sobotech). “What I appreciate about this platform is that it brings together everyone, from technology developers to plant engineers, under a single roof. That kind of dialogue helps bridge the knowledge gap and pushes us all to raise our technical standards collectively,” added Mr. Laxman Bisht (Brislov).
The technical symposium concluded with a session by Dr. Lean Murlidharan (Founder, Director, Value Enablers’ Academy), who shared impactful insights on process efficiency and manufacturing optimisation, followed by a vote of thanks and networking session. “Motivation, skill, and mindset are what separate good manufacturers from great ones. When individuals on the shop floor feel empowered to innovate, the entire organization moves forward,” he said.
Final Takeaways and the Road Ahead
Providing additional insights about skill development and knowledge exchange, Mr. Kamal Babu (Mikrotek) stated, “Our company has been offering two training initiatives which have become extremely popular within the industry. The training program for technicians spans seven days, while the program for new industry entrants extends to 21 days. With this initiative, we have already trained more than 700 participants while we continue to receive increasing requests for enrollment. Our organization uses these training programs to distribute knowledge while building technical abilities for all wire and cable industry professionals.”
