"Under the new group strategy, about 30 per cent of the total income of Sundram Fasteners should come from exports alone, while the remaining from the local market. During the last fiscal the company had posted an export revenue of Rs 47 crore which forms about 15 per cent of the total sales of Rs 326.18 crore," he said.

The recent strategic alliances with Daimler Benz AG of Germany and Cummins Engine Company Inc of the US has helped thecompany to achieve the export target. At present SFL, which is also in talks with Mercedes Benz to offer auto components, supplies fasteners to Daimler Benz and Cummins.

According to Mani even though the domestic automobile component market is in doldrums the company is expecting a 5 per cent rise in total sales, while the margins are likely to be maintained this fiscal.

He attributed this growth to the company's decision to restructure its entire business into four independent operating divisions. SFL's businesses encompass high-tensile fasteners, cold extrusion and powder metal products, intelligent information systems engineering and radiator caps.

Sundram Fasteners on Tuesday said that it has received total productive maintenance (TPM) award for 1998. A major feature of TPM is autonomous maintenance (Jishu Hozen) by operators, who can take an active part in preserving and improving the performance of their equipment. TPM aims to enhance equipment efficiency and increase output per hour.

Meanwhile,the TPM instructors all over the country have assembled at the SFL factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu to discuss about the progress made by firms using TPM and to impart the same systems in other companies, who want to be globally competitive.