Smart Parking Solutions

The biggest challenge is to convince people to upgrade to better technology for Road Marking Machines
– Nitin Nakhat
Proprietor
Shri Balaji Road Marking Machines

Having had an experience in the ball bearing industry, I always had an inclination towards manufacturing something of my own. So it was always a question of when and what product. The idea of this product came on seeing some road marking machines being used on the road. Here were a few labourers marking road safety lines with a crude machine! The LPG was leaking and there were no safety measures — not even safety shoes. They were marking roads in a leisurely fashion. The same lines were not visible post midnight. That’s when I decided to make a safe and fast machine for road marking. Interestingly this field does not have many people working in it, and those who are in it, do not share the technology for making roads safer.

In May 2014, Prime Minister gave a resounding call of Make In India. It struck a chord and acted like a catalyst to quicken my pace of research on road marking machines. Shri Balaji Road Marking Machines (SBRMM) was thus started on the 11th of July, 2014. The biggest challenge was to convince people to upgrade to better technology. It remains a challenge even today. In the last three years, SBRMM has come-up with 13 Models that have been well received by the customers.

SBRMM provides machines to mark road safety lines on roads. It has been proved in several road safety studies that accidents reduce by 70% on clearly marked roads as against the unmarked roads. So SBRMM is proud to be n the business of making road.

Interestingly, there are three types of road marking machines: a) Screed type, b) Spray type, and c) Extrusion type. SBRMM currently manufactures (a) and (b). Until 2014, there was not a single supplier of self-propelled road marking machines in India. SBRMM is, in that sense, the pioneer in the field as it started supplying such equipment to the contractors. It this, opened up the market of more affordable marking machines and hence, is being adopted widely in cities and on state & national highway.

The entire road construction and infrastructure segments are witnessing a lot of action. Road safety has become a point of concern. The fact is that many
authorities too are ignoring the proper specifications and procedures. Hence, creating awareness and a feedback mechanism are keys to improving the
standard of road safety. This is not only a challenge but also a huge opportunity. SBRMM is slated for a C.A.G.R. of over 50% in the next five to six years. It
has already exported machines to the USA, the U.K, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Kenya, Sri Lanka and  Philippines. Some distribution channels
are being worked out now in Latin America and Australia.

Internationally, the SBRMM buyers are Road construction companies and sub-constructors. The company also encourages entrepreneurs to take up this field as it is both challenging and satisfying. Training and mentor-ship is provided to such entrepreneurs.

The experience of participating in Mumbai Expo last year was a satisfactory one. It helped us reach many people and authorities. In fact, we will formally be launching SB150H and SB60MA version 2.0 at the exhibition. Hyderabad is home to more than 12 of the top 30 road construction companies in India.We wish to showcase technology to such clientele and grab opportunities that lie in this region.