- Job Purpose:
The SME – New Product Development & Design Services leads all new product development (NPD) initiatives for the IGT (Inner Grooved Tube) manufacturing plant at Waghodia, Vadodara. The role is responsible for identifying, conceptualising, developing, and commercially qualifying new IGT variants and copper tube grades — including new OD / wall thickness combinations, groove geometries, alloy grades, and coil configurations — in response to evolving customer requirements, energy efficiency mandates, and competitive market dynamics. The incumbent works at the intersection of process engineering, metallurgy, product design, and customer technical service — translating customer needs and technology trends into manufacturable, quality-compliant, commercially viable new products. As India's first IGT plant, this role plays a critical part in establishing Hindalco's product leadership in the domestic and export IGT market.
- Dimensions:
Product Scope: Inner Grooved Tubes (IGT) – Level Wound Coils (LWC); Plain Copper Tubes – LWC, Straight Tubes, Pancake Coils; New alloy grades and geometric variants as per customer / market requirements
Plant Capacity: 25,000 TPA (20,000 TPA IGT + 5,000 TPA Plain Tube) – First IGT plant in India; PLI Scheme beneficiary
NPD Scope: New OD / wall thickness / groove geometry combinations; new alloy grades (copper and copper alloys); new coil / packaging configurations; process parameter development for new products
Customer Qualification Scope: OEM AC manufacturers (domestic & export); refrigeration & HVAC OEMs; heat exchanger manufacturers; distributor qualifications for new grades
Standards & Specifications: ASTM B75, B88, B280, B743; EN 12735; JIS H3300; IS 1545; customer-specific proprietary specifications; energy efficiency rating standards (BEE, AHRI, etc.)
Key Interfaces: Production / PBU team; COE Process Care & Quality; R&D / ABSTC / HIC; Commercial / Sales team; Customers (OEM technical teams); Equipment OEMs (IGT machine suppliers)
Reporting: Reports directly to COE Head – Process Care & Quality; collaborates closely with SME – Process & Quality and SME – Customer Handling & Technical Services
Function Workforce: MG – 4, LMS – 14, Contract Workmen – 3 | Total COE PCQ team = 21
Other Quantitative and Important Parameters for the job
Hindalco's IGT plant is India's first Inner Grooved Tube manufacturing facility and a PLI scheme beneficiary. IGTs are used in energy-efficient air conditioners and refrigeration systems; the global trend toward smaller OD tubes (7mm, 5mm, and below) with complex groove geometries is driven by regulatory energy efficiency standards (BEE star ratings, AHRI standards). The NPD role is responsible for keeping the plant's product portfolio ahead of these evolving requirements.
Target new product categories include: ultra-thin wall IGTs (wall thickness ≤ 0. 19mm), smaller OD IGTs (5mm and below), enhanced groove geometry variants (multi-start, high-helix, herringbone), copper-alloy IGTs for specialised applications, and new plain tube grades for plumbing, medical gas, and industrial applications.
New product qualification timelines with OEM customers can range from a few weeks to more than 3 months, involving multiple sample submission rounds, dimensional / mechanical / performance testing, and field trials at the customer's assembly line. The SME must manage multiple concurrent NPD projects across different customers and product types.
- Job Context & Major Challenges:
First-Mover Complexity in India; Rapidly Evolving Customer Specifications; Ultra-Thin Wall Manufacturing Complexity; Customer Approval Process; Process–Product Interface; Intellectual Property & Design Confidentiality; Building NPD from Scratch.