At UJA, we take pride in supporting organizations that are redefining quality and engineering excellence in India. In this interview, Manuel, General Manager of ADR Axles India, shares his experiences working across Italy, Asia & Europe and provides valuable insights into India’s manufacturing landscape, export potential and the ongoing transformation in agriculture.
General Manager - ADR Axles India
My first time in India was from 2014 to 2015, two years in Chennai with an Italian MNC, I was managing an Engineering office and I was responsible for a product line. Post that, I spent 3 years in various nations like Vietnam, Ukraine, Germany and China.
I started a new chapter in Delhi in 2019, with an Indian MNC, as their COO for two years. I moved to Pune as Operations Director for an Italian MNC, Maschio Gaspardo and since January 2025 I’m General Manager of ADR axles.
ADR Axles India ltd is the local branch of ADR Axles spa an Italian MNC that produce axles for road, offroad application and special developed trailers.
The Indian market presents unique challenges, particularly due to difficult road conditions. However, our R&D facilities and extensive pre-production testing enable us to consistently deliver some of the most reliable products available.
We have developed almost all parts with local suppliers, we collaborate with them, helping them to reach a quality level that is aligned with European standards with mutual benefit.
Our production facility here is absolutely a world class factory with everything that is needed to produce with the same quality of our other factories.
We are exporting more than 30% of our production and if the international situation will evolve positively, we are ready to increase this number, continuous investments are giving us the possibility to comfortably propose to the market high quality parts with full tailor-made solutions.
Our offices together with our factory are in Khed City, a newly developing area in the outskirts of Pune. Our choice of Pune have many reasons:
Pune is one of the automotive capitals of India, there is a large base of skilled workers that we can hire, the vicinity to the Mumbai port is another important aspect for companies that want to export and last but not least the city itself, still a liveable city, not too big not too small, also gifted by a very pleasant weather.
Unfortunately, we have seen a sharp decline this year for our export to USA.
I would say that the duties are not the main reason, it was the uncertainty that have stopped or reduced the orders from North America.
Now the dust seems settled and we are seeing a much more optimistic approach from our customers. I’m expecting a 2026 full of satisfactions.
Indian Agricultural machinery market is like no other in the world, extremely small farms, little purchase power from the farmers, huge number of tractors and machines sold per year and very strong competition between the competitors.
To enter this market, you need to understand these peculiarities and develop machines removing all the unnecessary, keeping only what is giving a real value to the final user.
Considering that the market is heavily influenced by the Central and State subsidies you need to understand and apply the Indian regulations and register the company and the products to be able to attract those benefits and to be able to sell.
Indian agriculture is undergoing a big transformation. With the introduction of new machinery and advanced methods, farms are gradually beginning to realise the new opportunities available to them. The yield per acre with a seeding machine is so high that a farmer can recover the full cost of the machine in just one season.
Italian companies are giving a fundamental contribution to this evolution, the traditional ingenuity of Italian design and the high quality of the machines are key factors to develop a new approach to agriculture with less manpower and increased yield, a way to guarantee sustainability to a sector that have to feed 1.4 billion people.
The most sold machines are the ones that are used to prepare the soil and the seeders, another category that is growing rapidly are the post harvester machines to avoid residual burning that is creating a pollution problem in Delhi and nearby areas, this machines collect the rice paddy to re-use it in bio gas production or power plants.
The cost is really a discriminating point in the Indian market. To be able to sell, you need to demonstrate an added value with more reliability and longer life. The market now, understands what total cost of ownership mean and many farmers are ready to pay a little more for a better quality.
The agricultural market in India is really complex, the differences between the areas, the soil type, the crops are completely different, you need a distributed network of dealers that can propose to the farmers the specific machine they can use in that particular area, it is completely different from Europe where distributors are selling few big machines, here hundreds of dealers are selling dozens of small machines.
First of all, you need to explain how to get the best out of the machine—how to use it correctly, maintain it properly, and care for it over time. Organising training and instruction camps where farmers can come together is essential. Listen to their needs, understand their specific requirements, and use that feedback to improve your products. Only by doing this can you build a long, strong, and mutually beneficial relationship with them.
India is the place to be right now. The country is growing at a pace unimaginable for most other nations, and I’m grateful to be part of this transformation. There is a clear sense of optimism that runs through society—people here are living the dream of building a new future, and they are working tirelessly to achieve it.
The differences between India and Italy are so extensive that even an entire book wouldn’t be enough to capture them. India offers mobility, yearly salary growth, and abundant job opportunities. Some areas—like starting salaries, work hours, and labour protections—are still evolving, but the direction is clearly positive.
I’m grateful to this country for everything it has given me—the opportunity to see life from a completely different perspective and to appreciate the beauty of two cultures that stand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Experiencing a culture so different from my own has enriched me deeply.
Indian culture is truly fascinating. Although the initial impact was strong, I gradually began to understand it, and today I consider India my second home. I’ve made many wonderful friends, and the warmth and hospitality I receive everywhere are extraordinary—something rare to find anywhere in the world.
One aspect that often goes unspoken is just how safe this country is. Despite the challenges of scale, diversity, and population, you rarely feel unsafe while moving around. This sense of security is one of India’s most underrated strengths.
Manuel: Thank you for the opportunity. It’s been a pleasure to share my experience, and I truly appreciate the support and collaboration from UJA over the years.