50 Manufacturing Companies – Alstom

After spending 35 years in the power industry, he accepted to be part of a transport organisation that was both a novel and challenging experience. Against a background of fast-changing and unpredictable operating conditions, Alstom maintained strength and momentum in the last 12 months with robust growth, improved sales & operations across business segments. The last one year has been a productive year for Alstom both commercially as well as in terms of project execution. “We were able to successfully deliver the Lucknow Metro project as well as Sydney Metro which was our first export project. So, yes, the risks have paid off so far,” says Spohr.

He is aware that for the last 20 years, companies have developed their manufacturing network strategies based on relatively stable assumptions with long term visibility. Today, while same economic principles guide decision making, companies also need to galvanise for global tariff and regulatory uncertainties, and disruptive technologies. Digital advances and better human-machine interface enhance problem-solving and create reliable visibility into overall performance, but it also raises questions as to when and how to use automation in manufacturing. To keep pace with the changes in the industry, to recognise potential far into the future and to be able to translate them into short- and long-term goals for the employees are skills that he feels any leader in the manufacturing space now needs to be equipped with.

He believes that manufacturing will play a crucial role in the nation’s growth agenda, with mobility being a critical spoke in this wheel. Focus on introducing better signaling systems for the railways, electrification of networks, dedicated corridors for locomotive transit will ensure orders for players operating in this area throughout 2019 and beyond. Its manufacturing base in Madhepura (Bihar) is working on delivering high-speed locomotives for the prestigious DFC project currently underway. After the successful delivery of its first export order for Sydney Metro last year, Alstom will begin manufacturing an order for light metros for the city of Montreal from its plant in Sri City.