Lakshmi Ring Travellers is a total ring traveller solutions provider: J M Balaji

In this interview with Rakesh Rao, J M Balaji, VP, Lakshmi Ring Travellers, shares insights on the company’s journey, its innovation-driven approach and strategic outlook

Established in 1974, Lakshmi Ring Travellers Coimbatore Pvt Ltd (LRT) stands as a testament to Indian engineering excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness. With a strong foundation in Coimbatore, an unwavering focus on customer-centric product development, and a clear vision for the future, LRT is not only shaping the future of spinning—but defining its standards. In this interview with Rakesh Rao, J M Balaji, Vice President, Lakshmi Ring Travellers, shares insights on the company’s journey, its innovation-driven approach and strategic outlook.

Could you introduce Lakshmi Ring Travellers (LRT) and its global standing?

LRT is currently the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of ring travellers. We produce over 3500 million travellers annually, which is nearly three times the volume of our nearest competitor. Our products serve more than 80 million spindles across 40+ countries, making us a dominant and trusted player in the ring traveller market.

Ring travellers are small but critical components that affect the productivity and quality of yarn in the spinning process. LRT’s leadership in this domain comes from consistent focus on quality, innovation, and deep technical expertise. As a global player, we benefit from a comprehensive understanding of market trends, including advancements in new materials and spinning technologies. This strategic insight enables us to stay ahead of the curve in developing innovative products that meet evolving industry demands.

How has Coimbatore evolved as a textile and engineering hub, and how has that benefited LRT?

Coimbatore is often referred to as the Manchester of South India for its rich textile heritage. But more than that, it has evolved into a global capital for textile machinery and accessories—particularly in spinning. The city and its surrounding regions have built a robust ecosystem comprising machinery manufacturers, component suppliers, service providers, and skilled talent, making it a self-sustaining cluster for textile engineering.

From an operational perspective, this ecosystem enables faster innovation cycles, better supply chain integration, and reduced lead times. It also allows companies like LRT to collaborate, experiment, and grow efficiently. We consolidated our manufacturing operations entirely in and around Coimbatore. This move not only simplifies logistics but also places us at the heart of a dynamic manufacturing and R&D environment.

What innovations has LRT brought to the ring traveller segment, and what are your key focus areas now?

The expectations of spinning mills have changed dramatically over the years. Today, mills are seeking higher spindle speeds, lower breakage rates, and better yarn quality. For instance, many customers aim to run ring frames at speeds exceeding 25,000 rpm, which was almost unheard of a few years ago. The challenge here is maintaining such speeds without increasing end breakage rates—a key pain point in spinning.

Additionally, labour shortages are pushing mills to seek automation-friendly solutions. Customers now demand ring travellers that offer longer life, lower downtime, and consistent quality, even at ultra-high speeds. LRT has responded by developing products engineered for compact spinning—an increasingly popular segment in India that now constitutes approximately 40 per cent of the spinning base.

Through our extensive R&D and global exposure, we have been able to introduce travellers that significantly reduce slow-speed time after changeovers, offer higher durability, and ensure uniformity across large-scale operations. The result is a more reliable spinning process with fewer interruptions.

How do you stay in tune with global market trends and customer requirements?

Being a global company gives us significant exposure to trends across markets like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, and Latin America. For example, most of the marketshas largely transitioned to manmade fibres (MMF), while India still predominantly spins cotton. By monitoring developments in different regions, we can anticipate where the market is heading and tailor our R&D efforts accordingly.

We’ve also seen increasing use of recycled fibres and synthetics, driven by both sustainability goals and fibre availability. LRT has developed solutions specific to these fibres, including travellers optimised for dyed synthetics, regenerated fibres, and high-tenacity blends. These innovations have allowed us to position ourselves as a total ring traveller solutions provider—capable of delivering for any count, fibre, or speed requirement.

How is Coimbatore’s ecosystem supporting your growth in terms of labour and supply chain?

Coimbatore offers many advantages, but like any rapidly growing industrial hub, it also comes with challenges—particularly around labour availability. Semi-skilled and non-skilled labour often comes from other districts or even states. The competition for skilled workers is intensifying across sectors.

To address this, we are heavily investing in automation and process reliability. Our strategy is to build systems that rely less on manual intervention and more on advanced manufacturing. We’ve adopted new-generation machinery, state-of-the-art heat treatment systems, and other technologies that minimise variability and ensure precision manufacturing.

This approach not only improves the quality and consistency of our products but also helps us scale efficiently in a constrained labour environment.

Automation is reshaping industries. How is LRT leveraging this shift?

Automation is not just a necessity—it is a strategic advantage. For us, automation has helped standardise quality, reduce human error, and streamline processes. We’ve invested in cutting-edge equipment that enables us to achieve levels of consistency and durability unmatched in the industry.

By building a robust, system-driven manufacturing process, we deliver a superior product that translates to better performance, fewer defects, and reduced operational downtime for our customers. This aligns with the growing industry focus on productivity and sustainability.

What are LRT’s short- and long-term growth objectives?

In the short term, our goal is to enhance our footprint in existing international markets where we already have a strong presence. However, as the life of travellers increases due to technological advancements, the volume demand decreases. To offset this, we are focusing on delivering high-value, high-performance products that offer greater return on investment for customers.

In the long term, we aim to expand our product portfolio, continue global expansion, and maintain our leadership through customer-centric innovation. Listening to our customers and developing tailored solutions remains our central growth driver.

Is the manmade fibre (MMF) segment a priority for LRT?

Absolutely. Globally, MMF accounts for nearly 70 per cent of yarn production, whereas in India, it’s still only around 30 per cent. As a company with a significant export presence, adapting to MMF requirements is essential.

We have developed a range of travellers optimised for synthetic, recycled, and regenerated fibres, each with unique operational challenges. These solutions support high-speed spinning while maintaining quality, durability, and productivity. Our ability to serve every fibre, every count, and every speed gives us a clear USP in the global market.

How important is research and development to LRT’s success?

R&D is the cornerstone of our success. In an engineering-intensive sector like ours, continuous innovation is non-negotiable. We have a dedicated R&D division in Coimbatore and collaborate with global research institutions and universities to stay abreast of the latest developments.

We consistently monitor global trends in spinning, fibre evolution, machine compatibility, and customer usage patterns. Our commitment to R&D ensures that we remain ahead of the curve, ready to offer next-generation solutions tailored to market needs.

In today’s hyper-competitive and fast-evolving landscape, companies that fail to innovate risk becoming obsolete. At LRT, R&D is not just a function—it’s a strategic survival tool that drives our leadership.