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WeP works 20 days a month

Rukmini Priyadarshini

Chitra Phadnis

BANGALORE, Dec. 12

THE economic slowdown and consequent fall in IT investments has forced WeP Ltd (formerly Wipro ePeripherals) to cut production at its Mysore factory.

In the past couple of months, the facility has been functioning only 20 days in a month to bring down inventory, according to company sources.

The other 10 days, workers attend field service camps and engage in other development activities.

The company expects a fall in production from last year. In 2000-01, WeP had manufactured 1.25 lakh printers at the facility.

Till September this year, barely 58,000 printers had been produced. The second half is likely to see even lower numbers.

The facility has a total manufacturing capacity of 2 lakh printers a year. The company does not want to bring down production ``too much'' either, because ``we need to be prepared for the upturn as well.'' The CEO could not be contacted despite several a ttempts.

The company recently tied up with Printronix to manufacture line matrix printers.

It is looking at 200 units per month and offers printing solutions in several regional languages.

Following a worldwide trend, the company has also started to offer a unique printing service in the country.

WeP commenced operations in 1986 as the Peripherals Division of Wipro Infotech, one of the largest IT companies in India and then became an independent corporate entity in September 2000. Today, WeP is India's largest employees' owned company, according to the WeP Web site. The company is also partly owned by channel partners and business associates.

Last year, the CEO and Managing Director, Mr Ram Agarwal, had told Business Line that the company would install printers in large corporates, small businesses and kiosks and charge users per sheet printed.

With a marketshare of around 40 per cent in dot-matrix printers and 50 per cent in laser and inkjet printers, WeP's Mysore factory with a capacity of two lakh printers a year produces dot matrix printers and line matrix printers for domestic market and t he Hyderabad factory contract manufactures and exports dot-matrix printers and electronic typewriters.