Sakata Inx India wins TPM Excellence Award

Sakata Inx India has announced that its Bhiwadi and Panoli manufacturing sites have been awarded the TPM Excellence Award 2025 by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM). The award was presented to Sakata’s team on 20 March 2026 in the TPM Award Ceremony at the International Conference Centre – Kyoto, Japan. This makes Sakata India the first TPM-certified ink company in India.

In the world of manufacturing, the TPM (total productive maintenance) Excellence Award is often described as the ‘Oscar of the Factory Floor.’ Since its inception in 1964 by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), it has become the definitive benchmark for operational excellence globally, recognizing organizations that have achieved world-class levels of operational efficiency, product quality, and employee engagement. 

The fundamental objective of any plant pursuing this award is to achieve – zero breakdowns, zero defects and zero accidents. By pursuing these goals, Sakata Inx maximizes its overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), ensuring that machines run at the highest possible speed and quality without interruption.

To win the award, the plants demonstrated a mature implementation of the eight pillars of TPM and sustaining it for at least 4 to 5 years, the company said. These pillars represent a cross-functional approach.

Autonomous maintenance (Jishu Hozen): Operators clean, lubricate, and inspect their own machines.

Focused improvement (Kobetsu Kaizen): Identifying and eliminating the ‘16 big losses.’

Planned maintenance: Moving from reactive to predictive/preventative maintenance.

Quality maintenance: Achieving zero defects by controlling machine conditions.

Early equipment management: Designing new machines for easy maintenance and fast start-up.

Education and training: Filling skill gaps for both operators and maintenance staff.

Office TPM: Applying efficiency principles to administrative and support functions.

Safety, health, and environment: Ensuring a zero-accident workplace. 

Beyond the brass plaque, the real value of the TPM Award lies in the cultural transformation.  

Employee Empowerment: Front-line workers gain a sense of ownership over their equipment.            

Financial Impact: Eliminating losses directly improves the bottom line.

Global Reputation: It signals to customers that the facility is a reliable, high-quality, and cost-efficient partner.