RC India

Guys, wanted to check on something here…
1. Is there any manufacturing facility for making ccpm helis 450, 500 and 600 sizes helis in India? Also the same goes for engines and other parts for planes?... (I knew earlier that “Sharma” manufactured engines in India)
2. If there is no unit do you think there is any feasibility in having one based in India
3. Of course low MRP price of the models is the end in mind and getting RC modeling to the masses is the ultimate goal.  Am not sure of the local laws on RC modeling and if there any bans pls let me know too and do you think there are any feasibilities of opening such a unit and if yes what do you think would should be the price of
   a. 450 size heli kit only and no electronics
   b. 500 size heli kit only and no electronics
   c. 500 size heli kit only and no electronics
   5. the price of common aero engine sizes
Please give a realistic price that you would think should be (or shall we take the base price as Hobby king’s price with shipping and customs).. this is quite important as this will decide the make and break of such a unit’s working feasibility.

These are very basic thoughts now and pls feel free to add in as much as possible and more research and information I get the more better a decision can be made.

There is a successful engine and retracts manufacturer in Coimbatore :  http://www.umstech.in

The question that immediately comes up is the competition from China.  Also, helis may not be the way to go, EPP planes would make more sense, IMHO.

Good Afternoon guys,

I don't think there is any manufacturing unit in India for RC, but I do know that there is this guy in Punjab, I am not so sure, who is a distributor for RTF and ARF Planes and Helicopters.
There is this person, named Edward Walton in US who sells scaled 450 helicopter fuselages internationally and he is interested in getting distributors to expand his business, he uses vacuum forming to create his fuselages.
What I mean here is if there was any person interested in making this a business, then he could always start by selling scaled fuselages for helis and planes or he could start with the molding of such parts, because RC fliers in India will get an exposure of turning their 3D fliers into scale.
As for the barebone kits!
It is not a very huge task, just need the dimensions of the frames for different types of RC fliers which can be manufactured here in India itself, it can also be called a SSI(Small Scale Industry)
As for the government issues and local laws, I think they mostly emphasis on radios used for RC flying because some radios violate regional wireless norms.(this can be achieved by selecting Approved radios!
I am not completely sure of the feasibility of this but it is all fiction talk by me to invest some ideas iin the Indian RC industry!
Please correct me wherever I am wrong!


This link talks about radios and their cons:  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4839884.cms
Regards,

Dorwin!

Dorwin - I hope you have seen this :  http://www.rcindia.org/rc-outlets-and-resellers/mega-list-of-all-rc-outlets-in-india/

So the comment about ONE person in Punjab selling RTFs and ARFs is just a small part of what is happening in India.  Radios are the single biggest cost item for RC in India.  The simple ones have come down to INR 4K-5K range now.

There are more radios coming (especially from Airtronics), and the HongKong folks are also helping to turn this hobby into one of mass access soon.

agreed then why do you think this hobby has still not taken off to the masses here in india?

Anwar,

I did read that link and happened to find awesome Indian RC websites too..
I have even ordered a Tx, rx from one of the websites!
What I meant was, as an individual, there was this hobbyist in India who made and built ARF kits for a living! I included the Punjab guy thing for informative purposes, no harms whatsoever.
Anyways! thank you for correcting me, much appreciated!

lastly, I am currently getting this Aramex account opened, spoke to their CSE too..lets see what happens! thans for this too!

Regards,

Dorwin

By masses, I mean high school students and people who do not have about Rs8K to spare now.

Secondly, there is a huge issue of visibility (people do not know about it, or they do not know that THEY too can do it).

Thirdly, there is the issue of a regulatory framework. The local cops and customs folks have to start seeing it similar to kite flying or some sort of a bit advanced toy... and RC radios should not be looked up on security issues (in comparison with, say, mobile phones).

One more thing.  If someone can import and sell at HongKong prices here (or slightly more, taking into account the duties etc), then will probably negate the need for local manufacturing (I see the point about local manufacturing, but it is easy to get into the trap that local sellers are facing now).  I see people like RCForAll, RCDhamaka and even people like Anam doing it now, but it needs to happen at a larger scale.  The motor/ESC/prop combos are sold out in no time at all shops, and that should act as an eye opener to all stores !

my issue and to start with is not about buying and selling... concern was is there a way to get this hobby to the end consumer at a low cost... Be it local manufacturing or be it importing… my larger idea was if we can get a manufacturing unit with the cnc machines and et al and if economies of scale work in India then why not promote this hobby to new comers and also existing enthusiasts with a low price offering… (we at least at the initial stages of his hobby and later when some one wants to get a better heli or plank and spend the extra he will pick up one from HK or the US etc… issue was to cater to the new comer and get the price factor right)…
And “maybe” your could be right of starting with EPP’s with the motor, esc and prop combo at a low price offering and get feedback…

I myself when I was back home last year picked up a walkera from a store in Chennai was paid quiet a sum for the heli and tx… I knew that this was almost 40-50% more than what would I have paid for… plus shipping costs rs 900 and I know for sure that it does not cost more than rs 300 for the package to reach my place from Chennai.. so the cost factor was surely a barrier.

Your experience seems to be in line with many others, who feel the local stores are overpriced.  They always are, due to either themselves ("get rich quick"), or due to the tax and shipping aspects (or a combination of both).

My feeling is that many hobby stores are trying to lower prices, but they are unable to do so.  Anyone else who tries would find the circumstances similar !  The main reason is that there is not enough volume... which makes this a chicken and egg problem (which I saw was resolved this week as the chicken came first !).

I can see their struggle on this forum itself.  To many stores, this forum is a huge conflict of interest, because we tend to make information about purchase choice easily visible/accessible, especially to newcomers.  Even the stores who enthusiastically participated here are no longer active, I am sure this is part of the reason. At least one seller has said the same openly here.  When everyone criticizes them for high prices despite their efforts (I mean the few stores that are trying to make a difference), I am sure they have a valid reason to complain. 

I see that in the little over 1.5 years that I have watched the RC situation in India, costs have come down.  And they are on the way down.  The beginner recommendations have gone from 22K for a glow setup, to a 12K glow (or electric) setup, to about an 8K electric setup now.  I see that with time, it will be less than 5K for foamie with a basic radio, in the not too distant future.

I am not sure a CNC based setup can match the scale of the Chinese shops.  The focus should be on importing "decent" yet low end stuff, which the masses can experience.  That is the practical path towards more widespread adoption of the hobby in India (along with evangelism etc).

Great points anwar… am sure volumes will increase if prices come down and it’s a open market and healthy competition will move this to a better place… and the best part of this forum is its transparency and let the consumer “choose” what he wants to and am not sure why any retailer / distributor have to fret about information flow… and I will bet the prices will come down more further soon.

Grossly out of topic ! http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Scientists+they+cracked+chicken+came+first/3292374/story.html

(@ Sujju - Sujju bai, You message Inbox is full, please delete some messages and also check your mail.)

try umstechnologies .com for engines definitely low price and unknown quality

Sorry, its http://www.umstech.in/

It isn't that aeromodelling is unaffordable. people have the money but absolutely lack interest and the inclination.
go to any big toyshop/ electronics retailer.
People will easily spend 20-25 k for a PS2-3, each new game costs 1.5-2 k an i pod. The iphone 4 retails for 34-40 k and are widely available.
And this stuff lasts 2 max 3 years.
So it is the mentality. there is no DIY culture in india. kids have to learn it helping out theeir older brothers or dads.
they would rather spend hours playing computer games.
So it is a mind block. not a money block.
Avijit

This thread is part of a History now. In less than one year, Sujju went ahead and opened a LHS in Bangalore. RcBazaar!! Kudos!!!

ujjwal... where did you dig this post man.. this was my first post to check on the feasibilities and the first thought of opening RcBazaar... LOL

Sujju,
give the credit to avijit17basu . I just joined the lines!! nice to see how it all began!!!

This hobby is still expensive :D :D :D