LMV Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu
Coimbatore-based engineering major LMW Ltd is accelerating investments in artificial intelligence (AI), enterprise-wide digitisation and business process re-engineering to navigate a prolonged slowdown in the textile machinery business and position itself for the next phase of growth.The company has launched a comprehensive business process re-engineering (BPR) programme to redesign its core processes, streamline workflows and improve organisational agility. In his message to shareholders in the company’s 2025-26 annual report, Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu said the year tested the company’s resilience amid global macroeconomic headwinds, but reaffirmed the strength of its fundamentals. India’s manufacturing push, supply chain diversification and free trade agreements are creating favourable conditions for long-term growth, he said.Technology is central to the company’s transformation strategy, said the CMD. LMW is integrating AI across its manufacturing operations as well as into its products and services to improve performance and customer value. The company is automating key functions across sales and operations planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management and human lifecycle management.LMW’s flagship textile machinery division continued to face a difficult year as weak export demand, tariff uncertainties and cotton availability issues delayed fresh investments by spinning mills. The division sold 1,902 machines and reported revenue of ₹1,675 crore in FY26.The machine tool division emerged as LMW’s principal growth engine in FY26, offsetting weakness in the textile business. Operating at 70-75 per cent capacity utilisation, the division benefited from robust demand from the automotive, electronics manufacturing services (EMS), aerospace and defence sectors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. It sold 4,231 machines and generated revenue of ₹1,033 crore.diversificationGoing forward, the division plans to diversify beyond automotive applications into mobile manufacturing, defence and locomotive sectors while developing AI-enabled and IoT-connected machine tools, said the annual report. The foundry division reported revenue of ₹115 crore on sales of 5,593.7 tonnes. Despite lower capacity utilisation due to the textile slowdown, the division improved operational efficiency through inventory rationalisation, energy optimisation and higher in-house production.“Managing technological shifts and market pressures requires a skilled, agile and committed workforce. Investing in our people will remain a strategic priority as our teams continue to sustain and advance the LMW brand,” said Jayavarthanavelu.Published on June 29, 2026
