IT is also known to most of us that Quality Circle was first introduced by BHEL, Ramachandrapuram in 1980 in India and hence they are called pioneers of this wonderful movement in India. (Some other organizations too claim that they introduced it before BHEL. There is an adage that ‘While failure is an orphan, success will have many parents’).
As far as QCFI is concerned it is linked to the development that took place in BHEL, Ramachandrapuram. Mr. S.R. Udpa – GM-Operations initiated QCFI and he received the needed support from senior management BHEL, Ramachandrapuram headed by Mr. Madhav Rao. Mr. K.L. Puri, Chairman and Managing Director of BHEL also encouraged it by his active involvement. Shri N. D. Tiwari who was cabinet minister (industry) in
the Central Government had an exposure to this concept when he visited BHEL, Ramachandrapuram . Fascinated by that he wanted it to be introduced in Indian industries particularly in Public Sector organizations.
Prof. V. Narayana of Indian Statistical Institute of Hyderabad too had knowledge about concept of the Quality Circle and ISI also had presentation material available on the concept. With the help of hese materials programmes could be conducted in various places. A few from other parts of the country also got interested in this concept. Dr.R.C.Agarwal, President JK Jute Mills Ltd., initiated workers participation in management in 1977. In 1981 he heard about Quality Circles and got in touch with JUSE who directed him to Mr. S.R. Udpa. On his invitation Mr. S.R. Udpa twice visited Kanpur, out of which once with BHEL Quality Circle members. Then JK Jute Mills Ltd., started the QC movement. Later on they with the help of Asian Productivity Council invited Mr. Ichiro Miyayuchi of JUSE.
Dr.Gaur Hari Singhania and Mr. Ramapati Singhania too took keen interst and with Miyayuchisan’s training it was firmly institutionalised in JK Synthetics Ltd. and JK Jute Mills Ltd.
Dr. A. N. Saxena who was the Director General of National Productivity Council also got interested in the concept of Quality Circle and got associated with this movement. Thus Quality Circle movement started spreading in India in a small way. In fact world over most of the countries became aware of this concept only in 80s even though Japanese had been practicing it from the 1960s. Of course South Korea and Taiwan introduced it much earlier with the help of Japan.
