India`s largest supplier of digital read-out systems, the Electronica Group, has set up a subsidiary in the UK to handle sales, support and service activities in the UK and the rest of the world outside India. The business, called Electronica Mechatronic Systems, is based in Kibworth, Leicestershire, and will be run by two former directors of Newall Measurement Systems, Robert Matthews and Dr Mark Hudman.

The Indian parent company, founded up in 1973, has nine manufacturing sites and a turnover of around $80m. Its portfolio includes industrial automation, machines tools and CAD/CAM. The UK business will be selling magnetic and glass linear encoders, height gauges, and one-, two- and three-axis DROs for magnetic or optical scales.

The new business will target OEMs and retrofit markets in partnership with strategic distributors. Matthews, who has been sales and marketing director at Newall for the past four years will be occupying a similar role at Electronica. Hudman, who will be the new company’s director of international business development, was Newall`s technical director for the past ten years, during which the company obtained seven patents and launched several new ranges.