Hockey one, hockey two – and away to New Zealand

12 June 2025

The same drive that saw Vikas Markanda make the India National Hockey Team also drove him from working as a youth in his father’s machine shop to crossing the planet and becoming General Manager at Dixon Manufacturing and a valued member of the NZSSDA.

Early beginnings – living over shop

Located in Pune, near Mumbai, Vikas Markanda’s grandfather on his mum’s side was a machine manufacturer by trade making huge milling machines for the burgeoning sugar industry and then, seeing the scope, moving into sugar processing itself.

“Following this, he entered the car parts industry and then my father joined the family business – utilising machine milling machines and later CNC,” Vikas says. “My dad ran that shop for 30 years with us living above the machine shop – every morning and night, we would hear the machines and we grew up in that kind of environment.

“After school, I’d go and give my dad a hand and bit by bit he’d teach me how the machines worked.”Such was Vikas’ starting point in the industry – creating his initial interest in engineering.

“Back then, CNC was still very new but when part tolerances became more exacting, my dad pushed me towards this new technology.

From production to pucks

“At this time, I also had another consuming interest – I was playing hockey at quite a high level and was selected for the Indian National Team between 2006 and 2008.” This took Vikas to tournaments across the subcontinent.

“However, I soon realised I had to make a choice between full-time engineering or full-time sports.”

Stopped by traffic

“The only reason I left that job was the terrible traffic congestion, costing me two hours commuting time each day – on top of 12 hour shifts,” Vikas says. “Then, because one of my dad’s sisters was in New Zealand and because I was fascinated by the courses offered, I came out to AUT and took the Masters of Engineering in Power/Energy Systems Engineering.” Towards the end of that degree, Vikas taught mathematics and physics to undergraduate students and was greatly inspired by the drive of his students.

“Inspired by their passion, I decided I needed to do more and started applying for real jobs – around this time, 2016, a friend introduced me to Jane Warren and Andrew Wilkes, partners and owners of Dixon Manufacturing, known for its precision metal fabrication and installation services.”

The Dixon Manufacturing Team

One thing lead to another

“I started there as a design engineer and over the years I progressed to Design & Production Manager and then to the role I have today – General Manager.”

As general manager, Vikas Markanda’s day-to-day activities run from first point of contact with clients to pricing the job for them – then, once they’re happy with the price, going out and measure things, drawing them up and going from there. “There’s a lot of paperwork involved but you’re dealing with so many different people every day and I like interacting with people from various industries.”

Team player at NZSSDA

As well as being at the helm of one of New Zealand’s most renowned stainless steel products manufacturers, Vikas Markanda is a highly valued member of the New Zealand Stainless Steel Development Association.

“I think the NZSSDA is one of the few associations where so many passionate people are involved and they all come from different sectors – before joining, I wasn’t aware of the sheer diversity of end users of stainless steel products – of wasn’t aware of the sheer diversity of end users of stainless steel products – of the many different sectors involved and major end users like Tetra Pak and GEA.

“Currently, I’m in the architecture and marine sub committee – our primary focusses are hand rails and balustrades – helping educate young engineers and architects as well as bodies like Housing New Zealand and Ministry of Education about the advantages of stainless steel options over galvanised, painted finishes or aluminium.

“These of course run from initial cost versus ongoing maintenance costs, etc.”

Returning to that other field