13 recipients were recently awarded the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence including Hi-Tech Gears Limited, located in Haryana, India. Hi-Tech manufactures transmission gears and shafts for two- and four-wheeler automotive companies including Hero Honda, Mushashi Auto Parts and General Motors. With a workforce of 380 including engineers and support staff, the Hi-Tech plant is divided into mini factories (a factory within a factory concept) where all the employees are trained on lean tools and principles and are encouraged to make use of these tools on a daily basis. The Shingo Prize is achieved by focusing on operational excellence, aligning management systems and implementing improvement techniques throughout the organization. It is administered by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.