What are your comments on the growth of the global lighting industry as well as the domestic scenario? How does Crompton contribute to this journey?
Globally lighting market is receiving much attention due to its potential of reducing the carbon footprint. Projections show that the global lighting market is set to grow @ 30% per annum spearheaded by LED segment. Continued global population growth and urbanisation are the two factors increasing the overall demand for lighting products. Climate change is another factor propelling the industry trend towards energy efficient lighting technology. India is close on heels with the momentum and will grow to an estimated Rs.22K Cr by 2020.
In our growth journey, the key drivers are technological and TTM (Time to the Market) expertise that enable us to offer quality and right products at affordable prices. These are helping us keep pace with changing requirements of the consumers.
What are Crompton’s offerings for the sports and outdoor lighting segments?
Crompton is in tandem with evolving market needs in sports and outdoor illumination. We provide Street lights, Poles, Flood lights and High masts for illumination of the Infrastructures: Roads, Flyovers, Ports, Stadia etc. Now, with the advent of LED technology, LEDs have become an obvious choice for street lighting. We also provide Centralised Controlling and Monitoring System (CCMS) that enables the service providers to control and monitor the streetlights.
For Landscape lighting, we provide numerous options that have been aesthetically designed to suit the consumers, architect and lighting consultants.
Crompton had orders from Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a joint venture of the power ministry, for implementing energy efficient products in India. Could you elaborate on the same?
Crompton has bagged orders from the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. (EESL), a joint venture set up by the Power Ministry comprising four public sector undertakings – NTPC, PFC, REC and Power Grid.
Crompton is supplying 7 and 9W LED Bulbs to the EESL. Consumers buy it from them, and enjoy an option to pay for it in equated monthly instalments. This initiative will help drive the use of LED as an energy efficient option, thereby leading to savings in power bills of the consumers & setting off power deficits in the country. We have so far supplied Rs. 100 Cr worth of Lamps and Rs.25 Cr worth of street lights to EESL.
The Indian LED market in India has grown by almost 40%. Given the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, what is your strategy to localise production in the highly competitive LED market?
We have taken strategic measures to control our external sourcing from other countries and increased capacities in India to meet the growing demand in LED space – and thus support the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Do you think that advancements in OLED technology and increasing use of OLED panels in smart phones, could contribute to a decline in the global LED market, considering the fact that in 2015, there was a decline of 3% in the global LED market?
I would not be in a position to comment on the decline in LED market owing to advancement in OLED technology and use of OLED panels in smart phones.
In the lighting space OLED technology has been embraced globally. The flexible OLED panels eliminate the need of reflectors or diffusers. However, the cost considerations for OLED light products are high – and hence it will take time to enter the Indian market. Further OLEDs are yet to meet the efficacies delivered by the LEDs.
LED market is growing and still holds huge potential. With the introduction of government schemes and growing awareness, the demand is only set to rise.
What are the Crompton’s efforts in the field of industrial luminaries?
We were the first to bring in the COB technology in the industrial lighting segment, with highbays and well glass being offered with COB. We have developed highbays up to 360W, supposed to be the highest wattage in the industry. We have an array of products across the various application segments in Industrial luminaires.
What are your plans to contribute to the government’s smart city plan with regard to urban street lighting?
The ‘Smart Cities’ initiative by the government is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life in cities – by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for them. The dynamics in a city life change due to traffic levels, weather changes, accidents and events in the city. Crompton, in conjunction to this initiative and looking at the dynamics, is working with technology partners to provide smart street lighting solutions.
What are the company’s efforts in Research and Development (R&D)?
Following the example already set by Crompton Greaves in R&D, Crompton is eagerly pursuing the challenge of creating new products and technologies to meet the dynamic customer needs.
Our R&D activities are broadly classified into three categories: core technology research, product development and manufacturing R&D. In core technology, we are looking at IOT and other communication platforms. It also focuses on improvement in efficacies through thermal management, use of alternate material etc. Product Development researches are integrated to the core technology researches to develop or improve commercially viable materials, devices, or systems. The Manufacturing R&D project focuses on what is required to deliver high quality, optimum cost products in quantity and on time.
What would you like to communicate to decision makers?
Looking at the transition phase from conventional lighting source to LEDs, all I can say is, this is the right time to invest in LEDs from the ROI perspective – and we, being one of the significant players in lighting, are committed to delivering state-of-the-art products – and are appealing in every aspect: be it design, quality, utility, energy consumption, aesthetics or overall performance.
We, being one of the leading players in energy efficient lighting solutions, are relentlessly working to enhance the quality of life of our valued customers through our innovative products.
