What are the strategies used by Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals to overcome the ongoing pandemic impact?
The ongoing pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis that has impacted every strata of society, the community and the individual at large. We are a legacy brand of over 75 years who have always strived to ensure our employees are valued to not only create a flourishing workplace but also to become future leaders. Hence, during this pandemic, utmost importance was given to the safety and wellbeing of our employees by creating various strategies and safety procedures to establish a healthy and safe workplace. As remote working increased, digitalisation also gathered prominence along with virtual connections that have further helped us in maintaining the momentum throughout these months. Moreover, having identified strategic opportunities for cost optimisation as well as tactically managing inventory have also helped us increase our profitability.
What’s your approach towards energy-efficiency and LED lighting?
As more and more people are inclined towards becoming more eco-friendly, we too, are making a conscious effort in ensuring our products play a significant role in protecting the environment. That’s why our entire LED range of Crompton provides 85% Energy Savings compared to a regular incandescent lamp. Our entire LED range is also 3 star – rated, except for our product “Lyor”, which is a 5 star – rated LED bulb. Considering that our commitment has always been towards saving energy, in 2019, our 9W LED bulb had been adjudged as the most energy-efficient appliance at the National Energy Conservation Awards by the Ministry of Power – India.
Please tell us more about your latest innovation in Ceiling Lights.
We have taken innovation up a notch with the launch of our latest range of Ceiling Lights called ‘Star Lord’ – a range with high brightness and stylish ultra-slim rims that deliver on the promise of Maximum Brightness, Maximum Style. Lighting has become an essential part of our lives today – where it can augment the space we are living in and completely transform the mood and ambience of the home. With LED panels now delivering brightness along with a touch of design in false ceilings, it adds a more stylish and brighter finish to the room. Considering that consumers have become more involved in choosing the right lights for their home and are always on the look-out for a well-lit room with maximum brightness, we have taken into account these key needs – and have come out with a range of Ultra Slim LED Panels with 100 Lumens per Watt that is far brighter compared to other panels and gives a wider light emitting area to your space. The product also has a variety of other features like longer life, surge protection and an array of different colour temperature variations, among others. They can be used across various spaces like homes, offices, auditoriums as well as commercial interior places.
Apart from this, we also introduced the ‘Star Dura Eye Smile’ range recently. These panel lights have the added benefit of an Ultra-Low Flicker. This low flicker gives the user an unparalleled experience in terms of reduced eye strain as compared to the other products available in the market.
Please assess the lighting industry sector from a holistic viewpoint. Where do we stand in comparison with the lighting market abroad?
The Indian LED lighting industry is a highly competitive one with companies ranging from multinationals to Chinese companies as well as local organizations. This increasing competition has resulted in the declining cost per wattage, leading to shrinking margins for manufacturers.
Another challenge that the industry poses is low-cost imports from China and other South-east Asian countries.
Therefore, all these factors have resulted in product commoditization for the LED lighting industry, whereby every product or offering is considered identical to competing products or offerings, restricting a company from charging a premium on its products and from creating a loyal customer base.
How is the market demand for connected and IoT lighting?
The market is fast evolving – and thanks to the internet revolution in India, the acceptance of new concepts and products are getting better. Consumers are warming up to connected lighting and it is expected that in the years to come this would grow at an exponential pace. We expect that with increased demand, there will be a lot of players also getting into the segment.
Please elaborate on human-centric lighting and its scope of expansion in the near future.
Human Centric Lighting is a futuristic trend in the Lighting Industry with Health and Mental Wellness being the top benefits. Human Centric Lighting is also known as Circadian Rhythm Lighting, as it regulates high level of energy throughout the day followed by a good night’s sleep, which ultimately leads to enhanced productivity, health and wellbeing. This plays a very important role in an individual’s life – where all these factors contribute to overall healthy wellbeing, especially during these current days. Crompton offers the widest range of HCL solutions for all types of Office Light fixtures i.e., Linear 2*2, Downlights, Cove Lighting etc. We offer a complete end to end HCL solutions for all types of office lights too.
Has the current pandemic influenced Crompton to revamp its business structure and R&D activities?
With the COVID-19 pandemic, health and hygiene has taken precedence over everything else as consumers have become even more concerned about the presence of bacteria and viruses in their environment. Other than normal cleaning products such as phenyl and sanitizers, consumers want products that can meet their hygienic living requirements and are willing to pay a premium over the normal product pricing. Hence, keeping this in mind, Crompton is investing heavily and extensively in R&D activities for the lighting business.
Would you like to share any other information?
Our very recent launch – the Star Lord Ceiling Lights has been a game-changer in the Ceiling Lights category having a strong set of properties that cater to the consumer needs through not only the functional benefits but also enhancing the décor of the home.
With more and more people working from home and spending more time at home than before, good lighting plays a very important role in not only the ambience or the mood but also in increasing one’s productivity.
That is why our core proposition of maximum brightness that gives maximum surface area by providing higher lumens/watt hits the very target during this time. Moreover, from a B2B standpoint, our recent projects have also been in the category of Human Centric Lighting as this technology has created a new paradigm and taken lighting to a whole new level. It has enabled us to reap the benefits of comfort, productivity, mood and sleep as well as energy efficiency. As we slowly move into the post-pandemic world and with the transition back to the workplace, it, therefore, becomes essential to make the environment as safe as possible. Crompton, thus, offers complete end to end HCL solutions for all types of office light fixtures that help create a safe and healthy surrounding.
