Elecrama 2023, the largest standalone electrical exhibition in the world organised by the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) at the India Expo Mart (Greater Noida), received overwhelming response from exhibitors and visitors. The trade fair featured a lineup of more than 1,500 exhibitors from over 70 countries who displayed many innovative solutions for fulfilling the needs of India's power sector. Elecrama showcased future technologies in many areas such as green hydrogen, fuel cells, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). IPF’s Rakesh Rao interacted with few of the participants to know their views:

Shreegopal Kabra: Focus on quality for making India a export hub

At Elecrama 2023, RR Kabel Ltd, one of India’s leading wires and cables companies and part of RR Global, highlighted the importance of safety in the industry with its range of high-quality products. “In India, the quality of electrical products manufactured by many companies is not of global standards. In India, after road accidents, higher death happens because of fire. About 75- 85 per cent of fire is due to electric short circuit with faulty or sub-standard cables & wires being responsible in most of the cases. Hence, the quality of wire and cables is directly linked to the safety of people and property. There is need to enforce strict BIS standards for all electric products. If India is aiming for a $5 trillion economy, then 25 per cent (i.e. $1.25 trillion) should come from exports. Without high-quality standards, we cannot be an exporting hub,” stated Shreegopal Kabra, Group President and MD, R R Kabel Ltd.

He added, “RR Kabel is the only Indian company in wires and cables segment who exports to 90 countries. This shows the level of trust in our products from global companies.”

Speaking about the need for energy conservation, Shreegopal Kabra said, ‘About 6 per cent of power in India is consumed by fans. We can reduce power consumption by using energy efficient fans like BLDC fan and contribute to decarbonisation mission. Just like subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), the government should also give incentives for using BLDC fans, as it would led to huge energy savings.”

This year RR Group will have a turnover of Rs 12,000 crore and expects robust growth to continue. “We always aim to grow at two times the GDP growth rate,” he said.

Thyssenkrupp highlights benefits of green steel at Elecrama 2023

Thyssenkrupp Electric Steel India Pvt Ltd showcased advantages of grain-oriented electric steel for reducing losses in energy chain at Elecrama. “The company was set up to produce grain- oriented electrical steel in 2018. Earlier, this plant was producing non-grain oriented steel.

However, in 2018, due to our commitment to sustainability in India, we decided to start producing green steel. We started off with 35,000 tonnes capacity, which we have now ramped up to 50,000 tonnes,” stated Joydeep Bhattacharjee, MD, thyssenkrupp Electric Steel India Pvt Ltd.

India needs around 200,000 tonnes of grain-oriented electrical steel and thyssenkrupp is the only company in the country to produce top grade CRGO steel, which is technologically intensive material. “We believe this product would be the product for the future, as they make transformers more energy efficient. If you have an energy efficient transformer in the system, it will help us in reducing the losses across the whole energy chain; thus making us greener. We export to 22 countries from India plant. Consumption of power in India is growing at phenomenal pace, which will require more transformers. At the same time, old transfers which are in use for many years have to be replaced with efficient ones. So this will drive the demand for our products,” he explained.

The government has been also supportive to growth of green steel by allowing zero percent import duty for inputs/raw materials required to make green steel. Joydeep Bhattacharjee elaborated, “This product is for the future. Power demand will keep on going up and quality power would be required. As greenification grows, the grids will be connected with solar plants and; thus, the whole system will start changing and you have to develop smart grids. To achieve the decarbonisation targets of net zero by 2070, India will need energy efficient steel into the transformer to reduce transmission losses. All these things put together will definitely enhance the growth substantially in India. The pace of greenification is now much faster than what it was in the past decade. We predict there should be 7-8 per cent growth in this sector at a very conservative level.”

Stating that thyssenkrupp Electric Steel is committed to India’s electrification program, he said, “Green steel production is high-tech and capex intensive. While we continue to invest in India, we are looking at qualitative growth and may not necessarily be a voluminous growth.”

Delta Electronics presents green EV charging solution at Elecrama

Delta Electronics Inc, the Taiwan based electronics manufacturing company, presented its green charging infrastructure at Elecrama 2023. "We are showcasing charging solution – starting from 7.4 kW going up to 240 kW. We also have 60 kW chargers, which goes into the public charging infrastructure. At Elecrama, we are launching green EV charging infrastructure solution. Fossil fuel in India still contributes significantly to power generation. Though the contribution of renewable is increasing, the energy from such sources is intermittently available. In such a scenario, while EVs offer zero tail point emission, they continue to use energy generated via fossil fuels for charging. Our green charging station, which will use renewable energy sources for charging EVs, will convert charging infrastructure into a micro grid. Being a micro grid, green charging infrastructure becomes a source of energy at that location and is not dependent on the grid," said Amit Gutpa, Business Head - Energy Infrastructure Solutions, Delta Electronics India Pvt Ltd.

Delta's energy infrastructure solution business includes solar inverters, wind converters, energy storage, EV charging, and solutions for building smart grid applications. Renewable energy has been a key focus area for the Indian government, which is targeting for 450 GW of solar by 2030; signifying a clear business opportunity.

"With respect to electrification of the transportation segment, the government has taken lot of initiatives for electric vehicles (EV) with an aim to increase EVs share in the auto sales to 30 per cent. Two-wheeler segment is already migrating towards electrification as cost parity has been achieved much faster. In four-wheeler segment, there are some challenges, but is also significantly growing. Electric bus segment is also showing strong pick up and slowly it will get converted completely into electrical. These are clear business opportunity for Delta. So, while we expect the industry to grow at a CAGR of 49 per cent (as we are starting from a very low base), the company aims to grow at 60-70 per cent in next five years. We see this particular segment, which I am handling, to be a significant growth driver for the company," he said.

Amit Gutpa expects Delta's business in India to significantly grow with the government's push and expanding industry. "In the coming two years, I expect the business to grow at least by 3X," he added.

Kushal Desai: APAR Industries is in a sweet spot

APAR Industries Ltd presented its complete range of its main business verticals – such as conductors, wire & cables, specialty oils, polymers and lubricants – at Elecrama 2023. Speaking about new opportunities due to decarbonisation trend, Kushal Desai, CMD, APAR Industries Ltd, said, “The whole green revolution is really at the heart of driving business today. Climate change is a reality today. After COP26 and now leading into COP27, every major country has made pledges to reduce carbon emissions and become net zero. The only way to achieve this goal will be to dramatically change the way power is generated. The two most commonly used renewable sources are solar and wind. We are the largest manufacturer of string cables that are used in these two sectors. We have global approvals for our products which allows us to bid and supply products for international projects.”

As renewable energy installations are dramatically increasing across the world (including India), it is opening up big opportunity for cables at the generation sites. Also, transmission line business has seen a big growth because power generated at plants need to be evacuated into a grid. “In short, a lot of electrical infrastructure is required to be built to meet the growing requirement of electricity. Electrification of transportation (such as railways, metro, electric vehicle, etc) is also increasing. Again APAR has a major focus on cables that go into rolling stocks as well as in metros. We are supplying cables to metros not only in India, but also globally in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc. All these are really a big driver of our business,” he stated.

Commenting on APAR Industries’ growth plans, Kushal Desai said, “We are in a sweet spot at present given the opportunity before us due to rising usage of electricity. Over 80 per cent of our revenue comes from the building blocks that go into power infrastructure. We really see a good runway of organic growth not only for coming 1-2 years, but for the next 5-10 years.”

HPL displays next gen tech, smart meters at Elecrama 2023

At Elecrama 2023, HPL Electric & Power Limited showcased a variety of new products at their booth with smart metres being the show stopper. The company is India’s leading electric equipment manufacturer providing metering solutions, industrial and domestic switchgear, LED lighting, wire and cable, and solar products. It caters to the domestic, industrial and commercial segments.

“Our highlight at Elecrama is smart meters as it is the technology of tomorrow. Other than that there are a lot of new switchgears (both in the industrial and domestic segments), switches & MCBs and various other products on the display. Recently we have also got huge orders for 5G business and those cables are also showcased at our booth,” said Gautam Seth, Jt MD, HPL Electric & Power Ltd.

The company is also catering to green growth by using eco-friendly manufacturing materials and recycling a lot of outputs. “We are fully committed to the green environment. The government is planning to replace 25 crore conventional electricity meters with smart meters, which is a very huge opportunity in terms of size. The government has also rightly put the schemes like Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to create the demand and use of the technology. Tender inquiries are very large right now. HPL has a total order book of almost Rs 1000 crores with a large part of smart meters dominating it,” he said.

HPL is currently supplying to 45 countries with 8-10 per cent of business coming from exports. “We were a little late entrant into exports but our sheer compliance to the IEC standards and other certifications made it easy for us to get into the market. During the last three year, post lockdown, our exports have grown by 20-25 per cent and we see exports as a big potential in coming years for HPL,” Gautam Seth added.

Kusum Meco unveils 10 new products at Elecrama 2023

Kusam Electrical Industries Ltd (Kusam Meco), which is in the field of test and measuring instruments since 1986, is a pioneer in digital test and measuring instruments in India. The company has been coming up with new products meeting customer requirements and at Elecrama 2023, it displayed 10-12 new products at its booth.

“We have an AC-DC power clamp meter upto 1000 amperes, AC power clamp meter with harmonics upto 1000 amperes with RS 232 port, high voltage contact detectors up to 33 KV, infra-red intrinsically safe thermometers, intrinsically safe digital multimeters and many more products showcased. We have 400+ items in our range with a fully-fledged sales and service team. We are the only ISO-certified company for after-sales service. Our after-sales service is unique to us which has built great customer trust over time,” said Chandmal Goliya, Director, Kusam Meco.

By 2030, the power generation capacity is going to get doubles and this will be a driving force for testing and measurement instrument companies to come up with new products. “Thermal power, nuclear power and now renewable power, the power generation is increasing leaps and bounds in India. Testing and measuring instruments are vital for monitoring and controlling the power. The power generation increase will result in increased demand for testing and measuring instruments. And also solar power and EV will give new revenues to this demand,” he stated. According to Chandmal Goliya, Kusam Meco is looking to grow at 25 per cent YoY by bringing in new products as per industries’ requirements.

Phoenix Contact showed high-end tech solutions at Elecrama

The German company Phoenix Contact specialises in producing innovative products for electrical engineering and automation is celebrating its 100 years in the market in 2023. The company showcased its new products and solutions at Elecrama 2023. “It is part of Phoenix culture that every year we bring some innovative products and technologies. This year, we are showcasing a special connection technology ‘Push X’ which is a very special technology where no external tooling or pre-treatment of wire is required, you just have to push the wire and the connection is made. This is the fastest connection technology in the field of terminal blocks,” said Rahul Yadav, VP - BA (ICE), Phoenix Contact India Pvt Ltd.

Besides, the company showcased ‘single pair Ethernet’ for the high-end technologies in different technical areas like 5G. It does the transmission like before, but is less costly and has a reduced length of the wire. “Another concept, we have brought in the intra-logistics is the transmission of power through induction and this contactless real-time transmission technology is named NearFi,” he added.

The company is looking to increase its production capacity in India already having two manufacturing facilities in the country. “World is looking at India as a safe and secure place to bring in production. Phoenix Contact has had its operations in India for 30 years now. We started with manufacturing terminal blocks and gradually we have increased our product portfolio in India. Currently, 50 per cent of our turnover is coming from the products produced in India and the rest of it we import from Germany, USA and China,” said Yadav.

Balaji Switchgears unveils manufacturing facility at Elecrama

At Elecrama 2023, the Delhi-based low voltage switchgears and automation products supplier, Balaji Switchgears introduced its manufacturing company, Gyanomation Systems, to independently produce automation panels such as PLC and VFD panels. “Our major target customers are machine and process OEMs and we look forward to integrating with them,” said Piyush Garg, Director, Balaji Switchgears.

The manufacturing unit, which started production in December 2022, can manufacture 40-50 floor-standing panels at a time. The company partners with brands like Schneider Electric, Omron, LAPP, etc, to serve industries like agriculture, poultry, machine OEMs, etc. Garg added, “This Elecrama, we are focusing on solutions and not on products. For example, we are highlighting Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure, which is an IoT-enabled, plug-and-play, open, interoperable architecture and platform for homes, buildings, data centres, and infrastructure. This time we are also showcasing the entire range of robots by Omron.”

The company serves an entire range of products ranging from low voltage switchgear, automation products, control and signalling products, sensors, automation wires and cables to enclosure systems. “Last five years have been kind to us. We have almost doubled our revenues in the past five years. We expect to reach Rs 100 crores in revenue this year and aim to triple our turnover in next half a decade,” told Garg.

Teledyne FLIR presents new imaging camera at Elecrama

Teledyne FLIR is the world leader in the designing, manufacturing, and marketing of thermal imaging cameras. At Elecrama 2023, the American company launched two new products - FlexView dual field-of-view (DFOV) lens and FLIR Si124-LD, an acoustic imaging camera that can help locate pressurised leaks in compressed air systems up to 10 times faster than traditional methods.

“It is seen that for different purposes of usage, people have to carry two lenses with them. We have launched our new product, DFOV wherein both lenses have been combined into one. The lens allows one to instantly switch from a 24° wide view for scene context to 14° telephoto for accurate temperature measurement. The second product we launched is a partial discharge detector from high-voltage electrical systems. It is named Si124 wherein 124 represents the number of microphones in the product. It produces a precise acoustic image that visually displays ultrasonic information, even in loud industrial environments,” stated TP Singh, Senior Director for Sales and Marketing operations in Australia, NZ, ASEAN, India, and ME, Teledyne FLIR.

Teledyne FLIR has operations in more than 100 countries. Singh added, “Predictive maintenance is the current market trend as earlier it was put on the back burner but is on the priority list now. The market is quite good currently. India is shining and so do we and we expect good business from India. We have invested in India for a long term prospect.”

Huntsman banking on power and EV for growth in India

The US-headquartered Huntsman is looking at power and electric vehicle markets for driving growth in India. “We are focusing on power sector in India, which is the second biggest market for Advanced Materials division for power application. Second reason for us to be here is the growing electromobility market, for which we have many solutions,” stated Dr Hans Jelinek, Sales Director Europe (Advanced Materials), Huntsman.

Huntsman Advanced Materials’ portfolio of adhesives, composites and formulation products meet demanding engineering specifications and address customer-specific needs across a wide variety of industrial and consumer applications.

Electrification of two-wheeler (2W) and three-wheeler (3W) is growing at a brisk pace in India compared to four-wheeler (4W), which will present big opportunities for companies like Huntsman. He elaborated, “India is the second largest two-wheeler (2W) market, which is a huge opportunity for us. While in Europe we are offering solutions to some of the leading car manufacturers for EV, in India we are discussing with a few 2W makers for potential collaboration. We want to be a key partner for EV companies in India and develop innovative solutions for them. Our customers are looking at secured supply chain and, hence, we are localizing production for more products. We have started producing materials for EVs in our Goa plant, which will grow exponentially in the future.”

Commenting on growth plans in India, Dr Hans Jelinek said, “Sustainability is a big development and trends like electric vehicles, green hydrogen, etc are part of it. We have solutions for fulfilling growing industry needs. Business in India is growing very strongly. We have one plant in Goa, where we are increasing production gradually. Huntsman has a long history of investing in the country and we will continue to invest as majority of industries that we serve are experiencing high growth rate in India.”

Dolphin Automation displays Made in India sensors at Elecrama 2023

Dolphin Automation, one of the India's leading manufacturers of process control instruments, sensors, and solid state relays, displayed its range of Made in India sensors at Elecrama 2023 along with other products. “We cater to industries like automobile, packaging, textiles, chemical and steel. We are into automation and have been doing quite well for the past 20 years with a yearly growth of 15-20 per cent. Our products are of international standard and exports contribute to about 15 to 20 per cent of our total volumes,” said Nakshtra Bhardwaj, Director, Dolphin Automation.

He added, “We are growing at 20 per cent a year and have been thinking of upgrading our technologies to produce products that are not manufactured in India right now.”

Electronic Automation unveils quality electronic timers

The Bangalore-based Electronic Automation Private Limited (EAPL) - a manufacturer of high- quality electronic timers - showcased a variety of new products such as programmable annunciators, IoT based energy meters, sequential timer with RS 485 Modbus and compact time switches at Elecrama 2023.

“As a part of smart city projects, energy meters find a lot of application, so we introduced compact time switches with a DIN rail based and a front panel. There are energy metres with built-in CTs (40 and 60 amperes) as well at our booth,” said C R Bhandare, GM Marketing, Electronic Automation Pvt Ltd.

EAPL is one of the earliest establishments in Bangalore to be certified under ISO 9001:2008 by UL (Underwriters Laboratory, USA) and has currently upgraded to ISO 9001:2015. He added, “We cater to panel builders and are currently supplying products to Siemens, Schneider Electric, Larson and Toubro (L&T), etc. At Elecrama, we are showcasing our different range of product and looking forward to get in contact with new customers.”

Novoflex unveils backshell for auto application at Elecrama 2023

Novoflex Industries Pvt Ltd - the leading and pioneer manufacturer of cable ties, cable glands and other electrical accessories – launched backshell (a mechanical device threaded into the rear of an electrical connector) which for applications in auto industry. The company supplies products to leading automobile companies like Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Force Motors, Kia Motors, etc.

Novoflex, a manufacturer of engineered plastic components catering to a wide variety of industries, also launched an economical range of cables and wires to cater for the general needs of customers. Novoflex supplies products to different industries like electrical, electronics, auto, food, chemicals, jewellery and retail. “We have laser-inscribed seals which are used by industries while transporting products. Our products are very versatile and are used in every industry,” said Deepa Banka, Director, Novoflex Industries Pvt Ltd.

At present, the company has three manufacturing facilities in Kolkata and is developing its fourth unit which will be completed within the coming eight to nine months. “Our motto is to provide genuine and high-precision products to our customers. We have infinite growth plans as the sky's the limit for us. We strive and work hard to maintain our position in the market,” stated Deepa Banka.

Omicron Energy Solutions unveils Testing Genie at Elecrama 2023

Omicron Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd, which serves the electrical power industry with innovative products and services for testing, diagnostics and monitoring of assets worldwide, displayed innovative products like cable testing solution and Testing Genie (a 10 kg model which offers 15 different applications) at Elecrama 2023.

Omicron Energy Solutions, an Austrian company started in 1984 with a vision to provide a solution to industries with portability, ease of use and technology-advanced units. Today, we serve the electrical power industry with innovative products and services for testing, diagnostics and monitoring of assets worldwide. It entered the Indian market in 1997 to offer testing solutions for protection relay.

“The USP of Omicron products are portability and innovation. With time, we ventured into testing of high voltage assets like power transformers, etc. We also started with testing of high voltage assets of partial discharge which is a very niche application. We focused on power transformers in transmission utility, generators in generation utility, and underground cables which is another critical asset,” said GK Papneja, Manager - Key Accounts, Omicron Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd. The company has its manufacturing unit in Austria where all the products are developed. It has support system in New Delhi, which has a calibration and repair centre as well and other customer support services.

“The Indian industry is expanding and there is going to be an increase in demand. With increased demand, the solution providers will also grow with the industry. For now, I can say that we are in the right business and the growth is unimaginable,” he added.

Secure Meters presents Adaptricity software at Elecrama 2023

Udaipur-headquartered Secure Meters - a metering company which has now operations in energy management, energy controls and assisted living healthcare - presented Adaptricity software product at Elecrama 2023. “We are presenting a software solution called Adaptricity, which is all about understanding how an electricity grid functions, and the impact of EVs and distributed generation on an existing grid. It is based on metering information for which you need to have GIS information and combine it and model the system to simulate how the system might change and develop,” said Ananya Singhal, Jt MD, Secure Meters.

The company is one of the leading suppliers of smart meters and has secured big orders from the government. “Smart meters are an important part of making India energy secure and carbon neutral,” said Ananya Singhal. The company has three manufacturing units in India, and one each in Italy and the UK. Exports contribute about 40 per cent of the company’s total turnover.

“The market is incredibly buoyant. The cost of energy is going up. The impact of climate change and the net zero strategies that the whole world is adopting brings a lot of opportunity, especially for the companies like ours, which offer solutions for saving energy, reducing the cost of energy and making sure that the grids and systems are running efficiently. It's a perfect opportunity for us. I think what's wonderful for us is, it's a good combination of domestic as well as export markets,” he said.

Hitachi Hi-Rel exhibits industrial UPS at Elecrama

Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics Private Limited, one of the pioneers in Indian power electronics domain, showcased various power electronics products i.e. UPS, VFD and solar inverters at Elecrama 2023. Some of the key product displayed were: Industrial UPS System (160 kVA - i4eti Model); Stallion Battery Charger 24 VDC; Low Voltage Drives (315 kW & 75 kW – SJ Series IN1); Medium Voltage Drives, HIVECTOL HVI E & E2 Series (Prototypes); and Grid Tied Solar String Inverters – 250 kW, 50 kW, 20 kW & 3 kW - HIVERTER Si Series.

Founded & established in 1983 as Hi-Rel Electronics, which later on in year 2015 had become the 100 per cent subsidiary company of Hitachi, is a leading manufacturer of Industrial UPS, IT & Infra UPS, Medium & Low Voltage Variable Frequency Drives, Grid Tied Solar Inverters, Air Compressors and Railway Inverters.

“The company’s manufacturing plant is in Sanand, Ahmedabad, which is rapidly becoming a manufacturing hub. In future, we intend to enter the hydrogen and EV charging markets. Our current focus is on the Indian market, but we will gradually expand our services into the African and East Asian markets,” said Harshad Soni, GM - Corporate Marketing, Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics Pvt Ltd.

Permali Wallace displays novel materials at Elecrama

Permali Wallace Pvt Ltd - a manufacturer of wood based composites, glass reinforced composites, resinoid casting, composites composite and prepreg – showcased new developments in materials at Elecrama 2023. These products are used in major industries including defence, electrical, automobile, railways etc.

“At Elecrama, we concentrated primarily on our key materials. We have more specialised processes, so we do specific requirements for the end-customers. Materials are common, but the designs, sizes, and product types vary depending on the customer's specific needs. This time, we also displayed our entire product line, including wood laminates and glass fibre based sheets. We have moved into high voltage in the last 3-4 years,” stated Mihir Merchant, Deputy CEO - Strategic Businesses, Permali Wallace Pvt Ltd.

The Bhopal headquartered company has three production facilities and has plans to add a new press, which will increase its capacity by another 15-20 per cent for one of its product lines. Permali Wallace anticipates strong domestic growth in the future.

WIKA offers solutions to help India reduce carbon intensity

WIKA India, the global instrumentation major, showcased its portfolio of products of high- precision instruments and solutions at the Elecrama. In keeping with the Sustainability focus of the summit, built around efficient products and technologies to minimise carbon footprints, WIKA India stands firm with India’s target to reduce the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 percent by 2030 and used the global platform to display its best products for customer review and adaptation. WIKA brought its advanced technology designed to meet global sustainability challenges at the stand, including the FSFD flow switch, the in-house skid facility capabilities, and the WIKA “WEgrid Solutions” that enables power transmission and distribution operators to guarantee a safe and reliable energy supply.

Gaurav Bawa, Senior Vice President India Group at WIKA Group, said, “It has been a rewarding experience at Elecrama, where the encouraging response to our innovative product range, has really provided important customer insights. Engaging in face-to-face meetings with professionals in our industry has been a delightful experience, as we reunite with old acquaintances and establish new connections. We are eager to continue learning about the businesses and understand the application of instrumentation.”

One of the major attractions at the WIKA stall has been the instrumentation for detecting SF6 gas used in Power substation. The smart instrument deals with the pressure, temperature and humidity and sensors in one transmitter. Gas density and dew point conditions are calculated. The new digital transmitter series is characterised by the aspects “Advanced technology combined with a robust design”. The new series transmitters will guarantee the highest possible operational safety for switchgear. SF6 gas online monitoring maximises equipment availability, enabling a predictive reliability-centred maintenance strategy. This is the corner stone for utilities to proactively manage the health of their SF6 gas-filled assets.

Fire Sprinkler Flow Detector or the FSFD flow Switch is one other product that captured attention. The FSFD Switch had an adjustable time delay mechanism to avoid false alarms during water surges, and tamper-proof covers prevent unauthorized access to the switch point setting. The product has IP 56/NEMA 4 ingress protection enables the instrument to be used indoors and outdoors with two sets of micro switches activate the control panel and local audible “WIKAs solutions are geared towards excellent project management ensuring timely delivery.

As efficiency and sustainability remain key for our products, we hope to complement every business with sustainability and green focus, along with all those present in Elecrama,” Bawa added.

Vinay Kumar Jain: Industry 4.0 is a visible trend at Elecrama

PowerGen is a 25-years-old company that supplies energy-efficient products with a view to delivering value for money, long lasting products with less maintenance to their customer. “Looking at the different booths, we can say that the current trend to look forward is IoT, Industry 4.0 which is going to be inevitable. Many companies are coming with such solutions, which is actually good for the market,” said Vinay Kumar Jain, Founder, POWERGEN, which is an authorised distributor for many companies including Weidmuller.

According to him, visitors from the trade community come to Elecrama to learn about new products, and new technologies. He added, “I would advise the entire dealer and manufacturing community to focus on quality. When India is targeting a five trillion dollar economy, if the quality is not there, then it will come crashing down.”

Utkarsh India expects 25% annual growth in coming years

The Kolkata-based Utkarsh India Limited, a leading manufacturer and supplier of high-end engineering products and services in the infrastructure, agriculture and domestic water piping industry, displayed its wide range of products at Elecrama 2023. “We are into iron and steel products and polymer products as well. In the steel segment, we have some significant products such as high mast octagonal coaches, steel tubular poles, metal beam crash barriers etc. We are also into transmission towers, telecom towers, and railway electrification towers. The company is very particular about the quality of its products and follows all the manufacturing standards. The customers trust our products,” said Ramnath Misra, President - Marketing, Utkarsh India Ltd.

Utkarsh India, which recorded revenue of Rs 1500 crores last year, is expecting to reach Rs 2000 crore this year. “The prices of steel and polymer have been declining, but still we are growing as there are good volumes which are keeping up the growth,” told Misra. The company has two manufacturing units in Kolkata and looking to expand its capacity in the coming years. It is also looking to increase its growth by 25 per cent and expand the export volume which is currently at 5-8 per cent of the total turnover.

BCH Electric displays Air Circuit Breakers at Elecrama

BCH Electric - a leading manufacturer and distributor of premium low voltage electrical and electronics products in India - displayed new air circuit breakers (ACBs) at Elecrama. BCH has always been associated with control systems. However, now they are offering whole range of switch gear. “Our ACB ranges between 800A and 6300A. So it has thermal magnetic, microprocessors and communicable releases. The CPRI puts these to the test. Aside from these products, we have also introduced a new contactor range, the 4 pole contactors. Hence, the BCH basket has grown even larger. We are thrilled to be launching our products at Elecrama. We've also added new closed door panels,” said Kapil Grover, Head - Sales & Marketing, BCH Electric Ltd.

BCH Electric has been in this industry since 1965. “Because India is growing, we are focusing on R&D like never before. Power consumption will skyrocket over the next decade and the demand for switchgear will increase manifold. So there is an opportunity, and we are preparing by developing new products. We have a new line of panels and contactors. We intend to make our core product, DC brakes or even limit switches, smarter as this is the need of the hour. We are currently focusing on the SAARC countries and have two production facilities,” he concluded.

Gruner India focuses on smart meter relays

Gruner India Pvt Ltd - a joint venture between Brij Mohan Vaish and Germany’s Gruner AG – displayed a wide range of products such as BMS relays, solutions for electric charging stations, energy metres, and smart metres. The company has its manufacturing facility in Haridwar, India. “At Elecrama, we showcase all the products that we supply in India, as well as a general overview of what we do,” informed Rajiv Sharma, Head - Product Design and Tooling, Gruner India Pvt Ltd.

He added, “The government is pushing for energy metres, particularly smart metres. So we're also interested in smart meter relays.”

The company intends to enter the electric vehicle market since it’s a budding industry and are holding talks with a few OEMs about relay supply. Gruner plans to increase its capacity next year to meet the growing demand for its products.

Tesla Transformers eyes renewable for growth display

The Bhopal based Tesla Transformers India Ltd presented latest range of transformers at Elecrama 2023. The company is a multi-product and service organisation in the electric power sector dealing in manufacturing, supplying, erecting, testing of power and distribution transformers & complete substation as turnkey projects. Jitendra Singh, Head - Sales & Marketing, Tesla Transformers India Ltd, elaborated, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of our company. We strive to provide high-quality products at a reasonable price. Here, we are displaying Inverter Duty Transformers - 12.5 MVA that have passed CPRI testing. We have already supplied to some of our major customers.”

India is targeting renewable energy for the next five to ten years, which will be the highest demand for the transformer industries. The government is aiming for 600 to 800 GW in the next five to ten years. As a result, Tesla intends to produce at least 5GW of transformers per year. “We aim to be one of the top three transformer companies in India. And we expect the company to be worth between Rs 800 and Rs 1000 crore in the next three years,” said Singh.

Tempsens Instruments displays thermal images and thermal cameras

Tempsens Instruments, one of the largest solution providers for thermal and cable products, displayed latest thermal imaging cameras at Elecrama 2023. “Every year, we add new products to our product basket and this year, at Eelecrama, we are displaying thermal imaging cameras. We have a fully integrated plant from raw material to finished product. So, the basic raw materials are conductor alloying, which we do ourselves,” explained Gaurav Bansal, Business Development- Cables, Tempsens Instruments.

Tempsens Instruments manufactures thermocouples, RTDs, thermowells, compensating cables, conductors, calibration equipment, pyrometers, industrial heaters, industrial and R&D furnaces, thermal imagers and related accessories. The company - which has manufacturing facilities in India, Germany and Indonesia - is a part of Pyrotech Group, which was established by four technocrats in 1976 at Udaipur, Rajasthan, with the first product as Thermocouple and RTD.

Jindal Rectifiers develops intelligent voltage controller at Elecrama

The Faridabad (Haryana) based Jindal Rectifiers is a manufacturer of industrial rectifiers, industrial transformers, servo voltage stabilizers, automatic voltage regulators, voltage controllers, AC variable supply, isolation transformer oil level gauge, voltage regulators for smaller inductors and silicon power rectifiers for various industrial applications. It has four plants in India.

“We are developing an intelligent voltage controller, an IIOT-based stabiliser, which was officially launched at Elecrama 2020. However, it did not take off after COVID due to lockdown. So we're hoping it will take off this time. As this is a utility item, it can be used in any industry,” informed Mayank Pandey, DGM - Marketing, Jindal Rectifiers.

The company, which received a good response during the exhibition, has been conducting trials of the new IIoT based stabiliser in various industries. It will be commercially available in April 2023.

Choksi Heraeus eyeing for 15-18% growth this year

Choksi Heraeus serves the needs of industries in switchgear, automotive, aerospace, electronics, ceramic & glass surface decoration, jewellery and photovoltaic with solutions and products of precious metals & special materials. “We are switchgear manufacturers, and our customers include Havells, L&T, Schneider, and many others. We've been involved with Elecrama since its inception. We are frequently recognised as the best stall in our category, which motivates us,” states Manish Mathur, General Manager, Choksi Heraeus.

He added, “Because our primary raw material is silver, we are in the process of developing new products. Silver is becoming increasingly expensive. It was less than Rs 10,000 a kilo a few years ago, but it is now around Rs 60,000. Our material is composed of 80-90 per cent silver. As a result, we are attempting to introduce new products in order to reduce silver consumption and dependence,” adds Mathur.

The company has manufacturing plant in Udaipur, Rajasthan. They anticipate a 15-18 per cent increase in turnover this year and foresee a 20-25 per cent increase in the later years.

Sipcon Technologies unveils Cable Genie at Elecrama

At Elecrama 2023, Sipcon Technologies Pvt Ltd showcased a range of robust measuring systems, which help clients solve complex dimensional measurement challenges. “This time at Elecrama, we have released our new product Cable Genie, which is for measuring cable insulation thickness at 10,000 points. It follows 18 world standards assisting cable manufacturers in exporting to different countries,” explained Pawan V Wadhawan, National Sales Head, Sipcon Technologies Pvt Ltd.

The company is targeting the cable industries in India and is also receiving a lot of interest from companies in the Middle East. “Exports account for 15-20 per cent of our total revenue. We primarily export to European countries, but Australia is also a good market for us. We are constructing a 5-times-bigger unit in the village of Durali, and construction will begin in April. With this new unit, we will double our manufacturing capacity by 2025. We are also looking forward to joint ventures,” concluded Wadhavan.

Sterlite Power unveils groundbreaking solutions for power transmission projects

Sterlite Power, a leading power transmission developer and solutions provider in India and Brazil, unveiled two state-of-the-art technologies – 96 Fiber OPGW and ACCC ULS Brahmaputra High Performance Conductor, to deliver reliable, secure, and highly efficient power transmission solutions at the 15th edition of Elecrama 2023. These solutions will enable increased digitization of the transmission sector while reducing transmission losses.

Manish Agarwal, Director & CEO, India Transmission, Sterlite Power, said, "India’s largest gathering for the power and electrical industry, ELECRAMA provides us the perfect platform to showcase our innovative solutions and capabilities that are helping transform India's transmission industry and improve the overall reliability and efficiency of India’s national grid. We continue to stay committed to nation-building and improve access to electricity in remote and underserved areas of the country.”

The 96 Fiber Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) - This is a special higher fiber count OPGW (optical ground wire) developed with a view to bolster India’s power transmission infrastructure that needs to be future-ready to handle the increasing electricity demand and data traffic. With advantages like greater bandwidth and faster data transfer rates, a high fiber count OPGW technology is particularly important for India which has emerged as the world’s largest and fastest-growing market for digital technologies and services. Developed for the first time in India, this OPGW design is suitable for installation on towers of 132/220kV and 400kV lines voltage and will serve as a cost-effective solution, enabling faster and more reliable communication, while expanding energy access to underserved areas.

The ACCC ULS Brahmaputra High Performance Conductor (HPC) is a first-of-its-kind high performance conductor that has been developed to overcome the limitations and challenges associated with the critical crossing of River Brahmaputra – one of the longest rivers in India.

Globally, this is a first of its kind conductor that combines special earth wire and OPGW. The unique design combines aluminium alloy with composite core with ultra-low sag, which improves the efficiency, capacity, reliability, and resiliency of the critical river crossing span. In the 2020 ELECRAMA edition, Sterlite Power successfully launched ACCC ULS Ganga, a High-Performance (HPC) Low Sag conductor which was deployed across river Ganga, making it the longest river crossing with an HPC conductor on a 400kV line. A pioneer in integrated power transmission solutions, Sterlite Power has a portfolio of 30 projects spanning across India and Brazil. In addition to bringing reliable power to the country, the company has been a true harbinger of sustainable development.

(With inputs from Divya Shetty and Ayushi Khandelwal)