Schneider to widen Clipsal reach

Schneider Electric India, the 100 per cent subsidiary of French firm Schneider Electric Industries SAS since 2004, is eyeing a wider market for its Clipsal range of products in India by tying up with a large import house as well as distributors and partners to market its range of conduit, cable management and electrical switches in India, according to industry sources.

Vivek Yadav, general manager — sales & marketing, installation systems & control, Schneider Electric India, said his company has appointed a national distributor who would give it access to a large number of outlets to widen its distribution range. “We are not into a major expansion mode at the moment. Rather, we are consolidating. Focus will be on appointing quality distributors rather than increasing the numbers,” Yadav said.

Clipsal Worldwide is an Australian electrical accessories company majority-owned by Schneider Electric since 2004. Adelaide, Australia-based Clipsal is a leader in the use of thermo plastics and has a manufacturing range of 45,000 products for the electrical, electronics and communications markets.

On Schneider expanding its Clipsal portfolio offerings in India, Yadav said, “Expanding the product portfolio is a continuous exercise. We develop product roadmaps with a time horizon of 2-3 years. Our major focus is now into high-end wiring devices and control products, and we will continue to develop new products and solutions in this segment.”

In India, Schneider Electric has been active in multiple market segments including energy efficiency and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation and data centers, and networks as well as residential applications.

In late 2003, Schneider Electric acquired a majority stake in Clipsal, and has been working towards positioning the brand in the Indian market for electrical wiring accessories, installation systems and controls.

The company has actively pursued its inorganic growth plans in India on the energy and infrastructure fronts. Schneider Electric India made two acquisitions in Bangalore within a span of two months this year.

In June, Schneider Electric acquired Bangalore-based Conzerv Systems, a player in the energy efficiency market. Earlier this month, it acquired Meher Capacitors which manufactures power factor correction (PFC) capacitors and network analysis products for the industrial, commercial and infrastructure sectors out of Bangalore.

In 2000, Schneider had acquired Chennai-based S&S Switchgear and Nashik-based Crompton Greaves’ Low Voltage division. Schneider Electric entered India in 1963 through a JV with the Tata Group. Its 100 per cent subsidiary Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd was established in 1995.

With sales of over $26.27 billion in 2008 and 114,000 employees globally, major worldwide acquisitions by Schneider have been that of power solutions company American Power Conversion (APC) and security solutions provider Pelco in 2007.