Electrical gear makers ask govt to give pref to Indian cos

Electrical equipment makers industry body IEEMA has asked the government to give preference to domestic suppliers with regard to gear procurements for power projects.
The Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers' Association (IEEMA) has asked the Ministry of Power to incorporate certain clauses in all the tenders for power projects and transmission and distribution projects.
Five areas have been identified for strategic and policy interventions, both by the government and the industry, and these include enhancing industry competitiveness, technology up gradation, skill development, export promotion and conversion of latent demand arising from the power sector, IEEMA said in a statement.
Local taxes, duties, octroi, etc., paid by Indian manufacturers should to be added to the final price of the imported equipment in order to make it at par with bids from Indian manufacturers, the statement said.

"In all the tenders issued by domestic utilities for power generation, transmission and distribution projects, price, quality and delivery schedule being equal, domestic suppliers to be given preference," the statement added.
The Indian electrical equipment industry was worth Rs 1,30,973 crore in 2012-13, IEEMA said.
It comprises generation equipment (boilers, turbines, generators) and transmission & distribution (T&D) and allied equipment like transformers, cables, transmission lines, switchgears, energy meters, insulators, insulating material, industrial electronics etc.