Hpl India Ltd
In an interview Mr. Rishi Seth, Director of the company speaks about the future plans of the group and the condition of the power sector and allied industries. Following are excerpts from the interview.
Q. What is the state of the power sector in India? And how does it affect the allied industries in general and switchgear industry in particular?
Power sector in India is going through a very poor state. A lot needs to be improved. But unfortunately the government attitude to the whole issue is very lukewarm. In the last six months itself the Maharastra power grid has tripped twice, the condition in Delhi is also very bad. Infact the whole country is suffering the erratic power supply. We need enough power for the proper progress of the country.
Q. What are the major projects of your company?
One of our most ambitious project is the tie-up with SOCOMAC S. A, a French multinational. company. The joint venture known as HPL Socomac Pvt Ltd has manufacturing facilities in one of the most modern plants with latest infrastructure to offer its sophisticated range of switchgear products to the Indian market. In its very second year of existence HPL Socomac, has registered a growth of 300 per cent. We plan a big expansion cum diversification program in India and we will become a reliable and quality supply base for components and some finished products for their global requirements.
We also have a tie-up with LK Denmark . This joint venture is known as LK-HPL. We are now exporting these products several countries in South East Asia, and planning to export them to some of the European and African countries. We have a very good response from the market but the competition is very tough.
Q. What are your main products?
LK-HPL Cubicle fuse switches, LK-HPL load break switches, HPL-LT switchgear, HPL_ Socomec cubicle on load changeover switch, LK-HPL HRC fuses, HPL Socomoc sircovers, switch Disconnector-QA and QP series, sheet steel enclosures for QAS/QA series, HRC fuse links with knife contacts, HRC fuse links bolted type etc are some of our major products. We are also planing to introduce electronic meters into the market, which is a novel concept for the Indian consumers..
Q. What is this new product named electronic meter? Can this be an alternate for the present mechanic meters? If so what are the advantages?
These meters have certain advantages over the present mechanic meters such as it is static, chance of power theft is very low, tampering with meters becomes impossible, high accuracy, a longer life, lower power consumption etc. Since the meter provides accurate reading both state electricity boards (SEB) and the consumer will be very happy. The income of SEB's will increase as there will be no loses due to wrong meter readings. Though this meter will be costlier than the present mechanical ones it will solve many problems. I think that good cable, good meter and better equipment's can to an extend solve many of our power problems.
Q. Do you have any suggestion to improve the present scenario?
It is true that the power situation in the country has to improve. We must reach a position where there are switches in all the houses and every one is benefited from this.
We must reach a position of actual consume paid situation. With the electronic meter we can reach that position.