Indo Asian: Adopting the green power approach for the benefit of the nation
Mr.V.P. Mahendru, C.M.D., Indo Asian Fusegears Ltd
Indo Asian is deeply committed to ensure that whatever power is generated is used efficiently & safely through its power efficient equipments. Indo Asian manufactures circuit breakers including MCBs, ACBs, RCCBs, RCDs, energy efficient lighting products including CFLs, FTLs and a wide variety of other electrical products. ENGINEERING REVIEW is in interface with Mr.V.P. Mahendru, C.M.D., Indo Asian Fusegears Ltd for over viewing the strategies & approaches outlined by the company & dynamics of electrical industry.
Q. What is the strategy that Indo Asian has adopted to counter the current power scenario in India?
Indo Asian fully realizes that power is in short supply and the need of power of our nation is rising consistently as the living standards and life styles of people are rising. Due to this there is 20-25% gap between the demand & supply, ranging from area to area. Although there are lot of growth opportunities available in the industrial and service sectors, but all of them can not be fully harnessed because of inadequate power availability.
Indo Asian is deeply committed to ensure that whatever power is generated is used adequately and efficiently. Apart from manufacturing and marketing power efficient and safety products such as CFLs, FTLs, MCBs, Switchgears, Switch Fuses etc we market energy controllers to use power more efficiently. Some of the power controllers that we market have sensors which sense the existing light available from nature in a particular area and makes available only the required electric light in that area. This ensures energy savings upto 25%. These controller can be used in all the electrically lighted areas such as homes, offices, ware houses lighting, streetlights etc by intelligent use of power for lighting as required.
Q.How do you adopted Energy management approach at Indo Asian ?
We at Indo Asian always strive to develop products that conserve energy. Thus there is conscious approach to “energy management”. Normally MCBs are installed to protect equipments, homes from short circuits and current fluctuations. All MCBs in their operational condition consume about 6 watts of power. Imagine if a billion MCBs are installed and each MCB consumes 1 watt of power in excess, 1 billion watt of power is apparently consumed or lost. Indo Asian MCBs are designed to consume much less power thus ensuring huge energy savings. The energy saved with such power efficient MCBs, is equivalent to a huge power generation station such as Bhakra Dam power project in India !
Our vision is to save power for the benefit of the nation and thus contribute in controlling CO2 emissions and thus enrich the globe.
Q. According to you what is the current power scenario of demand against supply?
In view of the consistent shortfall of power actually generated compared to our Five Year/Annual plans and our ever increasing demand for power due to rising living standards and the demand for power from the growing industry the gap between the power available and the demand of power has not narrowed in the past.
Following steps can be taken to reduce this gap apart from adding to Power Generation :-
- Reduction in T&D losses through use of efficient transformers, switchgears, transmission lines and other T&D equipment
- Control on theft expeditiously and judiciously
- Raising standards of efficiency and the norms of maximum watt losses permissible in respect of all power using equipment.
- Prompt improvement in system to quickly attend to defaults in the T&D systems
- Installation of equipment based on latest innovative technology like Power Controllers for conservation of power in street lighting, and lighting of warehouses, stadiums, airports etc which can conserve energy by 20-25%.
- Use of lighting equipment controlled by occupancy and light sensors that conserve energy by 20/25%.
- 7. Popularizing the national theme for energy conservation by switching off the equipments when not being used
Above all the country wide awareness campaign can be started in schools, universities to conserve power for reduction in emission of CO2 gases and thus contributing to reduction in the global warming.
Q. As you now mentioned about the people awareness, is there any specific awareness programmes that Indo Asian has initiated in recent times?
We are doing this in two different ways –
1) Developing of efficient products through intelligent switching systems and sensor technology. These systems conserve power by reducing or stopping supply of power to the equipments when they need not operate on full capacity or when they are not serving the desired purpose.
2) Indo Asian organizes seminars in schools and inter schools competition on the importance of power conservation to spread this message through children for the future of humanity. Such consciousness among children and youth will get spread to the entire nation very widely and swiftly.
Q. What is your vision for Indo Asian?
Next five years are great and exciting years for electricals at Indo Asian. We are introducing many new products which are power efficient and cost effective for the consumers.
Q. What are your expectations from the coming budget?
Time has come when we as industry should stop expecting free lunches from the Government or support from the budget. The industry is mature enough to stand on its own and fight the global competition. However the Government needs to strengthen the infrastructure and has to build systems to reduce avoidable transaction cost. In the past large number of customers from Africa, Middle East, South East Asia were using products from China & Europe. Today their confidence and faith in the electrical products from India has substantially increased because of their consistently good quality and timely delivery schedules. The recent display of electrical products at Elecrama Exhibition at Bombay, organized by IEEMA, has been a great testimony of the strength of the Indian electrical industry in manufacturing world class electrical products cost effectively.
Potential customers and delegations from all over the world including US, Europe visited Elecrama. Various reports indicate that most of these delegates and customers went back satisfied with the new products, process and the sources they have located for meeting their need for electrical equipment in future. Our Government need to provide adequate funding to boost the SME industry growth particularly for funding their R&D & innovations . It should act as enabler to catalyze the growth. Industry too is getting committed to corporate governance as a value. The Industry is also committed to their social responsibilities. Most of the industries are already following this.
