Hitachi Ltd of Japan and Hi-
Rel Electronics Pvt Ltd have
decided to construct a new
manufacturing facility for the
manufacture of medium voltage
inverters by the end of 2012. The
proposed plant will come up at the
Sanand-II Gujarat Industrial
Development Corporation (GIDC)
Estate near Ahmedabad in the
western state.
It may be mentioned that Hitachi
recently acquired majority equity
stake in Hi-Rel subsequent which
the Indian company will now be
known as Hi-Rel Power Electronics
Pvt Ltd. "The formal process of
changing the company name is in
progress," a senior official of
Ahmedabad-based Hi-Rel told
Electrical Monitor over phone.
The two companies, it may be
mentioned, have cooperated in
expanding sales for mediumvoltage
inverter drive systems in
India since July 2009, and in June
2011, Hitachi and Hi-Rel began
discussing a business alliance,
including the possibility of an
equity investment by Hitachi in Hi-
Rel, in light of expectations for
expanding demand in the country's
power electronics market.
The proposed manufacturing
unit seeks to expand the product
lineup and strengthen the local
production system. The
collaboration of the two partners
should drive expansion in the power
electronics business in India, from
which it is aimed to generate
revenues of around
800 crore.
At present in India, there are
many large-scale plants such as
power plants, steel works and
petrochemical plants being planned
as the India's economy grows, and
large-scale investments in
renewable energy are also planned
to realize a low-carbon society.
These developments are expected
to lead to expansion in the markets
for products such as mediumvoltage
inverter systems,
uninterrupted power supplies
(UPS) and power conditioners for
solar and wind power generation.
These products are required to
ensure stable operations of largescale
factories, and conserve energy.
Hitachi is focusing on
accelerating the global
development of the Social
Innovation Business, which is made
up of social infrastructure
supported by highly reliable and
highly efficient information and
telecommunications technology.
Hitachi has identified India as a
fifth key management area for
further business expansion in India.
Hi-Rel, meanwhile, manufactures
industrial UPS and power
electronics products, including
low-voltage inverter drive
systems, and has an extensive
nationwide network of sales and
service bases.
The company will combine
Hitachi's power control
technologies, supported by wealth
of experience and expertise in
systems integration for large-scale
plants, with Hi-Rel's local
technological and production
capabilities as well as its sales and
service network. The addition of a
new manufacturing facility should
enable the new company to further
meet the growing and
sophisticated power electronics
requirements in India.