Home News Technical Articles Interviews Cover Story Orders & Contracts
   
Equipment
Power Generation
International
Green Energy
 
NEWS  INTERVIEW

India needs more labs for switchgear testing

Venugopal Pillai ,  Saturday, May 05, 2012, 11:14 Hrs  [IST]

P K Jain— P. K. Jain, CMD, Adhunik Switchgears Pvt Ltd

Adhunik Switchgears is a reputed name in the field of low-voltage switchgear. This New Delhi based-company was recently conferred a National Award for Outstanding Quality Products. In an exclusive interaction with Electrical Monitor, P.K. Jain tells us more on the company's quality-conscious attitude and its sharp focus on R&D. Jain also shares his company's vision of spreading its wings nationally as well as globally. Setting up an R&D centre for testing of switchgear products is also on the anvil, notes Jain. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.

At the outset, tell us about the various products made by Adhunik in the switchgear/control gear category.
We are basically in the low-voltage (LV) switchgear industry that includes MCB, MCCB, RCCB, distribution boards, panels, meter boards, feeder pillar, industrial switch sockets, modular range of switch sockets, etc.

We understand that government department and PSU are your major clients. Tell us more. Do you also cater state power utilities?
Yes, Central and state government department form our major clientele that includes Defence, Railways, CPWD, state PWDs etc. Some state power utilities are also our customers.

Tell us about your R&D set up. Over the past twenty years of Adhunik Switchgear, what would you regard as major technological milestone?
From the very beginning, our main focus has always been on R&D. Generally speaking, in India we used borrowed technology that is developed in European countries as per their requirements. But in India, our requirements are entirely different due to the existing atmosphere and environmental conditions. That's why we focus on developing our products according to the requirement of our own country. Development of pre-wired distribution boards (DB) is one of the major technological milestones crossed by Adhunik Switchgears.

Tell us in some detail about pre-wired distribution boards made by Adhunik Switchgear. What advantages do such distribution boards enjoy over the conventional ones?
The pre-wired distribution board was truly a breakthrough product. It was carefully designed and meticulously engineered to impart comprehensive safety arrangements within internationally accepted electrical and mechanical parameters.

Pre-wired solutions overcome all the problems associated with traditional distribution system. The in-built loose wire box fulfills the requirements of extra space for loose wires without disturbing the interiors. The removable cassette makes it possible to fit in fine and saves costly accessories from theft during construction. Further, factory fitment of devices makes it possible to use proper torques and other physical parameters to avoid arcing, loosening and strangling of wires, etc.

Adhunik SwitchgearsWhat is you general opinion about the testing and certification infrastructure in India? Do you think that certifying and testing agencies have kept up with technological demands?
Testing facilities, for switchgear in particular, are not sufficient in India. There are only two organizations—CPRI & ERDA— that are equipped with the required testing equipment for switchgear. Both the labs are generally overbooked for 4 to 6 months. Their testing charges are very high and are not affordable by micro and small industries. As a result, it nullifies the R&D effort in these products. Installation of more laboratories for switchgear industry is very essential.

Do you cater to the exports market? In general, how is the demand for India-made switchgear globally?
Well, our current focus is on serving the national market. However, in the near future we do aim to take our products globally so that the benefits of new and technologically advanced products could be extended internationally.

Is the Indian switchgear industry facing competition from Chinese players?
We always feel that there are two types of markets in the industry. One is the quality-conscious market and the other is the cost-conscious market. Our products are developed mainly to cater the needs of the quality-conscious customer. So, Chinese players may be providing a tough time to the other Indian players whose main focus is to produce lowcost products.

Please discuss the switchgear products market in the residential real estate sector. What are the current market trends?
Residual current devices (RCD) like ELCB (earth leakage circuit breaker), RCCB (residual current circuit breaker) and RCBO (residual current circuit breaker with over-current protection) are mandatory devices as per law. However, due to negligence, in most cases, either these protection devices are not used at all or if used, they are bypassed during their actual working.

For people who care, an RCCB works as a friend and guide as it works as a rider on other devices. An RCCB trips when there is a fault or leakage current from wiring or at devices and saves from potential electrocution.

In general, protection engineering has not got the attention it deserves.

What are the key challenges facing the Indian switchgear industry? What government support do you expect to address some of these?
The Indian switchgear industry is facing stiff challenges such as the raising cost of raw material and the repeated type-test of products in spite of inadequate type testing capacity with testing laboratories.

The government should open up more testing laboratories so that the small and medium scale industries could come forward for R&D towards developing new and innovative products.

Moreover government can have its sales infrastructure in other countries where a government of India-owned subsidiary could become the catalyst for selling made-in-India products. This subsidiary could procure goods from the large but fragmented infrastructure available in the country.

Please outline your future plans and the milestones that you would like to see Adhunik cross in the next say 5 - 7 years.
Our first and foremost aim is to maintain the image that Adhunik Switchgears holds for producing excellent quality products, and to do full justice to the recently-bagged National Award presented by The Honorable President of India Smt Pratibha Devi Singh Patil for Outstanding Quality Products.

Further, we will now focus to extend our reach to different geographical boundaries of India and also to cater the needs of the international market. We have also plans to set up R&D centre where one can get his product tested at very reasonable price and with the Adhunik Guarantee.
 
                 
Post Your RemarkYOUR REMARK
*Name:    
* Email :    
  Website :  

Remark

 
 
           

© 2017 Electrical Monitor. All Rights Reserved.