Please tell us about Havells.
Havells has evolved from a simple switchgear manufacturing company to a fully integrated Fast Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) Company. Havells in not only charting new avenues for itself but also re-defining the way FMEG sector does business. Either through its 12 state-of-art manufacturing locations or through its innovating marketing ideas (through Ads) Havells has changed the way FMEG does business.
Havells as a group owns some of the most prestigious brands like Havells, Lloyd, Crabtree, Standard and Promptec. Its network constitutes of around 6000 professionals, over 10000 dealers, 40 branches and more than 500 exclusive Havells Galaxy showrooms across the country.
Havells today is also a shining example of the `Make in India’ spirit that the government has been rightly emphasizing upon. Havells rise as an iconic global brand is largely driven by the promoter’s faith in India’s capability to produce high quality products. The company manufactures over 95 percent of its products in-house across its 12 state-of-the-art manufacturing units in the country located at Haridwar, Baddi, Sahibabad, Faridabad, Guwahati, Alwar and Neemrana.
What are the products offered by the company?
The company enjoys enviable market dominance across a wide spectrum of products, including industrial & domestic circuit protection devices, industrial and domestic cables, motors, pumps, fans, modular switches, home appliances, air conditioners, LED televisions, washing machines, electric water heaters, water purifiers, personal grooming products, power capacitors, led lamps and luminaires for domestic, commercial and industrial applications.
How are cables and switchgears divisions performing?
Our switchgears business registered an 11 % growth in the last quarter and has constantly been growing. Wires division registered a 17% value growth however Industrial cables is experiencing slower growth rate due to volatility in commodity prices.
What kind of competition do you face in the Indian market?
As we operate across 18 categories, we have different set of competition with multiple companies in India including international companies. We have always been committed to providing superior quality products, which has eventually become the benchmark and a key differentiator for us in the market.
We have always worked towards making a difference with our products. All of our innovations focus on making a valuable difference to our customer’s lives. Our products like wires – that don’t catch fire, or water heaters – that keeps water hot for 24 hours using just a half watt of electricity, our products are made with attention to detail- enabling us to fulfill their responsibility towards the society and environment.
What are the impacts (on your business) of the new government’s plan to speed up electrification in the country?
Government’s plans and initiatives like UDAY, UJALA, Smart Cities and ‘Power for All’ along with the promotion of energy-efficient LED products and greener fuels has already created significant demand for electrical products. And, in order to tap the growth potential in the power sector in India, we have already enhanced our manufacturing capabilities of LED lamps from 5 lakh to 25 lakh lamps per month. We are completely focussing on the manufacturing of LED lights which have huge growth potential and currently contribute 75% to our lighting division’s turnover.
Apart from this, we are launching innovative lighting solutions such as Power of Ethernet (POE), Smart Street Lighting LED Solutions & Indoor Light Automation which will bring new era of efficiencies and savings in lighting usage and consumption. We have also launched two affordable lighting products for retail consumers ‘Tyrica’ and ‘Quadra Glow’ that are unique and first of its kind in the country.
What technological innovations would you incorporate in your products for making them more superior and efficient?
Again referring to my previous response, Havells has always been a front-runner in innovation and technological advancement. Probably, we are the only amongst the few who invest heavily in R&D and innovation. We have twelve state-of-the-art facilities and number of patents to show our efforts on the innovation front. The company’s unrelenting pursuit in staying ahead of the curve in anticipation consumer expectations has ensured that Brand Havells continues to delight its customer. We have undertaken technology based product extensions in new categories such as LED lighting and Home Automation. Havells’ strategies hinge on leveraging long-term growth opportunities and thus the Company is continuously investing in products and technology that fuel growth and make it ‘future ready’. We also have entered into digital space with IOT and have added a lot of innovative products in our portfolio.
Some technological innovation we have already introduced in our products are color changing LED in our advanced water heater range Adonia, digital slow juicers, kettle, air fryer and digital mixer grinder; first of its kind in the industry. We have launched India’s first innovative cooler range with intuitive features like Dust Filter Net, Completely Collapsible Louvers, Auto Drain, Humidity Control, temperature display etc. and last but not the least India’s first Water Purifier with pH balance and Natural Mineral Fortification capability to address the issue of loss of minerals in RO water,
What kind of opportunities do you envisage for your company with the government’s project of 100 smart cities, ‘power for all’ scheme etc?
Government’s initiatives like project of 100 smart cities, ‘power for all’ scheme etc will create demand for innovative & quality electrical consumer products in the country. Easier and wider access to power and power consuming products along with a resurgent real-estate sector will also contribute to the growing demand.
And to cater to this ever-growing demand for innovative products, we are already equipped with a strong product portfolio across price points and segments. The idea is to develop new categories to meet diverse needs of different customer segments. We are also investing in building and upgrading capacities, be it in delivering the best quality products or in designing and producing new products that caters to the evolving taste and preference of the modern day customers.
What would you like to communicate to your potential customers?
Havells has always been committed to launching innovative products for its existing and prospective customers that adheres to their changing lifestyle, preferences and requirement. It has never been about maintaining status quo but to understand the pulse of the discerning consumer, evolve, innovate, enter new categories with best in line products. Therefore any Havells product comes with the assurance of quality, functionality and is backed by the latest innovations in manufacturing and technology.
