“Consistent & high quality products at low costs are need of the hour”

The Government of India’s focus on attaining ‘Power for all’ has accelerated capacity addition in the country. In order to meet the increasing demand for electricity, massive addition to the installed generating capacity is required, which is a huge opportunity for our industry, states Dhruv Narang, Joint Managing Director, Electracon Paradise Ltd in an interaction with Electrical India …

Please take us through the journey of Electracon Paradise.

Ever since its inception in 1968, Electracon Paradise Ltd (EPL) has built an enviable reputation in the field of Electrical Silver Contacts. The company is known for the reliability of its products, high standard of materials used and the quality of workmanship employed. From the top management to the shop floor, everyone at EPL is motivated by company’s goal of exceeding customer expectations by supplying quality products. Over the last 50 years, EPL has developed a professional approach to training; we have focused on Japanese manufacturing systems, which resulted in a workforce that is not only highly skilled, but also highly tuned to quality.

EPL started its journey with a few German Welding Machines half a century ago and now boasts of a state-of-the-art, fully vertically integrated, plant with complete in-house silver alloy production. We now house more than 50 German Bi-Metal Rivet Welding Machines & Cold Forging Rivet Machines, as well as extensive advanced machinery to produce silver contact tips and discs. State-of-the-art Schlatter Welding Machines have also been commissioned for Silver Contact Assemblies.

Over the past six years, we have increased our production capacity from 500 thousand contacts per day to 2 million contacts per day while still maintaining the high standards to which we hold ourselves. We possess a long and close association with electrical industry and our experience gained from deep knowledge of modern electrical equipment has propelled us to selling half a billion contact rivets this year.

We will grow and diversify our business by continuing to build on our core competency of silver contacts while creating more value for our customers, our suppliers and our employees.

What are the products offered by the company catering to the power sector?

Silver Contacts are the heart of any switching device as they control the flow of electricity. We manufacture the complete range of silver contacts from Silver Contact Rivets and Silver Contact Assemblies to Silver Contact Tips, etc. Silver contact raw materials are extremely crucial as its properties are the deciding factors for efficient and reliable operation of the electrical contacts and hence the switching device.

We manufacture various silver contact alloys such as Silver Nickel, Silver Tin Oxide, Silver Graphite, Silver Zinc Oxide, Silver Cadmium Oxide etc. These alloys are designed suitably for best performance in their areas of applications such as low medium & high voltage electrical distribution systems, data transfer and communications technology, automotive electrical systems, automation and controls, amongst others. Typical applications are electric switchgear /relays /switches /motor starters /MCB, MCCB, RCB/ thermostats /automotive switches & horns /aeronautical switches and controls /home appliances, etc.

What kind of challenges do you face in India while offering your products to the power industry?

In today’s highly competitive world, consistent and high quality products at low costs are the need of the hour. Lean manufacturing and constant value engineering have become an absolute must. We are adapting key Japanese manufacturing systems and are working closely with our customers in order to value engineer our products in a manner such that raw material costs come down without hampering product quality. However sometimes, logging heads with companies that compromise product quality for a more competitive price is frustrating as that is something we refuse to do.  Since silver contacts are the heart of any product, there is an immense responsibility on our shoulders, which we do not take lightly.

What technological innovations would you incorporate in your products for making them more superior and efficient? Do you have an R& D Center in India? Do you plan to expand in India?

Silver Contacts are the core of our customer’s products and we understand that our success is mutually inter-dependent. Therefore, we believe in adding our knowledge and experience to their product development and manufacturing. Our research and development team is constantly working on innovative new contacts and contact materials. We pride ourselves in not only being manufactures but partners in our customers product development; from contact material recommendation to proposes for potential cost savings.

New electrical contact materials are being constantly explored to try and further maximise performance and efficiency. Pure silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. We are constantly developing and working on existing silver alloys in order to further improve the physical and mechanical properties of pure silver such as low hardness, low tensile strength.

Today India’s power sector is one of the most diversified in the world. Sources of power generation range from conventional sources such as coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and nuclear power to viable non-conventional sources such as wind, solar, and agricultural and domestic waste. Due to India’s economic rise, the demand for energy has grown at an average of 3.6% per annum over the past 30 years and is expected to rise further in the years to come.

The Government of India’s focus on attaining ‘Power for all’ has accelerated capacity addition in the country. In order to meet the increasing demand for electricity, massive addition to the installed generating capacity is required, which is a huge opportunity for our industry. At the same time, the competitive intensity is increasing at both the market and supply sides (fuel, logistics, finances, and manpower).

What message do you want to give to your peers?

India has a unique advantage in the global economy as we will have the world’s youngest population by 2022. Today, 65% of India’s population is of working age and this gives us a huge competitive advantage. I would urge my peers to take advantage of the ‘Make in India’ movement as well as the skilled manpower resources available and set their sights on the global market. This being said, creating a mark in the global electrical market is only possible if we make trust and quality the cornerstone of our business.

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