Can you please take us through the journey of ELECRAMA? What is the objective of the event?
There have been 12 editions of ELECRAMA prior to this one. And each of them has been slightly better than the previous one. ELECRAMA, over the years has been a torchbearer of the electrical industry in India, and is today the largest electrical exhibition in the world. From the first edition in 1990, IEEMA’s prestigious flagship event for decades has witnessed changes in the industry very closely. In one way or the other, ELECRAMA has always stayed relevant to the industry, to its needs and the challenges being faced. ELECRAMA 2018 this time will undergo a complete digital transformation and will be full of surprises for all the visitors, exhibitors and stakeholders.
What is the focus of ELECRAMA 2018? Please tell us in detail.
ELECRAMA 2018 will have five days of exhibition starting from 10th – 14th March, 2018 at IEML Noida. We will showcase new discussion forums and will have people from various related segments across the globe marking their presence for the first time. 30-40% of the audience will be from segments which were never present on this forum before like Power Electronics, Electro-Mobility and Power Storage. In addition to the World Utility Summit ELECRAMA 2018 has also introduced the World Contractors Consultants and Channel Partners Congress (W4C), where representatives from across the world will integrate and build relations with the Indian supplier segment. Global Electrical Equipment Manufacture’s Summit (GEMS), a global platform will be created for the first time for the electricity equipment manufacturing sector to engage and collaborate to strengthen the industry roots further. A fresh and progressive step in this year’s ELECRAMA is also including the young generation in this age old industry through E-Tech Next. It is a startup pavilion being introduced for the first time in association with TIE and NASSCOM. Through ELECRAMA 2018, we aim to give new direction and new meaning to ‘electricity’. It will not be a mere exhibition, but we promise it to be an experience.
What kind of response have you expected from ELECRAMA 2018?
The mega event will have more than 1100 exhibitors showcasing their products & services and visitors from more than 100 countries will be participating in it. Most important, visitor footfalls anticipated are more than 2,50,000. The five day event will have various pavilions of interest. There will be a power pavilion, railway pavilion and E-Tech Next to showcase the technology of tomorrow. This time’s ELECRAMA focuses on the paradigm shift from the earlier T&D in electricity space to the focus on electric vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT), storage solutions and renewable energy.
Can you please tell us about the government’s support to this event over the years?
Last ELECRAMA saw railways, heavy industry & power from the government side showed interest. Utility heads from across the world came to participate in ELECRAMA. Government’s goal to electrify entire India and its ‘Make in India’ for the world campaign is aligned with the core ideology of ELECRAMA. Our government is committed to remove T&D losses completely from the sector and they identify with this platform and bring in active participation through pavilions and concurrent events throughout those five days.
What is the reason behind the change in venue from Bengaluru where last two editions 2014 & 2016 were held?
We wanted this ELECRAMA to be amongst the biggest exhibitions ever. Noida has one of the country’s largest grounds and we believe that this time will be much larger than the previous traditionally done ELECRAMAs. One of the other major reasons was we wanted to explore new markets this time and showcase the ideology and world class technology to the national capital. This time ELECRAMA will have lot of foreign visitors and delegates and Delhi is more accessible in terms of international air traffic.
The government has ambitious plans of producing 175 GW of renewable energy. So, what kind of active role would events like ELECRAMA play in achieving this target?
India is always on the world map as far as investors are concerned. In the Infrastructure & electrical segment, there is going to be paradigm shift, where we are moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy, from antiquated networks to smart grids, from metropolitan cities consisting of creaking infrastructure to smart cities. This trust of the government has led to a lot of interest especially in the infrastructure sector and we anticipate that ELECRAMA 2018 will further fuel this increased interest in the electrical segment plus electronics and electrical vehicle sector.
Renewable energy sector has come a long way from being a luxurious source of electricity to an essential source of electricity. Government slowly changing its role from being a regulator to facilitator is commendable. The target for renewable electricity generation of 175 GW set by the government by 2022 is an ambitious one but has opened lots of innovative options to adapt renewable energy as a main source of electricity.
What is your outlook for the Indian power sector?
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and complemented with a visionary Ministry of Power, the Indian power sector is going to shift top gear aiming at electricity for all. This is major opportunities for each one of us as a responsible entity in India to contribute to the outlook. Government is supporting in form of various schemes but utilities need to be careful in planning and quick deployment of the meters. Meticulous execution may be achieved by choosing the right technology partner without myopic vision which can surely yield the desired results.
I believe India’s energy outlook will continue to remain promising, pushing boundaries to connect the whole of India to affordable electricity and cleaner energy system. I have confidence that locally, the industry is capable of supporting, delivering the product and services for this cause.
