Consistent growth of Havells India over the years

The growth has been consistent over the years with the advancement of real estate sector and industrial sector

Q. How was the year 2021 for you?

Year 2021 was indeed unique as the COVID-19 contagion ravaged socioeconomic developments globally. We started off on a good note across segments both on turnover and margins. Unfortunately, second wave of Covid gripped the country with even higher ferocity leading to localised lockdown, this impacted the business in the first quarter of the current FY. Post COVID the demand recovery has been encouraging supported by revival of real estate and increase in the Infra & CAPEX. Inflationary trends in commodity prices have been a concern but we expect demand to be resilient.
Despite the COVID led challenges we have expanded our distribution network and launched new products across verticals which resulted in business growth.

Q. Could you please share brief overview of the business story of wire division of Havells India Ltd?

Cables are an important aspect of any industry and Havells, being India’s one of the largest manufacturer of cables and wires, produces a wide range of flexible cables including Multicore Cables, Low & High Voltage cables, EHV cables etc.

Havells entered into the manufacturing of low-tension power cables in the year 1996. Located in midst of tranquil hills of Aravalli the Havells cable plant is spread over 100 acres equipped with NABL lab along with automated machines using best raw material from primary manufacturers ensuring best quality.

The growth has been consistent over the years with the advancement of real estate sector and industrial sector. With the consumer becoming more aware on safety norms, Havells has added range like HFFR wires and feature like S3 properties to its basket of products, to cater different needs of the consumers.

To capture future opportunities Havells India has invested heavily in capacity building and new product addition in wire & cable segment. Havells India has added latest fully automated machines in capacity building to maintain product quality, brand trust and process efficiency.

Q. Tell us about your key focus and product line for the wire and cable industry. Is there any new addition in your product list?

Havells offers best in class products that addresses the changing needs of market & industry. Havells wires portfolio includes HRFR (Heat Resistant Flame-Retardant cables), FRLSH (Flame retardant low smoke and halogen), HFFR (Halogen Free Flame Retardant), FR (Flame retardant), Multicore round cables, Flat submersible cables, Telecom switch board, Coaxial cables, LAN cables, CCTV cables and speaker cables.

We are one of the first companies to get ISI licence for our HFFR range of wires which are considered to the safest and most environment friendly wires in its segment. We also have solar and shielded cables in our product range.

The importance of shielded cables can’t be stressed enough. The shielding of cables prevents crosstalk between cables near each other. Shielding not only protects cable but also protect machinery and other people as well. Shielded cables ensure the protection of data being transferred by degradation due to EMI exposure, which is common in industrial settings, data centres, offices, etc. In solar cable category, we foresee good business from this segment in near future.

Q. Please tell us about your fire safety cables and the market potential of fire safe cables in India?

The fire-resistant, flame retardant cable market in India is encouragingly active. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This growth brings in significant changes in the country’s infrastructure with more advanced vertical building concepts and newer technologies. All these evolving infrastructure and technological growth is powered by electricity and as a result the quality of wire and cables becomes very important.

Havells offers best-in-class products that addresses the changing need of consumers and industrial applications. Havells wires and cable portfolio includes fire- safe cables such as HRFR (Heat Resistant Flame-Retardant cables), FRLS-H (Flame retardant low smoke and halogen), HFFR (Halogen Free Flame Retardant), FR (Flame retardant). There has been a paradigm shift from wiring that contain normal PVC insulation towards alternative FRLS-H, Halogen free flame retardant (HFFR) compounds, driven largely by environmental issues and safety concerns.

We at Havells give consumer’s safety the utmost priority. Keeping this in mind, we are promoting the usage of Halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) insulated wires since they do not emit hazardous gases, and clear smoke. The low intensity visible white smoke HFFR is more effective during fire outbreaks since it reduces the amount and density of the smoke, which makes exiting a space easier for occupants as well as increases the safety of firefighting operations during any fire accident.

Q. How has the growth been for the company in the past year? What are the expansion plans of the company to strengthen your position in the market?

The past year was a period of significant challenges as the COVID-19 contagion ravaged socioeconomic developments globally. At Havells, we relied on agility, and a pragmatic approach to the unprecedented and unforeseen pandemic. As business gradually gained traction post lockdown, Havells was able to fulfil consumers’ demands through its vast distribution network supported by continuity in product supply through inhouse production. During the lockdown, more than half of the customer service issues were solved digitally, through solutions like video calls, AVs were made to educate customers on do-it-yourself (DIY) methods of servicing and basic repairs. Overall, technology will play a significantly larger role in all our facets of interaction with the customer, than ever before.

After setting a strong foothold in the urban markets, Havells is now reaching the heartland by setting up a distribution network in semi-urban and rural. The rural channel was more resilient during the pandemic and Havells had witnessed increasing growth from rural areas.

We are optimistic that due to change in consumer behaviour, Havells product demand will increase for electrical protection devices, high quality house wires and other wiring accessories, as only handful of brands offer superior quality and exclusive range for every customer segment. Havells will also be largely benefited with the increasing spend in Infrastructure development under Self-Reliant India drive as Architects, Consultants, Builders, and Electrical Contractors are emphasizing for “Make in India” brands that match (or improve upon) the global quality standards. Our endeavour to introduce Innovative products which ensure safety and improved efficiency is further strengthened with demand for Havells products from Industrial and OEM sector.

We firmly believe that India will witness a new chapter in growth story and Havells will be a key contributor in electrical sphere with superior comprehensive range of switchgear, switches, wires, cables, lighting, and other domestic appliances.