RR Kabel: Quality, Innovation and Trust is our strength

Quality, Innovation and Trust is our strength: Shreegopal Kabra, Group President, RR Kabel

One of the world’s leading wires and cable manufacturers, RR Kabel has continuously invested in R&D. As a result, today, the company stands out for its quality and innovation in a highly competitive sector. Not surprisingly, the company is the only cables and wires company with the highest number of certifications across Asia. In a exclusive interview, Shreegopal Kabra, Group President, RR Kabel, tells us how his company  plans to grow faster than the GDP

As a industry veteran with years of experience, how do you see the evolution of the cable market?

The cable market in terms of quantity is negligible. In recent years, the real estate sector has also not done too well, and we have seen a considerable slowdown across the country. As a industry leader, we believe in the saying, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’

Accordingly, we have invested heavily in R&D and have developed several new and better products. The benefit of these initiatives will be seen in terms of our overall growth in the near future.

The ‘Cable and Wire’ segment is a fiercely competitive marketplace? What kind of initiatives have you taken to stand out from the competition?

While I do agree that the ‘Cable and Wire’ segment is fiercely competitive, our strength is our ‘quality, innovation and trust’, which we have steadily built over the years. This has been our one of the major reasons for our growth. We continually challenge ourselves to ensure only the best products are produced and sold both in the domestic market and the overseas markets. This is paying huge dividends. Gradually, the market is recognizing these aspects. For us, quality, trust, service and reliability are the key mantras to succeed, and we will continually keep on improving ourselves on all these parameters.

Are Indian companies showing an inclination for adopting advanced automation technologies?

Only few companies have taken the lead in adopting advanced automation technologies, as it needs tremendous guts, investments and of course capital, which in recent times has not been as easy as before. Our expansion has always been based on latest technologies and gradual replacement of older technologies with newer ones. I believe that only those companies which are truly technology savvy in terms of thinking, manpower and of course machinery will survive and grow.

How do you perceive India as a market?

We are extremely bullish on the Indian market. While it may be lower than what most people expect, it is still positive. The present government has been strongly developing and encouraging various schemes. While we are yet to see results on the ground, one must understand that the impact of these initiatives will take time. Things do not happen overnight. For example, initiatives such as ‘Housing for All’ and the Saubhagya Scheme, in which the government is investing 16k crore are brilliant ideas. If implemented well, it will only result in development and growth of the country. India is a huge market. It is one of the top 5 in the world and has huge potential.

How has GST impacted the cable and wire business?

The GST had killed the wires and cable industry when it was first implemented at 28%. At that time, it had badly hurt us. But after the GST revision where the rate has come down to 18%, we have been able to be at par with other players. However, what needs to be kept in mind that India has a huge unorganized sector, and some of them are not aligned with GST. This has to be stopped and is a big challenge for the country.

What are your views regarding the government’s Make in India initiative?

Make in India is an excellent initiative. It is slowly taking place but needs vast amount of support internally. Our exports need to also be better. The government now aims at a USD 5 trillion economy in a few years. This is of course possible. However, the focus must be that 1 trillion of that must be from exports alone. 20% of the total growth should be from exports. India has a long way to go in this regard. But schemes like these will help. I always say, ‘Make in India & Made in India’

RR Kabel is participating in ELECRAMA 2018 happening from March 10 -14th, 2018. Could you tell us about some of the innovative technologies or products that you will be showcasing at the event? 

RR Kabel is the only cables and wires company with the highest number of certifications. In PAN Asia, no company in this sector has achieved this. All our products are REACH compliant. We also have products that have the Unilay Core Technology or UCT. Besides this, we have a lot more innovative products which is not only from RR Kabel but from the RR Global family as a whole.

How fast do you aim to grow?

We aim to grow twice as fast as the GDP. That’s our aim.