The Indian manufacturing sector needs to apply next-generation technological solutions in order to stay cost competitive and increase revenues, says Schneider’s Ponniah Sankarakumar.

 

Data is the new goldmine and the Indian manufacturing sector, including MSMEs, will have to employ solutions that help them to promptly identify and utilise it to achieve economies of scale and adequate return on investment, according to Ponniah Sankarakumar, Director Marketing & Strategy, Energy Business, Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd. 

 

“Some data can be immediately relevant after a particular event while with the other data it is up to the user to go into the details to derive additional information,” he said. 

 

From a manufacturer’s perspective, this is going to be extremely critical because too much data might leave an entity feeling overwhelmed while too little data would be of useless. Drawing an analogy with a person training to become a swimmer, Sankarakumar told IPF’s Manish Pant in New Delhi that the process was akin to the trainee either jumping into a pool or wading into it in steps to gradually familiarise oneself with its depth. 

 

In May, the company launched its medium-voltage protection relay, Easergy P3 in the Indian market. The device is an addition to the company’s portfolio of connected products that combines real-time analytics with advanced technologies and solutions powered by the internet of things (IoT). The product is not only focused on attaining optimum efficiency at a reduced cost of implementation but also ensures speed in procurement, installation, wiring and configuration, claims Schneider. The company further describes the product as a major step forward in medium voltage equipment protection and control devices. “Easergy is synonymous with three keywords: powerful, flexible and digital. We would like to launch newer devices under the same family for various other applications,” discloses Sankarakumar. 

 

According to Sankarakumar, the application of Easergy P3 is equally relevant to the ongoing government initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and the Smart Cities programme. “We do have factories in India where we make a lot of equipment, which are local designs with local R&D and local support. Then there is a second way of doing it, which is by helping others to make in India,” he maintains. He cites the example of an electronics major that chose Easergy P3 for its new mobile phone factory in Noida near Delhi as it saw the device delivering more value on investment in the longer term.

 

Similarly, among the main objectives of a smart city is the efficient utilisation of resources through technological interventions. And that requires enhanced internet connectivity and smarter products to mine the most relevant data. In the eventuality of an abnormality in the network, the smart city operator requires as much information as possible on a real-time basis. “A device such as Easergy P3 will transfer all the relevant information as needed by the operator as quickly as possible. A smart city will have upper layers for edge control and data analytics that will push its judgment back into the device for local implementation,” declares Sankarakumar. He describes this as a bilateral flow of data that facilitates controlled and actionable decision making.

 

He also predicts advancements in technology is leading to new synergies being established between the disparate transmission and distribution utilities in the smart city.

 

When asked as to how Schneider intended to keep solutions such as Easergy cost effective for the Indian MSMEs, Sankarakumar says that the device has been designed keeping in mind the demands of fast-expanding economies like India. 

Schneider also offers cloud storage where the data generated can reside over the lifetime of the product, with the user being able to reference and compare it periodically to check for any historical information to establish a trend. Therefore, as one of the latest generation of products from the global power management company, it is not only about the way data is treated but also making available cloud storage to customers who don’t already have that.

 

 

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Advancements in technology is leading to new synergies being established between the disparate transmission and distribution utilities in the smart city.

Ponniah Sankarakumar, Director Marketing & Strategy, Energy Business, Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd