…says Shreegopal Kabra, MD of R R Kabel Ltd, and President of IEEMA - an apex association representing electrical & electronics (E&E) industry. In this interview with Rakesh Rao, he elaborates on growth prospects of E&E industry.What is the current status of electrical & electronics (E&E) industry in India? The E&E industry in India is so far doing reasonable well. Better than what many others are. There has been a lot of improvement in the industry under the current government. With initiatives like Power for All, Housing for All, expansion of airports and better rail infrastructure and a lot of funds being allocated towards such infrastructure projects as well as E-mobility among others are all helping the industry grow and see better days.

What are the challenges before Indian E&E industry?

Like everything else, despite current trends we also must face some tough challenges. The current infrastructure situation in the country is not good, lack of basic infra adds to unnecessary costs. We would like to see a reduction in class quotation. Freight costs are also high as is payment from utility suppliers.

What is your opinion about Budget 2018-19 (presented on Feb 1, 2018)?

I give the budget an 8 and a half on 10. Looking towards the 2019 elections and the overall state of the economy, it was a fair and balanced budget. We were of course hoping for cuts or some sort of comment on income tax for individuals. The new dream of a health policy is excellent. India will only become successful with a strong and healthy rural population. All of this can also transfer India into a medical tourism powerhouse, which in turn will add more high skilled and better paying jobs.

As an apex association representing E&E industry, what are the priorities of IEEMA to boost growth of the industry?

Our priority is to work with the government on schemes such as Saubagya Scheme. Under this, the government is to spend close to Rs 16,000 crores. This in turn will give the E&E industry close to Rs 60,000 crore worth of business in the future. Improvement of railways is another major opportunity for our industry. Our priority is to ensure this happens and that the industry can fully benefit from it.

Besides this, we at IEEMA also prioritise safety procedures and manufacturing of the safest products along with boosting our exports. Our export market in the E&E sector is poor. Our priority is to ensure that this increases multifold. As it stands, India lags far behind in exports even among much smaller developing nations. One way that this will happen is if our products are safer and of better quality than the international competition.

Are Government initiatives such as Make in India, Power for All, Smart Cities, etc creating demand for E&E industry?

Yes. You will see an impact over the next five years. Everything takes time, immediate results are never possible.

On the eve of Elecrama 2018, what message would you like to give to exhibitors, visitors and the industry, in general?

ELECRAMA is one of the largest expos in the world for our industry. The best and brightest meet under one roof to showcase the next revolutionising technology or product. I encourage exhibitors to concentrate on better technology, understand the importance of being eco friendly in today’s society and manufacture export quality products.

For visitors I would like to say that enjoy and expect only the best at ELECRAMA. The greater your expectation, the better the product. We welcome younger and newer entrepreneurs from both India and across the world. Elecrama’s success is thanks in part due to our trust and innovation in our selves.