We are looking to exploit the smart meters opportunity in a big way,” says Gautam Seth, joint managing director, HPL Electric and Power Limited. He has been associated with the electric equipment manufacturing industry for over a decade.
Talking about his current role in the organisation, Seth says that he mainly looks after the manufacturing of trade-related products like LED lighting, wire, switchgear and the entire distribution network. “Our aim is to become a one-stop shop for all electrical goods including metering and lighting equipment and cater to various needs of consumers. The company has been growing largely in the B2B segment, but in the past five years, we have also witnessed a lot of growth in the B2C segment.”
With an increased allocation for the Integrated Power Development Scheme and Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, and greater emphasis on schemes like Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana, the Smart Cities Mission and the Domestic Efficient Lighting Progra-mme, Seth expects the demand for equipment to gain traction. “We are seeing a lot of demand coming in and the situation is much better than what it was two to three years back,” he says.
Seth is also upbeat about the fact that renewable energy has been given a major push by the government, “We have newer components for the solar power segment and the policy boost to the segment would add to the demand for these.”
Talking about the emerging trends in the equipment industry, Seth considers smart meters and LED lighting as key game changers. “Smart meters having two-way communications and better control and management are going to come up in a big way. Similarly, LED has been the game changer because of its energy-efficient nature,” he notes.
According to Seth, the Ujjain Kumbh Mela project was one of his most challenging and memorable assignments. “It was memorable because of two aspects. The technology integration and second, it was a global event that was catered to by our lighting products,” he adds.
Seth holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and is a qualified chartered accountant. He likes to spend his spare time with his family. He enjoys travelling and wants to cover more than 100 countries. He is also fond of gyming and playing soccer.