Wire & Cable India Emagazine Jan-Feb Issue 2022

Vol. 11 No. 02

1000/-

2022-23

Jan-Feb, 2022

Reactions from the Industry....Page No. 10

18 19 20 WED

THU

FRI

MAY, 2022 HALL 2 & 3 Ravin Group Acquires and Restarts Cable Corporation of India Ltd. ....32

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CONTENTS January-February, 2022, Wire & Cable India

10

Union budget 2022-2023 Reactions from the Industry Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting her fourth budget, said that India is expected to grow at 9.27 percent in the current financial year.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs

Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister for Power

Mr. Inder T. Jaisinghani, Chairman and Managing Director, Polycab India Ltd.

Mr. Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director & Group President, RR Global

Mrs. Kirti Kabra, Director, RR Global

Mr. Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd.

Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Communications Ltd.

Mr. Abhishek Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Gupta Power Infrastructure Ltd.

Mr. V.R. Sharma, Managing Director, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

Mr. Anurag Pandey, Executive-in-Charge, Global Wires India-Tata Steel

Mr. Srikanth Chakravarthy, Managing Director, Bekaert Industries Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. A.M. Kulkarni, President, Mukand Ltd.

Mr. Anuj Jain, CFO, Viraj Profiles Ltd.

Mr. R. Sridharan, CEO, Birla Cable Ltd. and President, Vindhya Telelinks Ltd., M.P. Birla Group

Mr. Vijay Kumar Bajaj, Chief Operating Officer, Apar Industries Ltd.

Mr. Gautam Seth, Joint Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd.

Mr. Tushar Kanti Roy, Advisor Strategy, PPC Technology India Pvt. Ltd. – A Belden brand

Mr. Kishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Sidharth Agrawal, Manag- Mr. Ashwani Gupta, Director, ing Director, Systematic Group Vividh Wires Ltd.

32 28

RR Kabel’s FIREX LS0H Wire Comes with a Promise of Quality and Safety

34

Sterlite Power Transmission: Empowering Humanity

by Addressing the Toughest Challenges of Energy Delivery "Digitalisation, high-speed communication bandwidth, artificial intelligence and machine learning help grid operators to be well informed on a real time basis."

44

Ravin Group Acquires and Restarts Cable Corporation of India Ltd. Vidya Wires: Aiming for 30000 MT per year by 2024 "We are among the top three copper wire manufacturers in India and look forward to expanding our operations globally in the near future."

40 Sustainable future and Decarbonisation: Prysmian Contribution on India Strategy and COP26 Goals

Paramount Conductors: Putting Innovations at Forefront "We have ISO 9001:2015 certification and follow stringent quality testing norms with traceability as per BIS/IEC standards."

46 48

Driving Digitalisation for Enhanced Customer Experience

Growing at 100 Percent yoy for last 5 years, Navank Consultants Determined to Achieve New Heights with Wanma Compounds

Standardisation and automation are two important goals of every digitalisation strategy.

50 54

Mikrotek Center of Excellence Offers Certified Courses in Die Technology

The new HPTE polymer developed by Prysmian guarantees a reduction of CO2 by 1 tonne per km and allows the transport of more energy.

Product watch

"Our sales forecast for 2025 is around USD 30 million in the Indian market."

58

MCX offers two certified programs – the Foundation course, and the Refresher course.

News 63

UNION BUDGET 2022

Union 2022-23 Reactions from the Industry

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10

Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting her fourth budget, said that India is expected to grow at 9.27 percent in the current financial year. Here’s a sneak peek into the post budget reactions.

Seven Engines under PM Gati Shakti Supported by Energy Transmission, IT communication, Bulk Water & Sewerage, Social Infrastructure Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs PM Gati Shakti is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development. The approach is driven by seven engines, namely, roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure. All seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison. The engines are supported by the complementary roles of energy transmission, IT communication, bulk water & sewerage, and social infrastructure. The approach is powered by clean energy and Sabka Prayas – the efforts of the central government, the state governments, and the private sector together – leading to huge job and entrepreneurial opportunities for all, especially the youth.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Ka Budget of 2022 has laid the Blueprint for India’s Amrit Kaal Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister for Power, New & Renewable Energy Congratulations to Finance Minister on a forward-looking Union Budget 2022-23. Aatmanirbhar Bharat Ka Budget of 2022 has laid the blueprint for India’s Amrit Kaal, covering areas like infrastructure, digitisation, agriculture, fiscal management, technology, and manufacturing.

Budget 2022 is a step towards innovative & sustainable development in New India to strengthen our Energy Transition journey and fight climate change.

(Source: PIB)

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 Views from the industry A 35 Percent Higher Outlay of CAPEX to Provide a Fillip to Infrastructure Activities Mr. Inder T. Jaisinghani, Chairman and Managing Director, Polycab India Ltd. The Budget has hit the right chords in terms of focus on inclusive growth, Amrit Kaal of structural development and achieving our long-term vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. A 35 percent higher outlay of CAPEX is a welcome move and should provide a fillip to infrastructure activities. Urban planning and development should be a pressing priority if we wish to unlock the true potential of India and I am glad the government is aptly addressing it. Overall, leveraging technology, nurturing innovation, placing a strong emphasis on Green Energy and promoting Clean Mobility systems is clearly a progressive stride towards sustainable development.

Substantial Focus on Housing and Infrastructure Development Mr. Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director & Group President, RR Global The 2022 Budget has a remarkable approach towards growth orientation. With a substantial focus on housing and infrastructure development, it provides a promising outlook that will provide a much needed boost to the economy. The provision of chemical free agriculture is good move towards health improvement and it will also help in increasing exports. The #PMGatiShakti master plan will definitely aid in reducing logistics costs in the long term. The support for urban capacity is going to improve efficiency and will also provide some relief in reducing the cost of real estate which is the need of the hour in order to afford a good living.

Overall Economic Development and an Improvement in Standard of Living Mrs. Kirti Kabra, Director, RR Global The Budget 2022 has a strong futuristic approach with considerable focus on education, sustainability, agricultural growth and women empowerment. It promotes the overall economic development including the non-metro cities as well and an improvement in the standard of living. The affordable housing scheme is a huge step by the government that will impact the lives of 80 lakh families aspiring them to have their own houses in future. This will boost economic growth and will improve the overall living standards of the people. The support for urban capacity building will open up new possibilities for the citizens in non-metros thereby encouraging people to settle in these cities with a better quality of life. The expansion of National Highway network will help smoothen transportation and reduce the logistic costs thereby also providing opportunities for growth to the smaller towns nearby. The Green Energy & Clean Mobility provision will certainly promote better health, ease of living and reduce mobility cost.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022

Faster Implementation of Metro Rail, Infrastructure Status for Data Centres, and Emphasis on PM Gati Shakti Mr. Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd. I welcome the forward-looking, CAPEX-led Budget 2022, with a sharp 35 percent increase in outlay. A strong focus on improving the safety of Indian Railways, faster implementation of metro rail systems, infrastructure status for data centres, along with emphasis on PM Gati Shakti with significant allocation towards Jal Jeevan Mission, Affordable Housing, BharatNet and building 100 Cargo Terminals for multimodal logistics facilities augur well for KEC International Ltd. and our well-diversified businesses.

Further, initiatives such as the use of Surety Bonds as a substitute for bank guarantee, a cap on Surcharge of AOPs/consortiums at 15 percent as against 37 percent earlier and an end-to-end online e-Bill System to enhance transparency are steps in the right direction for EPC contractors such as KEC.

Significant Focus on Infrastructure Spending Augurs Well for the Wire & Cable Industry Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Communications Ltd. The Union Budget 2022 presents an effective roadmap for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. It is most encouraging to see that the effective capital expenditure of the government is estimated at INR 10.68 lakh crore in 2022-23 at about 4.1 percent of GDP showing an increase over the last FY. Such a substantial focus on infrastructure spending augurs well for the wires and cables industry which had been seeing a demand contraction for the past two years.

The focus on the INR 100 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti Scheme in this year’s Budget shall have twin befits, viz, huge investments into the infrastructure including roads, railways, ports, waterways, etc. shall spur demand in the economy on the one hand, and help in bringing down the logistics costs in India from the current level of 14 percent to an internationally competitive level of 7-8 percent.

Typically, infrastructure investment has a multiplier effect of 2.5 times the expenditure incurred, besides providing huge employment opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled labour.

The Budget announcement for building 80 lakh houses for weaker sections shall also provide a huge fillip to the construction industry, employment, and for various industrial products including wires and cables.

Further increase in the outlay on the PLI scheme to nearly INR 5 lakh crore should help bring in very substantial private investment also, thereby resulting in a big boost to the economy and employment as also in increased demand for products like ours.

It is also a matter of great satisfaction that an important issue which I had taken up with the government last year as the President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in light of the COVID-19 impact on the industry, has been accepted in this budget which has announced the use of surety bonds guaranteed by insurance companies in place of PBGs- Performance Bank Guarantees, for public procurement. This shall be a huge relief to the industry which has been suffering greatly on the liquidity front due to the large amounts stuck towards PBGs. Another important request that has been accepted in this budget is the provision for provisional 75 percent payment mandatorily within 10 days by PSUs. Overall, a very positive and forward-looking Budget.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

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UNION BUDGET 2022 Favourable Expectations from FY 2022-23 after Union Budget Mr. Abhishek Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Gupta Power Infrastructure Ltd. The Budget presented this year is quite remarkable. Highly anticipated, the current Budget has been hailed by the Prime Minister as ‘people-friendly’ and ‘progressive’. One of the key highlights of the session that the industrialists need to review is that the import duty on certain chemicals is being cut. Also, there has been a reduction in customs duty for certain electronic items; and the customs duty has been revoked for steel products. These facts are noteworthy and can be used profitably. Next, there has been a focus on industrial development and manufacturing, especially with the PM Gati Shakti Program. To boost the infrastructure and productivity, the government has planned a slew of similar measures. And it is a good thing that the government has decided to keep the 15 percent tax cap on corporate.

The Budget has many times emphasised the developments that the PM Gati Shakti Mission is aimed at.

Through this mission, plans to develop roadways and railways networks are on the roadmap, which in turn is aimed at improving infrastructure and connectivity projects. Gati Shakti is a digital platform that is said to be a ‘multi-modal plan’, meant to achieve its targets in the upcoming 25 years. Not only will this help with bridging gaps across the departments, but will also reduce delays in various processes. IT & Communication is already in the limelight since the Budget last year, and this year, the government has pushed for the growth of digital infrastructure. The Gati Shakti platform itself is a significant example. The Budget will also focus on laying the foundation for rolling out 5G spectrums, laying out optical fibre and in turn enabling easy availability of broadband services in rural areas. This will be an added boost for the wire and cable industries.

For energy transmission, the focus lies on clean and sustainable energy. And subsequently, there is an aim to boost the e-vehicle sector. This is a significant development, since catering to clean energy needs will be beneficial for industrial advancements as well as the overall growth of the country.

In addition to these, the Budget has mentioned the National Ropeways Development Programme, which comes under the Government’s Parvatmala Project. Under this Programme, eight ropeways projects will be awarded in the current financial year. This will also provide a positive scope for the industries.

In a nutshell, it appears that the key focus of the Budget is on holistic development. And so far, the outcomes and plans discussed in it seem favourable for most of the manufacturing industries. Since it mostly draws from the Budget of the previous financial year, the current Budget can also be concluded to be beneficial for the wire and cable industry.

9.2 Percent GDP Growth is Commendable Mr. V.R. Sharma, Managing Director, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. I am delighted to see this as a futuristic Budget. The 9.2 percent GDP growth is commendable.

Coal gasification, coal to liquid initiative, and date of manufacturing for claiming the 15 percent concessional income tax rate on greenfield projects is extended till 31 March 2024 by the government are appreciated highly. Trust-based governance, single-window clearance & approval, battery swapping, skilling of people, linking of 5 rivers, 400 new Vande Bharat Trains, multimodel logistic parks, housing & construction of roads are appreciated. Green Bonds, surety bonds instead of BG, funds for start-ups are excellent moves. This is an excellent Budget for India at 75 years to 100 years way forward.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 A Reinforcement towards India’s Vision of USD 5 Trillion Economy Mr. Anurag Pandey, Executive-in-Charge, Global Wires India-Tata Steel The fourth Budget presented by the Honourable Finance Minister lays the foundation for India’s longterm growth and puts us in the driver’s seat to achieve what we envision to see ourselves in 2047 when we revere our 100 years of independence.

The Union Budget 2022-23 announced a 35.4 percent increase in CAPEX to INR 7.5 lakh crore for FY23 from INR 5.54 lakh crore for FY22 similar to last year’s increase of 34 percent. The industry is upbeat about this move as it is expected to create a ripple effect in the system. The investments in national transportation infrastructure such as the expansion of National Highway by 25000 km, investment in multimodal national parks, and introduction of ‘One Station-One Product’ through 400 new energyefficient trains and 100 PM Gati Shakti terminals are expected to strengthen the multimodal connectivity. Apart from facilitating the seamless transportation of cargo, these actions are expected to reduce the logistics cost and will modernise India’s logistics infrastructure.

Efforts are also being taken to reduce the compliance burden and this is expected to improve ‘ease of doing business’ thereby promoting FDI in India. This is also expected to improve productivity and transparency as this will pave way for resolving issues related to land acquisition and green clearances.

When it comes to women’s development, focusing on schemes such as Mission Shakti will lead to better representation of the women workforce in the industry. The Budget has also given due importance to promoting a green economy by funding solar energy, issuing sovereign green bonds for investing in green infrastructure, financing projects to reduce carbon footprint, and by showing an intent towards developing electric vehicles.

The Budget has been set to foster inclusive development with a focus on creating digital infrastructure in rural areas and with credit support to MSMEs who was impacted deeply because of the pandemic.

I feel that the best part of the Budget is that the sectors that are chosen are having a more likelihood of providing a multiplier effect of 2.95 times in terms of job generation, disposable income, earning potential, etc.

Overall, the government has been more of a facilitator and done its part to increase public spending by simultaneously managing a stable fiscal deficit. This will enable the nation to fast-tracking the vision to be a USD 5 trillion economy.

A Push for CAPEX and Productivity Improvement, with Attention to Infra and Export Promotion Mr. Srikanth Chakravarthy, Managing Director, Bekaert Industries Pvt. Ltd. I believe the 2022 Budget continues the path of priorities the government has focussed on in the last few years. A forecast of 9.2 percent GDP is very promising and makes India an interesting investment destination for us. It gives a push for CAPEX and productivity improvement, with attention to infra and export promotion. Sustainable growth themes are emphasised, with initiatives supporting SMEs, skills development, agriculture, and solar power. This is important for future growth given the global attention towards sustainability. It continues to focus on the social sector with big allocation for housing, increasing access to basic needs like health education and water. The Budget also tries to improve India’s ease of business record, with more attention on services digitisation, reduction in surcharge on corporate tax and extension of ECLGS. Kudos to the govt. for avoiding populist measures despite it being an election year. The only points that don’t seem to be very well addressed in the Budget are the actions towards the challenges of increasing unemployment figures (although PLI is expected to create 6 million jobs), the extension of customs duty for scrap steel which is a challenge for more green steel and PSU divestment. For our business, in particular, the investment in road building of 25000 kms is a positive driver for future growth. Overall, a positive Budget reflecting the confidence of the govt. and aimed at maximising the post COVID-19 recovery.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

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UNION BUDGET 2022 Steel Industry Welcomes Announcement to Extend Zero Percent Basic Customs Duty on Scrap Mr. A.M. Kulkarni, President, Mukand Ltd. The steel industry welcomes the announcement to extend zero percent basic customs duty on scrap for one year – ending March 2023. This will help the industry which is facing tough times. The industry, however, was hoping that customs duty on coking coal at 2.5 percent and metallurgical coke at 5 percent would be done away with as this would have given some relief from the sharply rising commodity prices.

The government also announced the revoking of anti-dumping duty on alloy steel bars and other steel products. Currently, steel prices are on the higher side and so this will not affect the domestic industry, however, when global steel prices start to slide, the domestic industry will be hit with imports at unfair prices that cannot be competed against without support from the anti-dumping duty.

Rise in Planned Capital Expenditure to prepare India for next growth phase Mr. Anuj Jain, CFO, Viraj Profiles Ltd. Budget FY23 is a landmark budget, which is very forward-looking and conducive for growth.

The substantial rise in planned capital expenditure for the creation of infrastructure, focus on affordable housing, welfare, and the development of MSMEs and the farm economy will prepare India for the next phase of growth. This is a significant step towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Vision to Connect Villages through Optical Fibre Cables will Bridge Urban-Rural Digital Divide Mr. R. Sridharan, Chief Executive Officer, Birla Cable Ltd. and President, Vindhya Telelinks Ltd., M.P. Birla Group First of all, the Budget 2022-23 has given a thrust and intention by the Government of India to create quality infrastructure in the country with the ultimate aim of providing sustainable employment opportunities to all strata of our society. Especially for the telecom sector, the Honourable Finance Minister has announced about covering the entire country by laying optical fibre cables for the creation of quality broadband infrastructure, thereby proposing to bridge the urban-rural digital divide and ultimately driving the digital mission in achieving important goals for the country. This should augur well for the leading optical fibre cable manufacturing companies like ours. Also, the upcoming 5G spectrum auction during the year 2022 by the government and the subsequently planned rollout of 5G services in 2023 should also bring big impetus to the telecom sector.

The announcement of various PLI schemes especially in the 5G equipment-related R&D initiatives, related services and other drives by the government should propel the infrastructure creation in the country to the next level thereby improving the economy of the country to the desired benchmarks. To make our country self-reliant, the announcement of various initiatives in sectors like defence will attract huge investments which should definitely pave the way for the creation of more employment opportunities for the educated youth. Overall, it is a good start to rebuild the economy after the conditions gone through by the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 Investment in Key Sectors to Improve the Demand for Cables Mr. Vijay Kumar Bajaj, Chief Operating Officer, Apar Industries Ltd. The Budget is quite progressive and lays down the direction for the future. It is expected to boost exports and reduce imports by strengthening the ‘Make in India’ policy. Investments in key sectors like defence production, railways, renewable energy, and electricity distribution are likely to improve the demand for cables.

India to turn into Electrical Manufacturing Hub with Standardising Domestic Manufacturing of Electronic Smart Meters and Wearable Devices Mr. Gautam Seth, Joint Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd. It is a growth oriented and forward looking Budget. The ambitious goal of 280 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030 has been set with an additional allocation of INR 19,500 crores for manufacturing solar PV modules, in the power and energy sector I believe the Budget 22 will increase the growth and will help in ramping up domestic capacity. This is a highly sustainable and green energy choice. The government’s concern towards standardising the domestic manufacturing of electronic smart meters, wearable devices and hearable devices is a boon for India to become an electrical manufacturing hub. The proposal of surety bonds as a substitute for bank guarantee is highly welcomed.

Furthermore, INR 48,000 crores are allocated for 80 lakh houses to be completed both in rural and urban areas which is a huge step towards the upliftment of the society.

Looking Forward to a Growth-Driven Economy in the Future Years Mr. Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. The Union Budget 2022 has focused on our nation’s growth with major policy announcements in the energy, connectivity, capacity building of the economy, infrastructure investment, and enhancement of the digital economy that will further contribute to the revival of the economy and ensure improved growth. As announced by the Finance Minister, this Union Budget will be the foundation and blueprint of the economy for ‘Amrit Kal’, the next 25 years - from India at 75 to 100. With a major focus on R&D for sunrise sectors, sustainable solutions, and technological advancements in this Budget, we are looking forward to a growth-driven economy in the future years as well.

As India’s economic growth is estimated to be 9.2 percent in the upcoming financial year, we can expect a push towards more investments and a renewed focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat. The focus on infrastructure is very evident with an increase in CAPEX by 35 percent. This will eventually lead to a large generation of employment.

The renewable energy sector has seen a boost with the aim for domestic manufacturing of 280 gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2030. This is also in line with India’s sustainability goals that we are fast meeting.

There is also an additional allocation of INR 19,500 crore for the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme for the manufacturing of high-efficiency modules, with a priority to fully integrate manufacturing units to solar PV modules. This will further align with the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 In this Budget encouraging localisation of electronic components to increase the independence in manufacturing was expected which in turn would have lowered the cost of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Incentivisation of large-scale energy storage to meet the energy-supply gap and to reduce grid load and fluctuations were expected. Further, a fiscal incentive for energy saving in commercial and industrial sectors especially, using various available products and technology was missing from the Budget.

Smart metering infrastructure was mentioned by the FM but a detailed policy can lead to a resolution of the major problem of power leakage, with a clear timeline to achieve 100 percent conversion from present electromechanical meters to smart meters.

The PLI Scheme is further expected to create 60 lakh new jobs and additional production of 30 lakh crore during the next five years and this will definitely help in building more confidence in the economy.

Budget 2022 is strong and has policies focusing on accelerating the economy with innovation, sustainability, and enhancement of the digital economy. With an amplified focus on energy, connectivity, and infrastructure investments, we are surely looking at larger investment and positive growth in FY 2022-23.

IT, Telecom to Usher in Revolution in 5G, Cloud computing, Data Centre, AI, IoT Mr. Tushar Kanti Roy, Advisor Strategy, PPC Technology India Pvt. Ltd. – A Belden brand The aspiring 2022 Budget of the Government of India is designed for the speedy arrival of widespread Gigabit Technology that will pave further ambitious progress towards 5 trillion-dollar economy. Speedy vaccination along with a cleanliness drive to contain infection will go a long way in achieving healthy growth. Collaboration of States and all stakeholders have become the key driving point in easing the doing of business through the length and breadth of the country including the North East that increases number of jobs and entrepreneurs.

Various provisions as laid down will facilitate overcoming universal challenges posed by rapid technological change and transformation to a digital economy. Government interest in infrastructure in all sectors and various incentive schemes like PLI, Digital transformation will attract investments as well as FDI that we have witnessed in 2021. Inflation led by logistics needs to be taken care of adequately to free flow the tailwind in the economy.

PM Gati Shakti as provisioned is likely to contribute significantly to augment the infrastructure. Primarily seven engines namely roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics will transform infrastructure development for the better and hence facilitate manufacturing spread throughout the country.

Needless to mention that real manufacturing base needs to be created and supported to generate wealth throughout the country as indicated by World Bank Group Report and this has been reflected in the Budget.

Countrywide spreading of economy will distribute population uniformly throughout the country which can enable lesser movement as well as lesser infection as a lesson learnt from COVID-19. Many countries and organisation could not move whoever has not given rightful concentration or support on innovation. The overarching strategic seven engines will be complemented by very important driver - IT and Telecom backbone to usher in a revolution in 5G, Cloud computing, Data Centre, Artificial Intelligence, and Internet of things and make Gigabit information flow throughout the country.

Thrust in technology provision will see optical fibre connectivity and data centre in various forms to generate high-speed voice, video and data and increase its residential and enterprise deployment in large numbers in the country. India’s data thus has become oil is cleaving through the world political economy to make its flow reach all corners of the country.

It is interesting to note that due allocation of funds has been made to increase MSME growth, skill development, and livelihood. In spite of many difficulties abound including COVID-19, steps as taken in its Budget submission are significant that will take the country forward towards a better economy and developed minds. We all need to work together to lift India to a developed country – A vision and mission of the Government of India.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 PLI Schemes in 14 Sectors to Generate 60 Lakh New Jobs Mr. Kishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals Pvt. Ltd. We welcome the measures announced by the Honourable Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Government of India in the Union Budget towards boosting electronic manufacturing in the country. The Union Budget 2022 has announced the easing of policies and has pledged to allocate INR 19,500 crore for PLI for manufacturing of high-efficiency modules. PLI in 14 sectors will help in generating 60 lakh new jobs and an additional production of INR 30 lakh crore in the next five years which is laudable.

Today, India’s manufacturing industry has incredible potential to place the country on the global manufacturing map, concurrently boosting several employment opportunities for India’s youth. Further to this, the Finance Minister also announced duty concession for electronic items, this will in return further boost the sector, and enable the domestic manufacturing of high growth electronic items. The Budget features a vigorous, expansionary attitude toward the manufacturing industry, as seen by the government’s incentives and enhancement of the PLI schemes. As a brand, Goldmedal Electricals has always been at the forefront of introducing ground-breaking and sustainable solutions that make our planet not only smarter but also sustainable for generations to come and support the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Although Government has put high CAPEX, Implementation and Execution of the Projects will still be the Key Mr. Sidharth Agrawal, Managing Director, Systematic Group This is a growth-oriented Budget, I am sure that stepping up the capital expenditure sharply by 35.4 percent will have an incremental effect on the overall growth of the economy. It is good that the policymakers understand that nearly half of our population is likely to be living in urban areas by 2047 when India is at 100.

The announcement for an urban capacity building like mass transit, planning help, etc. would act as a good principle for the development of the country. The Budget has demonstrated a good balance between today’s needs and the future’s demand. At a macro level, it is a very bold Budget. The expenditure of INR 39.45 lakh crore, particularly capital expenditure of INR 7.05 lakh crore, will propel the economy towards a high growth rate, which is the need of the nation. The containment of the fiscal deficit of the Budget of last year to 6.9 percent is a remarkable feat in light of the COVID pandemic and also revenue buoyancy. For power specific I would like to comment and share the data as stated below: Total electricity generation over previous year in the country during 2009-10 to 2021-22 Total Generation (Including % of Year Renewable Sources) (BU) growth 2009-10 808.498 7.56% 2010-11 850.387 5.59% 2011-12 928.113 9.14% 2012-13 969.506 4.46% 2013-14 1,020.200 5.23% 2014-15 1,110.392 8.84% 2015-16 1,173.603 5.69% 2016-17 1,241.689 5.80% 2017-18 1,308.146 5.35% 2018-19 1,376.095 5.19% 2019-20 1,389.102 0.95% 2020-21 1,381.827 -2.49% 2021-22 * 1,113.249 9.37%

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Comparison of expenditure for Power sector as per earlier budget Total Budgetary Expenditure Year Expenditure (%) 2018-2019 13.76% ` 2442213.3 Cr. 2019-2020 14.00% ` 2784200 Cr. 2020-2021 9.18% ` 3042230 Cr. 2021-2022 14.50% ` 3483236 Cr. 2022-2023 13.25% ` 3944909 Cr. To sum up, although the government has put high CAPEX allocation, we will have to wait and see if it really pulls the demand in downstream industries.

Jan-Feb, 2022

UNION BUDGET 2022 Special Emphasis on Technology Adoption and Entrepreneurship Mr. Ashwani Gupta, Director, Vividh Wires Ltd. Union Budget 2022-23 has placed a special emphasis on technology adoption and entrepreneurship with the announcement of some prudent initiatives for MSMEs and start-ups. The 15 percent tax rates for newly incorporated manufacturing units will undoubtedly lead to a boost in manufacturing activities. Additionally, the incessant push towards digital banking services as well as ensuring the flow of funds to small businesses should ensure that India continues to grow at a faster pace than most major economies.

The capital expenditure target of INR 7.5 lakh crore, coupled with a slew of incentives across a broad spectrum of industries, demonstrates the government’s strong desire for reviving economic growth. GOI’s commitment to investing in infrastructure should ensure a steady demand for the steel industry as a whole. PLI-linked incentives, including those for specialty steels, have also provided a greater impetus for economic growth with capital intentions totalling nearly INR 30 lakh crore. However, some further initiatives to reduce trade and taxation compliances to benefit a wider array of stakeholders were also expected, but the Budget has been found slightly lacking on that count.

Overall, the Budget seems to be fairly well-balanced and should augment India’s quest for double-digit GDP growth, barring any further hiccups due to COVID. While execution is equally vital, the announced measures should notably benefit both the steel and infra sectors, as well as lead to solid macroeconomic growth for the economy. 

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Jan-Feb, 2022

RR Kabel’s FIREX LS0H Wire Comes with a Promise of Quality and Safety

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ire & cable is an indispensable part of our daily lives. With its importance being obvious but not always visible, the role of wires & cables is rarely talked about. From our homes and offices to hotels and hospitals, every place needs an uninterrupted power supply. Hence, it becomes imperative to use safe wires in all the places that require electricity as faulty electrical outlets and wires can cause fire leading to deaths, injuries and property damage.

Mr. Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director & Group President, RR Global

“During such incidences, people don’t die because of the fire; they die because of the toxic black smoke emitted from regular PVC wires,” pointed out Mr. Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director & Group President, RR Global, during our visit to

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RR Kabel’s manufacturing unit in Waghodia, Gujarat as a part of familiarisation trip organised by RR Kabel on March 1 and 2.

RR Kabel is the first wire manufacturing company to introduce low smoke, zero halogen (LS0H) wires in India - an innovation that was borne out of necessity. These LS0H wires emit lesser smoke and odour when compared to other wires. “In case of a fire accident, PVC wires emit toxic smoke whereas LS0H wires do not emit toxic smoke. Switching from PVC to LS0H wires will ensure safety in the long run as well,” he added.

During the trip, all the participants were taken through the entire facility and each step was explained in great detail, emphasising why precision and quality matter while creating game-changing products.

In its NABL- accredited laboratory, a wire quality test was conducted with FIREX LS0H wire. This test is called the ‘Wire ka Fire Test’ where two similar-looking wires were lit with a match stick. While, one wire caught fire quickly and started

dripping, releasing thick smoke with a strong smell, whereas the FIREX LS0H wire by RR Kabel emitted a faint odour and wisps of smoke. The difference between them was clearly visible.

The cables manufactured by RR Kabel go through in-depth, rigorous testing throughout the manufacturing process as well as at the final stage offering REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) and RoHS (Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances) compliant products with a high degree of human and environmental safety. One such test in the laboratory showed that even after the wire catches fire, the electricity supply remains intact. This approach reflects how RR Kabel strives to provide quality to customers.

From producing winding wires to manufacturing a vast range of cables including house wires, industry and specialty cables, RR Kabel has come a long way. The company takes pride in being the

Representative image

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Jan-Feb, 2022

EVENT COVERAGE

first in India to have such a diverse and extensive range of products.

It is also the only company to get 33 international approvals at a single factory and is accredited with the highest number of product and system certifications, with a continuous pursuit of evolving technology.

The journey of RR Kabel began in 1986 when it started manufacturing winding wires in the name of Ram Ratna Wires Ltd. Soon after, in 1999, it was established as RR Kabel and set up a factory in Silvassa. It constructed its second unit in Waghodia, Gujarat in 2010.

The company built a factory each in Bangladesh and Dubai in 2011 and 2016 respectively. In 2020, it launched HT cables and acquired Arraystorm, a Bengaluru-based, premium LED lighting brand that was a part of Kores India. “Today, RR Kabel is the 4th largest wire & cable company in India growing at a CAGR of 18-20 percent in the last twenty-two years. With around 4000 employees, 800 marketing professionals, 12 manufacturing facilities, 42 marketing offices, and 2 lakh sq. mtrs of production setup in India, the company has a turnover of around USD 1.25 billion and a presence in more than 85 countries including Europe, the USA, Middle East and Southeast

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Asia as its top export markets. It imports technology and machines from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium among others,” said Mr. Kabra.

RR Kabel is very particular about quality, trust and transparency.

However, in India, 37 percent of the wire and cable industry continues to be a part of the unorganised sector. As Indian consumers preferred cheaper wires and cables, RR Kabel established a brand with international standards where quality was appreciated globally and then expanded to India.

With an aim to create awareness about the fire-safety measures and highlight the importance of taking precautions during a fire outbreak, RR Kabel keeps conducting campaigns in different cities across the country. ‘Wire ka Fire Test’ contest was one such campaign conducted by RR Kabel last year in which around 800 electricians participated.

The company believes that while business growth is a must, it is equally important to contribute towards the development of the society. RR Global’s CSR initiative Mission RRoshini focuses on education, women empowerment and health.

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Mrs. Kirti Kabra, Director, RR Global

Last year, the company announced its Kabel Star initiative, a scholarship program for the children of electricians. “We focus heavily on the development of tribal areas where people are deprived of basic facilities. Up till now, we have educated around 2.5 lakh children in some tribal areas through our OneTeacher-School initiative. We sponsor around 1,400 schools every year,” said Mrs. Kirti Kabra, Director, RR Global. For RR Kabel, profit is not the only motto; safety remains a high priority. “We believe in giving back to the community,” concluded Mr. Kabra.

Jan-Feb, 2022

ACQUISITION

Ravin Group Acquires and Restarts Cable Corporation of India Ltd.

The group flagged its first dispatches at the hands of Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai and Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on February 19.

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ndia traditionally relies on the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity, burning of petrol/diesel to aid transportation, burning of wood, coal and LPG to facilitate cooking. Due to the massive shift in the climate due to global warming, as well as our commitment towards sustainability of the environment, the global energy world is seeing a paradigm shift with a move away from fossil fuels to electricity. While we are already seeing a massive influx of electric vehicles, the day is not too far off where all our cooking is done on electricity.

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Electricity can be our best friend as well as our worse enemy. Around 90 percent of the fires caused in the country are due to electric short circuits. Thus, India requires a massive infrastructure to help generate, transmit as well as distribute electricity. The country also needs infrastructure requirements for electric vehicle charging as well as for renewable energy mainly solar energy.

Ravin Group - a group with 71 years of experience and expertise in the world of electricity has moved towards

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Jan-Feb, 2022

ACQUISITION

the acquisition of Cable Corporation of India Ltd., a company setup in 1957 in collaboration with Siemens, Germany and the Khatau family.

High Voltage (HV) and Low Voltage (LV) cables from Sinnar, Nasik plant. The event was widely attended by many other VIPs, dignitaries and media

Cable Corporation of India Ltd. has a history of many firsts. It was the first Asian company outside Japan to get a license to make EHV cables from Japan’s Mitsubishi Cable Company. It was also the first company to get ISO 9001 quality management certification in 1994. Cable Corporation of India was the first company to supply over 100 km of EHV cables as early as 2010.

With safety being a key concern in the field of electricity, Cable Corporation India Ltd. (CCIL) cables have always been a preferred choice for quality-conscious customers, not just in the country but across the world. With the acquisition of Cable Corporation of India Ltd., Ravin Group now enhances its manufacturing capacity from 250 v to right up to 400kV with plants already spread across Ankleshwar in Gujarat, Pune and the only Indian cable manufacturing company to have its manufacturing outside India i.e. in the UAE. The Group becomes amongst the top cable manufacturing entities in India and will further foray into various specialty cables, foremost among them being speciality cables for defence as well as the cables for EV charging which are currently being imported.

The Group will thus not only be a large exporter of cables from India but will also be saving valuable foreign exchange through import substitution.

The modernised plants of CCIL were visited by Shri Subhash Desai, Minister of Industries of Maharashtra and Shri Chhagan Bhujbal, Minister of Consumer Affairs of Maharashtra who appreciated the technology and the manufacturing facility and also flagged off the first dispatches of Extra High Voltage (EHV) cables,

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Jan-Feb, 2022

IN CONVERSATION

Sterlite Power Transmission: Empowering Humanity by Addressing the Toughest Challenges of Energy Delivery "Digitalisation, high-speed communication bandwidth availability, smart equipment which can self-diagnose and report, use of artificial intelligence techniques and machine learning help grid operators to be well informed on a real time basis for better decision making, increase the utilisation of the existing network capacities and optimise losses." integrated power transmission developer and solutions provider globally, focused on addressing complex challenges in the sector by tackling the key constraints of time, space and capital.

Wire & Cable India: What is your take on the government’s policy to reform the power transmission sector?

Manish Agarwal: India is accelerating to meet its bold target of 500 GW by 2030, as committed by the Honourable PM Narendra Modi at COP 26, late last year.

Reforms have been a strong focus area and the government has been nimble in addressing emerging challenges. Going forward, the robust development of the transmission sector will be crucial to meeting India’s Renewable Energy (RE) ambitions in a timely and sustainable manner.

Private Sector Participation: Private sector participation needs to be encouraged into the sector.

Transmission infrastructure must be developed only through the competitive bidding route, as it has been observed that when projects are awarded through competitive bidding, tariff discovery is lower by 30-40 percent compared to a traditional cost-plus model. This, in turn, benefits the consumer due to a reduction in transmission charges. Till date, Interstate Transmission Systems (ISTS) projects worth USD 13.3 billion have been executed in India. Deepening private sector participation will ensure faster project execution, encourage competition, and provide the industry access to the latest and most relevant cutting-edge technologies. It will also pave the way for new sources of funding. The government is also seeing value in this and has reconstituted its committees like National Committee on Transmission (NCT) and Regional Power Committees-Transmission Planning (RPCTPs) for faster decision making. Prospects

Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO – Infrastructure and Solutions Business, Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd.

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ndia witnessed significant reforms in the Power Transmission & Distribution sector in recent years.

The government’s focus on attaining ‘Power for all’ has accelerated capacity addition in the country.

Keeping in view the current scenario of India’s power sector — particularly the T&D segment and its potential growth, Wire & Cable India interviewed Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO – Infrastructure and Solutions Business, Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd. to know more about the business highlights of the company, new technologies and potential growth drivers for demand in the segment.

Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd. is known to be a leading

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Jan-Feb, 2022

IN CONVERSATION General Network Access (GNA): The draft GNA proposal, which is under consideration, has the potential to considerably improve transmission planning by Utilities to enable them better access to demand projections. GNA which is open access to the inter-state transmission system can go a long way in safeguarding transmission network availability to Discoms and Generators as per their requirements. Planning can be done in a way such that it doesn’t weigh on the growth of different regions. A sharing regulation or GNA regulation mechanism is desirable in cases where there is no contract signed between transmission licenses and defaulting entities, whose system is delayed.

Transmission charges should be recovered through the Point of Connection (PoC) pool irrespective of delay of associated generation or upstream or downstream transmission elements.

also look promising with clear visibility of a pipeline of INR 65,000 crore over the next 2-3 years.

Honourable PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Gati Shakti’ plan is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development. The approach is driven by seven engines, namely, roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure. All seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison.

These engines are supported by the complementary roles of energy transmission, IT communication, bulk water & sewerage, and social infrastructure.

System Strengthening: As we add large RE generation capacities and develop evacuation infrastructure, there is pressure on system operators to maintain grid stability and reliability. The intermittency of RE’s variable supply creates an urgent need to strengthen and promote grid interconnections at a regional level.

o With GNA, Transmission planning will be less ad-hoc and better projected. Network will be available for any new Designated Interstate Customer (DIC) in the country

Energy Storage: There is increased focus from the government on promoting additional energy storage services to the Indian grid. Large tenders for procurement of grid-scale energy storage services are in the works from SECI and NTPC, totalling 4000 MWh. MoP clarified some open issues regarding the use of energy storage across the value chain via its notification dated 29.01.2022. Going forward, the government will need to ensure that the targeted uptake of energy storage technologies does not get stuck. To achieve this, just like ISTS charges waiver was extended to energy storage systems, other applicable benefits such as taxation and accelerated depreciation benefits that are available for RE need to be extended to energy storage projects as well. The government’s recommendation to implement a uniform slab of 5 percent GST on clean energy technologies across the country is also a positive move.

o Entities can freely apply for GNA without concern for locking land, financial closure etc. o Connecting entities will not be required to submit target injection region as planning will be done to ensure adequate transmission availability for all DICs to inject or draw from any region Intercontinental Grids: Intercontinental Grids (ICGs) are crucial to a low carbon sustainable energy regime.

ICGs will encourage sharing of world energy resources, strengthen power systems, and encourage regional energy cooperation. There is a massive opportunity for India with the ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ concept, to be at the forefront with this initiative as a country that has immense potential to generate renewable power.

WCI: What are the significant business highlights of the company during the past year?

CEA Guidelines on technology and design: RFPs for construction of transmission lines should only specify technical performance matrix, instead of specifying materials and designs. Currently, the construction of transmission lines is mandated to follow design and technology prescriptions. This often does not leave room for the adoption of new and relevant technologies. This constraint increases the asset’s CAPEX due to a spike in per unit tariff. Embracing internationally recognized & established solutions & technologies will enable power transmission to become reliable and cost-efficient. A change in Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA’s) technical regulations to a more accommodative stance will go a long way in helping the industry in this regard. For example, in countries like Brazil, bidders have enough freedom to design and develop the project by adhering to the minimal technical and performance requirements as per the Grid Code and other specific requirements per the bidding documents. The bidding document provides voltage rating, switching schemes, land area dimensions for the substations, the Surge Impedance Loading (SIL) and losses for lines, the maximum reactance, reference corridor and length etc. The Bidder, however, is free to decide on the position and layout of substations, the equipment to be installed, the civil design, communication and supervision systems, cable definition, tower structure, routing, span and tower spotting, civil and foundation designs for the towers.

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MA: As an organisation, we are guided by our corepurpose, ‘Empowering humanity by addressing the toughest challenges of energy delivery’. This spirit is seen in all our project works, which are driven by innovation, execution, and engineering excellence. It keeps us going during the toughest of times to deliver value to the customer and keep lights on in homes across the country.

A few key accomplishments that we are particularly proud of this year include: • We are bringing reliable and quality power to the people of the Northeast, with the critical Northeast Region Strengthening Scheme (NER II). The states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura, have all been positively impacted with 24/7 electricity due to this project.

• We won the Nangalbibra-Bongaigaon inter-state power transmission project for system strengthening last year. This project will provide more than 1000 MW of power carrying capacity, providing long term solution towards meeting the increasing power demand in western parts of Meghalaya. These lines will also be enhancing the reliability of power supply and help decongesting transmission lines connected with Agia substation in Assam.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

IN CONVERSATION WCI: Highlight new and promising technologies in the T&D segment.

• The successful commissioning of the Khargone Transmission Project in Madhya Pradesh is helping evacuate 1,320 MW of power generated by the Khargone power plant to 765 kV Khandwa substation. This power is being distributed downstream positively impacting Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli with quality 24X7 power.

MA: Technology is enabling the transition from large scale centralised dispatchable power model, to a cleaner, decentralised and consumer centric model.

Digitalisation, high-speed communication bandwidth availability, smart equipment which can self-diagnose and report, use of artificial intelligence techniques, machine learning, all of these are helping grid operators to be well informed on a real time basis for better decision making, increase the utilisation of the existing network capacities and optimise losses.

• The Lakadia Vadodara Transmission Project Ltd (LVTPL), is part of India’s Green Energy Corridor (GEC) is nearing completion. This is a project for Transmission System strengthening to relieve over loadings in Gujarat Intra-state system due to RE injections in Bhuj substation. Upon completion of this project both Western & Eastern Gujarat will be impacted positively with reliable and quality power, along with parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Similarly, adoption and large-scale implementation of energy storage technologies are also imperative for the Indian Grid. Independent Energy Storage parks at key locations in the Grid can serve as a game changer for dealing with RE or Grid fluctuations from a wider perspective, as compared to a pure IPP or pure DISCOM perspective. Their utilisation and return of investment could come much faster when they serve multiple constituents of the Grid for multiple purposes.

• Our Master Systems Integration (MSI) business has entered new states including Gujarat, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam on various projects involving Brownfield uprate/upgrade and fiberisation on existing transmission lines.

Over the years, Sterlite Power has set new benchmarks in the industry, with the use of cutting-edge technologies to deliver some of the toughest power transmission projects sustainably, in record timelines.

Some of the technology-led innovative measures that we have used/are currently using are:

• We are at the forefront of offering efficient and effective long span river crossing solutions. After our innovative solution got deployed across the mighty Ganga, we also recently implemented yet another river crossing solution, this time for Madhya Pradesh utility. The solution involved stringing of a span length of 1075 mts across the river Narmada, on a 220 kV Dc line

• Vertical gas-in­sulated switchgear (GIS) substations been

built on 3.8 acres in Gurgaon, saving 75 percent of land size needed as in the case of conventional substation of similar capacity. The government can consider the advantage of building such substations when it comes to saving on land and RoW in congested cities

• EHV UG Business is poised for tremendous growth in India with the thrust to infrastructure sector by the Government of India. Specific push for the Metro Rail in Tier-2 cities, smart cities development & Development of Industrial Zone is fuelling this growth. With the inclusion of lead sheathed cable in our portfolio and successful completion of Product Quality (PQ) Test, we have been able to work with new transmission utilities for underground cable business including Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra etc. Our win in the 220kV segment with Maharashtra utility wherein we participated for first time post PQ Test completion will pave the way for our future business in 220kV segment.

• Aerial technologies including helicrane-based tower erection, helicop­ter and drone stringing

• Satellite imagery and machine learning-driven software to optimise transmission line routes

• Uprate and upgrade projects aim­ed at helping the state governments to transform traditional energy delivery networks with Multi Circuit Multi Voltage (MCMV) towers, micro pi­les for tower foundations, mono­po­les instead of lattice

• Sterlite Power recently won the IDC Industry

Innovation Awards (IDCIIA) 2021 in the Innovation in Data Intelligence category. The award was for our in-house developed geographic information systembased intelligent route mapping and survey with TransAnalyst and CanvasR. This technology solution im­proves survey reliability and route generation accuracy and reduces the time for route generation.

It also enables data-based decisions, thereby helping reduce project execution timelines.

• We have a strong leadership position in the HighPerformance Conductors (HPC) business segment.

Many of our offerings are also oriented towards the RE segment. In OPGW, we offer solutions upto 96 fibre, for high data transfer and communications.

For exports, we have a high focus on Europe and Americas. Internationally, we will be laying special emphasis on solutions towards RE that promote decarbonisation.

• High Performance Conductor (HPC) technology

• I am also delighted to share that our Eco Max conductor technology, an innovation aimed specifically at reducing transmission losses in the RE segment has been recognised with a Platinum Award at the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) 2022 awards.

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is an ‘environmentally friendly’ & cost-effective solution to retrofit existing brownfield infrastructure and augment capacity, using the same corridor footprint, without taking up any additional land or

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Jan-Feb, 2022

MA: Integration of upcoming generation within States & capacity addition from ISTS: India’s ambitious RE goals require Transmission Infrastructure to be built at ISTS level ahead of time in line with the short gestation period of RE projects. Power demand is estimated to increase by 41 percent (from 190 GW to 267 GW) while generation capacity is envisaged to increase by 34 percent (395 GW to 528 GW), by the year 2024-25. In this context, transmission sector has visibility of projects worth ~INR 30,000 crores to be auctioned under TBCB in FY23 and another ~INR 35,000 crores in FY24. Beyond this as well, there is ongoing planning for ~ 181 GW of RE pockets in several states by MNRE and SECI. CTU & CEA would further be planning linked transmission infra for evacuating these projects at ISTS level which further will give an opportunity of~ INR 76,000 crores at ISTS level, from FY25 onwards.

space. Hence, it is crucial, that transmission system planning & philosophy optimize additional capacity by augmenting transmission systems.

WCI: What are the key issues and challenges faced in the T&D segment?

MA: One of the biggest challenges for RE integration is that huge generation capacities are being added much faster than evacuation systems can be built.

Transmission systems should be planned ahead of generation. Developing power transmission infrastructure is a bigger challenge as compared to RE power generation, as transmission is a linear project, crisscrossing innumerable districts, habitats, and regions. RE-rich zones, with high solar insolation and wind speeds with abundant and economical land parcels, are all located away from the load centres. The challenge then is to build transmission lines that consume the least right of way, commissioned in matching time frames of RE projects, and with the availability of efficient capital resulting in the least cost of supply. Solutions are available to build lines with higher line capacities at higher voltages, using lesser RoW and for enabling faster execution of projects e.g., by use of aerial technologies in construction. Through a conductive policy & regulatory framework which is open to new technology adoption, it is possible to accelerate the adoption of these solutions and get better results. Delays in getting forest approval and clearances need to be addressed. Getting States to support ISTS projects where they do not see any advantage for transmission lines unless the state itself benefits from additional power is also an issue in obtaining clearances.

States will need to invest in upgrading their transmission infrastructure to integrate RE Installations and several GEC (Green Energy corridors) with transmission lines length of 10,750 ckm & Sub-stations of 27,500 MV ) - for which CCEA has already approved an investment of INR ~12,031 Cr across 7 States to be implemented in next 5 years (2021-22 to 2025-26).

The intra state segment is also showing promising signs of implementing transmission projects in TBCB mode. States like UP, MP and Rajasthan have already initiated/executed transmission bids under TBCB mode.

In addition, the following measures taken will have a positive impact in solving the challenges faced by the sector at a state level.

State utilities will also invest in measures to upgrade and augment intra-state transmission as well as sub-transmission networks e.g., RDS (Revamping of Distribution Sector) scheme with an outlay of 3.03 lakh crores

It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to not only plan well but also to make sure that projects get commissioned as per the plan on time. Finally, retrofitting existing transmission infrastructure and augmenting capacities is an environmentally friendly solution that can be done in a timely and cost-effective manner as these do not require additional space/RoW.

The govt. has also proposed to transfer 33 kV networks from DISCOMs to STUs in a phased manner for upgradation and modernisation.

Another key driver will be ISTS waivers on all RE projects, BESS as well as for captive consumption. This has enabled further pick up in transmission.

WCI: What do you think will be the potential growth drivers for demand in the T&D segment in the coming years?

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Jan-Feb, 2022

Vidya Wires: Aiming for 30000 MT per year by 2024

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stablished in the year 1982, Vidya Wires Pvt. Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of super enamelled copper wire. Its ranges include insulted copper conductors like enamelled copper wires, magnet wires, enamelled copper strips, paper-covered copper strips & wires, bare annealed copper wires & strips, copper tapes, etc. Vidya Wires began its journey with a capacity of 100 MT per year and is currently, in the phase of 18000 MT capacity.

In an interview with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Shailesh Rathi, Director, Vidya Wires Pvt. Ltd. takes us through the manufacturing capabilities, market presence, and product range along with its applications.

Wire & Cable India: To start with, kindly take us through the business journey of Vidya Wires Pvt. Ltd. and the notable milestones so far.

Shailesh Rathi: ‘Excellence through Experience’ – the words that created insurmountable opportunities for Rathi Family when they incepted Vidya Wires in 1982. Vidya Wires began its journey with a capacity of 100 MT per year in 1982. Currently, we are in the phase of 18000 MT annual capacity and we are looking forward to reaching 30000 MT per year by 2024. Furthermore, we are now more focused on expanding our product portfolio globally by adding diversified products for niche markets.

WCI: Please outline the product portfolio along with its key features. Has there been any recent development as regards the expansion of the product range?

SR: Vidya Wires bags an assemblage of insulted copper & aluminium winding wires products and services that satiate the surging needs of manufacturers of electric transformers for power distribution, electric motors,

Mr. Shailesh Rathi, Director, Vidya Wires Pvt. Ltd.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

SCALING UP SR: Vidya Wires holds a reputed and recognised quality management certification of ISO 9001, 14001 & 45001 making it a full-fledged entity that caters to the growing needs of OEM business in India as well as across the globe. We have been in the copper industry for over four decades, and with the help of skilled labourers and employees, we manufacture the best quality products and that is why we have a trustworthy name in the copper industry. We always procure our raw material from reputed suppliers in India and follow stringent parameters to manufacture quality products. We are well-equipped with an in-house computerised laboratory to test and measure our products in order to maintain high-quality standards.

telecommunication equipment, electrical appliances, windmill alternators, automobiles, compressors, solar, etc.

It is our company’s mission to deliver superior products to our customer’s satisfaction. To meet the surging demands and ensure timely deliverance, we have increased the manufacturing capacity of our plants. Furthermore, adding diverse products to our basket gives customers the opportunity to purchase multiple products under one roof.

We are among the top three copper wire manufacturers in India and look forward to expanding our operations globally in the near future.

WCI: As the manufacturer of a range of copper wires, what are the growth drivers of the segment? What is the current size of the Indian copper wire market and the projected growth?

SR: Factors such as increased demand for electricity and robust investments in the building infrastructure sector mainly drive the growth of the copper wire market. In addition, the development of smart grids along with the upsurge in investments in smart upgrading of the power transmission and distribution systems will boost the demand for copper wire and cable. However, volatility in the prices of raw materials is projected to hamper the growth of the market. On the contrary, rapid urbanisation along with the rise in investments across the industrial sector is anticipated to create lucrative growth opportunities for the market.

WCI: Kindly take us through – manufacturing setup, R&D, and the production capabilities. Are you planning to undertake any expansion at the facility in the near future?

SR: We house top-of-the-line machinery imported from Europe and China. We preach innovation and engage in continuous R&D of our products to meet international standards. We are among the top three copper wire manufacturers in India and look forward to expanding our operations globally in the near future.

WCI: Please outline the current market presence of Vidya Wires and your goals with respect to increasing your reach in the domestic and global markets.

India is the second-fastest-growing individual market for copper with a growth rate of 5.3 percent in the last decade (behind China with 7.8 percent). India’s copper share in cables is 8.4 percent against 50.6 percent of the global average.

SR: Having founded Vidya Wires in 1982, we have had the opportunity to serve over 400 clients among the western, northern & southern zone of the Indian Market with superior quality copper products. We extend our export influence to developed markets like North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle Eastern & South East Asia countries.

India is the second-fastest-growing individual market for copper with a growth rate of 5.3 percent in the last decade (behind China with 7.8 percent).

WCI: What are the different means and the systems in place for quality management to ensure the production process is seamless and the quality is thoroughly maintained?

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Jan-Feb, 2022

SCALING UP

Our vision is to become the best international manufacturing enterprise in the insulated copper conductor industry.

WCI: Are there any new developments at the company that you want to highlight?

SR: As India draws closer to being a USD 5 trillion economy, the government’s strategic initiatives to encourage the infrastructure sector are providing a boost to the collective growth of the Indian economy, so insulated copper conductor plays a major role in the electric sector. Moreover, we are focussing on selling our products towards new projects like e-vehicles and solar renewable energy, which are known to be the future of our industry, and that future looks promising.

WCI: Moving ahead, what is the future roadmap for the company in the coming years?

SR: Our vision is to become the best international manufacturing enterprise in the insulated copper conductor industry by providing 100 percent customer satisfaction, encouraging growth, and encouraging

the happiness of employees. We believe in the win-win business model where we make sure that our client wins together with our company and employees.

We maintain the trust of our customers and partners by providing them with an assurance of quality and meeting their customised requirements for insulated copper conductors efficiently.

The development of smart grids along with the upsurge in investments in smart upgrading of the power transmission and distribution systems will boost the demand for copper wire and cable.

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We have always believed in the words ‘Sky has no limits’ and that is why we constantly pursue innovation and seek creative ideas with help of our team to achieve new heights for Vidya Wires.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

INTERVIEW

Paramount Conductors: Putting Innovations at Forefront Wire & Cable India: It’s been more than five decades of business in the wire & cable industry; could you give us an overview of Paramount Conductors and the key milestones so far?

Rohit Tapadia: Paramount Conductors Ltd. was incorporated in 1966 under the leadership of Late Mr. G.K. Tapadia. Since our inception, ‘Make in India’ & import substitution has been our mantra. Initially, we commenced manufacturing machines for winding wires and then in the early 1970s, moved forward into the manufacture of winding wires and coils. In the early 1980s, we started manufacturing coil winding machines and repairing and rewinding high tension motors, generators, transformers, magnets, etc.

In 2000 and 2007, we offered technical know-how for setting up a fully-integrated winding wire and HT motor and transformer rewinding plant in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

We have ISO 9001:2015 certification and follow stringent quality testing norms with traceability as per BIS/IEC standards.

Mr. Rohit Tapadia, Managing Director, Paramount Conductors Ltd.

P

aramount Conductors Ltd. is a pioneer in the design & manufacture of winding wire machines, winding wire, coil winding machines, and repairing & rewinding electrical machines. With more than 50 years of engineering expertise and readiness to adapt to the latest technologies, the company has laid a strong foundation for providing products and services which are accepted the world over. In an interview with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Rohit Tapadia, Managing Director, Paramount Conductors Ltd. takes us through the manufacturing capabilities and product range along with its applications.

WCI: Please describe the manufacturing capabilities of the company along with the R&D unit, applications of the product range, and infrastructure of your manufacturing facilities.

We have been recognised as a research and development organisation by the Government of India since 1975.

WCI: How do you leverage your technical capabilities to provide solutions that enable the users/manufacturers in enhancing their efficiency?

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RT: We have a state-of-the-art plant for the manufacture of machines for winding wire, coil winding machines, and motor rewinding machinery. We have several leading winding wire manufacturers, motor rewinders, OEMs in India and in more than 30 countries as our satisfied customers. We have been recognised as a research and development organisation by the Government of India since 1975. Winding wire is the most important component of electrical machinery. They are used in motors, generators, transformers, magnets, etc. We are catering to all the segments of the industry.

RT: We are perhaps the only manufacturer in the world with an integrated facility and capability of

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Jan-Feb, 2022

INTERVIEW

are now getting averse to procuring from China.

Our integrated approach gives us competence in understanding customer requirement and customising it as per their needs. We envision ourselves as a leading machine manufacturer with sizeable exports.

manufacturing winding wire machines, winding wire, coil winding machines, and repairing and rewinding electrical machines. We have continuous feedback within our plant that helps us improve our products continuously. We have a unique capability to provide end-to-end solutions for the customers.

WCI: How do you ensure that the products meet diverse customer specifications along with domestic and international standards?

WCI: Could you please touch upon the market presence of Paramount Conductors – both domestically and internationally? Kindly outline your plans for expanding your reach to newer markets.

RT: We have ISO 9001:2015 certification and follow stringent quality testing norms with traceability as per BIS/IEC standards. Additionally, we have a fully-equipped testing facility.

RT: We have a sizeable market share in coil winding machines in India with most leading winding wire manufacturers as our customers. We are already exporting to more than 30 countries. Going forward, we expect our exports to increase as many customers

WCI: Has there been any new development at Paramount Conductors? What will be the focus areas and future plans for the company?

RT: We have developed more than 150 different types of machines in the past five decades. With the ‘Make in India’ policy, we hope and are confident of developing many more different types of machines to meet the growing demand. With the thrust by the government in defence, railways, and renewable energy, we see them as the key driving areas in near future.

With the ‘Make in India’ policy, we hope and are confident of developing many more different types of machines to meet the growing demand.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

INDUSTRY WATCH

Sustainable future and Decarbonisation: Prysmian Contribution on India Strategy and COP26 Goals

The energy generated by renewable energies is often produced far from consumers. It is a colossal challenge to transport the Gigawatts produced, whether wind or solar, to the centres of consumption. In this regard, a more powerful, smarter electricity grid is strategic for a larger, more efficient energy distribution, significantly contributing to decarbonisation.

Thus, energy transmission and distribution companies require more high-tech cables, to meet the growing demand for offshore wind power. To meet these challenges, Prysmian has developed a new generation of cables that allow for a greater power transmission capacity of up to 2 GW via a single cable, and within three years will be increased to 3 GW, over greater lengths, this combined at a higher voltage 525 kV, and soon 600 kV.

Author: Mr. Benoit Lecuyer, CEO, Prysmian India

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trong measures are needed to limit the carbon emissions responsible for the greenhouse effect and climate change. Transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energies such as wind, solar and nuclear is necessary to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees and achieve the ‘net zero goal’.

Regarding the submarine cables frequently used on offshore wind farms and country interconnections, they can now be deployed at a greater ocean depth, up to 3000 meters, with a laying time reduced by two.

The total power generation capacity for India is 380 GW, of which 54 percent is fossil and 25 percent is renewable, with 40 GW wind. The stated goal for renewable energy is to reach 175 GW by 2022, including 60 GW from onshore and 5 GW offshore, then 450 GW by 2030, including 140 GW from wind power.

R&D efforts make it possible to substitute heavy and polluting components (lead, halogen) with light and clean solutions such as aramid, a new high-tech polymer.

Also, the new HPTE (High Performance Thermoplastic Elastomer Polypropylene) polymer developed by

A growing number of wind projects are already developed in the states of Tamil Nadu for 7800 MW, Maharashtra for 4800 MW, Gujarat for 4700 MW, Rajasthan for 4500 MW, Karnataka for 3300 MW, and Andhra Pradesh for 2100 MW. International companies such as Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE, Envision are engaged in these projects, along with successful Indian companies such as Inox Wind, Powerica, ReGen Powertech, Suzlon to name only the main ones.

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INDUSTRY WATCH

Prysmian also promotes decarbonisation efforts with its suppliers by reducing logistics costs, optimising distances with precise monitoring indicators. A constant follow-up on the reduction of greenhouse gases emitted by our factories, our logistics centres, our offices, to enable a 40 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and achieve the ‘net zero goal’ by 2035.

Prysmian guarantees a reduction of CO2 by 1 tonne per km and allows the transport of more energy.

The use of these technologies also allows for a faster return on investment, of around two years, which makes it possible for this new technology to be deployed by an increasing number of companies.

Another important aspect is the use of IoT and digital solutions that allow real-time monitoring of networks, cables, anticipate maintenance activities, and reduce operating accidents. The result is longer component life, less pollution, which effectively contributes to decarbonisation efforts. Prycam by Prysmian solutions technology fit these objectives, modernise and extend the life of their networks.

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All these Prysmian initiatives committed to the Science Based Target initiatives (SBTi) — a collaboration between the CDP, the Global Compact, the World Resource Institute, WWF, and rewarded via the United Nation Global Compact, a principle-based framework for companies promoting sustainable and socially responsible policies.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

DIGITISING INDUSTRY

Driving Digitalisation for Enhanced Customer Experience

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he term digitalisation has been around for years, but it mostly remained limited to an idea and very minimally executed as executives lacked clarity on its necessity and advantages.

With the pandemic, companies around the globe witnessed a rise in the adoption of digitalisation as it became the need of the hour to stay connected internally within the organisation as well as with the customers. One of the major barriers to the adoption of digitalisation is the hierarchical structure of working that still prevails in large organisations. Traditional corporate work structures and cultures are a hindrance - agile, process-driven, and customer-oriented ways of working are more preferred and suited for digitalisation.

Since the beginning, companies have been choosing between two options- drive the digitalisation process themselves or outsource it to a team of experts. While it is admittedly more challenging, the former route has its array of long-term benefits. Taking along your internal team members on the journey is not the easiest path but is worth the challenges for your organisation as well as for improved customer satisfaction.

Standardisation and automation are two important goals of every digitalisation strategy. While standardising is generally seen as an option to cut costs, it should actually be deployed as a means to improve the brand’s offerings and provide tailored solutions to customers. Employees should look at digitalisation not as a challenge, but as a process that includes active involvement from all employees.

This will require inculcation of the ideologies of personal responsibility, autonomy, and creativity in your employees. Having a decentralised organisational structure coupled

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with digitalisation ensures a better customer experience by enabling fast and customer-oriented action.

The effects of digitalisation can be outwards, i.e. effects of the brand on their customers and inwards, i.e., IT-driven automation and optimised company processes, as well as improved creative and decisionmaking processes. Outward impacts include improved products and services for customers, and inward impacts include process optimisations and the development of new business models.

Leveraging digitalisation for enhanced customer experiences Digitalisation can happen at every stage of the company’s processstarting from manufacturing till delivering of the product/service to the customer and collecting feedback for future engagements.

Nowadays, brands are also adopting options such as chatbots and automated portals to provide 24x7 services to their customers. The pandemic especially emphasised the need to include and involve the employees in the digitalisation process to ensure better output and smoother operations.

The customer service offered by a brand includes the experience of a customer across all possible touchpoints. Integrating the processes, offerings, and services through digitalisation will ensure a smoother customer journey with the brand while keeping the brand promise and corporate identity consistent.

Improved customer engagement and increased responsiveness to customers will help stand out in a cluttered competitive market and create brand loyalty among customers. To make this a reality, all employees need to be included in the digitalisation process led

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Author: Mr. Gary Bateman, Managing Director, LAPP India Pvt. Ltd.

by a core team for promoting and supporting digitalisation, while consistently creating new impetus. Organisations must focus on efficient analysis and uniform interpretation of the heaps of data that are constantly churned out, to help the organisation become better and reveal unforeseen insights which then lead to innovative ideas.

Trust the data as an unerring source of information. During execution, it is beneficial to create crossfunctional teams that break down hierarchical structures, leading to a good mix of employees from different departments and years of service with the company. This intermix of knowledge, cultures, and backgrounds will lead to new tools, products, and services for the company as well as add to the skill sets of every employee, promoting individual growth.

Digitalisation is not an IT project, but a project which will drive better success and value for a company’s core business and employees. It is important to create a sense of teamwork among employees and look at digitalisation as a unified mission for the company as a whole to achieve through the power of individual contributions of each employee.

Jan-Feb, 2022

INTERVIEW

Growing at 100 Percent YoY for last 5 years, Navank Consultants Determined to Achieve New Heights with Wanma Compounds “Our sales forecast for 2025 is around USD 30 million in the Indian market from sales of XLPE for power cables, FR-XLPE for special cables, Semicon, LSZH for optical fibre and FTTH cables, XLPE for solar and EV cables.”

Wire & Cable India: Please take us through the business journey of your company along with the products and services being offered by your company.

Naval Singhal: Navank Consultants was established in 1998 by my father Mr. Navin K Singhal, a pioneer in the field of optical fibre & cable industries, with an intention to bridge the widening gap between the growth of cable companies and the non-availability of high-quality raw material in the country.

Since 2009, Navank started focussing on the Indian fibre-optic cable market which was expanding rapidly and sourcing raw material from China (which was also growing very rapidly in the world’s OFC supply chain solution).

One of the products which we started importing from China was ECCS tape that is required for armouring of fibre-optic cable. Over the last decade, we have investigated and expanded our product portfolio from ECCS tape to foil Mylar tape, water blocking tape & yarn, and most importantly, insulation & sheathing compounds from our partner Zhejiang Wanma Co. Ltd. based near Shanghai in China.

Mr. Naval Singhal, Director, Navank Consultants

Wanma is the number one manufacturer of compounds in China with more than 25 percent market share in the Chinese market. With four plants in China (Hangzhou, Huzhou, Sichuan, and Quigyuan region), Wanma manufacturers XLPE, Silane XLPE, Semicon, LSZH, PVC, and other elastomers for global cable companies and has partnered with Navank for Indian and European business.

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avank Consultants is a optical fibre cable and power cable raw materials consultancy company. Founded in 1998, the company aims to provide high-quality products at a competitive price to Indian fibre-optic cable and power cable companies.

Since 2009, the company has expanded its portfolio and been procuring insulation & sheathing compounds from Zhejiang Wanma Co. Ltd. In an interview with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Naval Singhal, Director, Navank Consultants takes us through the business journey of the company, product range, market presence, and growth drivers.

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WCI: What is the vision and mission of the company?

NS: Our vision is to help Indian fibre-optic cable and power cable companies to build the fastest and most reliable internet along with a longer-lasting high-quality power cable network in the world, meeting international

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INTERVIEW quality standards like ISO, UL, IEC, and other global standards.

Our mission is to provide very high-quality products at a competitive price and thus, ensure Indian companies continue to build optical fibre networks and power networks and achieve consistent growth of 10-15 percent per year. Accountability, transparency, and honesty are our core business values.

WCI: How do you help set up projects in the power and fibre industry imbibing these values?

NS: Honesty and transparency are indeed the core of our business and I believe that has helped Navank grow to a USD 10 million company in 2021. We take pride in giving our customers honest and clear end-to-end information from raw material costing up to freight pricing and hold ourselves accountable for the material quality and delivery. Our core value has been working together with our customers to develop innovative products meeting new quality standards as required by the OFC and power cable industry from time to time to penetrate the international market.

coveted and happy customers are Prysmian Group, Sterlite Technologies Ltd., HFCL Ltd., Polycab India Ltd., APAR Industries, Dynamic Cables Ltd., and Draka. They are well renowned for their high-quality products.

Navank has recently also diversified into logistics and freight forwarding to provide timely updates to the customers and bring more transparency and accountability to this business.

WCI: How do you relate the contribution of the government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative to the fibre industry? Also, share your thoughts and plans regarding this segment.

Zhejiang Wanma Facility

NS: The government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative has really helped the fibre & cable industry and thus, the country at large. For the fibre market, we anticipate that the demand will increase at a consistent pace of around 10-15 percent per year based on the Indian demand for faster broadband demanded by the customers both at home and the workplace. Also, we see that most of the Indians are using one of the digital ways to buy products/services, pay digitally using wallets or apps, need entertainment on demand, and thus need faster internet everywhere and all the time. Change-over from 4G to 5G network and industry 4.0 transformation will also increase the fibre and cable demand which is a part of the Digital India program.

Cable manufacturers are now focusing more & more on international quality standards which require high-quality sustainable raw material sources that have an internal R&D base for fast turnaround of new & innovative raw material.

WCI: Could you please give us a glimpse into the market presence of the company — both domestic and international? Also, please outline the plans for expanding your market reach.

There are multinational companies that are now hiring in tier 3 cities (impact of COVID and flexibility to work from home) which will help increase the penetration of broadband towards the rural areas as well, and thus more customers who would need fast internet.

NS: Wanma manufactures around 500,000 MT of compounds every year and sold around 2000 MT to the Indian market in 2021. The numbers speak for themselves; we are growing at 100 percent YoY in the last 5 years since 2016-17 when we entered the Indian market.

Wanma is serving Indian cable companies by providing high-quality LSZH for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) cables which ensure safety and protection as there would be little or no smoke in case of fire. Wanma also provides fire-resistant (FR) XLPE which is used for special cables that safeguards the power cables from catching fire.

Wanma had revenue of around USD 800 million from their global sales with India contributing around USD 5 million in 2021. Our sales forecast for 2025 is around USD 30 million in the Indian market from sales of XLPE for power cables, FR-XLPE for special cables, Semicon, LSZH for optical fibre, and FTTH cables, XLPE for solar and EV cables.

WCI: What kind of investment is India expecting in the optical fibre cable network infrastructure in the coming years? Where do you place yourself in this growth story?

NS: Optical fibre cable network infrastructure is bound to receive high investment in India and we continue to see a lot of our customers already making such investments to drive growth in the infrastructure space. With the

We are already working with many prominent cable manufacturers and believe that as the trust over our products is slowly developing, that will eventually lead to our robust and exponential growth. Some of our

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Jan-Feb, 2022

INTERVIEW influx of smart devices, for example, smart vehicles, smart appliances at home, etc. that are being used by customers, network infrastructure has to be kept at par to ensure low latency and deliver high value from the smart devices to the customer. There is already huge investment happening in the 5G space around the globe and industry 4.0 program and we see a similar trend in India as well.

Wanma is supporting the growth of EV smart vehicles with its compounds which are specially used for auto, EV charging, and e-beam auto cables.

We anticipate that the fibre market demand will increase at a consistent pace of around 10-15 percent per year based on the Indian demand for faster broadband demanded by the customers both at home and the workplace.

WCI: What measures and steps should the optical fibre cable makers take to secure a long-term supply of optical fibre for meeting the rising demand from the network providers?

Navank is also working together with Wanma on the onshore/offshore model where 70-80 percent of the material will come directly from the offshore plant in China and around 20-30 percent can be catered from the local onshore warehouse in India which will be managed

by Navank.

NS: In the last two years, we have seen major disruption of the supply chain due to COVID that has impacted the manufacturing of optical fibre cables for our customers. There has been an increasing focus on ‘glocal’ (global-local) supply chain solutions where optical fibre cable makers want the suppliers and partners to provide material both from overseas as well as have a base in India for emergency usage.

WCI: Any concluding thoughts that you wish to add to this interaction.

NS: We are equipped and focused on truly becoming an international player. Cable manufacturers are now focusing more and more on international quality standards which require high-quality sustainable raw materials sources that have an internal R&D base for fast turnaround of new and innovative raw materials. In partnership with Wanma, we are determined to achieve new heights by delivering a high standard of quality products and customer service.

With Navank’s diversification into freight forwarding and material warehousing as a value-added service for its key customers, we are able to provide them with peace of mind during these uncertain times when global supply chains are disrupted.

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Mr. Suman Tiwari Mr. Ajay Singh Mr. Pancham Dubey Mr. Rajbir Singh Kadian Mr. Praveen Sharma Mr. Vivek Mehta (Managing Director) (Vice President Technical) (Digital Marketer Manager) (General Manager) (Sales & Marketing Manager) (Sr. Sales & Marketing Executive) +91 9310238803 +91 8447758964 +91 9310222907 +91 8447758969 +91 9560706506 +91 9811323372

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Jan-Feb, 2022

UPSKILLING WORKFORCE

Mikrotek Center of Excellence Offers Certified Courses in Die Technology Mikrotek Center of Excellence (MCX) is a unique initiative that is first-of-its-kind in the wire and cable industry. MCX aims to impart theoretical and practical training in die maintenance activities to technicians working in wire drawing departments.

M

ost cable companies are expanding and upgrading their old machines with the latest technology. With the arrival of high-speed multi-wire drawing machines, it is a challenge to run them efficiently at rated speeds and with no or fewer wire breaks, which is the objective of every plant manager. Having the best drawing machines, good quality lubricants, and good quality copper, the focus then shifts to providing ‘good quality’ drawing dies. To support their wire drawing operations, most cable companies also have their own ‘in-house’ die shops, hence it becomes all the more important to have skilled and trained die shop technicians who can maintain die inventory efficiently as per specification.

Mikrotek has realised that there is considerable scope for upskilling ‘die shop’ technicians. Hence, it has come up with a ‘revolutionary’ idea and created MCX with an objective to impart training to die shop technicians across the globe. Under MCX, Mikrotek has set up a stateof-the-art workshop and training

center with modern teaching tools near Bangalore, India. It is headed by a full-time coordinator supported by two supervisors. Additionally, experts from the industry visit MCX to conduct special classes or present case studies.

MCX offers two certified programs – the Foundation course, and the Refresher course. The Foundation course is targeted at fresh technicians who are interested and keen to work and make a career in die maintenance workshops. As the name suggests, this course is conducted over three weeks and focusses on the fundamentals of dies, die making, and die maintenance. At the end of the course, technicians are required to take tests, following which a certificate is awarded. The Refresher course is for technicians who already have experience in die maintenance and are engaged in die maintenance activities. At the end of this course, the technicians would have refreshed their knowledge, improved their skills, and would have been trained in the latest tools and techniques. The duration of this course is for one week and the technicians are required

Mikrotek Center of Excellence

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to take tests, following which a certificate is awarded.

The course curriculum mainly includes an introduction to PCD, ND, SSCD, and Tungsten carbide drawing dies, extrusion tools, enameling dies, bunching, stranding and compacting dies, die profile and its importance, die visual and dimensional inspection, die wear pattern, die re-polishing schedule, effective usage of die working machines, die re-polishing and resizing, die inventory control, diamond selection chart, important formulae, matched elongation sets, and introduction to lean & 5s.

Both courses are offered for a nominal fee with sharing accommodation near the MCX center. Successful technicians are industry-ready and will be able to inspect and decide if the dies need to be repolished or resized and will ensure quality dies are strung up in the drawing machines. Trained die shop techniques include drawing machines operating at rated speeds, good wire surface, and least number of wire breaks, longer die life, and less metal dust.

Under MCX, Mikrotek has set up a workshop and training center.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

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Jan-Feb, 2022

TECH-TALK

Improving Quality of Cables Through Good Extrusion Practices The feed throat temperature should be adjusted and a consistent regrind form should be maintained to improve the extrusion efficiency.

In order to minimise degradation, the screws need to be cooled while processing polymers.

Mr. Vivek Mehta, Managing Director, Sai Extrumech Pvt. Ltd.

T

he extruder is the heart of the extrusion line; hence, the health of the extrusion machine depends upon how the extruder and crosshead are kept.

“Extruder output depends on its diameter, length and speed. Besides this, barrel specification, screw type, LD ratio, gearbox, drive, PLC, crosshead type, and tip & die design are other important parameters to be considered while selecting an extruder,” said Mr. Vivek Mehta, Managing Director, Sai Extrumech Pvt. Ltd. The output can be calculated either by extruding compound through by-pass/ crosshead or from line speed and insulation cross-section.

Barrel cooling occurs when the extruder screw produces more heat than necessary; therefore, it becomes important to lessen barrel cooling to save energy and avoid resin degradation. Meanwhile, the tools should be designed in such a way that there is streamlined flow without the possibility of stagnation of the material.

Time, effort, and cost are the three major elements that need to be taken into account. A quick changeover of the product saves time. Being more focused on an external activity, the process of Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) can further reduce the time taken to change the equipment while the machine is still running. Steps should be taken to reduce costs by replacing virgin polymers with recycled plastics, and the use of automation.

Manufacturers & Exporters of:

Hot Foil Marking Tape for Cable & PE Pipes MAG Plastics, K - 451 & 480, DSIIDC, Bhorgarh Industrial Area, Bawana, Phase - II, New Delhi - 110040, Delhi Mob: +91 9312965386, +91-9310760095 magplastics@gmail.com | www.magplastics.com

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Jan-Feb, 2022

PRODUCT WATCH

Ajex & Turner develops Wire Dies, Rollers and Concentric Extrusion Tips The company adopts thermal treatment procedures to make all kinds of extrusion toolings applicable to all types of machineries.

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jex & Turner Wire Technologies designs trapezoidal wire (TW) dies in PCD, VNT Nano, Carbide to draw aluminum strands to produce ACSR, ACCC, ACSS, ACFR conductor (trapezoidal wire) as per ASTM standards approved by most of the power grid corporations throughout the world.

The company’s TW dies are designed to ensure accurate quality parameters to obtain aluminum strands that are shaped to provide a smooth outer surface that can meet applicable ASTM standards. The dies are made from high-quality raw materials that enable them to be both efficient as well as long lasting. The drawing shows an example of TW shaped compacting.

The company also produces sector roller, compacting roller as per conductor designs. 3, 3.5, 4 mm Core Sector shape compaction roller for 25, 35, 50, 70, 95, 120, 150, 185, 240, 300, 400 mm2 in 60º 90º & 120º or as per customer requirements.

Example Drawing: TW shaped compacting conductor

To resolve the issue of smaller diameter conductor, Ajex & Turner’s trapezoidal-shape dies can be enlarged to provide a greater cross-sectional area of aluminum and match the diameter of the conventional round conductor.

TW and Z-shaped dies are used for compacting, bunching and stranding lines.

Ajex & Turner extrusion tips and dies are used in the manufacturing of power cables, control cables, telemetering systems, telecommunications, optical fibre and speaker cables etc. The extrusion tips & dies are made in various shapes and sizes with very high quality, rust free steel with tested ideal OD & ID concentricity.

The highly maintained concentricity allows wire insulators to meet the demands of today’s super thin wall constructions. These tools are made in alloy steel, carbide & diamond as per customer’s requirement. The company adopts thermal treatment procedures to make all types of extrusion toolings applicable to all type of machineries. 

Example Drawing: TW Shaped, Compacting NCDC Die

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Jan-Feb, 2022

PRODUCT WATCH

Cab Device Industries Launches Wire Annealing and Electroplating Machines With heavy-duty structures, the machines promise high-speed stability and reasonable running cost.

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n addition to its pioneering wire & cable industry technologies, Cab Device Industries has added annealing machine for CCR /EC Grade copper wire to its portfolio. The machine is a substitute of Europeantype multi-wire annealing machine for a group of 7/8/16/24/32/42 wires with production in DIN 630 spool on any EC/CCR copper material. Made with technical and quality control processes to ensure high-quality performance, it is capable of annealing many wires together saving time, resources and cost. With heavyduty structure, the machine promises high-speed stability and reasonable running cost. It is energyefficient, easy to operate, and can anneal all nonferrous material including CC/CCR copper.

Mr. M.L. Chhabra, CEO, Cab Device Industries

The company has also introduced fully-automated wire electroplating systems comparable to European technology at a reasonable price. The machine provides complete automation of plating thickness control through PLC. It has an ergonomically designed operator control station with HMI Screen.

Besides India, the annealing machines for copper wires, tin electroplating machines and induction preheaters are supplied to the UK, the USA, the Middle East, Bangladesh, Nepal, and various African countries. Talking about the company’s journey of pioneering wire & cable industry technologies, Mr. M.L. Chhabra, CEO, Cab Device Industries said, “We have always believed in strengthening the relationship with existing clients by offering them the best services at all times. Cab Device Industries has always fulfilled its commitments and hence ensured a very strong reputation for stability and service over the years. We simply believe that performance is the only language of quality.” 

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Jan-Feb, 2022

PRODUCT WATCH

Lubrizol Launches Unique ESTANE® ZHF TPU grade for Nonhalogenated Flame Retardant Cables ESTANE® ZHF flame retardant TPU compounds are primarily intended for wire and cable jacketing but also used in hose & tube, injection molding, and fabric coating applications.

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ubrizol Engineered Polymers has announced the launch of a new non-halogenated, flame retardant grade which combines excellent performance and a regulatorycompliant solution for wire and cable applications. New ESTANE ZHF 90AM9 NAT 01 TPU, made without the use of halogens, has improved key performance attributes compared to standard materials on the market today.

This innovative new option complies with the certification specified below, making it a full, one-stop solution versus other resins available today which offer only a partial solution when meeting customer and certification demands.

UV-stabilized ESTANE ZHF 90AM9 NAT 01 TPU is VDE 282, an innovative new option which has UL 94 V-0 and UL 105oC temperature ratings. It is a differentiated solution with very high mechanicals, excellent flame retardant properties, and good surface aesthetics. Additionally, the new offering passes Cable Flame Test (according to UL-1581, Sec. 1061) on small diameter cables with a proven use case down to 8 mm. diameter. It is now possible for one material to combine the necessary key features that wire and cable applications need, to be durable and high performing. 

New ESTANE® ZHF TPU grade

AEI Cables Presents Features of Approved Category 3 Control Fire Performance Cables Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in addition to Category 2 Control. All AEI Cables’ products are certified by independent bodies such as BASEC and LPCB.

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EI Cables has initiated an industry-wide campaign to raise awareness of the potential risks of not using approved cabling as specified under the revised version of BS8519, the Code of Practice for Category 3 fireperformance cables.

The systems powered by these cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – assist fire services in firefighting and a safe evacuation. The characteristics of Category 3 Control fire performance cables are also applicable to evacuation alarms for the disabled in care homes, emergency voice communications systems and voice alarm systems

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Image Source: AEI Cables

in buildings including tall buildings, office spaces, hospitals, shopping mall, etc.

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Jan-Feb, 2022

PRODUCT WATCH Stuart Dover, General Manager of AEI Cables, said, “If these systems fail because the cable is not able to function properly then the consequences are apparent. Lives and property are at stake here. Category 3 Control fire performance cables reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases, and flame spread in the event of a real fire.”

addition to Category 2 Control. The BS Code of Practice under BS8519 contains six categories of cables, three for power cables and three for control cables each covering survival times of 30, 60, or 120 minutes.

All AEI Cables’ products are certified by independent bodies such as BASEC and LPCB. It also has attained approvals from Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail, and LUL and works to international standards around the world. 

AEI Cables’ Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved

by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in

Japan’s Next-gen Electricity Cable Promises Zero Transmission Loss With the superconducting power transmission technology, trains will be able to operate at cheaper costs besides reducing the number of substations needed to maintain voltage.

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apan-based Railway Technical Research Institute has laid a 1.5-km superconducting transmission line. It is the world’s longest practical-use cable at a facility in Miyazaki Prefecture. According to the research institute, the production of the line was outsourced to Mitsui Mining & Smelting, and several railroad companies have expressed their interests in embracing the technology.

According to the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan loses 4 percent of its electricity as it is being delivered.

The country’s railways use about 17 billion kWh a year, and 4 percent of that is about 700 million kWh, equivalent to what 160,000 households require. 

The reason for transmission loss can be attributed to the turning of electricity into heat due to the electrical resistance of electric wires. However, when a transmission line is cooled to minus 269oC with liquid helium and put into a superconducting state, the electrical resistance becomes zero, and power loss can be all but eliminated. Owing to the development of materials that can be superconducting at minus 196oC, liquid nitrogen can be used as a coolant, which is 10 percent cheaper than liquid helium.

Superconducting power transmission also has the advantage of reducing the number of substations needed to maintain voltage. As published in a leading Japanese news daily – the Railway Technical Research Institute is already working on the development of a power transmission line longer than 1.5 km.

Image Source: Nikkei Asia

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Jan-Feb, 2022

PRODUCT WATCH

FUHR Wire Rolling Mills – Specialist in Pay-Offs and Take-Ups FUHR’s oscillating layer spoolers guarantee failure free spools of flat and rectangular wires - layer by layer

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UHR Wire Rolling Mills is known for its cold rolling mills for flat and shaped wires of ferrous and nonferrous metals for decades. Pay-offs and take ups are standard units of its highly customised mills. FUHR’s oscillating layer spoolers guarantee failure free spools of flat and rectangular wires - layer by layer.

supported on one side only would be too weak to carry the reel.

The machine types described above feature modular design and can therefore be supplied in many variations.

They are used with reels made of steel, plastic or wood, but can also be equipped with expanding mandrels for the production of coreless coils when strips are processed. All models are available with and without oscillation.

Type SMH | Cantilever Spool Mounting The machines of SMH type are characterised by the one-sided take-up of the material to be wound. This is referred to as a so-called cantilever spooler. It makes these machines less expensive than comparable designs with two sleeves (type SMH-Pi).

As spoolers and de-spoolers are standard units in FUHR’s portfolio, they are the ones to talk to about rewinding and inspection lines. 

A cantilever spooler is only possible when the bore of the reels is big enough for them to be mounted on a stable spindle. This means that coil bore and weight must be in an appropriate relation to one another.

Type SMH-Pi | 2-sided Spool Fixation The machines of the SMH-Pi type are characterized by the take-up of reels from both sides. The machines are equipped with a counter sleeve for this purpose.

Double sided reel take-up is always necessary when the bore of the coil is so small that a (cantilever) spindle

Image Source: FUHR

FiberSense Brings their Patented VIDAR Technology based over Optical Fibre Cables Infrastructure The technology is an outcome of the synergy between Vodafone and FiberSense

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iberSense, an Australia-headquartered company, has invented and patented an innovative sensorbased system over optical fibre cable infrastructure, called ‘VIDAR’ (vibration detection and ranging). The technology is an outcome of the synergy between Vodafone and FiberSense. Vodafone New Zealand has opened up the use of fibre optic cable-based vibration sensor technology to third parties as it extends the service to Wellington.

With the VIDAR technology, wide-area sensor systems can be created for recording, labelling, and visualising objects and events in real-time by capturing and analysing vibrations collected across large geographical grids using fibre-optic cables. 

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Image Source: FiberSense

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Jan-Feb, 2022

WIRE & CABLE

LAPP India inaugurates New Service Point in Pune to Provide End-To-End Customised Solutions to Customers This becomes the third and largest service point launched by LAPP in India to cater to growing customer demands.

February 21, 2022

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s part of the expansion of their end-to-end systems solutions network, LAPP India, a leader in cable and connection technology has launched their third and biggest service point in Pune to provide customised solutions to customers.

The facility was inaugurated by Gary Bateman, Managing Director, LAPP India. The event was attended by the leadership team of LAPP India including Shiv Venkatramani, Vice President Operations, and Ramesh Menon, Vice President, Human Resources along with some of their esteemed customers.

LAPP is renowned for innovation, technical expertise, and indepth understanding of customer requirements. This facility was launched in line with the organisation’s growing focus towards the changing needs of LAPP’s growing customer base for plug-and-play solutions. The service point is ISO-9001-2015 and ISO-14001-2015 certified and has highly qualified and trained employees to manufacture quality harnessing. It includes the best tools/machines for various operations involved in cable assembly and testing such as cable cutting, stripping, crimping, marking, push-pull testing, and continuity testing. The infrastructure capabilities available here include tensile tester, electrical crimping machine, pneumatic crimping fix, pneumatic stripper, inkjet printer, HST cutting machine, battery operated crimping machine, cable cutting machine, cutting and winding machine, pneumatic cutting fix, and lead-free soldering. This inauguration is a new milestone in LAPP’s journey of transitioning from

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Image source: LAPP India

a product manufacturer to an endto-end solution provider.

Speaking on the occasion, Gary Bateman, Managing Director, LAPP India said “With this highly enhanced facility, we are looking forward to engaging directly with more of our customers and work closely with them to develop innovative solutions tailored to their specific requirements. We aim to triple the number of our service points in India by 2027 to cater to increasing customer demands.”

As part of other developments, LAPP India had also recently inaugurated its third Center of Excellence (CoE) at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) in Bhopal. This event was presided over by John Kingsly, Senior IAS officer and Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation. This is the third CoE set up by LAPP India; the first two being in collaboration with PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, and RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru. Through

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these CoEs, LAPP India aims to inculcate an innovative mindset among students by providing them with easy access to state-of-the-art technology, expert knowledge, and industry expertise from the cable and connection technology space. 

Manufacturers & Exporters of:

Hot Foil Marking Tape for Cable & PE Pipes MAG Plastics, K - 451 & 480, DSIIDC, Bhorgarh Industrial Area, Bawana, Phase - II, New Delhi - 110040, Delhi Mob: +91 9312965386, +91-9310760095 magplastics@gmail.com | www.magplastics.com

Jan-Feb, 2022

WIRE & CABLE

IWMA Welcomes New Chairman Don Neville Following his appointment as the new chairman, Don Neville conveys his eagerness in discovering the ways IWMA can help to maintain its members’ expertise and inspire them to prioritise the wire and cable industry.

March 2, 2022

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on Neville, Managing Director of RichardsApex Europe Ltd, the UK subsidiary of RichardsApex Inc., USA – was named chairman of the International Wire and Machinery Association (IWMA) at its Annual General Meeting on February 9, 2022.

The pandemic, he says, has helped IWMA’s board think about what the association does and in which direction it should be heading. Helping the recruitment and education of the next generation of engineers could be one of the most important jobs of his three-year term.

to maintain its members’ expertise and pay it forward to newcomers and even encourage the brightest of them to consider wire and cable first. The industry should be prioritised first in order to find innovative ways to improve the way people are hired and trained.

“We believe it could be a few years before we get back to pre-COVID funding levels, but in fact, the devastation of the pandemic has presented opportunities for us to serve our international membership better,” he explained.

“One big focus for us has to be education,” he explained. “Most company bosses are desperate to provide continuity. Where do we go for new recruits, and how do we train them?

“Leaner work practices, new ways of working and online meetings all mean we are quicker to respond to queries, and now our meetings can be truly global and more inclusive. Participants can take part from their offices, not after flying thousands of miles and spending a huge amount of money.”

He also expresses his keenness in discovering the ways IWMA can help

He further explains, “We have fifty years of industry experience and a

Don Neville, Managing Director, RichardsApex Europe, and Chairman, IWMA

huge body of knowledge, with some of the world’s leading companies in their field among our membership. Many of them are pushing back the boundaries in green energy and sustainable manufacturing, for example, and we intend to draw the world’s attention to their achievements.”

As Don spends his first few weeks as chairman, he sees an IWMA continuing to evolve and developing new, more innovative ways to stay in touch with its members. 

STL Commits to Net-Zero Emissions by 2030, Strengthens Sustainability Focus STL has outlined a 20-year roadmap showing its commitment towards sustainability and social goals and UN SDGs. January 10, 2022

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TL has announced its commitment to become a carbon-neutral company by 2030 by accelerating its efforts towards netzero manufacturing and sustainable network build strategies.

Recently, at the COP26 Summit held in Glasgow, Scotland, the nations discussed the importance

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of urgent climate action. They have committed to reducing emissions and limiting the average annual temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

According to estimates, the Internet and supporting network components account for about 3.7 percent of global greenhouse emissions.

digital networks that are green and sustainable. Keeping this in view, the company has outlined a 20-year roadmap to deliver on its commitment towards its sustainability and social goals and achieve UN SDGs:

As a global technology company, STL aims towards creating

♦ 100 percent plants ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ certified by 2030

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♦ Net-zero emissions in manufacturing facilities by 2030

Jan-Feb, 2022

WIRE & CABLE ♦ 100 percent sustainable sourcing ♦ Water positivity by 2030 Relentlessly innovating towards eco-friendly product development, STL has conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for ten OF cable families and aims to cover 100 percent of its portfolio by 2030. Its Celesta cable reduces the overall plastic content while Aerial cables (ADSS) reduce the usage of harmful thermoplastic like Aramid yarns.

Elaborating on STL’s sustainability initiatives, Mr. Ankit Agarwal, MD, STL, said, “As STL continues to transform billions of lives through digital networks, mainstreaming climate control actions is at the core of our business practices. We have taken giant strides towards implementing our environmental impact programmes through zero waste to landfill, sustainable sourcing, water positivity, and much more.” 

STL aims towards creating digital networks that are green and sustainable

LS Cable & System Completes Construction of Indonesian Power Cable Plant At the Artha Industrial Complex site, LSAGI will produce overhead lines for T&D and LV cables.

January 28, 2022

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S Cable & System started construction of the plant at the 64,000 m² (19,360 pyeong) site in the Artha Industrial Complex near Jakarta in September 2020.

LSAGI will mainly produce overhead lines for power transmission and distribution and low-voltage (LV) cables for buildings and plants.

Indonesia was the largest electric cable market in ASEAN where electric power infrastructure is actively constructed and the construction business is booming.

The company expects that the cable market will show a rapid recovery

after the COVID-19 pandemic due to Indonesia’s relocation of the capital and the entry of Korean companies.

“In the cable industry, each country is strengthening policies to protect its own companies,” said a company official. “LS Cable & System is pursuing new businesses tailored to the local market for each overseas business site and responding with a strategy to increase independent business capabilities.”

market by utilizing the AG Group’s local business experience and sales networks in banks, hotels, construction/resorts, and others.

With the completion of the Indonesian plant, LS Cable & System will operate a total of 12 production subsidiaries in foreign countries, including in the United States, Poland, Vietnam, and China. 

LSAGI is a joint venture between LS Cable & System and Artha Graha Network (AG Group), Indonesia’s 10th largest company. LS Cable & System is planning to expand the

Manufacturers & Exporters of:

Hot Foil Marking Tape for Cable & PE Pipes MAG Plastics, K - 451 & 480, DSIIDC, Bhorgarh Industrial Area, Bawana, Phase - II, New Delhi - 110040, Delhi Mob: +91 9312965386, +91-9310760095 magplastics@gmail.com | www.magplastics.com

LS-AG Cable Indonesia Factory Opening Ceremony

www.wirecable.in

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Jan-Feb, 2022

WIRE & CABLE

Electrical Components International Acquires BHC Cable Assemblies With a wide range of power and signal electrical distribution systems, BHC supports applications like spectral & infrared imaging, photovoltaics, satellite communications, and security systems.

January 20, 2022

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lectrical Components International, Inc., a leading global supplier of electrical distribution systems, control box assemblies, and other critical engineered components for diversified markets, has acquired BHC Cable Assemblies, Inc. BHC is a manufacturer of wire harnesses, cable assemblies, and electromechanical assemblies for the medical, aerospace, renewable energy, and entertainment markets.

The company provides a full range of power and signal electrical distribution systems, including customized solutions to meet diverse and complex specifications. Its power and signal systems support critical applications like spectral and infrared

imaging, photovoltaics for solar power, satellite communications, and security systems.

Speaking on the acquisition, Mike Balsei, Chief Executive Officer of ECI, said, “The addition of BHC to our platform is aligned with our strategy to expand in high-value, high-growth markets. BHC is a market-leading company with a strong track record of providing tailored solutions to help customers solve their most complex challenges.”

After the acquisition, BHC will continue to be led by its current management team and operate from its two facilities located in Burlington, Ontario.

Bill Huisman, Founder, and President of BHC commented, “We are incredibly

BHC will continue to be led by its current management with its operations based in Burlington, Ontario proud of the business we have built over the past two decades and this is an exciting opportunity for BHC to reach even greater heights. ECI is a world-class leader and together, we will be able to deepen our customer relationships and strategically expand in our core markets.” 

Prysmian Group to take up New R&D Projects in Telecom and Power Sector with Support from EIB The financing represents about half of the investments Prysmian Group has planned in Europe through 2024.

February 18, 2022

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rysmian Group has announced the finalisation of the financing of EUR 135 million (~USD 153.68 million) from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funding is primarily aimed at supporting the Group’s 2021-2024 R&D plans in the European market.

The chief areas that will be benefited from the EIB financing are: ♦ Industrial research: Research on innovative materials including nanotechnologies, systems for the

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monitoring of land and submarine power grids and of LV power systems, new cables, and materials that are sustainable and hybrid energy and telecom cables. ♦ Innovation and experimentation: The use of alternative materials for cable design and product project optimisation, and use of innovative technologies. ♦ New products development: Submarine power transmission cable systems for installation at high depths; P-Laser Extra High

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The EIB financing will support R&D projects in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Italy

Voltage land and submarine power transmission cable systems; cables for the offshore renewable

Jan-Feb, 2022

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WIRE & CABLE energy sector; cables for e-mobility; high-performance optical fibres, cables for FTTH and FTTA, and connectivity; development of smart cable systems and sensing solutions for fault location, monitoring, and management of power grids. ♦ Digital transformation and sustainability: Development of machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions for enhanced quality in the cable manufacturing process, and implementation of digital solutions through IoT Industry 4.0 technologies.

The financing represents about half of the investments planned in Europe till 2024. Globally, the cable

systems leader allocates about EUR 100 million (~USD 113.81 million) per year for research and development.

Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President of the EIB, comments, “The agreement signed with Prysmian aims at developing technological innovations via cable-based on sustainability criteria in order to reduce the consumption of raw materials, the generation of waste, and CO2 emissions.”

The EIB financing will support R&D projects in five European countries including France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Italy. A significant part of the funding is earmarked for

Italy where the Prysmian Group’s headquarters, R&D offices, and several plants manufacturing optical fibres and submarine power transmission cables are located. The energy and telecom cable leader has 26 R&D centres in Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

Speaking on the role of the financing in supporting the R&D activities, Srini Siripurapu, Chief R&D Officer and Chief Innovation Officer Prysmian Group, says, “Our Group’s growth strategy revolves around our commitment to R&D, an area where we intend to increase our investments further, also thanks to the funding from the EIB.” 

Van Merksteijn to Build New Steel Wire Rod Mill in the Netherlands by 2024 After obtaining the required environmental approval, the wire producer has resumed its plans to build the wire rod plant in Eemshaven, the Netherlands.

The estimated investment is EUR 300 million.

January 24, 2022

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etherlands-based wire products supplier Van Merksteijn International (VMI) has announced its plans to build a new Greenfield steel wire rod plant in the country by 2024.

Previously, VMI had attempted to start the construction of a new integrated wire rod mill in 2019, but the manufacturer had to put those plans on hold due to economic uncertainty as well as problems in obtaining the

necessary permits with regard to nitrogen emissions.

Now, after obtaining the required environmental approval from authorities, the Netherlands-based wire producer has resumed its plans to build the wire rod plant in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The estimated investment for the plant is EUR 300 million.

The construction of the 580,000-tonne wire rod plant will commence in the

The production at the 580,000-tonne wire rod plant is scheduled to begin in 2024

fourth quarter of the year, and the production is scheduled to begin in 2024. With this plant, VMI is planning to serve the domestic market as a top priority, and then decide whether to increase production, with production doubled at most. 

Rediffusion Wins APAR Industries’ Advertising Account APAR Industries caters to various specialty sectors as well as general-purpose LV, MV XLPE cables, and fixed and flexible wires and cables.

February 4, 2022

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ediffusion has won the advertising account of APAR Industries’ cable and wires business,

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sold under the APAR Anushakti brand. APAR Industries has grown into becoming a diversified billiondollar company in a period of more than 60 years. The company

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has expanded to more than 125 countries as a manufacturer and supplier of conductors, a wide variety of cables, specialty oils, polymers, and lubricants.

Jan-Feb, 2022

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WIRE & CABLE The cable division of the company has been steadily growing at over 25 percent CAGR for the last ten years. It is the only Indian cable company with three e-beam production units. APAR caters to various specialty sectors such as – railway locomotives, coaches, naval ships and submarines, solar and windmills, hybrid cables and harnesses, telecommunication as well as general-purpose LV, MV XLPE cables, and fixed and flexible wires and cables.

“We are delighted to be working with the highly committed, and talented, team at Rediffusion”, says Kushal Desai, Chairman & MD of APAR Industries Ltd. Kalyani Srivastava, EVP & Head Rediffusion Mumbai layers this by saying, “APAR is focused on creating a big difference in the wires business. At Rediffusion, we will help take the brand to an All-India market, and help it carve out its rightful market share through

APAR Industries

communication that is intelligent and impactful.” 

LAPP India Partners with CAHORS to Offer Comprehensive Range of Photovoltaic solutions With this partnership, LAPP India will provide its ÖLFLEX® SOLAR range of cables and cater as a one-stop solution provider for all PV requirements.

February 16, 2022

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APP India has partnered with CAHORS, a French multinational company specialised in energy distribution to offer a comprehensive range of photovoltaic solutions in India. With this strategic alliance, LAPP India will complement their world-class ÖLFLEX® SOLAR range of cables, with an exhaustive product range from CAHORS that includes plug-in connectors, branch connectors, panel connectors, module junction boxes, enclosures, combiner boxes, and crimping/ cutting tools.

The country is witnessing an everincreasing thrust on the adoption and propagation of renewable energy with 450 GW being targeted by 2030. With over 60 percent of this coming from solar PV and aided by the numerous PLI schemes being announced by the government, India will witness steady demand for PV solutions. In a market that is highly fragmented, this partnership aims to provide PV components and customised solutions of the highest quality from one source to customers, while bringing together LAPP’s innovative

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Image source: LAPP India

technical expertise with CAHORS’ world-class indigenous manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge European quality standards. The comprehensive range of products will be available pan India due to LAPP’s well-established network of channel partners and will prove to be a costefficient and time-saving option for customers.

Commenting on the partnership, Gary Bateman, Managing Director, LAPP India said, “Through this partnership with CAHORS, we are excited to offer our customers a complete range of PV solutions that offers the highest value in terms of range, quality & reliability. This is one of our

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biggest initiatives towards building an extensive product portfolio for customers that is completely Made in India.”

Jose Plakkeel, Managing Director, CAHORS India said, “We will gain access to the strong distribution network LAPP India holds in the region. With this partnership, we will further strive to offer quality products in India and align to the vision of Make in India.”

This partnership reiterates LAPP’s commitment to their customers by providing industry-specific solutions with LAPP’s assurance of quality and reliability. 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

BharatNet Project to be concluded by 2025 As per the data shared by the Economic Survey on BharatNet, 5.46 lakh km of optical fibre cable has been laid so far and a total of 1.73 lakh gram panchayats are connected and 1.59 lakh gram panchayats are service-ready on OFC. February 18, 2022

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n the Budget 2022-23 speech, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman announced that BharatNet broadband will be ready by 2025. She also informed that BharatNet contracts for the laying of optical fibre cable (OFC) in villages and remote areas will be awarded via a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Sitharaman said, “Measures will be taken to promote better and more efficient use of the optical fibre and export promotion.”

According to the recent Economic Survey, 5.46 lakh km of optical fibre cable has been laid so far. It also added that a total of 1.73 lakh gram panchayats (GPs) have been linked with optical fibre cable and 1.59 lakh gram panchayats are service-ready on OFC, as of September 27, 2021.

Within the BharatNet project, the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with seven Indian states including Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman

These states will roll out the cable project themselves with partial financial assistance from the central government. 

HFCL becomes O-RAN Alliance Member to boost up Open Innovation in 5G HFCL will continue to invest in developing a complete portfolio of solutions for 5G Radio Access Network and 5G transport equipment.

March 7, 2022

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FCL Ltd. has announced that it has joined the O-RAN Alliance, which is a global community of mobile network operators, vendors, research, and academic institutions in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry.

The key mission of the O-RAN Alliance is to reshape and transform the RAN industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualised, and fully interoperable mobile networks.

As a member of this association, the focus will be on contributing to standards that ensure a truly open and multi-vendor RAN network, HFCL said in a statement.

The company further added that the purpose with which it has onboarded

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O-RAN Alliance is to accelerate open innovation in 5G. It will invest in developing a complete portfolio of solutions for 5G Radio Access Network and 5G transport equipment.

Speaking on their recent membership in O-RAN Alliance, Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director of HFCL Ltd., remarked, “We are excited to be a part of the O-RAN Alliance and look forward to work with alliance members to realise the benefits of O-RAN.” Also, open networking based on a well-defined architecture and pre-validated solution will enable the operators to have increased supplier diversity, accelerate

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HFCL says that the purpose of becoming an O-RAN Alliance member is to accelerate open innovation in 5G

innovation, reduce CAPEX and OPEX while also ensuring quick rollout of 5G networks, Nahata further added. 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

STL Expects 20 Percent Growth in FY23 Driven by 5G Rollouts and Digital Network Scale-ups STL, which has been witnessing a positive outlook in markets including the US, Europe, and India, is looking to develop large-scale global networks and the 5G infrastructure.

March 11, 2022

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terlite Technologies Ltd. (STL) has announced that it expects a growth of around 20 percent in its business across key markets including the US, Europe, and India in FY23. The growth will be driven by the global scale-up of networks and 5G rollouts, says Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, STL. Agarwal further informs that their factories are operating at 100 percent capacity and in accordance with the necessary COVIDappropriate precautions.

STL continues to look for small acquisitions in a bid to acquire niche capabilities and technology, in view of the “the market” being continually “growing and expanding”, as pointed out by Agarwal to PTI. Further, the digital network integrator company has been witnessing a positive

outlook as markets like the US, Europe, and India, are engaged in creating large-scale futuristic networks, and building the 5G infrastructure.

Speaking about the growth he foresees, Agarwal affirms that they continue to believe that they see a positive market momentum towards the end of this quarter as well as going into the next year. STL says that they will sign strong orders with customers.

STL will assist Netomnia for its ambitious Ultrafast Full-Fibre Broadband mission

onboard and grow it multifold,” he said.

At present, the company has an order book of about INR 11,000 crore. It hopes to build on that “both in India but especially in Europe and the US.”

The past buyouts by STL are based on the approach of going for acquisitions based on niche technologies and capabilities, and the company will continue to undertake such acquisitions.

“We like to look at small companies focused on certain niche technologies or capabilities, could be anywhere in the world and the whole thought is to acquire such companies, bring those capabilities

The product range of STL includes optical fibre and cables, network design and deployment as well as network software. Moreover, the company is also an integrated solutions provider for global data networks. 

Bharti Airtel now a part of SEA-ME-WE-6 Undersea Cable consortium The optical fibre cable system or the SEA-ME-WE-6 will provide one of the lowest latencies at a transfer rate of 100 TB – or 40,000 high-def videos – per second. Within the cable system, Airtel will add a considerable amount of 100 TBPS capacity.

March 10, 2022

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harti Airtel Ltd. has become a part of the SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium with the aim to enhance its high-speed global network capacity. Airtel has informed that it is participating

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as a “major investor” in the cable consortium and is anchoring 20 percent of the investment. The planned cable system is projected to be operational in 2025.

The upcoming optical fibre cable system called the South East Asia-

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Middle East-Western Europe 6, i.e.

SEA-ME-WE-6 will provide one of the lowest latencies between these regions at a transfer rate of 100 TB – or 40,000 high-def videos – per second. The consortium of SEAME-WE-6 consists of members like – Bangladesh Submarine

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

Cable Company, Dhiraagu, Djibouti Telecom, Mobily, Orange, Singtel, Sri Lanka Telecom, Telecom Egypt, Telekom Malaysia, and Telin.

The proposed undersea cable system spanning a length of 19,200 route km is going to link Singapore and France. It will be one of the largest undersea cable systems across the world.

Airtel informed in a statement that with the SEA-ME-WE-6 consortium, it will add a sizeable amount of 100 TBPS capacity to the network.

The telecom service company has acquired one Fiber Pair on the main SEA-ME-WE-6 system and will be involved in co-building four Fiber Pairs between Singapore - Chennai - Mumbai. Within the cable consortium, Airtel will land the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system

Bharti Airtel Ltd. has become a part of the SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium

in India at new landing stations in Mumbai and Chennai.

The SEA-ME-WE-6 system will be integrated with Nxtra, which

is the data centre unit of Airtel, through the data centres based in Mumbai and Chennai which will boost India’s position as an emerging data centre hub. 

BBNL-BSNL Merger and BharatNet Work to be Concluded in this Fiscal The scope of the BharatNet project was further extended in July last year when it was decided that the government would provide INR 19,041 crore as viability gap funding. 1.71 lakh gram panchayats are interconnected out of the country’s 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.

January 17, 2022

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ith the aim to consolidate all its telecom operations in one division, the government is planning to merge the operations and assets of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

According to a recent news report – the centre is considering winding up the BBNL, which was established around a decade ago as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to connect gram panchayats with high-speed optic fibre, and allocating its job to state-owned telecom provider BSNL.

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The BharatNet project is being implemented by BBNL, with the Universal Service Obligation Fund having been disbursed close to INR 24,000 crore. So far, 1.71 lakh gram panchayats are interconnected out of the country’s 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.

According to various sources, the idea to wind up BBNL and assign its functions to BSNL was proposed a few months ago, and about four to five meetings have taken place to finalise the modalities.

The scope of the BharatNet project was further extended in July last year when it was decided that

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The government is planning to merge the operations and assets of BBNL and BSNL

the government would provide INR 19,041 crore as viability gap funding. With this, the total outlay for the BharatNet project had increased to INR 61,109 crore, which includes the INR 42,068 crore approved in 2017. 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

HFCL signs Distribution Deal with Ingram Micro The product range of HFCL featuring the new-generation Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 access points, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint unlicensed band radios, L2 and L3 switches, and specialised antennas have been designed, developed, and manufactured in India.

February 16, 2022

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FCL has signed a distribution agreement with Ingram Micro India for the distribution of the ‘IO’ line of products. Ingram Micro has a far-reaching distribution network with a presence in India and SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).

HFCL has recently been recognised as a ‘Trusted Source’ by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

Being one of the largest telecom equipment suppliers to the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)/Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the public sector (government sector), the domestic telecom equipment maker is geared up to consolidate and increase its presence and market share.

Ingram Micro has an established network of more than 20,000 partners, 30+ offices, and 2,000

associates across the country, which will distribute the IO line of products.

Started in October 2019, ‘IO’ is HFCL’s sub-brand providing a range of network access solutions.

Speaking on their association with Ingram Micro, Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, HFCL Limited, said, “We are delighted to embark on the journey of our distribution network expansion with Ingram Micro India Private Limited, which has a stronghold in channel distribution in India and SAARC countries.”

The entire product portfolio of HFCL that includes the new-generation Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 access points, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint unlicensed band radios, L2 and L3 switches, and specialised antennas have been designed, developed, and manufactured in India keeping in view the global specifications, i.e., Makein-India for the world.

Representative Image: Telecom Tower

Presenting his views on the strategic collaboration, Mr. Navneet Singh Bindra, VP, and Country Chief Executive, Ingram Micro India Private Limited, said, “With this strategic and technological integration, we are committed to amplifying HFCL’s position in the market to collaborate with them for achieving optimal outcomes and moving towards a brighter future for both the enterprises.” 

KT to be a part of Submarine Cable Project Connecting Asia KT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with real estate consulting firm Savills Korea. The six countries that will be linked are, namely, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

February 9, 2022

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outh Korea-based telecommunication company KT Enterprise, a brand of KT Corporation, is planning to take part in the upcoming 9,000 km subsea cable project connecting six countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia, as an owner and operator.

With the new subsea cable project, the South Korean company is seeking

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to meet the growing corporate demand for greater connectivity to achieve digital transformation.

KT Enterprise has signed an MoU with real estate consulting firm Savills Korea to launch and operate the submarine cable system.

The six countries that will be linked through this cabling project include – South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

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Shin Soo-jung (left), head of KT Enterprise, and Lee Soo-jeong, CEO, Savills Korea.

Image: Korea Herald

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS KT Enterprise will carry out a strategic investment in the cable as a member of a consortium dedicated to the project, while it will provide consulting for the cable architecture, construction and operation. Savills Korea will play the role of attracting more investors to the project and managing legal procedures such as contracting and licensing.

Shin Soo-jung, Head of KT Enterprise, said, “We expect the subsea cable market to grow further as we see more demand for cloud services and over-the-top media services across Asia.”

The company has not yet decided upon the amount it will invest and which city or cities will be connected through this project.

To date, three coastal cities in Korea – Busan, Geoje in South Gyeongsang Province, and Taean, South Chungcheong Province – have been connected through subsea fiber cables. KT Enterprise owns a stake in two such cable systems – the Asia Pacific Gateway and New Cross Pacific Cable System. 

STL Poised for Growth, Declares Wins in New Markets and Accelerates Investments in 5G “We are confident that, in the near future, we will deliver the most advanced solutions in the areas of 5G, FTTx and rural connectivity and transform billions of lives through digital networks,” says Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, STL. January 24, 2022

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ith its focused global expansion strategy, STL reached a robust order book of INR 117 billion and recorded revenues of INR 13.6 billion.

Over the past few quarters, STL took some bold bets to drive aggressive growth in this decade of network creation. The company affirmed that many of its strategic investments have converted into large-scale revenues and new technologies have become market-ready.

STL also charted its course for becoming a Net-Zero company by 2030 and launched an integrated 5G offering to cater to the global demand.

Strategic investments turn revenue-generating: Optical Interconnect delivers big revenue – STL made great headway in this new product line of Optical Interconnect, winning multi-year contracts across Europe, cumulatively valued at over ~INR 7 billion. The company also expanded its footprint in the US with 5G-ready optical products, winning new orders to the tune of ~INR 3 billion.

System Integration scales in the UK – The company also took some

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strides in its Integration business as it ramped up its UK talent base to more than 150 employees and 20 strategic partners. This greatly enhances STL’s fibre deployment capabilities in the UK. New markets deliver greater traction – With its global expansion strategy, STL grew its business in its focus markets with ~41 percent coming in from Europe and the Middle East and ~12 percent from the Americas.

New technology ventures ready to scale: 5G portfolio becomes market-ready – 5G Wireless solutions, which opened up a target addressable market of USD 5 billion for the company, made significant progress in this quarter, to reach closer to revenue generation.

This quarter saw the company announcing General Availability for its Indoor small cells (Garuda) and programmable FTTx offering. STL also won a pilot order for its indoor small cells with ASOCS and ramped up its radio engineering talent to more than 300 people.

While delivering on these strategic pillars, STL continued to build

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Image source: STL

intellectual property across businesses. The company filed 41 new patents this quarter, taking its global patent count to 678.

Excited about this decade of network creation, Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, STL, remarked, “With some fundamental strategic shifts, STL is rapidly progressing towards its ambition of building future-ready digital networks globally. We have brought together a highly ambitious and credible leadership and deep technology expertise across optical and wireless networks. We are confident that, in the near future, we will deliver the most advanced solutions in the areas of 5G, FTTx, and rural connectivity and transform billions of lives through digital networks.” 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

Six Lakh Villages to be Fiberised by 2025: Devusinh Chauhan The fiberisation of the remote and rural areas with optical fibre cable will be implemented under the PPP model to achieve affordable broadband connectivity.

February 9, 2022

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inister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan has expressed that the Government of India is aiming to fiberise 6 lakh villages by 2025. The planned fiberisation is intended to bridge the digital divide that exists between the urban and rural areas in the country. To date, 2.6 lakh villages in the country have already been linked with optical fibre cable.

mobile network. It is expected that by the third quarter of this year, we will have indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured a 5G mobile network. My ministry has also launched the ProductivityLinked Incentive Scheme (PLI) with an overlay of INR 12,195 crore for encouraging and developing technical and networking products”, he further added.

“The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to execute the target [of fibersation] by 2025. This will also bridge the digital divide, as well as fulfill the motto of ‘minimum governance and maximum government’,” Chauhan said while speaking at the 15th ICAI Awards.

In Union Budget 2022-23 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will auction the 5G spectrum in 2022 enabling the rollout of 5G by private telecom operators. The fiberising of all remote and rural areas with optical fibre will be implemented under the PPP model.

“Soon BSNL will deploy a completely indigenously manufactured 4G

Chauhan also said that the lockdown impositions due to the COVID-19

Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan

pandemic have acted as the accelerator for the boost in telecom services. Moreover, the importance of the telephone network has risen and data consumption has increased by 35 percent. 

Norway-UK Subsea Cable System – NO-UK Achieves 800Gb/s Line Rate The NO-UK cable system featuring eight fibre pairs was developed by Altibox Carrier, supplied by Xtera, and is managed by specialist consultants SubSea Networks.

February 9, 2022

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O-UK, the submarine cable system between Norway and the United Kingdom, has achieved a record-breaking line rate of 800 Gb/s.

This unprecedented data transmission speed will allow greater capacity, faster speeds, and a greener offering along with lower energy consumption.

The open submarine cable system features eight fibre pairs, runs for 700 km between Stavanger (Norway) and

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Newcastle (UK). It is also the shortest low-latency direct submarine route between the two nations. The system was developed by Altibox Carrier, supplied by Xtera, and is managed by specialist consultants SubSea Networks.

Altibox selected Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme, leveraging Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme technology and 6500 Packet-Optical Platforms, supporting up to 35Tb/s per fibre pair. The design and cable validation

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Subsea Optic Fibre Cable System

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS exercise was conducted according to the new International Telecoms Union (ITU) submarine cable standard for open cables, known as ITU-T G.977.1.

Svein Arild Ims, Director, Altibox Carrier, said, “NO-UK has been developed to support the evolving requirements of businesses in Norway. We wanted it to deliver the

highest bandwidth and capacity available across a submarine network in a sustainable way, and Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme, combined with Xtera’s unique wide-bandwidth and low-noise repeater design, has achieved exactly that.”

Ian Clarke, Vice President of Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena, added, “Ciena continues to

push the limits of submarine cable networks, achieving 800Gb/s line rate – another industry first. With more capacity and lower cost-perbit, lower power consumption, and lower ongoing operational costs, the solution provides a modern and environmentally friendly network for Altibox’s NO-UK customers.” 

Meghalaya plans submarine cable for Shillong Technology Park from Bangladesh Port Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma asserted that the tech park will provide golden opportunities for IT professionals of Meghalaya from across the world to contribute back to their home State.

February 3, 2022

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eghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has recently inaugurated the project for Shillong Technology Park (STP) — which is one of the 300 ambitious projects of the State Government being inaugurated as part of Meghalaya’s Golden Jubilee year.

The newly-inaugurated Shillong Technology Park is likely to be linked with submarine cable from Chittagong port.

The state government is closely working with the central government and Bangladesh to ensure that submarine cable is made available to Technology Park from Chittagong port.

Chief Minister Sangma further said, ‘’Connectivity is an important aspect for technological transformation and the state government is coordinating activities with all stakeholders including the Government of India for the expeditious roll-out of BharatNet and improvement in the Telecom network in the State.

Emphasis is being given to the 4G towers being set-up funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of GoI.”

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Image source: Shillong Today

He further encouraged the youth to focus on IT and ITeS and take advantage of the Technology Park.

“Technology Park can be considered as critical infrastructure in a nation’s innovation system. I am sure that the Shillong Technology Park will contribute both to regional economic development and in the enhancement of the global knowledge economy. We need to devise a seamless model for the flow of information amongst all stakeholders related to their support and activities in the Technology Park, including incubation to start-up and scale-up, and collaborations with centres of knowledge creation”.

CM Sangma also informed that the newly inaugurated technology park

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will support incubation centres in collaboration with industry, academia, and government stakeholders. The park has been designed based on a plug-and-play model.

He further added, “The State Government has put impetus in setting up infrastructure in multiple sectors. It has usually been an ISP (Infrastructure, Services, People) approach: set-up the Infrastructure, on-board the required Services, and empower the People to benefit from the facilities.”

On the occasion, CM Sangma also inaugurated the “TechDigital” BPO which would accommodate around 300 local employees. 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TELECOM & OFC NEWS

BPL Families in Kerala to get Free Internet as part of 1,548-crore KFON Project The KFON project aims at providing internet connectivity to 20 lakh households in Kerala.

January 22, 2022

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elow poverty line (BPL) families in Kerala will be provided with free Internet connections under the state government’s KFON project in May. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that 100 BPL families in each of the 140 Assembly constituencies will get a free Internet connection in the initial stage.

Chief Minister Vijayan said in a tweet “The KFON project, which aims at providing internet connectivity for free to around 20 lakh BPL families & at subsidised rates for the rest is progressing quickly. Of the current 2600 km of optical ground wire installation, 2045 km has been completed.”

The KFON project aims at providing internet connectivity to 20 lakh households in Kerala. The previous

Left Democratic Front Government had announced the availability of internet connection as a basic right when the INR 1,548-crore KFON project was launched in 2019.

In addition to providing connectivity to all homes, the project also aims at linking all government offices.

Chief Minister said in another tweet “Of the 30,000 government offices, 3019 have been given connectivity.

Now, 3000-5000 offices are added to the network every month & will be completed by June 2022. By May 2022, a free internet connection will be provided to 100 BPL families in every assembly constituency.”

Out of 34,961 km of All-Dielectric SelfSupporting (ADS) fiber optic cable, 11,906 km have been completed across the 14 districts. Of 2,600 km of optical ground wire for the project, 2,045 km have been completed.

Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan

The work on 114 Points of Presence (POP) has been completed, while work on 216 more is progressing.

These are being established in the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) substations. The KSEB and the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd. are implementing the project. 

Indonesia-based Telco Indosat Ooredoo to build Submarine Cable spanning 18,000 km The submarine cable will link – Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and the US. February 15, 2022

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entral Jakarta, Indonesiaheadquartered Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Inligo Networks, an independent private subsea cable owner and operator have signed an MoU to develop a submarine cable spanning a length of 18,000 km. The submarine cable is going to connect countries including – Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and the US. The Networks Asia Connect Cable System (ACC-1) will provide a

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transmission speed capacity of 240Tbit/sec, with 40 fibres and each fibre carrying 40 frequencies. The planned cable route will be connected with five Indonesian cities including the tech manufacturing centre in Batam, Singapore, the northern Australian city of Darwin, the fledgling nation of Timor Leste, Tokyo, and eventually terminate in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, with a stopover on the island of Guam.

The Minister of Communication and IT in Indonesia Johnny G. Plate has recently expressed the aspiration for

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Image Source: Tech Wire Asia

the nation to become a regional hub for submarine cables.

The construction of the submarine cable is expected to commence this year, and it is set to be fully operational in 2024. 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

Jan De Nul wins its Biggest Cable Deal for USD 3.6 billion Middle Eastern project The joint venture of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Electricité de France (EDF), and Kyushu Electric Power Japan has been awarded the project.

The deal is valued at USD 3 billion.

January 10, 2022

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an De Nul and Samsung C&T consortium has secured a contract, which will mark as the biggest-ever cable installation contract for Jan De Nul. The project is about delivering an HVDC cable and convertors package for the USD 3.6 billion ADNOC-TAQA Lightning Project. The commissioning of the project is scheduled for 2025.

Being regarded as the first-of-its-kind HVDC submarine cable project in the Middle East and MENA region, the contract has been awarded by the joint venture of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Electricité de France (EDF), and Kyushu Electric Power Japan. The deal is valued at USD 3 billion of which USD 725 million is reserved for Jan De Nul’s scope.

HUBER MARTINSWERK

The cable clusters will be almost 1,000 km long linking the islands of Al Ghallan and Das in the Arabian Gulf to the onshore converter stations located at Al Mirfa and Shuweihat in Abu Dhabi. In this, the first cable cluster, connecting Das Island to shore, comprises three 400 kV subsea cables of 135 km each. The second cluster, connecting Al Ghallan island to shore, concerns four 320 kV submarine cables of 125 km.

Wim Dhont, manager of Offshore cables at Jan De Nul, said, “This project will entail many of Jan De Nul’s versatile expertise such as cable laying, dredging, jet-trenching, rock protection, landfall preparation, riser platform fabrication, and offshore installation. With two of the world’s largest cable installation vessels in our fleet (the Isaac Newton

Image Source: Jan De Nul

and the Connector), we are well prepared for the future works in the DC and AC subsea cable markets.”

Hitachi Energy is going to supply four converter stations, which convert AC power to DC for transmission in the subsea cable and then reconvert it to AC from DC for use in the offshore power systems. 

HUBER ENGINEERED MATERIALS

All these materials available on direct indent & ex-stock from :

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Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

KEC International Secures New Orders worth INR 1112 Crores The company has also bagged major orders for various types of cables in India and overseas.

January 17, 2022

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EC International Ltd., a global infrastructure EPC major, an RPG Group Company, has secured new orders of INR 1,112 crores across its various businesses.

The company’s transmission and distribution business has secured orders for T&D projects in CIS, the Middle East, and the Americas.

It has also bagged civil orders for infrastructure works in the water pipeline and urban infra segments in India.

Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd. commented, “We are pleased with the continuous

order inflows, especially in International T&D and Civil businesses. The order in CIS has reinforced our presence in that region and further enhanced our International T&D order book.

Our Civil business continues to strengthen its presence in the growing segments of Water Pipelines and Urban Infra. With the above orders, our current year order inflows have exceeded INR 14,000 crores, a robust growth of over two times vis-à-vis last year. These orders along with the orders announced earlier during the year, reaffirm our confidence in achieving the targeted growth going forward.” 

Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd.

Sterlite Power Completes Ownership Transfer in IIML to Electron Sterlite Power has completed the transfer of its ownership in IndiGrid Investment Managers Ltd (IIML) to Electron IM Pte Ltd, an affiliate of KKR & Co Inc. January 14, 2022

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terlite Power Transmission Ltd. has announced the successful sale of its remaining shareholding constituting 26 percent of the equity shareholding in IIML, the investment manager of India Grid Trust, to Electron IM Pte Ltd. The ownership transfer has been affected as per the amended and restated shareholders agreement entered between Sterlite Power and Electron, dated August 4, 2020. After this transfer, Electron will hold 100 percent equity shareholding in IIML, the company said in a statement.

Sterlite Power will continue its collaboration with IndiGrid and KKR to support infrastructure development in the country. 

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Representative Image: Transmission Tower

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Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

MSETCL to take up Repair Work of Transmission Lines in Pune Repair-related work costing about INR 8-9 crore will be taken up by MESTCL in the Pune region towards the repair and maintenance of insulators.

February 18, 2022

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he Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (MSETCL) will take up repair-related works of transmission lines in Pune. The state transmission utility will prepare an elaborate plan of action regarding the renovation and upgradation of the interconnected power lines from the extra HV substations located in Lonikand, Chakan, and Talegaon which are over 45-50 years old, said Anil Kolap, Director Operations, MSETCL. Kolap also added that the utility will also have to replace some insulators that are used in the power lines apart from taking up a thorough

periodic routine cleaning of the power lines.

The technical glitch due to insulator ‘decapping’ or failure in the 400 kV lines supplying power to Chakan and Lonikand sub stations resulted in a power outage in several areas of Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and rural parts of the district on Wednesday.

MSETCL officials also informed that apart from preventive maintenance, insulator, and transmission line cleaning, some measures will be taken to prevent such outages from occuring. In addition, repair-related work costing about INR 8-9 crore will be taken up in the Pune region

Repair-related work costing about INR 8-9 crore will be taken up in the Pune region

towards the repair and maintenance of insulators. The focus will be on preventive maintenance instead of the patch by patchwork, Kolap said. 

Sumitomo Electric Secures 400 kV HVDC Submarine Cable Project Worth USD 200 Million This is the first of its kind submarine HVDC network in the Middle East (route length of approx. 140 km) using Sumitomo Electric’s state-of-the art 400 kV DC Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) cable technology.

February 10, 2022

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umitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has received limited notice to proceed (LNTP) from Samsung C&T Corporation to deliver a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The initial engineering work will be commenced under this LNTP, followed by a full contract award and financial investment decision in 2022.

The project value is about USD 200

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million and the system operation is expected to be started in 2025.

This is part of Project Lightning, a new submarine HVDC network for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The EPC consortium of Samsung C&T and Jan de Nul has been awarded from a joint venture of Korea Electric Power Corporation, Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Co., Inc., Kyuden International Corporation, and Électricité de France S.A. The UAE has set a national goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by

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Image Source: Sumitomo Electric

2050 (Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative). In line with the initiative, this project aims to achieve a significant reduction of CO2 emissions by supplying sustainable power.

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION Sumitomo Electric’s innovative HVDC cable technology and significant track record in the international market were considered as the main driving forces towards the issuance of this LNTP. The Sumitomo Electric Group will contribute to the UAE’s zeroemission goal through this project,

which is an important milestone of the UAE’s decarbonisation efforts. With the growth of renewable energy, the demand for HVDC XLPE cables is expected to grow further.

“As one of the leading players in the HVDC transmission industry,

Sumitomo Electric is committed to supporting the creation of zerocarbon societies in the world with its extremely reliable and fault-free high voltage cable system technology,” stated Yasuyuki Shibata, Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Electric. 

Sterlite Power Commissions Khargone Transmission Project worth INR 1,662 crore in MP With the power transmission project, 1,320 MW of power generated by the Khargone Power Plant will be evacuated for distribution across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

January 11, 2022

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terlite Power has successfully commissioned the Khargone Transmission project worth INR 1,662 crore in Madhya Pradesh.

“Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd, a leading private sector power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider announced the successful commissioning of Khargone Transmission Ltd (KTL) project worth Rs 1,662 crore in Madhya Pradesh,” according to the statement released by the company.

The scope of the project includes the evacuation of 1,320 MW

of power generated by the Khargone Power Plant to 765 kV Khandwa substation to further distribute it downstream across the states and regions including – Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

In the words of Pratik Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite Power, “We are delighted to achieve the successful commissioning of the KTL project which aims at solving the critical challenge of energy delivery for the western and central region.”

In April 2020, the power transmission company had already commissioned 5 out of 6 elements in

The project includes the evacuation of 1,320 MW of power generated by the Khargone Power Plant to 765 kV Khandwa substation

the project which includes, a 765kV substation at Khandwa, 400kV D/C Khandwa-Khargone transmission line, 765kV DC Khandwa-Indore transmission line, 400kV LILO, and Dhule bay extension. 

Power Grid to Set Up Power Transmission Project in Kenya The project will further improve the power transmission network in Kenya.

Power Grid Corporation will provide technical and operational know-how while Africa50 will bring its project development and finance expertise.

January 28, 2022

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ower Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) has signed a joint development agreement to develop a power transmission project in Kenya on a Public-Private Partnership

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(PPP) basis. The contract has been signed with Africa50 – which is an infrastructure investment platform.

“The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400 kV Lessos – Loosuk

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and 220 kV Kisumu – Musaga transmission lines under a PPP framework. Once completed, the project will be the first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION lines on a PPP basis,” the Power Ministry said in a statement.

This project will enable the improvement of both the supply and reliability of power transmission in Western Kenya and further create a favourable environment for private sector investments in the expansion of Africa’s power transmission networks.

The Indian transmission company will provide technical and operational

know-how to the project, while Africa50 will bring its project development and finance expertise, acting as a bridge between the Kenyan government and private investors.

Chairman and Managing Director of Power Grid, K. Sreekant, said, “Power Grid hopes that the present transmission project in Kenya shall serve as a Model for undertaking more such projects in Kenya as well as other African countries.” 

The power transmission project will create a favourable environment for investments in Africa’s power transmission networks.

Power Ministry Gives Approval to Leh-Kaithal Green Energy Transmission Corridor The power transmission project will provide 76 percent utilisation of transmission capacity and will help evacuate 13 GW of RE generation.

January 29, 2022

T

he Power Ministry has given its nod to the power transmission link for evacuating renewable energy from Ladakh as part of the green energy corridor. The proposal will allow the setting up of a 5 GW transmission link from Pang (Leh) to Kaithal (Haryana). The project, which also includes 12 GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS), is expected to be completed in five years.

The estimated project cost is around INR 27,000 crore for which the Power Grid is the implementing agency. The scheme is under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) and the proposal was approved by the National Committee on Transmission (NCT).

The transmission project will enable 76 percent utilisation of transmission capacity also helping evacuate 13 GW of renewable energy generation (9 GW of solar and 4 GW of wind). Out of 12 GWh battery energy storage, about 1-2 GWh will be developed as part of the transmission element, while the remaining battery energy storage

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Power Grid will also strengthen the power system in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.

would be developed as part of the generation element.

Further, Power Grid will also strengthen the AC system in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir to provide power within Ladakh as well as to Jammu & Kashmir. The 5 GW transmission corridor (HVDC) from Pang to Kaithal will include two circuits of 2,500 MW each.

In November last year, Power and Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh

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had reviewed the implementation of the 10 GW RE project along with its evacuation plan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the setting up of a 7.5 GW solar park in Ladakh, which was later enhanced to 10 GW. For these renewable energy projects, around 20,000 acres of land at Pang is provided by the union territory of Ladakh, while additional 20,000 acres of land would be explored based on inputs provided

by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). 

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

Prysmian to provide Power Cables for Abu Dhabi Electrification Project The project involves supplying four HVDC 320 kV single-core cables with XLPE insulation that will connect the Al Mirfa onshore converter station to Al Ghallan.

January 21, 2022

S

amsung C&T has issued a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) to Prysmian Group to supply power cables for the HVDC submarine cable project in the Middle East.

The LNTP was awarded by Samsung C&T as part of its EPC consortium with Jan De Nul Group.

It is worth about EUR 220 million (USD 251 million).

The upcoming cable link, part of the HVDC transmission system for the ADNOC-TAQA Lightning Project, will enable massive energy transmission between the converter station in Al Mirfa, Abu Dhabi, and the Al Ghallan offshore island.

The project involves the design, supply, accessories assembly, and site acceptance testing of four HVDC 320 kV single-core cables with XLPE insulation that will connect the Al Mirfa onshore converter station to Al Ghallan, an artificial

The project comprises 124 km of submarine HVDC cables to be installed in water.

offshore island in the Arabian Gulf.

The project comprises 124 km of submarine HVDC cables to be installed in water depths of up to 35 m and 3.5 km of HVDC land cables.

The commissioning of the project is scheduled for 2025.

Under the LNTP, Prysmian will perform engineering works, secure manufacturing capacity, proceed

with partial production of the HVDC cables for the electrification project.

The company will produce the HVDC submarine cables in Arco Felice, Italy, while the HVDC land cables will be manufactured at the plant in Pikkala, Finland. The submarine fibre optical cables will be produced at the plant in Nordenham, Germany. 

STL Wins INR 170 Crore Deal for Building Unified Network Management System for PGCIL Through this collaboration, STL will fulfil PGCIL’s requirement for highperformance, integrated network management systems across their regional communications networks.

January 25, 2022

S

TL has announced a partnership with India’s largest power distribution company, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL).

With this multi-year deal worth INR 170 crore, STL further strengthens

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its relationship with PGCIL. As a part of its earlier engagements, STL has been supplying optical fibre cables and developed an IP-MPLS network for PGCIL. PGCIL owns and operates 90 percent of India’s interstate and

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inter-regional electric power transmission network spanning 1,72,192 circuit km & 72,126 km of telecom network. This gigantic transmission & telecom network has to be consistently maintained at an availability of 99 percent & 99.5 percent uptime, respectively.

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION As networking becomes agile, these mammoth networks will require a modern approach to management and orchestration to solve challenges in the areas of silos, interoperability and security.

Leveraging its software-defined networking solution, STL will deliver a customised Unified Network Management System (UNMS) offering advanced automation, programmable configuration and actionable insights. Through

this solution, PGCIL will get a consolidated, centralised view of regional networks and will be able to optimise O&M, reduce system outages at the national level and generate performance analytics for the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

Commenting on this collaboration, Praveen Cherian, CEO, Global Business Services, STL said: “We are delighted to form an association with PGCIL for creating a customised

Image Source: STL

UNMS for managing their massivescale utility networks. Through our solution, we will provide a consolidated infrastructure with centralised controls for their interregional networks.” 

Nexans to Build 110km Subsea Power Cable for U.S. Offshore Wind Farm The 3-phase 138 kV high voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea export cables will be integrated with two fiber-optic cables and transmit 132 MW of electricity.

January 21, 2022

N

exans has bagged an order to manufacture approximately 110km of HV subsea cables for South Fork Wind, which is a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource. The project will be the New York state’s first offshore wind farm of which the construction will commence this year.

The 3-phase 138 kV high voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea export cables will be integrated with

two fiber-optic cables and transmit 132 MW of electricity to Long Island, New York. Located 35 miles offshore from Montauk Point, New York, the 132 MW South Fork Wind Farm will address East Hampton’s energy needs, producing enough electricity to power 70,000 homes annually.

In December 2019, Nexans and Ørsted Wind Power North America LLC had signed the Export Cable Framework Agreement, for the supply of HV subsea cables up to 1,000km in the U.S. by 2027. The

South Fork Wind Farm order is the first project to be delivered under this agreement.

The HVAC cables will be manufactured at Nexans’ newly transformed subsea high voltage plant in Charleston, South Carolina, which is, according to Nexans, the only plant in the U.S. capable of manufacturing high voltage subsea cables. 

Manufacturers & Exporters of:

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Image Source: Nexans

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Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

Kalpataru Power Transmission wins Orders worth INR 1,560 crore “These orders in the T&D business reaffirm our confidence in the strong growth of this business going forward”, said Manish Mohnot, MD and CEO, Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited.

January 12, 2022

K

alpataru Power Transmission has bagged new orders worth INR 1,560 crore. The orders are from India, Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States and South America, besides the new power transmission projects in Europe secured by KPTL’s international subsidiary.

Earlier this month, Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited (KPTL) and Techno Electric and Engineering Company (TEECL) (a joint-venture partner of KPTL) had sold their respective stakes in Kohima-Mariani Transmission (KMTL) to CLP India (Apraava Energy).

“Kalpataru Power Transmission (KPTL), a leading global EPC player in the power and infrastructure contracting sector, has secured new orders/notifications of award of INR 1,560 crore,” the company said in a statement.

Kalpataru Power Transmissions’ key products and business segments

Transmission Towers

include EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), transmission lines, towers and structures, amongst others.

Manish Mohnot, MD and CEO, Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited said, “We are delighted with the new order wins especially that all these orders are in our

core power T&D business. These orders in the T&D business reaffirm our confidence in the strong growth of this business going forward. With reduced volatility and good visibility across all our businesses, we are confident to reach our targeted margin and build a strong order book.” 

MESCOM to get INR 1,100 crore for Upgrading Power Infrastructure According to the Energy Minister of Karnataka, MESCOM should prepare a blueprint for laying underground power supply cables in Kukke Subrahmanya town.

January 15, 2022

K

arnataka Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar has informed that Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (MESCOM) will

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be bestowed with a grant of INR 1,100 crore for upgrading power infrastructure under the Union Government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Of the grants, INR 290 crore will

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be spent in Dakshina Kannada, he informed.

While addressing a gathering at Kukke Subrahmanya, the Energy Minister inaugurated the power

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION infrastructure projects worth INR 15 crore set up in Sullia and Kadaba taluks.

He said that the scheme allows for replacing old power supply lines while setting up more substations and undertaking other infrastructure projects needed to have efficient distribution systems.

Kumar said that MESCOM should prepare a blueprint for laying underground power supply cables

in Kukke Subrahmanya town. The government will provide financial assistance and resources for the tasks.

Among the projects inaugurated included laying a 33 kV underground power supply cable from Guthigar to Kukke Subrahmanya at an estimated cost of INR 7.80 crore. It will enable supplying quality power to 20,000 consumers in the area and also help save 6.69 lakh units of power in a year, a MESCOM release said. 

MESCOM, a public utility, is an Indian electricity supplier to the districts of Karnataka.

PFC Consulting transfers two subsidiaries to Adani Transmission Adani Transmission had emerged as the successful bidder for two power transmission projects, namely, Karur Transmission Ltd and Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd. January 24, 2022

P

FC Consulting Ltd, the consultancy arm for the power sector of Power Finance Corporation, has transferred two wholly-owned subsidiaries to Adani Transmission Ltd for two power transmission projects. As per a BSE filing, Adani Transmission had emerged as the successful bidder for two transmission projects in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu respectively.

According to the filing, the two firms that are transferred to

Adani Transmission are – Karur Transmission Ltd and Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd. Based in Tamil Nadu, Karur Transmission Ltd is established for the development of “evacuation of power from RE (renewable energy) sources in Karur/ Tirupur Wind Energy Zone (Tamil Nadu) (1,000 MW) under Phase-I.” Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd is established for the development of a “transmission scheme for evacuation of three GW RE injection at Khavda PS under Phase-1” in Gujarat. 

Two firms transferred to Adani Transmission are – Karur Transmission Ltd and Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd.

Sterlite Power bags INR 440 Crore Funding for Nangalbibra-Bongaigaon Transmission project In the NBTL transmission project, more than 1000 MW of power will be transmitted from Assam to Meghalaya. Sterlite Power had taken over the NBTL SPV for the execution of the inter-state power transmission system project.

March 8, 2022

S

terlite Power Transmission Ltd. has secured INR 440 crore funding from Tata Cleantech Capital for the Nangalbibra-Bongaigaon

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Transmission Ltd. (NBTL) project.

The project involves developing 300 circuit km of power transmission lines and a new substation with the transformation capacity of 320 MVA across Assam and Meghalaya. Tata

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Cleantech Capital, a joint venture between Tata Capital Ltd. and International Finance Corporation, is the first private sector climate finance institution in the Green Banking Network space.

Jan-Feb, 2022

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

In December 2021, Sterlite Power had acquired the NBTL SPV for the execution of the inter-state power transmission system project. Within the NBTL project, more than 1000 MW of power will be transmitted from Assam to the western parts of Meghalaya. In addition to bringing surplus power supply, the project will also aid in decongesting the downstream networks in the region, which will enhance the quality and reliability of power in the NorthEastern region of India.

Presenting his views on the recent financing, Pratik Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite Power, asserted, “We are pleased to conclude this deal with

Tata Cleantech Capital which is a firstof-its-kind climate finance institution that is working towards climate change mitigation in India.”

Speaking about the investment, Manish Chourasia, Managing Director, Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd, remarks, “India’s power transmission sector is playing a critical role in the country’s transition to a net-zero carbon future. Our objective at Tata Cleantech Capital is to support and invest in green energy sectors and the long-term financing of this project is a step in that direction.”

The company added that Sterlite Power has carved a strong track

The project involves developing 300 circuit km of power transmission lines and a new substation with the transformation capacity of 320 MVA

record of successfully undertaking complex projects and has set new benchmarks in the power sector utilising cutting-edge technologies and innovative financing. 

JMC Projects to merge with its parent company Kalpataru Power Transmission The merger of Kalpataru Power Transmission and JMC Projects will enable them to express their interests in large-scale EPC projects.

March 8, 2022

K

alpataru Power Transmission Ltd. (KPTL) will merge its subsidiary JMC Projects with itself with the aim to benefit from a synergistic association. This will further drive efficiency, enhance financial standing, and enable the combined entity to aim and submit bidding for larger projects.

The merger will enable the combined entity to express their interest in large-scale EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects, according to the company. The new entity will have business interests in sectors like – T&D, railways, oil and gas, buildings and factories, water projects, as well as urban infrastructure.

Manish Mohnot, Managing Director, Kalapataru Power Transmission Ltd., says that

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JMC Projects has considerable expertise and experience in civil engineering projects whereas KPTL has significant expertise in electrification, pipeline, and railways.

The merged entity would also be able to have a better balance sheet, he further said.

Furthermore, the company will be able to capitalise on KPTL’s larger presence overseas to speed up JMC Projects.

Speaking on the merger, Mofatraj Munot, Chairman, Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd., expresses that by bringing the two said companies together with this merger, they are able to foster a stronger platform to boost future growth, while also improving their competitive position, and bringing significant operational efficiencies. 

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The merged entity will have business interests in T&D, railways, oil and gas, buildings and factories, water projects, and urban infrastructure

Jan-Feb, 2022

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