BHUBANESWAR: Bajaj Lighting, a division of Bajaj Electrical Limited, is pursuing a well-orchestrated strategy to cement its presence in the fledgling domestic consumer LED luminaires market. The company had launched its LED commercial range of lighting, branded Green, in 2008.
The company is looking at establishing a LED manufacturing unit in the next couple of years. “Currently, all LED products are sourced from abroad through tie-ups with manufacturers from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. We are working on partnerships to bring in the technical know-how for establishing our own manufacturing unit. Bajaj Electricals will pioneer the popularisation of eco-friendly and energy-saving LED product ranges among the population,” CGS Mani, president, Lighting Business Unit, told reporters in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
Unfortunately, LED products face the same problem as CFL did some ten years ago: that of high pricing. A 5-watt LED bulb or lamp costs around Rs 450. The price acts as a deterrent for consumers, even though the 5-watt bulb replaces 40 watts of energy and is very environmental friendly, due to its energy efficiency and nil mercury content. “As people grow aware of the benefits and adopt more eco-friendly ways, they will begin to accept LED products in a bigger way. LED luminaires have been launched in the country selectively but will be marketed vigorously and penetrate all parts,” said Mani.
Launching a range of portable LED lanterns and torches in the Orissa market, Mani added: “We are in the process of adding new models to our range of LEDGLOW lanterns and will shortly introduce a wide range of LED consumer luminaires”. With net sales of Rs 327 crore in 2010-11, the lighting division is banking its growth on the installation of the Starlite CFL manufacturing unit at Nashik. The annual capacity of Starlite for CFL production is40 million pieces, as a result of which sales in this segment alone exceeded
Rs 175 crore in 2010-11.