Over the next few years, we will see value-added switches gaining dominance.

- Manoj Verma

Executive President & COO - Automation Solutions, Polycab India

How do you assess the change in trend or increase in acceptance of modular switches by customers? What role has the Covid pandemic played in the evolution and shift towards modular switches?

Modular switches are gaining traction over the traditional ones due to its ease of installation, safe design, and operational efficiency. In fact, modular switches have evolved to be rather known as smart switches. From consumer standpoint, brands need to create adequate awareness pertaining to aspects such as performance, features as well as reliability of the product. In absence of these, it is generally found that consumers end up using smart switches from the unorganized markets or of an inferior quality with the product typically not lasting beyond three months.

Thus, while the potential of smart switches is humungous, the pertinent challenge is to impart required awareness to the end consumers including on aspects of after sales service and support.

The acceptance has started. Realty developers have started offering automation solutions with smart switches in housing projects. In the next three to five years, this market will surely prosper, and the approach towards switch panels in general has already changed for the betterment of the switch industry after the Covid pandemic. Since these smart switches work on Wi-Fi and voice control, there is no touch involved which addresses the contactless preferences of consumers. To that extent, smart control acceptance has gone up. For instance, Covid has introduced a new avenue in the form of touchless panels for elevators. There is a fear of transmitting Covid through frequently used electrical switches in public places. We at Polycab, through our recently acquired smart home automation company, Silvan Innovation Labs in Bangalore, have designed a touchless elevator panel. Covid has changed how we look at using elevators and having a touchless panel in elevators is the future we foresee. These are few disruptive technologies that have emerged in the wake of Covid.

Such modular switches come at a higher price due to its advanced technologies and features. Your take on the same and how is the industry and company planning to make it more affordable for customers?

The point is very simple. Today, when the sales volumes are low and the cost of production is high, products are expensive. It is a typical lifecycle of any new technology.  As the volumes increase and economies of scale come into play, the price gets disrupted. For instance, LED bulbs were available at Rs 1000 each at one point of time and today, the same bulb is now available at as low as Rs 70 and all of this is driven by economies of scale.

Tell us about your offerings in the space and the technology deployed. Also, can you share your plans going forward on introducing new products/ features especially during the festive season?

At Polycab, we aim to develop smart home experiences that enable new-age innovations, and we also look forward to delivering value proposition which is in tandem with evolving consumer needs. We have a full-blown portfolio of automation solutions. We offer a range of safe smart touch switches, smart controllers, smart fans, smart lighting, and smart geysers, among others. We are working on a new portfolio of smart door locks, IP cameras, gas leak sensors, occupancy sensors and smart curtain motors. Maybe by first quarter of next calendar year, we will have a portfolio that will offer a 360-degree solution for home automation. Presently we have our Livana range of modular switches in the premium segment. Also, we have a portfolio cutting across the application segments with switches, plug sockets, universal sockets, USB ports, and switch range for hotel use, among others. Over the next few quarters, we are going to launch three more range of switches.  By the third quarter of next year, we will produce one more. So, by quarter four of the next calendar year, we will be available in four out of the six ranges.

Switches is a commodity today which will have a robust growth in the coming years. Over the next three to seven years, we will see value-added switches gaining dominance because of aspirational value of the consumer & a higher spending power. Tier 1 & Tier 2 markets will start having modular and aspirational switches.

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