Wipro ties up with multiple foreign tech partners; Havell addresses pain of putting up new light points; Philips breaks out into a riot of colours and more
Soon from Wipro_ LiFi_ data through lightsA TV Commercial (TVC) currently on air, has taken on a life of its own in social media because it is a sly take on that age old trick question: how many people does it take to change a light bulb? Havell’s commercial shows a whole army of electricians, carpenters etc, assembled to put up a lighting fixture. Then they are all sent home because the new Havell Trim ClipOn ceiling light comes with its own spring-loaded clips that allows even a lay person to put up a new light within minutes.
A visit to Havell’s web portal shows a deliberate pitch to new, younger apartment or home owners – the millennial generation who want not just utility, but aesthetics and smartness, when it come to lighting. The site is not afraid to throw terms like spot lighting, recess lighting, blaze panels and down-lighters at potential customers. Remember the old days when all you needed to know is whether you wanted a 60 watt bulb or a 100 watt?
New millennial customers: Lumens + lifestyle
The consumer lighting industry is having to reinvent itself to meet the aspirations of a new and upwardly mobile class of customers which knows what it wants: not just lumens but a lifestyle statement. And how are major Indian lighting suppliers responding? Our quick survey threw up some interesting developments:
Havells is putting its money into ease of installation coupled with a good catalogue of LED lumieres. What about the others?
In recent months Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting has entered into multiple tie-ups with global specialist companies to enhance its lighting offerings:
– With PureLiFi, a tech player with roots in technology developed at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (UK), which offers OEM solutions whereby LED lights can serve as data communication carriers just like WiFi does at present. In other words, that LED light spot can also double as wireless data hot spot.
– With Netherlands – based Mapiq which has developed what is essentially a unified, cloud-based platform for the Internet of Lighting (IoL). Wipro will implement Mapiq’s interactive 3D maps that optimise lighting use especially in smart office spaces.
– With Belgium-based global lighting solutions firm Schreder to market its smart and connected outdoor lighting products and solutions in India. With this trishul of partnerships, Wipro hopes to take pole position in the lighting business.
Philips Hue
Philips now has a separate brand, Philips Hue to funnel its lighting business and obviously it has the advantage of a long 100 year relationship in India, where a Philips light bulb always commanded a small premium for its reliability. Today Philips Hue has embraced smart lamps and has launched a large range of colourful lighting solutions where a palette of millions of colours try and match the consumer’s mood and provide the right ambience for every room in the house.
Snapping at the heels of these market leaders are new entrants like the Pune-based Syska. Interesting times lie ahead in the lighting business as they all vie for a chunk of the Indian lighting market.
This story is submitted by Anand Parthasarathy. His rich experience, reporting ACE (Appliances and Consumer Electronics) stories encompasses working 15 years with The Hindu as its IT Consulting Editor. He is a qualified instrumentation systems engineer who has worked for 20 years as a scientist on numerous defence R&D projects, and as a project manager for surface-to-air missiles at DRDO.
