ES. ELECRAMA is back in 2023. In your opinion, what is the significance of ELECRAMA for the industry?
Rohit Pathak. Elecrama is our flagship event that has, over the years, become the largest exhibition for the industry globally. It is a platform that brings together the entire industry and all our stakeholders, not just from India but from across the world, under one roof – the Panaroma of Electricity, and now increasingly Energy.
ES. Please share with us your expectations from ELECRAMA 2023.
Rohit Pathak. Like the previous editions of Elecrama, Elecrama 2023 will also bring to the fore the latest technology and solutions for the industry. The focus has moved from just Electricity to Energy, as we move towards green energy. This time we have increased the focus on Green/Renewable Energies, eMobility and energy efficiency, given the role these will play in India’s journey to Energy Independence and Net Zero. We also are showcasing the 12 finalists of our Startup Platform, ElectraVerse Spark, at Elecrama 23. There has been a very strong response from the industry for exhibiting at this edition and keen interest from the global industry to send delegations to interact and conduct business with the exhibitors.
ES. Please elaborate on the vision statement for the industry from here on.
Rohit Pathak. There are three key tenets of IEEMA’s Vision for India@2047:
I) 6-8x growth in Electricity per capita (from 1.2k to 10k/capita)
ii) Renewables & eMobility, coupled with new technologies for Mass Storage & Green Hydrogen will ensure we scale-up in a sustainable manner
iii) India will emerge as a global leader in several of these technologies for Green Energy generation, storage and consumption. We expect that over these 25 years of the Amrit Kaal period, the sector will see investments upwards of US$2 Trillion and ensure India is Energy Independent by 2047.
ES. What are the opportunities for ‘Make in India’ in this sector?
Rohit Pathak. I believe the opportunities for the industry are immense. By 2030, we are confident that the industry will cross US$100 Bn in revenues, with over 25% exports. We have moved quite rapidly to indigenise several key equipment over the past few years, and with several new PLI schemes such as for solar modules, battery, CRGO, semiconductor and copper tubes this will further gain momentum. In fact, the opportunity for us is not just for Make in India for India, but to Make in India for the World. As I say, aaj Bharat AatmaNirbhar ho raha hai, aage Vishwa Bharat par Nirbhar hoga!
ES. Tell us a bit about the IEEMA report – New energy equipment outlook 2023.
Rohit Pathak. In Dec’21, as India was gearing up to celebrate 75 years of our independence, GoI set out to develop a vision for India@2047 for various sectors. As IEEMA, we worked with DHI to develop the vision for the Electrical and Allied Electronics sector. As a follow-up to that, we have worked with EY, who is our knowledge partner for this, to flesh out some of the key growth areas for the industry. In specific, we have detailed out the opportunities for the industry to participate in Green Hydrogen, EV Charging Infrastructure and Battery Storage. The report gives a snapshot of the opportunity by 2030 in each of these three areas and what it will take by the industry as well as by the government to realise the potential of these.
ES. Tell us something about Amrit Kaal report – Path to developed & decarbonized India.
Rohit Pathak. In keeping with the times, at Elecrama 2023, we had constituted a Theme Sponsorship for Sustainability. Schneider Electric has taken up this sponsorship and as a contribution to the industry and the nation, they have developed a comprehensive approach of how India can achieve its Energy Independence by 2047 and Net Zero by 2070 goals, and how this could be further accelerated. The report covers 12 transformations of energy services will play a critical role in this journey.
ES. Any comments on new / upcoming technologies that you are looking forward to and what will be the upcoming trends that will set the tone in future?
Rohit Pathak. Well, there is lots that is happening out there in this space. Solar and Wind are scaling up fast, Offshore Wind and Hybrid solutions are gaining momentum, Battery & Mass Storage Systems are in early stages of evolution with several competing technologies/materials in the fray, Green Hydrogen could be a big one. I believe the next few years we will see a fair bit of churn on the different technologies before a clear winner emerges in some of these areas. Hence, it is critical for us as an industry to stay closely plugged into the Startup ecosystem working on these themes and to also develop capability to quickly pilot and scale-up.
ES. What message would like to share with the industry at this time?
Rohit Pathak. Well, I urge all participants at Elecrama to Explore (new opportunities, solutions, products), Reconnect (rekindle old friendships in the industry) and Create new alliances/bonds!
