CabLab helps starting a new cable biz in Australia

We are ready to assist Indian cable manufacturers to prepare for the entry into the Australian market and also to help obtain the required certificates.
Gergo Bogdan, Lab Manager, CabLab

How encouraging it is being first time at ELECRAMA?
Our experience is so far really good because India is a big market. We have a NATA accredited laboratory in Australia and we test to Australian standards. We believe that India is ready for export and Australia is a big market where an approximate of AU$ 1,000 million worth of cable is sold every year. A lot of Indian manufacturers have got the capability to claim their share of the market although they don’t know exactly what they need to do, what kind of test reports and certification they need to be able to export the cables to Australia or become an approved supplier with the utilities, construction companies or defence. That’s the place where CabLab comes in to the picture. Our response with ELECRAMA was really satisfying because we could meet all the big cable manufacturers.

What exactly are you looking for here in India? What kind of message you would like to send to the Indian cable manufacturers?
The right message would be to come to Australia because it is a big market and there is opportunity for everyone. We are ready to assist Indian cable manufacturers to prepare for the entry into the Australian market and also to help obtain the required certificates, so their cables can be sold in the Australian markets.

How do you look at the quality and standardisation of cables being manufactured in India?
I don’t think the quality is an issue for the Indian manufacturers in obtaining the required certificates and test reports. Most of them already have experience with International Standards. By testing the cables, we ensure that they meet the Australian standards and can be used by end-users there. On top of that, if required, we can also provide the factory inspection services and additional engineering services where we assist the factory.

If any Indian manufacturer wants to explore in the Australian market, what are the conditions they need to follow?
Generally, they have to comply with the Australian Standards which are not a difficult task for experienced manufacturers. They need to follow certain parameters in terms of product design which is simple to adjust and comply. They just have to adjust the manufacturing processes. However, we do need to emphasise that Australian Standards are similar to IEC but not the same! It is important to study them and change the cable design accordingly.

Could you name a few cable manufacturers whom you met at ELECRAMA?
We met almost all major Indian cable manufacturers like KEC, Universal Cable, CMI, RR Kabel, and Apar Industries. In addition, Ducab from Dubai and Shang Shang from China have also shown interest in our services.

What kind of support you are going to provide to Indian manufacturers who would like to venture into Australian market?
First of all, we can provide consultation in engineering services to help them identify their need and the standards they need to comply with. After that we can also help with the actual testing and issuing the test reports and certificates. From there, they just need to do marketing for their products and technologies.