Advanced solar equipment for industrial and farming applications

In an interview with EPR Magazine, Sana Khan, CEO of PV, RS Corporation, elaborates on the products and services offered by the company and the market trends.

What are the products and services offered by the company? 

We offer LED lights, solar water heaters and solar pumps along with after-market services. We are also dealing in solar panels, OEM services, all technical services of solar products and grid-connected inverters. We provide customised solutions in solar water heaters and solar pumps. In solar panels, we provide almost all sizes, imported as well as Indian products. In LED lights, we offer various types like solar, semi-integrated and integrated, lithium-ion etc. These lights are used by all types of customers in industry, agriculture, manufacturing, OEMs etc.  

How is the business progressing? What is the market trend? 

From B2B segment the response is quite good and encouraging. In the last 16 years since we started business, we have a good track record of after sales services. Customers are now more interested in solar installations in their home and businesses. Farmers are now eager to use solar pumps in their farming activities as these are beneficial for them in terms of continued power availability for farming, resulting in good yield of crop.  

How do you look at the growth of solar power use in rural areas?

In rural areas, people have started using solar power in a big way compared to early days. They are now aware of the benefits and advantages of solar power and are coming forward with options. Solar products are technologically proven and the products we supply are almost zero-maintenance products. 

How do you look at the solar power market currently? 

The market was a bit slow during the Covid-19 impact last year. But now the market has improved with more installations and capacity additions. Usually during the rainy season, people don’t buy solar products, but this year we have seen good sales. Many government authorities and industries are opting for solar power, lights and equipment. Considering this kind of responses, we expect the business to grow this year compared to last year. 

How do you assess the solar PV manufacturing scenario in India? 

In India, the manufacturing of solar panels is growing gradually in spite of some challenges.The prevailing duty structure for import of raw materials is adding to the input cost which is reflected in the cost of endproduct. The government needs to work towards the manufacturer requirements which can help improve the cost-effective production of solar PVs. Basically, there is single-code duty structure for the solar cell and panel. Ideally, both the products should be segregatedby different codes, solar panel with duty and solar cells without duty.This will help Indian PV manufacturers do better and offer products with competitive price. Currently, the imported panels areavailable at reasonable price with higher grade compared to those manufactured in India due to the higher input cost for manufacturing here.

How do you look at the future of the solar equipment market in India? 

In spite of the challenges mentioned above, the future of solar market in India looks bright. If you give good service to the customers with the right products and after-market support, and if the customer belief is there, then the industry will grow faster. We plan to continue our services to our customers to the best of their satisfaction and look forward to a long-term association with our customers.