“It is important that the government regulatory bodies expedite the decision making process for upgrading the rules and regulations for wires and cables at par with the other industries that would result in a major industry overhaul,” says Hitesh Kariya, Vice President and Business Unit Head, Wires, Cables and Insulation Tapes Business, Anchor Electricals
The power cable industry in India has come of age. However the industry is yet to catch up with the world on various aspects of development. Commenting on the major roadblocks for the sector Hitesh Kariya, Vice President and Business Unit Head, Wires, Cables and Insulation Tapes Business, Anchor Electricals says, “The key roadblocks plaguing the cables industry include tight liquidity positions, difficulty in getting the right manpower both towards manufacturing, operational and service activities, including reduced operational life of cables due to improper installation.”
He also adds that the industry clearly lacks awareness of safe installation practices. He says, “The sub-standard products at low prices from unorganised sector especially the ones engaging in unscrupulous manufacturing activities are very unsafe for the consumers. Tight vigilance is required to overcome counterfeit market with stringent control on the unorganised market for safer products.”
The industry is experiencing decreased margins on production due to increase in raw material cost and also stiff competition among organised and regional players. “The industry faces the threat of cheap imports based on unethical practices especially from China. Non-standard tapes without ISI mark that are dangerous for the end users,” Kariya points out. 
The cable industry also lacks good R&D facilities and talent. Going further, he suggests, the cable industry should invest in good R&D facilities, creation of quality and the pool of talent for manufacturing activities through collaboration with regional technical educational institutions.
Unethical practices impacting businessIn India, about 35 per cent of wires and cables available in the market are sourced from unorganised sector players that have a lacklustre focus on quality and technology. Thus, sub-standard products at low prices and unethical practices prevail predominantly. According to Kariya, this kind of parallel market would be a grave concern, hard to tackle in the future.
The organised market is becoming increasingly aware and is making efforts to create awareness and educate the buyers on the significance of quality products. However, Kariya observes, “Unscrupulous small producers may try to sell counterfeit cables, usurping the brand names of the more reputable Indian cable makers.”
Improving rules and regulations“It is important that the government regulatory bodies expedite the decision making process for upgrading the rules and regulations for wires and cables at par with the other industries that would result in a major industry overhaul,” says Kariya while commenting on the immediate short term measures to be taken to revitalise the sector.  He suggests, “The focus should also be on having standards for cables with specialised applications like solar cables, ZHFR cables, RoHS and REACH compliant products, EV charging cables, fire alarm cables and communication cables like LAN, coaxial, CCTV cables and speaker.
Strict adherence to quality is neededElectrical wires and cables market in India is one of the largest segments of the electrical equipment market. The investment made by various private companies in the power sector has opened up the wire and cable industry further.  The Indian electrical equipment industry is broadly segmented into the generation equipment sector, transmission and distribution sector. The wires and cables industry in India comprise about a quarter of the total transmission and distribution segment. The growth of the cable industry is synonymous to the growth in the overall electrical equipment sector. For the unprecedented growth of the industry, it is inevitable to develop an uncompromising attitude with regard to quality. Commenting on the long term measures to ensure sustainability, Mr Kariya suggests, “Manufacturers and contractors should be made to adhere to stringent BIS guidelines to ensure quality adherence and facilitate wiring and cable industry to see a significant rise in efficiency. Innovation in business processes as well as products and services is indispensable at every step. It will not only help the business to gain a competitive edge, but also make it sustainable in the long run.”
Expansion plans   Anchor is currently offering light-duty cables with some products from communication cables and these are manufactured with the capacity utilisation of 85 to 90 per cent. The company may expand itself by completing its cable basket in the light-duty cable segment, hints Kariya.
He says, “On a long term basis, we are targeting to double our capacity by investing in higher capacity machinery, addition of new products within the next 3 years to meet the growing demand from various initiatives outlined by the government including 100 smart cities, Make in India, PPP in railways, home for all and impetus on renewable energy. We are also exploring the export market that is showcasing a good potential.”

 “It is important that the government regulatory bodies expedite the decision making process for upgrading the rules and regulations for wires and cables at par with the other industries that would result in a major industry overhaul,” says Hitesh Kariya, Vice President and Business Unit Head, Wires, Cables and Insulation Tapes Business, Anchor Electricals
The power cable industry in India has come of age. However the industry is yet to catch up with the world on various aspects of development. Commenting on the major roadblocks for the sector Hitesh Kariya, Vice President and Business Unit Head, Wires, Cables and Insulation Tapes Business, Anchor Electricals says, “The key roadblocks plaguing the cables industry include tight liquidity positions, difficulty in getting the right manpower both towards manufacturing, operational and service activities, including reduced operational life of cables due to improper installation.”
He also adds that the industry clearly lacks awareness of safe installation practices. He says, “The sub-standard products at low prices from unorganised sector especially the ones engaging in unscrupulous manufacturing activities are very unsafe for the consumers. Tight vigilance is required to overcome counterfeit market with stringent control on the unorganised market for safer products.”
The industry is experiencing decreased margins on production due to increase in raw material cost and also stiff competition among organised and regional players. “The industry faces the threat of cheap imports based on unethical practices especially from China. Non-standard tapes without ISI mark that are dangerous for the end users,” Kariya points out. 
The cable industry also lacks good R&D facilities and talent. Going further, he suggests, the cable industry should invest in good R&D facilities, creation of quality and the pool of talent for manufacturing activities through collaboration with regional technical educational institutions.
Unethical practices impacting businessIn India, about 35 per cent of wires and cables available in the market are sourced from unorganised sector players that have a lacklustre focus on quality and technology. Thus, sub-standard products at low prices and unethical practices prevail predominantly. According to Kariya, this kind of parallel market would be a grave concern, hard to tackle in the future.
The organised market is becoming increasingly aware and is making efforts to create awareness and educate the buyers on the significance of quality products. However, Kariya observes, “Unscrupulous small producers may try to sell counterfeit cables, usurping the brand names of the more reputable Indian cable makers.”
Improving rules and regulations“It is important that the government regulatory bodies expedite the decision making process for upgrading the rules and regulations for wires and cables at par with the other industries that would result in a major industry overhaul,” says Kariya while commenting on the immediate short term measures to be taken to revitalise the sector.  He suggests, “The focus should also be on having standards for cables with specialised applications like solar cables, ZHFR cables, RoHS and REACH compliant products, EV charging cables, fire alarm cables and communication cables like LAN, coaxial, CCTV cables and speaker.
Strict adherence to quality is neededElectrical wires and cables market in India is one of the largest segments of the electrical equipment market. The investment made by various private companies in the power sector has opened up the wire and cable industry further.  The Indian electrical equipment industry is broadly segmented into the generation equipment sector, transmission and distribution sector. The wires and cables industry in India comprise about a quarter of the total transmission and distribution segment. The growth of the cable industry is synonymous to the growth in the overall electrical equipment sector. For the unprecedented growth of the industry, it is inevitable to develop an uncompromising attitude with regard to quality. Commenting on the long term measures to ensure sustainability, Mr Kariya suggests, “Manufacturers and contractors should be made to adhere to stringent BIS guidelines to ensure quality adherence and facilitate wiring and cable industry to see a significant rise in efficiency. Innovation in business processes as well as products and services is indispensable at every step. It will not only help the business to gain a competitive edge, but also make it sustainable in the long run.”
Expansion plans   Anchor is currently offering light-duty cables with some products from communication cables and these are manufactured with the capacity utilisation of 85 to 90 per cent. The company may expand itself by completing its cable basket in the light-duty cable segment, hints Kariya.
He says, “On a long term basis, we are targeting to double our capacity by investing in higher capacity machinery, addition of new products within the next 3 years to meet the growing demand from various initiatives outlined by the government including 100 smart cities, Make in India, PPP in railways, home for all and impetus on renewable energy. We are also exploring the export market that is showcasing a good potential.”