Bajaj Electricals has about 40 % share of the entire high mast and around 30 % share of the organized market. B. Sivakuman, Vice President & Head - Illumination EPC BU, Bajaj Electricals Ltd
Bajaj Electrical is the pioneer in high mast lighting in India. What is the current size of this market and how do you see it growing in the near future?
The market size is about 1000 crores in value. When I say the market, it implies high mast lighting and shorter high mast lighting which extend up to 12 meters and 16 meters. This integrated market collectively stands at INR 100 crores in value; high mast lighting is extensively used in junctions and airports. Apart from the high mast and shorter high mast, the market also encompasses street lighting poles which are tubular or ornamental in nature. These poles are available in different varieties; from the most basic ones devised using fundamental materials to the most sophisticated variety devised using hybrid materials. Bajaj products are manufactured in a very sophisticated manufacturing plant based at Ranjangaon, Pune; with 21 branches pan India we have established our footprints across the entire nation. We have about 40 % share of the entire high mast and around 30 % share of the organized market. And then of course there are a very large number of small players in every zone, locality who will take a pipe, paint it silver and then put it out over there. I just can’t say that it is not a market. We consider the main market as such, we are enjoying quite a substantial presence in the East and we are also getting into diverse aspects of the high mast lighting business like stadium mast.
Stadium lighting is always a challenge in terms of illumination design. What are the important design parameters which have to be taken into consideration while carrying out sports lighting projects?
Earlier life was simple, you had to consider mainly the requirements of the players. The players should be able to see the ball. You should not have any lights which you know creates a glare in his eyes and the spectator should be able to see the play, so that is where the things started and sports lightings maybe about 30-40 years ago. Then the black and white television sets came in followed by colored television sets, and the game became more important for the TV audience. With cameras coming in and now HD TV cameras coming in, the light levels which are required to show the pictures need to strike the right balance. The speed of the sport whether it is cricket or whether it is football also makes a tremendous difference to the lighting level requirements.
The lighting needs to cater to all the signals which encompass the complete pictorial vibrancy in three primary colours. These signals are reconverted into natural colours and beamed across the different television screens thus requiring a certain minimum lighting level which can achieve that purpose, plus the visibility of being able to see the ball. The moment one gets into these things, you have increased lighting which means at the same time more glare for the players is created. One cannot have a situation where a player complains about a glare. Besides in stadium lighting the whole structure which you put for lighting has to blend with the architecture of the stadium, the lighting should not affect the buildings which are up and around the stadium complex
These finer aspects are addressed by doing detailed computerized design, the aim is to control each and every light utilized and control the technology itself. It is the question of having to do a lot of simulations in the design aspect and choose the right combinations which can actually give precisely what one has planned on the drawing board.
BEL has been proudly associated with flag mast installation and illumination. Would you brief us about some of the land mark projects?
The tallest flag mast which we have done recently has been the one in Raipur. We also have the pride of doing the flag mast installation in Mass and Nathula and Dras, Kargil. Flag mast installation at heights are very emotional connects. The flag mast at NMMC was one of the tallest flag masts before it got crossed over by Raipur. Seeing the Indian flag, you know flying high in all these places is something very-very important. It’s a footprint that we are creating all over. In fact we are ambassador of the Flag Foundation of India. We have been associated with them for a very long time. It was initially initiated by
Navin Jindal.
High mast lighting has very different design and maintenance challenges. How does BEL matchup to these challenges?
The whole concept of high mast was introduced to make it more convenient to maintain it. When it comes to challenges one has to ensure that the built in winches are working perfectly not for a year or two but throughout the life span of the mast which could be about 10 to 25 years as such. When it comes to maintenance the climatic conditions also play a major role. The wind factor, the soil bearing capacity everything plays an important role, if the mast is close to a seaside factors like seaside corrosion has to be accounted for. It is very important that these parameters are considered at the design stage, this means the structural design, the design of the foundation, the design of every single movable component like the motor, and the winch etc is to be taken care of. All this adds up to a balanced solution.
Architectural lighting concept is not very old in the Indian subcontinent. What is the expertise offered by the BEL and brief us about the most exciting architectural project carried out by BEL?
Whether you talk about the sound and light show in Red Fort or lighting up a temple, architectural lighting has existed however the focus was more on ancient landmarks like the Gateway of India, Ajanta and Ellora caves etc. Now with time the focus has shifted to modern buildings. Today we are talking about beautifying even modern buildings. One of the the most iconic projects that we have done recently is the VT Station. It was an existing lighting arrangement but we changed the entire lighting into LED. And all these LEDs are controlled using lighting controls enabling different themes. It is planned for about 21 different scenes. We have something for Holi, Christmas, Eid, something for the Independence Day etc. We just have to play around with existing lights, reconfigure them automatically on the computerized system and the scenario gets changed.
