LED has always been neglected for its higher price range but like LED TVs came into reckoning, one can expect the LED bulbs to play a pivotal role in the next couple of years, as the prices of LED bulbs and tubes are likely to come down drastically in the next two to three years. “In the last few years, while the lighting efficiency (in terms of lumens a watt) has gone up by 15 to 20 per cent year-on-year, prices of lighting products have come down more than 30 per cent,” said Indranil Goswami, director, Lighting Controls, Philips Electronics India Ltd.
Currently,the long-lasting and branded LED lighting products cost 15 times more than the conventional ones and at least five times more expensive than comparable CFL (compact fluorescent lamps). “For example, a 13-watt LED tube which gives as much light as a conventional 40-watt tube sells between Rs 1,300 and Rs 1,500 against Rs 50 one pays for the latter, which we expect to come down around Rs 200 to Rs 250 in less than three years from now,” said Goswami.
According to Goswami, prices will drop mainly because of domestically developed technology. Technology behind the lighting is the most expensive component of the imported LED lighting products as the LED chips are not being manufactured in the country as of now. Once that happens, the LED lighting market will replicate the success story of CFL in India. However, thanks to shortage of power and increasing price of electricity, even at current prices, the LED lighting market in India has gained prominence with awareness increasing about energy efficiency.
The signs of potential in the segment are apparent as the LED market in India is growing at 45 per cent. Philips is one of the major players, heavily involved in the Indian LED segment and the company had recently unveiled its first ever LED- experience LightNEXT showroom in the country.
