Monday, April 20, 2009: The battery industry in India has been performing exceedingly well in the last couple of years and we thought this was the appropriate time to provide our readers with the performance card of the top ones in the country. This is the second time Electronics Bazaar (EB) is conducting this exercise (EB Top 10 Battery Players) and we are glad that like last year, all the major battery brands barring a couple have participated in this survey. Those who shied away from participation are the ones that have a policy of not disclosing their revenue. We sincerely hope that the next time we do this study, more players will join in. We commenced the process around a month back, when we contacted some associations, seeking their opinion on who they thought the top battery players in the industry were. Next, we got in touch with the major players to make them understand the concept. Once this was done, we created a master index of battery companies who, according to us, are creating waves in the business world of batteries. We hope that the industry will appreciate this endeavour and assist us in making the next survey even more exciting.
Company name |
Rank |
Revenue (in Rs million) - Advertisement -
|
Exide Industries Ltd |
1 |
36,060 |
Amara Raja Batteries Ltd |
2 |
10,106 |
HBL Power Systems |
3 |
9,728 |
Base Corporation Ltd |
4 |
3,640 |
Okaya Power Ltd |
5 |
2,523 |
Artheon Electronics Ltd |
6 |
250 |
Computech Systems |
7 |
60 |
Trontek Electronic Pvt Ltd |
7 |
60 |
Shree Veerji Battery Pvt Ltd |
9 |
50 |
Prime Products |
10 |
45 |
Exide Industries Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 36,060 mn T V Ramanathan MD & CEO Exide Industries India Ltd is the largest power storage solutions corporation in southeast Asia and is among the largest in the world. It has eight ISO certified factories, which churn out the widest range of storage batteries—from 2.5Ah to 20,600Ah capacity, covering the spectrum of industrial and automotive applications. Exide batteries are also exported across the world and they are global suppliers to American Power Conversion, the world’s largest UPS manufacturer. Exide is also one of the few companies in the world to manufacture submarine batteries. Exide’s inhouse research and development (R&D), recognised by the department of scientific and industrial research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, and technological collaborations with Shin Kobe, a subsidiary of the Hitachi group, Furukawa and Oldham (UK), keeps Exide at par with world leaders. In India, Exide is the market leader across a range of technologies spanning flat plate, tubular, plante and VRLA power packs. The main battery segments in which Exide deals are automotive batteries, core industrial batteries, traction batteries, fast-moving batteries. Exide wants to hold on to its ‘numero uno’ position by offering the most technologically advanced products to its consumers. Exide House, 59E Chowringhee Road, Kolkata 700020; Phone: 033-22832120; Fax: 22832637; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.exideindustries.com |
Amara Raja Batteries Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 10,106 mn Jay Gala, MD Amara Raja Batteries Ltd (ARBL) is the flagship company of the Amara Raja group and is part of a joint venture with Johnson Controls Inc (USA), a $35 billion ‘Fortune 500’ organisation. The company is the largest manufacturer of standby valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries and an eminent player in the Indian Ocean research in motion (RIM) market, serving both the automotive and industrial segments through its leading brands, ‘Amaron’ in the automotive segment and ‘Powerstack’ and ‘Quanta’ in the industrial segment. Amara Raja claims to have pioneered the concept of VRLA battery technology in India. In the automotive segment, the company has partnered with OE leads like Daimler Chrysler, Ford, HM, etc. In the industrial segment, its batteries run some of the key mission critical applications in power, telecom, railways, defence, oil and gas and offshore. Fifth Floor, Astra Towers 12P HiTech City, Kondapur, Hyderabad 500038; Phone: 040-23683000; Fax: 23118219; |
HBL Power Systems |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 9,728 mn Avnish Arora, president HBL Power Systems Ltd has more than 30 years of experience in the field of batteries and standby DC power solutions. The company is the result of a merger between Hyderabad Batteries Ltd (1977) and Sabnife Power Systems Ltd (1986). The company has its headquarters in Hyderabad, with factories and sales offices in various parts of the country. HBL has offices and distributors/agents all over the globe to cater to its ever-growing export business. The company has inhouse manufacturing facilities for many items that are normally outsourced by other manufacturers. Contrary to convention, HBL’s policy has been to integrate vertically, in order to ensure the right deliverable quality. It is the only company offering the widest range of battery electro chemistry available, catering to the telecom, railways, defence and aviation sectors, supported by the 24 x 7, multi-reach, inhouse ‘direct onsite’ service network, NSN. HBL is targeting a growth of 30 per cent for the year 2008-09 and intends to consolidate its hold on the market by introducing the new technology, ‘pure lead tin’, for engine-starting applications in the coming years.
|
Base Corporation Ltd |
annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 3,640 mn Girish Arora, MD Base Corporation was established in 1987 and is the first company to bring the VRLA battery to India. For 17 years it remained a trading company. In 2002, Base Corporation became the sole distributor for Panasonic batteries and established its own brand, ‘Base terminal’, in 2006. The company possesses a dynamic profile, consisting of a high quality, vast service network, backed by 27 branches and 78 service centres. It aspires to reach the 100 service centre mark by the conclusion of 2009, providing pan-India battery solutions, from Jammu to Kanyakumari. Base currently has the entire range of tubular, VRLA, automotive conventional, automotive maintenance free, truck, tractor, HCV batteries, along with the complete range of UPS and home UPS systems. In another two months, it intends to diversify into 2 volt telecommunication and railway batteries. Base Corporation is now concentrating on aggressive expansion of up to four-folds in the ensuing year. Armed with its new R&D team, the firm wants to penetrate the government sector. 106, Hvm House, 2nd Floor, Amarjyoti Layout, Off Intermediate Ring Road, Domlur, Bangalore 560071; Phone: 080-41635909/15; Fax: 41635916; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.baseterminal.com |
Okaya Power Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 2,523 mn Rajesh Gupta, Business Head Okaya Power Ltd, producer of Okaya Japanese technology inverter UPS specialist batteries, is a leading brand of inverter UPS batteries and SMF VRLA batteries. Okaya has also diversified into other industrial battery segments, viz, solar batteries, railways LMLA batteries, telecom batteries and battle tank batteries. The company, due to its supreme quality has been a supplier to most of the reputed government and public sector undertakings in India, like DOT, TCIL, BSNL, etc. Okaya has three state-of-the-art, hi-tech manufacturing plants and two more under commissioning. All Okaya plants are equipped with the most advanced machines, imported from various countries around the world. Okaya is growing at a good pace in India, with an annual installed capacity of 5 million batteries and a nationwide network of more than 9,600 dealers and 486 distributors across India. |
Artheon Electronics Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 250 mn Sushil Jiwarajka, CMD The Artheon group is a dynamic business house, having interest in telecom, IT and energy. Under its energy vertical, Artheon has developed a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce VRLA batteries of 6V, 12V and 2V series. 201, Sumer Kendra, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai 400018; Phone: 011-40516480/022-40963300; Fax: 24950415/011-40516479; |
Computech Systems |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 60 mn Vikas Aggarwal, CEO Computech Systems is an ISO9001:2000 certified company, established in the year 1992. The company started as a modest trading company, selling HCL computers, Elent UPS systems and CSB batteries. Today, the company has metamorphosed into a Rs 60 million entity, with a stron g workforce. Computech Systems is located at the centre of Delhi, in Karampura, and has now become a reliable source for batteries in Delhi and NCR. It has also started appointing distributors throughout the country and recently exported batteries to the Middle East as well. Its I-Power batteries are manufactured at the automatic plant in Taiwan. Computech Systems’ inhouse R&D facility has helped it to bring the 7Ah battery to the market. G-2, Balram house, Karampura complex, New Delhi 110015; Phone: 011-25920255; Fax: 25920254; E-mail: [email protected] |
Trontek Electronics Pvt Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 60 mn Swarnjit Singh and Samrath S Kochar, Director Founded in 2000, Trontek claims to be one of India’s premier importers and distributors of certified leaded electronic components, with a wide array of products comprising resistors, capacitors, diodes and batteries. It has established a thriving sales channel in all metropolitan cities and also in other parts of the country. The company states that it is committed to procuring material from principals or manufacturers who have established a benchmark for themselves globally. It further states that it selects principals who have proven their innovation in design previously. Some of Trontek’s principals are global suppliers to reputed international brands like Sony, Samsung and Sanyo. Its principals for batteries are OEM manufacturers for Emerson. J-35 Ugyog Nagar, New Delhi 110041; Phone: 011-45572222; Fax: 45572242; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.trontekindia.com |
Shree Veerji Battery Pvt Ltd |
Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 50 mn
B Chittrapal Seth, MD No 1, Jessan Street, Mount Road, Chennai600002, Ph:044-28603039; Fax: 42027311; [email protected] |
Prime Products |
10Annual Revenue (2007-08): Rs 45 mn Tarun M Desai, CEO Prime Products has been a consistent player in the battery distribution market. Established in 1991, it proffers a wide range of SLA batteries, starting from 0.8AH to more than 200AH. Prime products provides SLA batteries in three brands: ‘Power-Sonic’, ‘Vision’ and ‘Sure-power’, each targeted at different strata of consumers. The company has various modes of supply, starting from ex-stock supply from bonded warehouses, or direct supply, from factories. Prime Products now has a setup under the name, ‘Surya PowerPacks’, for the assembly of Ni-Cd and Ni-MH battery packs. It has recently introduced LiFePO4 batteries for applications where ‘weight reduction’ is at a high premium. This battery offers a high cyclic life (1500+), quick charge, ease storage, and simple charging. The main strength of this company lies in being technically strong. It ensures that all the batteries are recharged on receipt. Thereafter, batteries are recharged in case they have been lying in stock for a long period of time. Prime Products does not believe in changing suppliers frequently and in fostering long-lasting relationships. C-107, Synthofine Estate, Behind Virwani Estate, Aarey Road, Goregaon (E), Mumbai 400063; Phone: 022-40399399/65703275; Fax: 40399333; |
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