As part of our series titled ‘Global Trade Opportunities’ where we try and identify international firms that are looking forward to do business in India, Anurag Gaur from electronicsforu.com spoke to Carol Chiu, marketing head, GlacialTech Inc. about their business strategy in India and their plans going forward.
Having established strong relationships with LED semiconductor, thermal, SMPS and mechanism technology leaders worldwide, GlacialTech leverages engineering, efficient manufacturing and the highest-quality materials to provide high brightness, low power LED lighting solutions for indoor, outdoor and other customised applications under the GlacialLight brand.
SEPTEMBER 2012 Q. Please give us an overview of GlacialTech.
A. Established in June 2001, GlacialTech Inc. is a Taiwan-based company specialising in PC accessories such a cooling solutions, power supplies, enclosures for consumers as well as professional applications and LED lightings. In recent years, GlacialTech has aggressively expanded its product ranges and established various sub-brands.
These are divided into cooling solutions for PCs and notebooks, PC power supplies, and LED lighting solutions. One of our major manufacturing plants is located in Dongguan, China. The company started as a manufacturer of CPU cooling fans for system integrators and end-users, also providing customised services for OEM and ODM clients.
Having two core technologies under one roof viz. heat sink management and power supplies, GlacialTech decided to go for LED business.
GlacialLight, founded in 2008, is the company’s sub-brand focusing on finished LED products. It attempts to provide low and high power LED lighting solutions for architectural lighting, commercial lighting, ceiling lighting, residential lighting, industrial lighting, track lighting, and dimming applications as well as LED driver modules.
Q. How do you see India as a market for GlacialLight’s products and services?
A. The market in India for LED-based lighting is evolving at lightning speed, with the rapidly increasing awareness about LED-based lighting products. The demand for the same would continue to do so in the days to come. LED has immense business potential brewing in the Indian lighting market due to power shortages and high electricity cost.
GlacialTech enjoys good share in the Indian LED lighting market. The company is a total solution provider for indoor and outdoor solutions, such as downlights, panel lights, high bay, floodlights (13W, 27W, 110W), MR16, BR series lamps, T8 tubes, A19 and LED drivers etc.
Q. Out of the range of products and services that you deal in, what are the kind of products that you feel find more takers in India?
A. GlacialTech Inc. is already selling the lighting and drivers products in India. We have products for both retrofit and new projects for hotels, hospitals, factories and offices, among others. With growing numbers of assembly line manufacturers in India, we also see an increase in demand for our high-quality LED drivers every month.
Q. What is your go-to-market strategy with regard to the Indian market?
A. We aim to increase our market share in India by introducing innovative products. We are currently planning to expand our distribution network statewide.
The company also plans to open an office in India in the coming years, depending upon the market dynamics.
Q. Where all is your company present in India?
A. GlacialTech Inc. doesn’t have any office in India so far, but in future we have plan to open a branch office. And yes, we do have distributors for our LED lighting and LED drivers product range.
Q. Are you open to partnering with distributors and system integrators in India?
A. We do have some distributors for some of our products in the country. But we are always looking for potential customers in the Indian market.
Q. What are the challenges that you have faced and foresee in India?
A. One of the major challenges faced by the LED lighting industry is price difference; LED lights are beyond the budget of an average buyer. The current price of LED Lights in India is on the higher side. This is the reason why customers are opting for cheaper LED products.
The current scenario is not too good for buyers, as there is no unified standard for these products. Buyers are therefore going for products which are cheaper without being fully aware of their demerits. Lack of awareness among Indian consumers is posing a major challenge. In the LED business, manufacturers are coming up with their own light sources within their own range, which are mostly incompatible with the other manufacturer’s light sources. So lighting market is facing the situation in which the light source itself is not standardised.
I believe that there is a need to create awareness not only at the buyers’ end but also for the manufacturers. At the buyers’ end, awareness can be generated by propagating the long-term benefits of the technology and quantifying its cost-effectiveness.
Q. What have been your marketing initiatives to generate more business in the country?
A. GlacialLight has been actively participating in the lighting exhibitions held in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. We also participate in TAITRA business group and also organise annual seminars to educate our customers about our latest inventions in the field of LED lights and LED drivers.
Our country manager visits India every quarter to be in touch with the current customers and also develop new ones.
