Digitalisation and modernisation is driving the equipment business

Kalidas Bhangare, Managing Director, Testo India Private Limited. In an interview with EPR Magazine.

Addressing the transformations happening in the power sector with increasing digitisation, Kalidas Bhangare, Managing Director, Testo India Private Limited brief us on how Testo is adopting innovative solutions to offer best measurement and safety propositions to its customers.

In the month of May, at Distribuelec 2022, Testo exhibited solutions that can be used for transmission lines and substations, including a detailed display of the thermal imaging cameras for multiple applications. These cameras can record images and videos that would ordinarily be invisible to the naked eye. This serves as a digital camera, providing thermographic pictures and video that aids in detection of hot and cold regions in a power system and the implementation of preventative actions. Other linked products such as voltage testers, clamp metres, noise metres, and temperature instruments were also on show.

Can you talk about how Distribuelec 2022 was for you? 

This was a great opportunity, and as an industry, we’ve been missing out on such a setting, and the industrial & business gatherings in recent years. Meeting people and our clients in person makes a difference as it gives the business an emotional component. Despite the fact that the pandemic has made people digitally capable of working and collaborating on a virtual platform, personal interaction will always be important.

How are Testo’s range of solutions assisting the digital and modern infrastructure? 

We are witnessing the change in the market. Digitalisation and modern infrastructure have altered the outlook of power sector products and equipment. Testo keeps you ahead of the competition. Our product line includes Bluetooth and WiFi which can be a value addition for the customers for wireless monitoring and used to share thermal images and maintenance data for analysis.

Also, our products are intended to be safe. We develop products that meet the required and prescribed safety parameters. 

Currently there’s shortage of components in global market and its affecting the costing of solutions. We are optimising our solutions and components range to offer better German quality products ongoingly. As a result testo is not increasing the cost of products due to this global crisis like many other manufacturers.

Currently, “Make in India” drive is on a high in India, and we are for it, we should also enhance screening of quality for products and services. We are seeing today imported products from neighbouring countries get labelled as make in India and place in the market without any validations. This is creating a challenge for quality manufacturers who provide solutions to Indian customers.

The future of India’s utility companies in the light of the modernisation process? 

Privatisation is on the table. But I must say that in the utility and government sectors, people are changing and they want to have access to the latest technology. Of course, the tendering system has some limitations. Because of cost constraints, they may not always obtain the best product. But I can see a shift and a shift in mindset even here.

In the future, we see a prosperous future for renewable energy in India.