Havells marches ahead with Checko towards electrical safety

To tackle the rising threat of counterfeit electrical products, Havells pioneers a groundbreaking collaboration with Checko, employing advanced technology to ensure consumer safety and brand integrity. Arvind Agrawal shares details of the partnership with EPR Magazine.

How does Havells’ partnership with Checko reflect its consumer safety commitment?

In an era where the duplication menace of electrical products, especially wires, has escalated into a significant concern, Havells has taken a formidable step forward. The industry-first collaboration between Havells and Checko introduces a revolutionary initiative to safeguard consumers from the rampant counterfeit market. The initiative leverages a state-of-the-art technological solution, “Checko” developed by the bright minds at IIT Kanpur. This unique code, akin to a digital fingerprint, ensures a 100 percent success rate in detecting counterfeit products at the retailer level, marking a pivotal moment in the industry’s fight against fraud.

What is the kind of technology involved in the Havells and Checko collaboration?

The industry is at a critical juncture, with reports highlighting an alarming rise in the duplication of wires, posing not only a commercial threat but, more gravely, a hazard to consumer safety and trust. The partnership of Havells with Checko addresses this issue head-on, integrating advanced Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) to create copy-proof labels. These labels, embedded on Havells wires, empower consumers to verify authenticity through a smartphone scan using the Checko mobile app available on Android and iOS platforms.

How does the Checko technology impact consumers and channel partners?

This pioneering initiative, a first in the industry, the Checko technology, equipped with advanced Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs), provides a robust mechanism for consumers to verify the authenticity of their products easily. This breakthrough has profound implications for consumers and our distributors/channel partners.

For consumers, the checko technology offers unparalleled peace of mind. With the ability to instantly confirm the genuineness of their purchases, they are assured of the quality and safety of Havells wires, reinforcing their trust in the brand. This level of transparency is crucial in an industry where counterfeit products can pose significant safety risks, making checkout technology essential in safeguarding consumer interests.

Conversely, our distributors and channel partners benefit from the heightened brand integrity that Checko technology brings. By distinguishing between genuine and counterfeit products, we ensure that our partners distribute authentic Havells products confidently and maintain high standards.

Why must counterfeit issues be addressed in the wires and cable industry?

Counterfeit electrical products, particularly wires and cables, pose significant safety hazards, including fire and electrical failure risk, jeopardising consumer safety and property. According to industry reports, counterfeit electrical products cost the global economy billions annually, with a considerable portion stemming from the wires and cable segment. The prevalence of these counterfeits undermines the trust in and the reputation of established brands, leading to substantial financial losses for genuine manufacturers and consumers.

Havells’ initiative, in collaboration with Checko technology, represents a proactive step towards eliminating these risks, setting a benchmark for authenticity and safety in the electrical products market.

What are your specialised products catering to the wire and cable industry, and what is the USP of Havells India?

Havells offers best-in-class products that address the changing needs of the market and industry. Havells wires portfolio includes HRFR (Heat Resistant Flame-Retardant cables), FRLS-H (Flame retardant low smoke and halogen), HFFR (Halogen Free Flame Retardant), multicore round cables, submersible cables, telecom switch board, coaxial cables, LAN cables, CCTV cables, speaker cables and solar cables.

We are among the first few companies to get an ISI licence for our HFFR range of wires, considered the safest and most environmentally friendly wires in its segment. Havells is the only company offering a heat resistance flame retardant (HRFR) range of wire as a regular product in the market, giving our consumers additional safety.

Spokesperson: Arvind Agrawal, Senior Vice President, Havells India