From being considered a B-grade player, Havells India has emerged as a leading brand that offers world-class quality at affordable Indian prices, feels Anil Rai Gupta, its Chairman and Managing Director.

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In an interview on CNBC-TV18, Gupta acknowledged that while Havells had good quality products, collaborations, and manufacturing facilities 20 years ago, it was still perceived as a B-grade player compared to multinational competitors. This perception was partly due to the mindset of Indian consumers at the time.

Gupta said, “What has changed in the last couple of decades is that while the focus on excellent quality manufacturing capabilities has remained, we have actually been able to reach the consumers mindset to ensure to portray that companies like Havells can give world class and world class quality as well as at Indian prices.”

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Havells made a significant move by acquiring Lloyd, a company heavily reliant on outsourcing air conditioners from China. Skepticism arose regarding Havells' ability to bring in advanced technology, as major global players from Korea and Japan were believed to possess superior technological capabilities.

However, Gupta proudly announced that Havells has defied expectations. Today, the company is on the verge of achieving Rs 20,000 crore in revenue, with 95 percent of its products manufactured in-house in India.

He said, “I am very proud to say that Havells is now inching towards Rs 20,000 crore revenue 95 percent is manufactured in-house in India. And everything that is churned out is developed by Indian engineers in India, whether it's an air conditioner or an air circuit breaker, or a product like a refrigerator or a small product like a miniature circuit breaker, everything is developed and we have the capability to export it all over the world.”

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While Havells has made tremendous progress in establishing itself as a high-level brand, Gupta acknowledges that the next step is to ensure that customers perceive Havells as a technologically advanced manufacturer compared to its competitors.

Recognizing the increasing consumer demand for features enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), the company is keen on developing research and development (R&D) centres to cater to these aspirations.

He attributed this to the culture of humility in the organisation because of which, they always have an ear to the ground, have open channels for communication and are ready to make corrections.

“People feel highly motivated within the organisation due to the cultural traits exhibited within the company. To improve market share, ethics come first. These behavioural features are seeped into our culture,” he said.

(Edited by : Pradeep John)