Numeric has a rich legacy of over 30 years in the UPS business. Since the past ten years or so, Numeric is part of the Legrand Group. In this exclusive interaction, we have Satpal Singh, CEO, Numeric, discussing a range of company and industry issues, especially touching upon how “Digital India” is positively impacting the UPS business. Speaking on the core values of Numeric and the Legrand Group, Satpal Singh emphasizes that with innovation as the company’s core business philosophy, Numeric has been able to address the requirements of its customers with need-based solutions.
Numeric is known for regularly introducing innovative UPS products. Take us through the important recent launches.
We design our products and solutions keeping innovation at the core of our development – innovation not for the sake of it, but need-based innovation that will cater to the customer’s needs and address their pain points.
At Numeric, we are driven by four growth drivers – Innovation, Smart Solutions, Power to People and Pre-emptive Partnering.
With customer as the focus, everything that we do is driven by these growth pillars. Being part of Group brand Legrand also gives us the distinct advantage of being a GLOCAL company – global expertise with deep local market knowledge.
From the launch of Keor series in 2017 where we pioneered the front access for the UPS systems, to plug-and-play products that were launched in 2020 for the residential and commercial segments, to the IF award winning stylish Keor MOD, the modular 3 phase UPS Keor XPE catering to the evolving needs of data centers or be it sustainable products like the single phase UPS Premius that evinces our commitment towards a sustainable future; innovation and need based solution has alwaysbeen the central theme of our offer.
In general, how is the government’s push to “Digital India” boosting the demand forUPS systems?
Many digital initiatives under “Digital India” programs, for example smart classrooms, digital infrastructure like smart city programs, e-governance, digital banking etc has pushed the adoption across the country. This acceleration and the rise of “Digital First” initiatives mean increased data that need to be available on demand. This has given rise to the need for continuous power supply and uninterrupted power even in case of power disruptions.
Digitization is no longer restricted to just one segment; it now spans from manufacturing to education to banking to healthcare to governance. Digitization has gained rapid pace in every segment.
This has accelerated the need for quality and continuous power for seamless workflow and management. We are seeing a growing demand for uninterrupted power supply, and this will only continue to rise as more activities come under the purview of digitalisation.
We perceive that the market for UPS solutions is rapidly moving from metropolitan and tier-I cities to tier-II cities and towns. What is your take on the matter?
While the need for uninterrupted power has increased in tier-II cities and smaller towns, the demand in tier-1 cities is still on the rise for the evolved usage of modern-day applications. The expansion of smart cities, digital governance, online education, and the accessibility to internet has increased the demand for UPS across the country.
With personal computers gradually giving way to laptops and hand-held devices, do you feel that the market for UPS solutions in the residential sector has declined?
With IoT and smart devices, residential segment has become technologically advanced. The modern household is equipped with multiple electronic devices like computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and many other smart devices that have made our lives easier and more convenient, which means, the connected devices in order to function seamlessly need to have uninterrupted continuity. In fact, the demand for UPS in residential segments is on the rise, and we continue to hold the leadership position in line interactive UPS for 30 consecutive years.
How do you look at the growing demand for UPS solutions in the healthcare segment (both medical equipment and medical facilities/labs)?
Healthcare has been one of the fastest growing segments for us. From telemedicine consultations to advanced technologies in healthcare management, all of this has boosted the need for UPS in this segment. With rapid advancement in technology, the diagnostic machines and advanced healthcare devices are sensitive to the quality and availability of power. The need for UPS in healthcare is not just restricted to critical infrastructure but also lighting and IT applications. Numeric offers customized solutions to healthcare segment depending on the application and the criticality of its application. Smaller healthcare facilities like polyclinics and telemedicine centers typically require smaller UPS systems to provide backup power for critical equipment like computers, telecommunication systems, and medical devices.
On the other hand, larger healthcare facilities like hospitals require much larger UPS systems to provide backup power for a wide range of critical applications like lighting, heating, and cooling systems, IT infrastructure, diagnostic and imaging equipment etc.
It’s important to have a reliable and robust UPS system in place in healthcare facilities to ensure uninterrupted power supply and prevent any disruption in critical medical services.
What would you regard as the biggest demand drivers for UPS solutions in the coming years?
The demand for UPS comes from multi segments. The rise in data centers, digitalisation, smart cities, investment in infrastructure, growing healthcare and manufacturing activities, connected homes will all contribute to the demand for UPS in the coming years. Numeric is well poised to address every segment with its wide range of products from 600 VA to 21 MWand service solutions through a network of more than 250+ direct service centres and +1200 Service professionals ensuring uninterrupted power at all times.
Speaking of industry-related issues, we learn that there is currently a shortage of semiconductors. What is the real situation, and how is Numeric responding to the same?
The global demand and supply balance has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to changes in various industries, including the semiconductor market. In the last three years, the situation has evolved significantly, making it critical for businesses to be more adaptable and agile to the changing market conditions.
However, Numeric was able to navigate the concerns early on and took proactive steps to mitigate any potential impact on the company’s operations and customers. Numeric was able to align its supplies with its long-term strategic partners and ensure that its customers received the necessary support during and after the pandemic period.
On another industry issue, there is a view that India’s domestic testing facilities, especially for high kVA UPS systems are inadequate. What is your view?
Numeric’s commitment to providing high-quality products to its customers is evident in its investment in testing facilities for 3-phase products. This enables Numeric to maintain strict quality control measures throughout the production process, from design to manufacturing and testing, ensuring that all products meet or exceed the required industry standards and specifications, and customers can rely on Numeric to deliver products of the highest quality consistently. Having its own testing facilities also allows Numeric to be more responsive to customer needs and feedback, making it easier to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to enhance product quality.
It has been a little over a decade since Numeric came into the Legrand India fold. How has the brand grown post-acquisition, and how do you see the years ahead for Numeric?
Numeric has a rich legacy of over 30 years of expertise in UPS industry. Being part of Group Legrand has given us the distinct advantage of being a GLOCAL company – leveraging the global expertise of brand Legrand combined with our deep local market knowledge. With innovation at the centre, we have been able to address the requirements of our customers with our need based solutions.
Service is an extremely critical component in our industry. We have the distinction of having the largest service network in the industry which is completely tech-enabled, with 250+ direct service centres and over 1,200+ service professionals. This ensures that we have our customers covered across the length and breadth of the country, and we are the only brand to have the advantage of being able to serve our customers even in the remotest of locations. With India at a steady and steadfast growth, we see a bright future driven by growth.
