Anirudh Kajaria



Anirudh Kajaria, Business Head, Century LED, discusses the company's recent foray into the lighting market with the launch of its Magik brand of LED lighting products. by Seema Gupta




Kolkata-based Century LED Ltd. is a forward-looking LED lighting solution provider with the vision of being amongst the top three companies in this industry by 2020. Anirudh Kajaria, Business Head, Century LED, plans to bring about a significant revolution in the LED lighting market through the company's breakthrough Magik brand, prompt after-sales service, and easy user interface.

Positioning its one-year-old Magik brand as affordable, technically advanced and sustainable, Kajaria says, "Our motto is to 'transform space'. We strive to understand the needs of the customers and offer solutions that are best in class, consumer centric and delightful. Our lighting products have been carefully crafted to cater to provide the desired lighting solutions that meet their everyday needs."

The brand's entry in the LED space is backed by three solid foundation pillars: manufacturing at the company's state-of-the-art facility in West Bengal, where every single product is crafted carefully under the supervision and scrutiny of the technicians, thus ensuring that the lighting products offer the best quality services at the most reasonable prices. The second is marketing that focuses on enhancing consumer experience with a wide range, thoughtful product designs, and prompt service. The third is monitoring through a world-class laboratory and design centre to help deliver consistent and continuous performance.

Kajaria says, "Our manufacturing capabilities backed by product and market knowledge and the expertise of professionals who have extensive prior experience in companies such as Philips, GE, Crompton, etc, has further enhanced our own strengths and capabilities in the LED industry. Our marketing approach has been focused and aggressive and we have the right people with hands-on experience in the field."

The company's wide range of Magik LED lamps has already garnered a significant market share in east India, especially in Kolkata, South Bengal, Siliguri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Patna, Guwahati, where 50-60% of the lighting needs are still being met by conventional products. Thereafter, the company forayed into western India, where the brand has found quick acceptance in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Raipur, Aurangabad, Baroda, Nagpur, Rajkot and has covered almost 90% market in the regions with over 95 channel partners already in place.

"Our technical know-how, strong marketing and sales network, and a targeted and focused entry have resulted in a very positive and encouraging response from the dealer network in these regions. In the next phase, we will enter the southern markets, and later the northern in Jan 2017. We are very positive about the South given that the region is economically sound, the people are educated and more aware of the latest developments, they have a better adaption to changing trends, plus there is plenty of power available in the south. With our Make in India factory on board, we are ready to meet our competitors in any region," says Kajaria.

For a new brand in the market, this is a great achievement, no doubt. Kajaria attributes the ready acceptance of their products to their wide and affordable range of lighting solutions that include LED bulbs, lamps, and battens. "The fact that the launch of our Magik brand was backed by simultaneous start of our indigenous manufacturing facility, lent credence to our sincere and focused approach to the business, and made people believe in our claims of high quality and affordable pricing. Many top lighting companies in India are either sourcing their products from other countries, or they set up own manufacturing in the country much later after having accessed the market. But our intent from the start is to be seen as a serious player, hence, we first researched the market to gauge the potential and scope of our products, hired the right technical and marketing experts, set up an R&D and testing lab, and began manufacturing. This strategy has paid off."

Magik LED Solutions
MagikPrismline 36W LED batten is the brightest LED batten from our range with a system efficacy of 100Lm/W (under rated operating conditions). Its modern and robust design with spot-free illumination offers more brightness with no strain to the eyes, making it ideal for studying or reading, for corridors, balconies and for illuminating both small and large spaces. High quality components promise longer life and higher efficiency. It reduces power bill of upto 65% as compared to conventional fixtures, and the fixtures can withstand high voltages for a short duration, and surge protection of upto 2kv. It is available in a wide wattage range of 9-36W, and is priced at Rs.1,175.

Century LED's manufacturing unit spread over 60,000 sq.ft at Srijan Industrial Logistic Park in Howrah, has an installed capacity of about 10 mn units per annum. The company has invested Rs.45 crore to ensure best-in-class products in keeping with the ongoing Make In India campaign.

Kajaria informs that the lighting market currently comprises of a handful of organized players and small traders. The big players are still offering the conventional fluoroscent tube lights and incandescent bulbs because the market for these products still exists. In doing so, these players, who are equally keen to promote their LED range, are, in a way cannibalizing their own market for LEDs. The small traders, on the other hand, are importing from China or sourcing from small manufacturers. They have no recognized distribution channel, nor do they bring confidence to the customers in regards with the quality of their products.

Magik Sparkle Spot Swivel
Magik Golf Ball Shot with its clear diffuser provides a sparkling light at low intensity that can lit up a given surface but at the same time does not giving out glare. Available in clear and frosted with various beam angles in 5 W and is prices at Rs.255. MagikSparkle Spot swivel has a round adjustable design, providing bright illumination for ceiling and wall applications. It is designed for high intensity, high lighting application and has a unique adjustment technology for directing the light in different directions. Its light weight makes it easy to install and it has a long service life. Available in various colour temperatures for 3 W, 6 W, 9 W, and is priced from Rs.525 to Rs.1,210.

Magik Golf Ball Shot
He informs that the lighting industry, which is currently estimated to be Rs.5000 to Rs.6000 crore, will grow by 45% over a short-term; the unorganized sector comprises 30-40% of the industry. In such a scenario, he is confident that their Magik brand with its best-in-class products backed by technology and affordable price points is set to find a strong footing in the LED space. "Our products are more aggressively priced, and they have better specifications as regards their lux levels, lumen/watt, and electronics, that are tested at more stringent points as regards safety and longevity. Our application for ISO9001:2015, NABL accreditation for our R&D centre is under process, which will make it a certified test house for other brands as well," he says.

The company aims to position its Magik brand amongst the top 10 in India. It is engaging in aggressive marketing that includes BTL activities, organizing retailer meets, and has plans for similar architect forums as well. It started with a consumer portfolio but the next few months will see the launch of professional lighting products designed to provide specific solutions to industries in the Architecture, Industrial, and Commercial spaces. New launches will include floodlights for commercial/public arenas and their slimmer versions for use in private gardens and landscapes, and various other products for application in plant lighting, urban lighting, environmental lighting, etc.

"Most companies adapt their lighting design by following Chinese or Korea designs. But we design, develop, and upgrade our products as per customer preferences, at our R&D and Design Centre. For instance, we have innovated with a single LED tubelight to replace the commonly used double tubelights. With space saving in high-rise apartments becoming a major challenge and leading to construction of thinner false ceilings, we have developed ultra thin spotlights that can be concealed very well in these reduced false ceilings. We have also developed lamps that provide sharp or diffused light that architects and interior designers can play with to offer customized lighting solutions."

"Good Lighting is one that is experienced and not seen. With easy to fit products that come in varied shapes and sizes, wattage and colour temperature, each product under our Magik brand will seamlessly find its place in any home, retail outlet, or industry. We will also make available our product IES files to architects so that they can come up with the best lighting design solutions," he states.

According to him, the market for lighting solutions is set to witness a massive change, with energy guzzling conventional lighting gradually being phased out. "The government is acting as a catalyst in promoting LEDs. It is one of the biggest customers of LEDs; it buys bulk quantities from manufacturers and sells it to consumers at subsidized rates. Soon builders and architects too will be meeting 60-70% of the lighting needs of their projects through LEDs and the rest through niche products."