Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director, RR Kabel Ltd and Group President, RR Global, shares insights into RR Global’s unique products, presence in 90+ countries, and future plans.
By Nichola Marie
One of the world’s leading names in the electrical industry today, what makes RR Global’s products — including wires and cables, and electrical solutions for indoor, outdoor and commercial purposes, and automated multi-level car parking — unique?
The uniqueness comes through a carefully crafted three-step strategy. This has been developed through years of experience, failures and successes both in India and overseas:
Step 1: Investing time and money externally by understanding our markets and target audiences. This happens with teams penetrating at every level in India and abroad and understanding what our markets and people need.
Step 2: Investing time and money internally by investing in our people, training, and infrastructure to develop products that are made of the highest quality and safety. There are absolutely no shortcuts here, and therefore we invest so much into our R&D setup.
Step 3: Manufacturing as per Indian and international standards, products that are the best at an economical price.
What are the current trending preferences in electrical equipment?
High-quality products that adhere to safety standards and are economical are the trending preferences in electrical equipment.
What is your opinion on the emergence of township projects?
It is a much-needed requirement that should have been done decades ago. Our cities are filled to the brink, almost at a breaking point. Townships outside of the city need to be created that have well-developed and maintained infrastructure, access to schools and hospitals and where people do not need to commute far to get to their work. All of this needs to be done on a war footing.
What is your reading of the demand for property in top metros?
The real estate sector across the country is booming and has been for a few years now. This trend is likely to continue and the best part is that it is across the board, from high-end luxury properties to more affordable ones. However, there is still a great opportunity and gap in the affordable housing category which, I believe, will also be bridged thanks to efforts from the Central Government.
Any environmental, social and governance (ESG) steps from RR Global?
At RR Global, we save more than 45 tonnes of paper annually. We have certified OHSAS 18001-2007 management system for managing occupational health and safety (OHS) risks at our facilities. More than 15% of our energy comes from renewable sources. Other ESG steps include 100% ISO 14001 certified facilities, 10% plus women workforce at all levels, and products that are of the highest quality and thereby environment-friendly.
Can you elaborate on RR Global’s presence in 90+ countries?
We have been a ‘make in India’ company decades before the term became viral and a trend. At the very start, we manufactured and sold products in markets overseas; the European Union (EU), in particular. To do that, we had to ensure our products were manufactured as per their quality standards which are the highest in the world. Over the years, we have tripled our product portfolio in the EU and other regions, have a 100+ strong team in the UAE including a manufacturing unit in Dubai, have a strong presence across the Middle East and Africa, and have ventured far beyond just wires and cables in these markets. Now we sell a broad range of top-notch fast-moving electric goods (FMEG) products, and parking systems, amongst others.
Future growth plans for RR Global?
We plan to further consolidate ourselves in our key markets, focus on double-digit growth, venture into new markets and continually offer our target group newer, better and more economical-to-purchase products.
