India will be at the epicenter of energy growth in the world: Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider

Schneider Electric showcased its wide range of energy management and next-gen automation solutions at the 15th edition of ELECRAMA 2023.

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric, said Elecrama is one of the biggest events in the world. This exhibition is absolutely central to our industry. When we look at what's happening in India, the Government's plans have no comparison in the rest of the world. The pace of growth in India is expected to be staggering. Energy is very important here. Energy is very vital for India.

Our industry has two missions: first, to provide energy for all ambitious missions for India. Second, there is a major crisis -- the climate change crisis. That also means energy crisis. We need to reduce carbon emission or energy consumption for everything. We need to work on energy efficiency, otherwise, we will be paying a bitter price. Climate change also happens to affect the poorest layer of the population. If there are any climate disorders, that will also affect food supplies.

Digitization and electrification

Tricoire noted that India will be at the epicenter of the energy growth in the world. The first technology is digitization. It has been with us for a long time. We are barely starting phase two of the Internet today. IoT is now connected to machines. Today, machines are speaking with each other so that we can optimize energy production and energy consumption. For the first time, everything will get connected.

The second change is electrification. In future, it will based on renewables, leading to clean electrification. There will be sense for digitization so that you can measure volatility of telecom networks. There will be digitization for efficiency. There will be electrification for decarbonization.

India will be developing superfast, in the next 25 years. By 2047, there is a goal post for energy independence. By 2070, there is a goal to be net zero. India has the chance to do every single thing, right from the start.

Look at what is happening in Europe and USA. The IRA stimulus package is billions of dollars to redo the energy system. All of the energy systems today are not fit for the future. Europe Green Deal is looking at rebuilding the energy systems. It is looking to move to renewable and decentralized energy. In India, we can do all of these, right from the beginning. India is going to double its energy needs over the next 25 years.

The future is also electric! Everything around us will be far more electric. India has barely started its construction of electrical infrastructure. It has a chance to become the leading technology country in future, by building an energy system that is completely different. Today, the greenest, cheaper, and fastest way of saving is via energy efficiency. With digitization, you can immediately save up to 30% of energy efficiency.

Today, the car does not save energy. You need the radiator to dissipate the heat. The boiler is also inefficient. However, the heat pump is very efficient. It is super efficient in the electric car. You need to be digitized to be more efficient, and gain at least 30%.

Another one is electrification! In Europe and USA, there are incentives for people to change gas boilers to electrical. You can digitize and electrify! We have to create clean sources of energy. India has a huge resource that many other countries do not have: the exposure to sun rays. India has lot of resources in wind, and also in solar. There is also hydrogen, and carbon capture for what is remaining of fossil fuels.

In India

Schneider, in India, is celebrating 60th anniversary of its presence in India. We have invested a lot in India over the past two decades. We saw the potential of India, and its people. India is now the third largest market for Schneider, after USA and China. We also have 34,500+ people in India. There are over 6,000+ people in R&D. We also have 30 manufacturing plants in India. We are building five new plants, and building new capacity. We export 50% of what we produce in India. 80% of products that we sell in India is also developed across India. We produce global technologies in India.

Energy is really essential for a decent life. We launched an initiative in India 15 years ago, to provide green, electrical systems. Today, we supply energy to over 9 million people. We have also trained 180,000 youth to be electricians for their villages. The future will be more electric. We have 430 training centres across the country for future training. It is absolutely essential to have buildings that are energy efficient in the future.

Anil Chaudhry, Zone President, India, and MD and CEO, Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd, noted: “Our large presence at ELECRAMA 2023 aims to re-inforce our commitment and actions towards a more sustainable India. Schneider Electric Group is proud to be the Sustainability Partner for Elecrama 2023. With our 2 Brand 2 Sales Strategy, we aim to provide superior value to our customers by offering a wide range of technologically advanced products and solutions across portfolios, applications, and segments. I am also proud that we have completed six decades of our presence in the country. It has been a phenomenal journey, where a customer-first approach, constant innovation, and breadth of our offers across end markets gave us an edge. We will also continue to support the Government of India's vision of creating an Atmanirbhar Bharat, and aim to further invest Rs 1400 crore over the next 2 years.”

“We also launched a new Sustainability research report: Path to Developed and Decarbonized India, intending to help accelerate India's efforts towards achieving its climate target by developing a futuristic energy system."

Schneider announced the investment of INR 1,400 crores to increase its manufacturing footprint by building 5 new factories in India over the next two years. It re-affirmed the commitment towards the Government of India vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat by making India a global manufacturing hub for electrical and automation products, innovation, global R&D and AI. Schneider Electric expects to play a critical role in India’s growth, especially in the next 25 years of the ‘Amrit Kaal’.

At ELECRAMA 2023, Schneider Electric has showcased its state-of-the-art technologies and solutions for homes, buildings, industries, infrastructure, data centers and other sectors for creating a brighter, more sustainable future together.