How much revenue does retail sector contribute?

Almost 70% of our business is from retail sector. We are present predominantly in the South with key deployments in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Our key areas of focus are jewellery and textile apparels showrooms. Recently, we have started focussing on electronics stores that give prominence to lighting.

Why do you call lights as a solution and not product anymore?

Clients no longer ask for simple lighting. They ask for ambience. Every client has different requirements. We are now in a position to consult and advise them the best lights that suit their ambience, guiding them with best technologies in lighting. Thus, I can say, lighting is no more about product selling but solution servicing.

What are the changing expectations of the retailers from lighting?

The expectations are changing day to day. Pricing is also playing major role in selection of lights. The expectations are of best lighting efficiency at lowest possible price. Earlier, the retailers looked at power-saving lights. Since the advent of LED lights, the retailers look beyond power-saving options. On the sales side, I notice that retailers prefer lights which bring maximum brightness to the stores or products.

In Textile stores, especially silk saree section, is it still a challenge for lighting providers like you?

Yes. That is the challenge in textile industry. We, at Satco, aim to make it our unique preposition in retail sector. Our solutions can give the exact day-light reflection of the product inside the store.

What are the forthcoming trends in the lighting segment?

IoT will play a major role in Indian lighting industry. Beyond glorifying a product in the store, lights will be used for basic data generation. Another big innovation would be in bringing multiple colours in a single fixture. In the next one year, we believe that tunable lights will be used widely by retailers. The retailer can use a yellow light for 24 hours and cool light for the next 24 hours. The lights can be controlled using a remote or even a mobile app!

What are your expansion plans for this financial year?

We are strengthening operations in Andhra Pradesh. We are already strong in Telangana region with key deployments in Hyderabad.