NOVEMBER 2009
Rs. 125
WIRE BULLETIN India’s Quarterly Bulletin Dedicated to the Wire and Cable Industry
ASK THE EXPERT Q: What calculation is needed, if any, for the proper percentage between dies?
See answer on p. 11
Q: How many feet of cable can a reel hold?
Mumbai bridge is India’s first and longest sea link Wire and cable from two companies in India are among the key elements that are part of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), which has been hailed by some as a modern engineering marvel. BWSL is the first and longest sea-link bridge in India, connecting Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai.
See answer on p. 11
NEWS BITES • Alpha Wire targets solar market. New photovoltaic wire and solar cable enhances reliability in solar applications.
An overhead perspective of the BandraWorli Sea Link.
The following detail comes from news accounts and press releases: The project is designed to reduce travel time between Bandra and Worli from 45 or more minutes to less than 10 minutes. The four lanes of the inner side of the bridge were opened in June and the outer lanes are scheduled to open by year’s end. The BWSL’s cable-stayed main bridge spans some 600 meters in length and is 126 meters high, making it the equivalent of a 43story building. The bridge was fastened by 132 pieces of stay cable from Shanghai Pujiang Cable Co., Ltd., which supplied a total of 424 finished cables, including those for the uncompleted outer bridge. The approximately 2,250 km of highstrength, galvanized steel wire used to continued on p. 3
• El Sewedy launches state-of-the-art website: www.elsewedycables.com.
Harley-Davidson motorcycles to be sold in India
• Nexans wins a cable contract for ice-resistant cable from Sevmash to equip an oil production platform in the Barents Sea.
A slice of American heritage may soon be seen on the streets of India. HarleyDavidson Inc. announced that it plans to sell its legendary motorcycles next year in India, which it notes represents the world’s second-largest market for motorcycles. Harley reports that it sees a growing economy, rising middle class and investment in highways as leading to more leisure motorcycle riding in the country, which should translate to sales of its large, powerful models. Anoop Prakash is managing director of Harley-Davidson’s new India unit, which seeks dealers for Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and the state of Punjab. Motorcycle sales for the top 12 brands were reported to be down 46% in the first six months of 2009 from the prior year, while motorcycle sales in India rose about 15% in four months to July.
QUOTEABLE QUOTES Quality has to be caused, not “controlled.” ~ Philip Crosby Almost all quality improvement “comes via simplification of design, manufacturing...layout, processes, and procedures.” ~ Tom Peters Winners make a habit of manufac“turing their own positive expectations
“Given the rapid development of India’s economy and physical infrastructure, this is exactly the right time,” Harley COO Matthew Levatich said in a statement.
Many motorcycles sold in India cost $1,500 or less, while the Harley-Davidsons, which list for $15,000 and up, will also carry an import tariff that can nearly double the price. Total sales are projected continued on p. 3
in advance of the event.” ~Brian Tracy
KEC Int’l & RPG Cables to merge
IN THIS ISSUE: Editorial .............................. 2 World Calendar ................... 3 Industry News ..................... 4 People ................................ 6 Featured Concepts .............. 7 Production Tips ................. 10 Products, Media, & Technology..................... 11 Technical Paper................. 12 Classified & Ad Showcase.......................... 16
KEC International Limited (KEC), a global power transmission project management company involved in engineering, procurement, and construction, announced that its board of directors approved the merger with RPG Cables Limited (RPGCL) of India, a manufacturer of power, control, telecommunications, and instrumentation cables. The merger date is March 1, 2010. KEC has global operations in 20 countries including India and currently consumes cable products in its distribution, railway, and telecommunication project management businesses. The merger is said to provide the in-house capacity to produce the cable products needed for these businesses, which can further KEC toward becoming an integrated infrastructure project management player. In published reports, KEC International chairman Harsh Goenka, noted the expected benefits of the merger. “This merger
is a natural extension of KEC’s role in the energy space and a key element in the energy distribution portfolio that KEC is building into its strategy. Besides, there are obvious and distinct synergies which it will provide,” he said. With the company’s global presence and resources, KEC can expand its cables business in capacity and geographical reach. Commenting on the merger, Ramesh Chandak, MD & CEO, KEC International Limited said, “Just as our own tower manufacturing capacities have given a thrust to our transmission business, the merger provides us with cable capacities which will support our distribution, telecom and railways business substantially.” RPG Cables Ltd. has manufacturing facilities in India. RPG Enterprises has more than 20 companies managing business interests in power, tire, transmission, IT, and carbon black.|WB
CII study highlights future of Indian power sector
A recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), entitled “Sustaining Growth: Future of Indian Power Sector,” revealed the emerging opportunities and notable challenges for the future power markets. The A.T. Kearney study describes the evolving Indian power market from one that is “opening” to one that has quickly moved into a “developing” phase due to the steady increase of power demand, which is expected to grow at a steady 7.5-8% CAGR until 2017. According the study, India’s low power penetration levels are an indication of substantial unmet demand requiring consistent rates of high growth to meet comparable consumption levels of developing countries like China and Brazil. Sudhir Trehan, Chairman - CII India Energy Conclave & Energy Expo, and Managing Director, Crompton Greaves was quoted in a press release; he said, “The emerging dynamics of the Indian power market would require industry players to realign their strategies and operating models to the changing sectoral trends. The focus would need to be both on project execution as well as efficient operations, in line with the ‘growth’ characteristics of the sector.” New business opportunities in gas, hydro and nuclear energy and a renewed interest in coal as the dominant generation fuel were highlighted in the report. Renewable energy is expected to continue to grow at 15-20% per annum and government incentives will encourage solar farms and photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing interests. Similarly, the report points out that annual wind energy supply will continue to grow 15-20% with new offshore capacities and large capacity turbines. Generally the provided descriptions offer a cautiously optimistic view of India’s power sector and its ability to support the country’s growth objectives. “A new era of ‘Power on Power’ compensation will emerge by 2014 that will bring in a least 80-85 GW of new capacity,” said Kaustav Mukherjee, a partner at A.T. Kearney.|WB A D V E R T I S M E N T