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Himel proves high quality, affordability are not mutually exclusive
“You have 5 million people in frontier lines, and they continue to face the obstacle of unsafe electrical infrastructure.
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Shrinivas Chebbi, Global Head of Himel Business.
“You have 5 million people in frontier lines, and they continue to face the obstacle of unsafe electrical infrastructure. I believe there are two levels of challenges in economic development; one is access to electricity and the next is access to safe electricity,” said Shrinivas Chebbi, the global head of Himel Business. “I think the second challenge is bigger in Indonesia, which is access to safe electricity.”
The construction of houses in densely populated areas is still largely based on wood, a material highly vulnerable to fire. It is critical to install electrical products that are compliant with standards and have proven reliability while still being affordable to all. Fortunately, fire safety is a priority in Himel products, which are manufactured in compliance with the international standards for flame retardation and high-temperature tolerance.
Research on urban fires in Indonesia analyzed incidents of fire occurring over a seven-year period in Jakarta and Surabaya.
It was found that most fires occurred in residential buildings and were mostly caused by electrical faults. The research concluded that improving the quality of electrical household products was one of the key approaches to avoiding casualties and direct losses.
“It’s a myth that people living in suburban areas, in forests or 3T [frontier, remote and disadvantaged] areas are the only ones facing challenges in accessing safe electricity. Urban spaces equally need to ramp up safer electrical infrastructure,” Shrinivas said.
Himel is a global manufacturer and provider of electrical products that is shifting the paradigm with high-quality, reliable products that are durable, affordable and accessible.
“We are a people’s brand. Addressing the needs of people and communities is our top-most priority,” Shrinivas added.
Driven by a philosophy of ‘Safer Electricity Accessible to All,’ Himel has been steadily growing in the region. The brand has been present in Indonesia for nine years. With a robust network of partners, distributors and more than 2,000 points of sales, Himel is on a mission to bring its products to the most remote areas of the country.
While Shrinivas applauded the government for creating access to power lines in every corner of the country, he is aware that not everyone has access to safe electricity.
“Quite often, the aspiration of buying something good itself is intimidating. So, people in a way try to look for something mediocre. The moment they make a purchase decision based on the price, many a time, quality takes a back seat,” Shrinivas said.
“When we came into the country, we were challenged with the same misconception. We are striving to change the mindset that the quality would be traded off with the cost. Still, a long way to go, but people and market have been responsive.”
However, he knows that having access to high-quality products is only half of the solution. Therefore, Himel is committed to providing education and training to electrical designers, original equipment manufacturers, electricians and technicians, emphasizing that value-engineered products can deliver the best investment value while maintaining quality.
He also expressed his desire to collaborate with the local government to accelerate the development of safer primary health centers and social housing projects in remote and suburban areas.
