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Energy efficient, futuristic lights to illumine India
Wednesday, 18 September 2002, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: Lighting solutions and wiring are not things one thinks of when planning a new home or office in India.
But if lighting companies are to be believed, soon these would be some of the first things installed for a modern lighting system right after the walls go up.
The system would allow the user to turn on and off lighting gadgets at the click of a mouse from any part of the globe -- from dimming the lights in your bedroom here while you holiday in New York to switching off the lamps in office.
And if you want to add a funky touch to the lighting system at home replacing those conventional tubes, then energy efficient products like smaller-than-a-fingernail laser emitting diodes (LEDs) are an alternative.
LEDs, which are easily programmed to make subtle changes in colour and quality of light, can be arranged in virtually infinite configurations to create design solutions.
Indian and foreign companies here believe this "futuristic" concept can light up homes and offices in the not-too-distant future.
A host of domestic and global lighting majors projected visions of future illumination solutions at an exposition here that ended last weekend.
"The kinds of things that are coming along are a little more futuristic, but the things we have today are very energy efficient and can be installed now at a very reasonable cost," said Sudeshna Mukhopadhyay, general manager of Philips India Ltd.
"Lighting today has not only become necessary but has become a key ingredient of our well being and occupies prime mind space in homes and commercial establishments," Mukhopadhyay said.
The 
70-billion lighting division of Philips India is currently concentrating on bringing in a range of LED products in the domestic market for residential and commercial use.
With an expected lifespan of 50,000-100,000 hours, or approximately 6 to 11 years of continuous use, LEDs last 50 to 100 times longer than the normal incandescent bulb.
The reason is that LED runs on low current and voltage and efficiently converts electricity into light, consuming less energy than conventional sources of illumination.
"Our focus is on introducing new lighting products that not only save energy but also enhance user experience. The products are smaller in size, need lesser materials and are environment-friendly," said the Philips official.
Osram India, a lighting unit of Germany's Osram group, has also lined up a series of new launches for the domestic market that not only save energy but also have high decorative effects.
"A concept like LED is the ideal basis for creative design for new light solutions. It has configurations to create new design solutions ... lines, points, fields and curves of light are all possible," said an Osram India official.
Akash Kakar, director of Light Sound Image, said lighting companies in India would have to focus on the integration of lighting, lighting control and audiovisual technologies to transform "concepts into realities".
"The companies will have to work closely with interior designers, architects, landscape consultants and lighting designers to create the right ambience and effect for a variety of projects.
"It can be achieved by a single supplier that could handle everything from consultation and design to installation and support."
Light Sound Image has become one of the leading companies of its kind in the Asia Pacific region with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and India, and the group has completed around 1,000 projects. Leading luxury hotels like Hyatt Regency Hotel and Regent Hotel in Mumbai and the Taj Hotels in Goa and Hyderabad are among its clients.
H.S. Mamak, president of the Indian Society of Lighting Engineers, said the 30-billion Indian lighting industry is likely to continue with a growth rate of 6 to 7 percent over the next couple of years.
Source: IANS
70-billion lighting division of Philips India is currently concentrating on bringing in a range of LED products in the domestic market for residential and commercial use.
With an expected lifespan of 50,000-100,000 hours, or approximately 6 to 11 years of continuous use, LEDs last 50 to 100 times longer than the normal incandescent bulb.
The reason is that LED runs on low current and voltage and efficiently converts electricity into light, consuming less energy than conventional sources of illumination.
"Our focus is on introducing new lighting products that not only save energy but also enhance user experience. The products are smaller in size, need lesser materials and are environment-friendly," said the Philips official.
Osram India, a lighting unit of Germany's Osram group, has also lined up a series of new launches for the domestic market that not only save energy but also have high decorative effects.
"A concept like LED is the ideal basis for creative design for new light solutions. It has configurations to create new design solutions ... lines, points, fields and curves of light are all possible," said an Osram India official.
Akash Kakar, director of Light Sound Image, said lighting companies in India would have to focus on the integration of lighting, lighting control and audiovisual technologies to transform "concepts into realities".
"The companies will have to work closely with interior designers, architects, landscape consultants and lighting designers to create the right ambience and effect for a variety of projects.
"It can be achieved by a single supplier that could handle everything from consultation and design to installation and support."
Light Sound Image has become one of the leading companies of its kind in the Asia Pacific region with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and India, and the group has completed around 1,000 projects. Leading luxury hotels like Hyatt Regency Hotel and Regent Hotel in Mumbai and the Taj Hotels in Goa and Hyderabad are among its clients.
H.S. Mamak, president of the Indian Society of Lighting Engineers, said the 30-billion Indian lighting industry is likely to continue with a growth rate of 6 to 7 percent over the next couple of years.
Source: IANS