”Meet Vikram Kalia, the Director Sales and Marketing of Adit Infratel Pvt. Ltd. which is a leading manufacturer and supplier of mobile battery, portable charger, wall charger and car charger from Gurgaon, India. “The very basis of our existence relies on the fact that we believe, like we always have believed that if there’s anyone, anywhere in the world, who can do something, we, here in India, cannot only do the same, but we can do it far better, for far less!!!””
What does Adit Infratel do? What are the core competencies of the company?
Adit Infratel was setup with a vision to become the largest manufacturer and supplier of quality power products and various accessories for the mobile phone market. Since our inception,we have been working towards this vision and we can see ourselves growing and being successful in our vision in the near future. We were the first company to enter into mobile battery manufacturing in 2002. In 2011 we became the first company to enter into portable charger manufacturing in India. In 2015, we started manufacturing mobile phone chargers as per the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard) and we were the first to get the BIS for the mobile chargers for the aftermarket sales. We are manufacturing our product lines namely Mobile Batteries, Portable Chargers, Mobile Chargers and Car Chargers primarily and living the dream of ‘Make in India’. Other than these four product lines, we make many other products like wearable audio(earphones and headphones), MFI Cables, USB cables, Multimedia Speakers etc. Core competency of AIPL lies in its vast experience in terms of manufacturing. We entered into this space the day mobiles were launched in India in 1995. Devising the art of manufacturing that matches the global standards has always been on our priority list and we have successfully setup the new facility accordingly.
From 1995 to 2016, you have come along way. How did you strategize the company’s growth?
We are India’s largest Mobile and Portable Charger manufacturer. It is not something that is easy to achieve. Many manufacturers have come and gone in the last two decades. We have been slowly and steadily growing because we didn’t move away from our core philosophy. We have our growth plans which are based on our core philosophy– Quality First. The reason we have been able to survive in such a competitive industry is because we have always maintained our quality and transparency in operations while dealing with our customers and partners. Our Brands are being built on the same foundation and are slowly catching up in the Indian Market. We have clocked a sales revenue of$3.50 million last year and this year, it will shoot up at least by 50%.
You are Samsung’s SDI audited and approved Battery facility in India since 2013. How did this collaboration happen and what are the number of units you provide them annually?
As I said, when we have to maintain quality we have to create an environment which is driven by quality be it raw material, infrastructure or the processes. The cells being used are a complicated product and a lot of precaution is needed while assembling the same. Our manufacturing unit maintains all that is required for a battery factory and that is why we have been approved by them. The numbers are substantial.
With big giants in the market like Samsung, Nokia and Apple who are promoting 100% original and authentic accessories, how difficult or easy is the survival in the current market?
We have been using Samsung cells for the batteries compatible with Samsung mobiles. So we are able to match the quality to a great extent. As for Apple accessories, we have a product which is certified by them. So we can say, we are as good as original but when it comes to price, we are at least 40% to 50% cheaper than them! We are a brand for the masses and it is said that fortune lies at the bottom of the pyramid. This market is price conscious but still expects a decent quality. So our product range and price fits the bill perfectly.
India, itself is a huge market for gadgets and accessories. What made you decide on exploring Africa? Did you do a market survey or analysis before entering?
Market is ever expanding and nothing is going to wait for you. We know our strengths and we decided to explore both the markets together. We have been into the Indian market since the last 2 years now with more than 50 partners covering most of the states. For Africa, we have chosen countries in which we want to be present; and we have done it very carefully. These countries have been chosen keeping in mind the existing product demand and of course thinking about the advantage of moving in first. Currently, the African market is even more price conscious than the Indian; but unlike India the volume is very small. So we are talking to some good partners to take our brand distribution and creating an eco-system on smaller volumes will be not sustainable as of now. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia etc. are some key markets for us.
What all Advent products would you like to introduce to the continent first? At present which part of Africa you think is Advent’s Ready market?
I think people need good mobile batteries for the after-market. In India, the market is big and I am sure this product category will behaving a good market in the entire African continent. Accessories like USB Cables, Chargers, Portable Chargers are having equally exciting market. The audio segment is another category that we would like to explore. Africans are music lovers and I am sure this product category will do well too. From the market perspective, I think we have done enough work in South Africa; so it will be the first market where we will be starting.
Who is your target audience—Mobile Operator Companies or the End User?
We are primarily a manufacturing company. So we have to approach both types of customers. We will be exploring the market in two ways. We would love to have tie ups with large format retail stores and also have a distribution network for small VAR (Value Added Resellers). Mobile manufacturers and large corporates are another segment that we would be addressing.
China being the leading provider of affordable gadgets and accessories in Africa, how would you convince an African To buy Advent Products?
Products manufactured in India are equally affordable and are having better acceptance. Here I would like to reiterate our belief which is part of our corporate presentation too. India is changing and changing fast for good. The world would be seeing a different India in the next two years under leadership of our Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi.
Advent is a trusted name in India, what are your expectations from Africa as continent, the market is big but accepting a new brand is never easy. How do you plan to deal with that?
Acceptance will come with trust and we know it is not going to be easy but our belief and our transparency in our way of working and consistent quality will be the driving force behind building this trust. It will start from choosing the right partner who also has same principles.