A trailblazer in the UPS market

Mumbai-based Prostarm Info Systems Ltd. is a well-known name in the UPS market. Established in 2008, PROSTARM has grown multifold to serve as a single point provider of power solutions in the power electronics segment. Armed with a proficient and strong team of 300 plus engineers nationwide, the company has done 1,00,000 plus UPS/Stabilizer /Solar installations in the range 1 kVA to 320 kVA across various industries and served 500 plus large enterprise level customers. With an assiduous strategist like Ram Agarwal helming the company, PROSTARM has ambitious growth plans. The company is continuously expanding its workforce, infrastructure and product range to become an INR300 crore entity by FY 2023 and INR500 crore by 2025, finds out Machine Tools World in an interface with Ram Agarwal who recently bagged the Engineering Excellence Award for being the Young Entrepreneur from the Power Electronics segment. The company is today in the top league of UPS manufacturers offering smart, reliable and energy-efficient power electronics solutions and empowering the digital transformation journey of the country. Excerpts:

Q. A dominant player in the UPS market, Prostarm is said to be taking a quantum leap in this sunrise industry. Please comment.

PROSTARM has emerged as a single point provider of power solutions in the power electronics segment. It brings clean, efficient, reliable and affordable Power Storage solutions across businesses of every size and sector. We are a trendsetter in the growing segment of power electronics. Armed with a proficient and strong team of 300 plus engineers nationwide, we have done 1,00,000 plus UPS/Stabilizer /Solar installations in the range 1 kVA to 320 kVA across various industries and served 500 plus large enterprise level customers. Having a wealth of expertise and experience spanning over 15 years, PROSTARM provides innovative power solutions for smart & critical projects. Recently, The Industry Outlook magazine has recognized PROSTARM as among the Top 10 UPS & Inverter Manufacturers in India.

Q. What does your product basket look like?

We have a comprehensive range of Power Electronic products which includes Industrial UPS, Servo SCVS (air-cooled & oil cooled) 1-500 kVA, Solar Power Inverters, Turnkey Rooftop Solar Systems, Innovative Power Solutions for smart projects ( including smart city, data centers, airports, etc.), Lithium-Ion Power Solutions and RDSO approved products. In order to meet the surging market demand, we have rehabbed our Pune manufacturing facility into a leading edge production unit of approx. 36,000 Sq ft adequately equipped and suitably structured to roll-out state-of-the-art products of global standard.

Q. How do you rate the quality of power coming from the grid?

In India, power cuts are so frequent that citizens no longer question the authorities. As an alternative, both residential and commercial companies turn to power storage sources like UPS (uninterrupted power supplies) to resolve this issue. The ‘blackout’ crisis is always looming in the country due to various factors, such as heavy rainfall restricting the supply of coal, underproduction of imported coal-based power plants, etc. Such factors contribute to the growing demand for UPS to keep the operations on.

Power quality problems can cause incalculable damage to costly and sensitive electronics equipment. They result in downtime of plant and equipment and slash productivity drastically.

We at Prostarm have enduring solutions for these power quality problems.

Q. So, what are those enduring solutions that you offer to the end-user?

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a device that provides battery backup when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level. It protects the devices from critical loads from utility-supplied power problems, such as fluctuations and power outages, brownouts, spikes, etc. Our UPS Systems comprise Line Interactive UPS (1-5kVA), Online Active PFC UPS (1-120 kVA), Online UPS with Inbuilt IT (5-120 kVA), Online UPS with IGBT Rectifier (80-500 kVA), Industrial UPS (10-800 kVA), Modular UPS (25-500 kVA), UPS for Outdoor applications (1-20kVA), and so on. We also offer Servo-Controlled Voltage Stabilizers (both air & oil cooled) 1-500 kVA. Further, as a step forward the Company has been striving to build in and focus on Green Energy including Energy Storage Systems (ESS). Under the domain of Green Energy we are providing Solar Hybrid Inverter and Solar PV Power Plant Solutions. We undertake EPC Contracts. The next generation requirement for efficient and clean source of power is Lithium. PROSTARM is successfully providing Lithium-Ion Based power solutions to the critical industry segments.

Q. You are said to be in the forefront, helping the nation in achieving its goal of digital transformation. Could you elaborate?

Regulated, Reliable, uninterrupted and sustainable power is the key to the digital economy. Prostarm’s smart, reliable and energy efficient power electronics solutions are empowering the digital transformation journey across industries. Our focus has always been to develop innovative and customized solutions to meet the specific needs of Indian industries. By ensuring the last-mile-reach for service and support, today, Prostarm is the go-to-partner to both traditional as well a new age companies for their transformation into a digital enterprise. Going ahead, we already have built a strong line-up of smart and intelligent solutions that would contribute significantly to drive the mission of a digital India.

Q. What are the dynamics of the UPS market in India and its growth prospects?

India UPS market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of over 9% by 2023. Growth in the market can be attributed to increasing demand for continuous power conditioning and backup across commercial as well as industrial sectors coupled with growing digitalization across the country. Moreover, the burgeoning technological advancements and government’s initiatives to improve power for development of smart cities across the country will further push the demand for UPS systems and Energy Storage Systems in the coming years. Further the increased focus of the Govt on Atmanirbar Bharat, Made in India Campaign, Digitization, etc is also expected to steer growth in the country’s UPS and Energy Storage Systems market. According to reliable sources, the global industrial UPS market size is expected to touch USD 4228.9 million by 2026.

Further the ongoing global disturbance, over dependence on China, fluctuating rupee, sharp surge in freight cost, would result in more business opportunity for indigenous players.

Q. What initiatives do you take to stay miles ahead in this highly competitive market?

The management’s passion for growth resulted in establishing nationwide presence with offices across India in 2012; enabling the growth of BFSI with TIS and ATM Room Solutions in 2014; venturing into rooftop solar power plant systems in 2016; foraying into sunrise sectors such as smart cities, airports, metro rail, etc. in 2019, and collaborating with healthcare and industrial OEMs; serving data centers in 2020; and providing lithium-based solutions in 2021. To cope up with the spiraling demand for power electronic products, we have revamped our Pune manufacturing facility into a revolutionary infrastructure in 2022. Further, by virtue of its standardized quality products and best-in-class services, the company has carved a niche for itself in various sectors like healthcare OEMs, industrial OEMs, industrial users, apex bodies, oil & gas, power, airport, research, railways, PSUs, BSFI security & surveillance, healthcare and more. Today Prostarm has a strong presence pan-India across 22 cities and through a network in more than 170 districts stretching the length and breadth of the country.

Q. What are your growth strategies and where will you be by 2025?

Today Prostarm has a strong presence pan-India across 22 cities, in more than 170 districts with a team of about 400 employees including 300+ service engineers. This portrays our last mile reach capability and higher customer retention.

Prostarm has ambitious growth plans. We are constantly expanding our workforce and infrastructure to further bolster our market penetration and become a Rs.500 crore entity by
FY 2025.