Schneider Electric enters Indian SMB market

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Schneider Electric India on Monday announced a national retail rollout for its switches, sockets and distribution systems for the home and SMB (small and medium business) market segments.

The retail initiative kicks off with the launch of ZENcelo and Vivace range of switches and the NeoBreak distribution systems in a phased manner that begins with Maharashtra, followed by similar rollouts in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu over the next few months, said a press release.

The national rollout will be complete by 2012.

This is Schneider’s first foray into the retail sector covering the home and SMB market segments. As part of the retail initiative, Schneider aims to appoint 4000 retail outlets by 2012.

Olivier Blum, MD, Schneider Electric India said, “The Indian consumer today expects world class quality, service and aesthetics at an affordable price. We believe that Schneider Electric’s legacy of innovation backed by its engineering and manufacturing expertise can fulfill these expectations.”

In an industry first, a customized Schneider Electric mobile application will enable authorized retail partners to place orders 24x7. This will result in faster delivery of stocks and will allow real-time tracking of orders and deliveries.

Balaji Lenka, VP - Retail Channel Sales, said, “This is an innovation that was developed by Schneider Electric specifically for retailers, who have traditionally often had to deal with over or under-stocking of products. This application will allow real-time inventory tracking and improved order management and therefore enable significant cost savings for our retailers going forward.”