A WORLD-CLASS PRODUCER OF RELIABLE AND QUALITY ELECTRICITY USING RENEWABLE ENERGY

A number of big players entering the sector of Renewable Energy, and after understanding the crucial need for its utilization for the production of electricity, companies are directing their focus towards it at a rapid rate. Bagging the title of the fourth most attractive market in the world is the sector of renewable energy. India has been climbing the ladder pretty Swifty and now is placed on the fifth rank in terms of installed capacity.

The growth prospects of the industry are soaring high and are expected to see a strong growth scale with large scale projects coming up. Headquartered in Hyderabad, Intelizon Energy is striving to pioneer innovations in the solar industry. Carrying a humble vision to produce solar-driven electricity for people, the company is undertaking a number of ground-breaking ways for reliable, affordable and clean manners of energy, engineering technologies like solar, LED, and advanced electronics.

Their products are used by villages, urban communities, factories, municipalities as well as farmhouses. They have over 40000 solar streetlights and over 200000 home systems deployed to date. Most of them are done by their channel partners who are not a well-recognized brand but certainly helping Intelizon to become one in the areas they operate.

AN EDGE OVER THE PEERS

Intelizon Energy is a pioneer in lithium ion-based solar systems with a knowledge of reliable lithium ion-based solutions for more than a decade. They have experience in both outdoor and indoor systems as well as grid and solar solutions. They also understand both rural and urban markets in India and Africa and are uniquely positioned with a wealth of knowledge to create a global technology company in the coming years.

Intelizon Energy boasts of its innovative solutions. They were the first to introduce inbuilt lithium ion-based solar streetlights and have now introduced inbuilt CCTV based solar streetlights. Their recently introduced hybrid DC inverters is another example of introducing the best in class products for the markets.

SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE LATEST NEEDS OF MARKET

They are a technology-driven company that continues to provide innovative solutions to the market. In India, the grid has now reached most of the locations and consequently, power cuts have reduced drastically. The opportunity now lies in providing energy efficiency combined with the benefits of no maintenance long-life lithium-ion batteries. Their Hybrid DC inverters fulfill this purpose.

Apart from this, their integrated solar street lights with CCTV provide the most elegant wireless lighting and surveillance solution in the market.

Intelizon Energy has been built on the three tenets: Innovation, Quality and Customer Service. Their relentless pursuit of excelling in these areas is recognized by their customers and the main reason for staying with them.

THE FOUNDER’S VIEWS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Entrepreneurship is a drug-filled with pure passion. It is for people who dare to dream and are ready to enjoy the challenges thrown in the path for achieving the end result. A real entrepreneur will never compromise on ethics, vision, and quality and encourage employees to learn and become entrepreneurs in their own ways.

There is no single path for a successful venture. Entrepreneurship is a leap of faith and one must carve his or her own way with a clear mind to achieve the dream. Good entrepreneurs have the conviction to learn from failures and rebound stronger than ever to jump higher and higher. There are times when the weight of the whole world may be on your shoulders. It is important to maintain the balance with the right set of friends and family support systems.

Talking about the role models, he says, “There is no single role model. However, people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have set the bar for product innovation and have been a great motivator for me and other entrepreneurs globally.”

It is quite indispensable for entrepreneurs to have an all-round view of a business that goes beyond just financials. Books like Home Deus by Yuval Herrari and Inner engineering by Sadhguru provide perspectives and ideas to build companies with the right mindset, which are more important in creating the right businesses for the long term.

DETOURS DURING THE INCEPTION OF THE COMPANY

Creating a product company with new concepts for the rural markets gave rise to multiple challenges on all fronts. They created great products but scaling was a challenge. It forced them to change their business model a couple of times to the point where they found their sweet spot. They continue to innovate and identify their growth areas. The biggest support has been the dedication of their team and the channel partners which believe in their vision.

• The crucial lessons which they have learnt so far are as follows
• Focus on the customer requirement and continue to improve until you meet their needs.
• Persistence and a dedicated team are the keys to sustaining and building an organization for the long term.
• Never compromise on quality even in the face of pricing pressure.

MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY

As a company, they have a triple bottom line impact. Apart from being profitable, they have impacted more than 2.6million lives, reduced Co2 emissions by 17000metric tones and saved 24million units of electricity. They have established themselves as one of the most reliable suppliers of solar streetlights and home lighting systems and have sold over 2 lakh home systems and over 40000 streetlights. They have gained recognition in terms of articles and awards from various agencies globally and locally.

Intelizon Energy continues to expand its basket of innovative products based on lithium-ion batteries. In parallel, the company is actively expanding its network of channel partners to reach more people in India and Africa. Their target is to reach 10 million people by 2025 while saving more than 100 million units of electricity and reducing the CO2 emissions by over 50000 metric tons.

ABOUT KUSHANT UPPAL

Dr. Kushant has spent over 20 years developing industry-leading technology products and businesses in the hotbed of innovation – Silicon Valley, California. He has incubated and managed global businesses in Asia, Europe, and North America with sales up to Rs1000 MIO and has hands-on experience in the manufacturing, R&D, and marketing industries.

In 2006, Kushant decided that energy-efficient products are the keys for enhancing productivity and presented a tremendous market opportunity for a new venture. The passion to create an enterprise has driven him to India to drive technology and business with a focus on India and Africa. Dr. Kushant has an MS and Ph.D. in Material Science from the University of Southern California and a B-tech from IIT Madras.

In a conversation with Business Connect Magazine, Dr. Kushant Uppal talks about Intelizon’s environment and how it provides in-house state of the art designs for solar streetlights and home systems and more,