A low-cost, battery-operated electrocardiogram has pretty much been the mascot for General Electric’s frugal engineering in India, finding a lucrative market in advanced countries.
Now, its wind turbine, optimised for India’s low wind conditions, is also on its way to playing a role in the reverse innovation game. The electrocardiogram, introduced in India four years ago, now sells in about 70 countries, along with other locally designed products, such as an incubator and phototherapy systems.
The wind turbine, designed by GE’s Bangalore-based technology centre, is finding usage in countries with similar conditions or where high wind speed locations have been used up, said Gopichand Katragadda, managing director, GE India Technology Centre. Within the country, the company has sold about 100 turbines in 2011, the first year of sales, and expects to sell about twice that number this year.
?We will be selling 300 wind turbines per year in the very near future. So, from a revenue generation standpoint, it’s a big deal,? said Katragadda. ?If you look at it, India is not the only low wind regime country. Also, in countries where the high wind regime gets used up, then what do they do? They go low wind, and we have made the turbine.?
About 70% of GE’s wind turbine in India is localised, with blades being manufactured in Gujarat by a vendor and the company’s Pune plant carrying out the assembly work.
While some components, such as gearboxes, are not currently produced in India, most of the electricals will soon be, Katragadda said. ?The engineering team and sourcing team are working on getting the wind turbine largely manufactured in India.?
India added around 3,000 MW of wind energy capacity in CY 2011 ? the highest rate of capacity addition achieved so far in a single year ? driven largely by government policies aimed at promoting renewable energy, according to T F Jayasurya, Head of Communications at the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.