75th years of Legacy

My first attendance at an FMA/EC meeting was about 50 years ago, in February 1974, if my memory serves me right.

As a newcomer to the fan industry, I attended my initial meeting at the Park Hotel in Calcutta, where Mr. Arvind Narain of Jay Engineering Works Ltd. served as Chairman.

Since then, I have consistently been involved and have contributed on behalf of various progressive fan brands. Each Chairman brought fresh energy, dedication, and enthusiasm, yet the industry’s and customers’ interests have always remained paramount.

With the turn of the century, IFMA emerged, building on FMA’s legacy while introducing new dynamism, approaches, and agendas to revolutionize the industry.

Let me highlight a few accomplishments from the past 3 to 5 years under my leadership:

– We launched a new website that provides industry stakeholders with valuable information, specifications, market insights, and networking opportunities.

– We ran an extensive campaign promoting the benefits of Star Rated Fans. These energy-efficient fans not only help reduce electricity bills for consumers but also contribute to significant energy savings for India. This campaign has been highly praised and impactful.

– We introduced a new social media initiative to keep the industry updated on the latest trends, innovations, and policy changes.

– Our Membership Enhancement Program grew from around 12 members to over 120 in recent years.

– We also implemented a Membership Engagement Program, offering both physical and digital training, as well as technology support, to our associates.

These initiatives were made possible by the support of our recent Chairmen.

A special thank you to our outgoing Chairman Mr. Anuj Poddar for his commendable leadership. We now welcome Mr. PN Poddar as his successor. Between the two Poddars, may we continue to experience prosperous and innovative times in the fan industry.

Here’s to continued success and exciting times ahead in the fan industry!

Cheers to many more years of innovation and progress!

The fan industry is now transitioning into a new era, with technology at the heart of the business’s growth strategy. This industry movement is rapidly shaping up, especially post the new BEE star rating regime coming into play last year, which necessitated R&D to work harder than ever before. Star-rated fans, for example, are becoming preferred and suddenly occupying a higher share of consumer mindshare with their conducive selling proposition of higher-rated energy consumption segments.

R&D is now at the forefront in fostering a growth mindset to facilitate efficient and successful product delivery, blending electronics, superior engineering, and the aesthetic appeal of the fan. The upcoming season for fans is promising and presents an opportunity for brands to successfully navigate change.