Hochiki Europe announces new operation in India

Hochiki Europe, the leading manufacturer of innovative fire detection and low voltage emergency lighting solutions, has announced the establishment of a new operation in India, which aims to encourage greater use of its industry leading fire detection and addressable emergency lighting systems across this vibrant and rapidly changing country.

As Hochiki Europe's country manager
for Indian subcontinent countries and Hong Kong, Rohit Harjani
has been appointed to head up this exciting new initiative. He commented, ‘Although Hochiki's products have been installed throughout India since 1978, this is the first time that we have had a dedicated office with employees directly promoting our products and systems.'

As one of the world's most rapidly developing nations India continues to experience a tremendous amount of investment and almost all blue-chip multinational companies now have a presence there. This has led to a booming construction sector and the subsequent recognition of the need to keep those that live and work in new and existing buildings safe from the dangers of fire.

After applying to the Reserve Bank of India to set up a liaison office - or representative office as it is also known - permission was granted and Harjani began the process of setting up the new operation in early 2012. The office is based in the country's capital city, New Delhi.

Harjani and his team will work closely with an existing network of distributors and installers to drive growth and awareness of Hochiki. Any leads that the team acquire will be given to distributors to fulfil.

Explaining his objectives, Harjani said, ‘The life safety systems sector in India is fiercely competitive and our task is to promote the benefits of Hochiki's products to installers, consultants and end users. We will accomplish this through a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign that will include the distribution of hard copy materials, online activities, attendance at trade exhibitions and face-to-face meetings.'

Hochiki enjoys an excellent reputation in the country's private sector, including the oil, gas and atomic energy industries, for the design and manufacturing excellence of its products - something that Harjani hopes to capitalise on.

While price is still a factor, there is a definite move towards reliable and technologically advanced fire detection systems that can improve safety standards and reduce the likelihood of unwanted alarms.

The new operation in India is already proving successful and Rohit Harjani concluded, ‘Our long-term objective is to establish a distinct trading division which will allow us to directly import Hochiki products and service end user requirements via a centrally administered distribution network. It is clear that there is a demand for the high-end products that we offer, so I am certain that we will achieve all of our objectives.'