Ledure's focus on innovation is helping it carve a space for itself in the lighting industry

LED lights, which can use around 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, have become popular for both home and commercial use. 

Responding to an increasing demand for LED lights in India, Ledure Lightings Ltd., a Delhi-based lighting solutions provider, made a strategic move to start its own brand in 2015. 

Initially functioning as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for Havells and Surya Roshni, it shifted gears by discontinuing its OEM operations in 2014. 

“Our ambition was to create a distinct mark in the lighting space. Unlike other companies, Ledure had manufacturing experience and didn't depend on imports or third-party manufacturers,” Umang Aggarwal, Director of Sales, Ledure Lightings, tells SMBStory.

The journey began with Ankit Gupta initiating the OEM business in 2011. He was later joined by his friends Vaibhav Bansal and Umang Aggarwal. Subsequently, the collective decision to establish their own brand took shape, leading to Pranav Aggarwal's joining Ledure Lightings. 

Currently, all four individuals serve as directors of the company.

Beginning with a modest 2000-square-foot facility and a team of 10 people in 2015, Ledure has expanded its operations to a 60,000-square-foot area, with a central unit in Noida and four additional depots across Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Patna. It has a monthly manufacturing capacity of 15 lakh units and provides employment to over 500 people. 

Ledure Lightings cater to residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. In FY20, the company's revenue was Rs 60 crore. It experienced a 70% YoY growth in revenue in FY22, followed by around 60% YoY growth in FY23. The company’s revenue stood at Rs 162 crore in FY23. 

“In the current financial year the target is to cross Rs 250 crore in revenue,” says Pranav Aggarwal, Director, Ledure Lightings. 

Innovative solutions

According to a report by IMARC, the Indian LED lighting market size reached $3.4 billion in 2022. It is expected to reach $11.9 billion by 2028, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.38% from 2023 to 2028.

Ledure is planning to introduce an innovative product line in the coming financial year—LED lights designed to purify the air. 

“We are not competing with any air purifier brand. Our aim is to create a product with hybrid functionality. It not only caters to lighting needs but also addresses air quality concerns in indoor spaces,” says Umang.  

The product aims to eliminate particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other potentially harmful microorganisms from the air, resulting in a dual-purpose solution. 

“Traditional air purifiers often occupy valuable space on tables or floors. So we aim to embed the air purifying technology within the ceiling,” says Pranav.

“With a prototype ready and third-party lab testing currently underway, the company is taking thorough steps to ensure the product's efficiency. It will be officially launched in the coming financial year,” Umang adds. The product will be priced at around Rs 4,000. 

Air filters generally start at Rs 7,000 and go up to Rs 1 lakh. “We have not yet done a comparative analysis with other filters available in the market,” Umang adds. 

The product mimics the appearance of a regular light fixture and concealed within is an integrated air purifier system utilising carbon and HEPA filter technology. 

Differentiating factors

Ledure competes with leading lighting brands like Philips, Surya Roshni, Havells, Wipro, and Orient. When compared to the prices of other brands, the company says it has a competitive edge across various product ranges.

For instance, within the COB (Chip-on-Board) range, Ledure offers products with a high Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 90, whereas Philips provides an 80 CRI product. CRI is a measure of a light source’s ability to show the true colour of the objects. A CRI of 90 and above is considered excellent for any light source. 

Ledure’s COB line has a high CRI and is priced lower than leading brands like Philips.

“The price difference varies across different segments. For commonly used products like bulbs, Ledure maintains a price difference of around 5-7% compared to top brands,” says Pranav. 

“However, when looking at commercial lighting options such as COB lights and track lights, which are commonly used in Tier I and II houses as well as commercial projects, the price gap ranges from a minimum of 20% and goes up to 30-40%,” he adds.

For industrial applications, the difference in pricing is around 25-35%.

Ledure’s residential products, such as downlights or COB lights in wattages of 6W, 9W, and 12W, are priced between Rs 200 and Rs 750-800.

For commercial lighting options like track lights and zoom lights, the price spectrum varies, starting from Rs 700, these products can go up to Rs 2,500.

Ledure’s maximum sales come from the residential space but it also has a growing B2B clientele. It is currently present pan-India with a network of 700 distributors and more than 20,000 retailers. The maximum sales come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana.

In the B2B segment, it supplies to major PSUs and is now expanding to private companies like TATA and L&T, targeting large corporate players. In FY23, the B2B business grew from Rs 4 crore to Rs 20 crore.

It is currently processing an order from NTPC worth Rs 20 crore and a BPCL order worth Rs 6 crore. Other B2B clients include ISRO, Indian Oil, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, among others.

Made-in-India products

"We stand out as one of the few companies that not only manufacture but also market our products under our own brand name,” says Umang.

Ledure’s R&D facility has special rooms for testing dust and heat resistance, and it also has different testing types of equipment to see how the products work in different weather and electrical conditions. Its dark room setup tests the colour temperature and colour rendering index of the products.

“Since in India climatic conditions vary from place to place these tests are very important. We design the products to work well everywhere,” says Umang.

The R&D facility is on track to obtain a NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) certification from the government. 

“Very few brands in the country have this certification,” says Umang.

As for the future, Ledure plans to expand its product range. “Our strategy involves expanding into other electrical products. We've recently introduced wires and are also looking to venture into switches and fans within the next two to three years,” says Umang.