SILK Engineering plans to launch renewable energy products in Pakistan next year.

Silk Engineering (SE) has planned to launch renewable energy products in Pakistan next year, revealed Mr. Syed Rehan ullah, who heads the company as its Director.But before that the company is encouraging its sister concern ‘Ferhan Mechanical Works’ to produce pole and high-masts through automotive plants with an objective to introduce a credible product in the market, he said.

Mr. Rehan who talked to Engineering Review in detail on variety of issues related to engineering in Pakistan and CPEC. He believes local manufacturing of electrical components in Pakistan is very much possible but it requires buyers’ confidence.

SE is among the companies which acquired credibility in the market within short span of time and emerged as a successful electrical trading company in Pakistan having many prestigious projects across the country.

Launched in 2011 as channel partner of Siemens Pakistan, the company was soon to begin with selling independently as the former had started packing up. “We could not go back. We had everything at hand what a smart company was supposed to possess like infrastructure and engineers”, he recalled.

We aligned with Siemens a new product namely ‘Noark’ which was just to give a replacement to the parent company. Later on we launched SILK Engineering—a solutions provider company.When Siemens begun shrinking, we acquired our own brand namely ‘Noark’ for LV Components and “Electronicon” for LV and MV Power Factor Improvement Capacitors which was not able to make its market for its expensive price structure. Again we introduced another brand ‘SY’ for LV and MV Capacitors which had a matching quality. By the grace of Allah, it is well-housed in the market.

SILK Engineering has “Power Bar” (a compact sandwich type busway system) as its core product which made its way when the company did its project in the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur through Eleken Associates. Then in the list are many other successful projects that the company did with Bakht Tower, YTM, Nadeem Textiles, Premium Textiles etc.This product is being manufactured at three destinations such as Dubai, Ireland with leading head office in UK. The fourth plant has also been set up in the USA by the manufacturers, Rehan said.

SILK Engineering provided customized solutions with “Coreshine” (Linear Lighting System with built in cable trunking) to many departmental stores including Imtiaz. Now this solution is available for commercial as well as residential projects.The company has now four brands. They include: Noark, Power Bar, Core Shine and SY. It has recently opened a business office in Lahore in collaboration with GS Engineering.

Do you have any Chinese made product also, he was asked. “We believe in quality of the product no matter where it is originated”, he responded. We monitor the quality through a credible process and the RD and market only if we are satisfied with the product for which we can offer a warranty of three to five years.

Why don’t you manufacture electrical products in P akistan? It is possible, he says. But there are issues in this respect. One that such a venture requires huge investment which can recover capital instantly. Two, our market prefers foreign made products. Then our industry finds it risky to replace a whole system with new set of local products, he observes.

We are planning to take pole and high-masts on automotive plants to produce a quality product in the market. For products like MCBs, MCCBs, Contactors and other etc. and LV Capacitor, I don’t see any local manufacturing in next half a decade. Compact Busway is possible.  Investment is not the issue; it’s marketing that matters. We need comprehensive assistance of consultants and designers who can vet the product.

Plan for next 5 years: We came with 5-year plan in 2011 which yielded results that were, of course, embedded with hardships too. After 2015, we faced problems on internal front and thus lost some clients but still we recovered within one and one and half years and succeeded to open an office in Lahore. We did hire engineers.Now we have executed a new 3-year plan and are reviving yet again and are sure SILK Engineering will be doing well.

At present, we are focusing on the projects that we have already launched. Besides, we are working out on some new renewable energy products which we intend to launch in 2019. These projects include street lighting, hybrid solution etc. We have done quite a few windmill projects in Karachi.

CPECIt is politicized in the country. Have a look at history. We know about the East India Company in Subcontinent which claimed to bring business and development. But we know what actually happened. It seems history is repeating itself again after a century. We expect benefit from Gwadar. But do we get it? Are companies supplying material? This prosperity is restricted to 4-5 years.

In my opinion the objective of China is to develop its underdeveloped areas. Xinjiang is not developed; China wants to export goods which will be produced there.We can be benefited only if we develop industry around the highway that China will use for its exports. We need to rationalize our plans and make agreements binding with local development and Pakistani industry.

Standard of engineering universities in Pakistan: Newton did not study books, he rather became a scientist through observing universe, of which rules he followed and authored books. We are not producing the ones who would write books. We are just producing those who read them. Fresh engineers stand far from practical thus get no jobs although they are good. They prefer to go abroad. We produced them; spent money on them. Since there are no jobs here, they leave Pakistan. Engineering is connected with sense, without it there is no engineering. We hire trainee engineers who prove themselves. Generally I am satisfied with the quality.