The Imperial Electric Company has a 90+year history of business and is one of the oldest companies in Pakistan. Understanding how such companies continue their operations—and what kinds of strengths and weaknesses they have—is important. Ejaz Ashraf,
Assistant General Manager of the company, spoke to ER and shared a variety of insights about the company, the challenges it faces, and the growth of the electric sector.
Impact of an Almost Century-Old Company
This company was established in 1933 with a long history, and continuing it is both a challenge and a responsibility. Running a company with such a background is surely a big challenge—and also a pleasure. This company has seen many ups and downs. It has a history full of learning. It’s a mature organization with a strong IT infrastructure, and we’re working to take it to the next level.
Leading this company requires competence, so I always need to keep myself updated and make sure everything runs through a system. Since I do that, I’m very happy to be part of the company.
Imperial and Diversity
Trading is our prime business, and I lead it. We are distributors of low-voltage components from Schneider and others. We’ve been in this line for over 30 years. Recently, we’ve also started working with low-voltage components from Chint.
Secondly, we are in the generator business. We have a state-of-the-art factory in Lahore. It’s a huge business. We have a strong presence in the telecom sector and are performing well.
Moreover, we are a recognized name in the aviation industry and pioneers in this field.
Furthermore, we recently acquired a solar company named EBR. This is a fully operational unit. So, these are the four main business areas that Imperial is engaged in.
IT Sector and Imperial
In the IT sector, we use SAP software, and we were among the first companies in Pakistan to adopt it. If I recall correctly, we implemented SAP in 2008. Currently, we are working on upgrading to the SAP HANA version, which is more powerful and offers more options. It provides an easy mechanism for reporting without limitations and supports a wide range of reports.
We require extensive data analysis using historical data, and this system is efficient in delivering that.
Our customers also rely on this support. I’ve seen many companies where inefficient systems caused serious problems, from customer reconciliations to inventory maintenance.
Pakistan and the Electric Industry
Yes, Pakistan is facing an energy crisis, and we are encountering many challenges. Unfortunately, we are an import-based economy. We import components from our principals. If imports are disrupted, our business is affected directly.
As for the energy crisis, it has been addressed to a significant extent. Look at the reduction in load-shedding. However, power has become expensive, and equipment prices have also risen slightly.
We have launched a new segment of products as well. Now, we are addressing two segments: Schneider for premium customers and Chint for the broader market. With gradual solarization in the country, this issue will likely ease, and customers are expected to receive cheaper energy.
Switchgear Manufacturers
Almost all switchgear manufacturers across Pakistan are our customers. For them, we maintain stock and manage it through our software, which allows us to monitor trends and make informed decisions.
In this industry, the winner is the one who manages inventory well. We follow market norms and have a complete mechanism in place for business operations.
The Future of Imperial
We have recently reshaped our business and increased our market share. We intend to introduce more new products in the future and continue to offer more value to our customers.
