Industrial transormers nmaker Crompton Greaves, part of the $4 bn Avantha Group, is setting up a greenfield plant in Bangalore to make intelligent electronic devices (IEDsused in the control and monitoring of power systems.

The plant will also assemble control and relay panels using these IEDs, complying with the latest Substation Automation standard – IEC 61850.

The deployment of smart grid technologies is expected to rise to keep pace with the increasing complexities of the country's power networks

Offering unprecedented control and efficiency in power supply, a smart grid could go a long way in protecting consumers from the kind of outage Northern India experienced recently.

As of now. pilot projects for Smart Grid technologies are being carried out in several cities, including Bangalore.

This plant will be the base for manufacturing in India the entire range of protection, control and communication products from Crompton Greaves's Automation Business Unit. With the acquisition of ZIV complete, CG gets access to ZIV's Smart Grid technologies, including expertise in grid automation.

ZIV complements Crompton Greaves`s offering for grid automation, enhancing its differentiated offering in its core business.

Laurent Demortier, chief executive officer and managing director, CG, said in  a statement, ''The ZIV acquisition positions and accelerates Crompton Greaves as a strong player in the promising Smart Grid segment."

Crompton Greaves is also helping develop India's first Smart Grid project in Puduchery

Demortier said, "Crompton Greavesis commited to contribute to the development of India's first smart grid project in Puduchery in association with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL). The project's advance metering infrastructure will ensure that consumers get the advantages of efficient power supply.''

Covering 4050 sq mtrs, the plant will employ 30 people in its first year of operations.

"With demand in the Indian market picking up substantially, the plant will first cater to the Indian market," the company said in a statement. "It will gear up to meet demand in nearby geographies and further extend its market reach in the years to come," it added.