New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Crompton Greaves Monday announced its formal alliances with two Europe-based electrical giants in a bid to enter the light emitting diodes (LED) market. Sudhir Trehan, managing director of Crompton, told reporters that its alliance with the Netherlands-based Lemnis Lighting and Italy-based Fael Luce Lighting would provide them a platform for entering into the LED segment.

The LED bulbs would replace the present compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and general lighting service (GLS), he said.

According to industry figures, about 950 million GLS lamps and 100 million CFL lamps are being sold every year. Energy consumption for LED lamps is one-eighth of the GSL lamps and 40 percent less than CFL lamps.

“Although the LED bulbs are costlier, prices would fall as it happened with the CFL lamps when it was introduced 15 years ago. Its price will be affordable as CFL,” Trehan said on the sidelights of the sixth Light India International Exhibition here.

Speaking to IANS, Manoj Verma, vice-president of Crompton, said LED would take a lead in the lightning industry since it does not have mercury contents. “CFL bulbs have problems related to its disposal, as it poses risk to health owing to exposure of the mercury with the environment,” he said.

He said the company would approach the central government for a lightning contract for Commonwealth Games to be held in 2010. “We would use the LED technology to lit the venues for the games. It will not only be energy efficient but also save lot of power,” Verma added.

According to the industry, LED has a far more life than CFL and GLS lamps. P.K Bandopadhyay, former president of the Indian Society of Lightning Engineers said LED lamps would have life anywhere between 20,000 hours to 100,000 hours, while the life of CFL is not more than 6,000. GLS lamp’s life is far less.