In 2024, LED TVs to offer more immersive and personalized viewing experiences: Ekkaa Electronics

Ekkaa Electronics Industries seeks to further bolster technological expertise and manufacturing abilities to manufacture best quality of LED TVs and accessories as OEM/ODM to leading brands in consumer electronics industry in India.

It has strategic partnerships with global leaders such as Boe, Innolux, Mediatek, Panda, Fuji, and Milacron. Four fully-automated manufacturing units in India and R&D unit in Shenzhen, China, Ekkaa Electronics Industries provides a global and China-focused outlook, with timely insights into market dynamics and supply chain relationships.

Sagar Gupta, Director, Ekkaa Electronics, tells us more. Excerpts from an interview:

DQ: What was the growth rate of the manufacturing industry in 2023?

Sagar Gupta: There is a huge scope of growth in manufacturing industry. If we speak about data, as per the IIP data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the growth rate of the manufacturing industry in 2023 grew 4.6% in July 2023 against 3.1% a year ago. As per the Government statistics for second quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024 show that the manufacturing sector expanded by 13.9%.

The global manufacturing industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, although the rate of growth will vary depending on factors such as global economic growth, Technological advancements, government policies, trade agreements and geopolitical factors.

DQ: What has been the dependency of technology in manufacturing unit?

Sagar Gupta: Technology has played an increasingly important role in manufacturing for decades. From simple machines to complex computer systems, technology has helped to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality in factories around the world.

If we speak statically, we can currently see huge dependency on technology as compared to the year 2000. Traditional technologies like CAD, CAM, and process control systems have seen a substantial increase in usage by 350%, 433% and 533% where as New technologies like IoT, AI, ML, big data analytics, and cloud computing have emerged and are rapidly gaining traction. This increased reliance on technology has led to improved efficiency, productivity, and quality in manufacturing.

DQ: Elaborate on the utility of power press machine in manufacturing sector.

Sagar Gupta: Power press machines are versatile and essential pieces of equipment in the manufacturing sector, particularly for metalworking applications. They play a crucial role in shaping, cutting, forming, and stamping various metal components and parts. Their ability to exert high levels of force with precision and control makes them indispensable for a wide range of manufacturing processes.

In 2000, the global market size of power press machines were USD 1.8 billion, which has now increased to USA 4.2 billion. The number of operational power press in 2000 was around 2.5 million, which is now around 4.5 million worldwide. Overall, the utility of power press machines in the manufacturing sector has increased significantly since 2000 as technological advancements have made them more efficient, productive, and safer to operate.

DQ: What has been the contribution of manufacturing industry towards the environment?

Sagar Gupta: With the growing technology and as well as awareness on protecting the environment, even the manufacturing industry has made significant contributions to environmental protection such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste, using eco-friendly materials, etc.

In 2000, the manufacturers did not given much attention to the resource efficiency, while in 2023, it is one of their top priorities. Not only this, back in year 2000, the environmental-friendly products were very limited, which is now has seen significant growth in 2023, with a wider range of eco-friendly options available for consumers, including electric vehicles, sustainable clothing, and energy-efficient appliances. Manufacturers are now increasingly adopting sustainable practices to reduce their environmental impact and improve resource efficiency.

DQ: How do you see smartwatches, hearables and TWS, in 2024?

Sagar Gupta: Smart watches, hearables and TWS (true wireless stereo) ear buds are all poised for continued growth in 2024, driven by increasing consumer demand for wearable technology. Smart watches are expected to be one of the biggest growth areas for wearable in 2024 by around 48.6% growth, and is expected to reach $124.5 billion by 2024, up from $82.5 billion in 2023 as they become more feature-rich and affordable.

In case of hearables, we can expect its growth by 35.2% projected to reach $57.3 billion by 2024 from $42.4 billion in 2023 because of growing adoption for audio streaming and communication, and expanding range of features and functionality.

Last, if we talk about manufacturing of TWS products, we can anticipate it to reach $73.8 billion by 2024, registering a remarkable 67.4% growth from $44 million in 2023 due to its improved sound quality, sleek design, and rising demand for wireless solutions. We can happily say that there is a positive scope for all these devices to grow in future.

DQ: What are the latest developments in LEDs? What are we going to see in 2024?

Sagar Gupta: The LED TV market is constantly evolving. Now, the focus is shifted to delivering better picture quality, more features, and enhanced user experiences. We can see display technological advancements such as MicroLED and MiniLED, QD-OLED and HDR advancements, Developments in smart TV features can also be seen like AI-powered upscaling, voice assistants and gaming enhancements.

Besides this, there are other developments also like thinner and lighter designs for more immersive viewing experience, and eco-friendly design as sustainability is becoming a priority, with manufacturers incorporating recycled materials and energy-efficient technologies into their TVs.

If we talk about what you can expect more in 2024, as the technology is upgrading day-by-day, the products -- whether in case of quality, variety or uniqueness. In 2024, LED TVs could be expected to be offering consumers even more immersive and personalized viewing experiences. It may also include features like personalized health and wellness features, seamless multi-device connectivity integrating with smart home ecosystems and seamless connectivity across various devices will become the norm, creating a truly connected entertainment hub and foldable and rollable displays offering TVs with unique form factors and increased flexibility.

Overall, the LED TV market in 2024 will see a continued focus on innovation, offering consumers improved picture quality, more advanced smart features, and new functionalities that enhance the viewing experience.

DQ: How is quantum dot research making display and lighting technology more colorful?

Sagar Gupta: Quantum dot (QD) research plays a crucial role in the development of next-generation LED TVs. Quantum dot research is a promising area that has the potential to revolutionize display and lighting technology. QDs offer a significantly wider color gamut than traditional LED backlights or phosphors used in LCD TVs. This allows for more accurate color reproduction, resulting in richer and more lifelike images.

Not only this, but QDs also improve brightness and efficiency, reduce motion blur, and improved the response timing, and also reduce its burn-in risk.

Quantum dot (QD) research is significantly enhancing the color capabilities of display and lighting technology through several key mechanisms such as enhancing color gamut as QDs emit highly saturated and specific colors when excited by light, this allows for a much wider color gamut compared to traditional technologies like LEDs and phosphors used in LCDs. QDs also precise the color control, which help researchers to fine-tune the exact color they emit. QDs also improve color saturation, which enhance the overall viewing experience and making images appear more realistic.

Overall, QD research is revolutionizing the way we experience color in displays and lighting. QDs are creating a more vibrant and color-rich world for us to interact with.

DQ: How are device makers are turning to quantum dots to achieve smaller and higher-resolution displays?

Sagar Gupta: Quantum dots (QDs) are emerging as a powerful technology for achieving smaller and higher-resolution displays. Device makers are leveraging their unique properties in several intriguing ways:

Shrinking pixel size: QDs are significantly smaller than traditional pixels used in LCD and OLED displays. This allows manufacturers to pack more pixels into the same area resulting in in smaller displays with higher resolutions. This miniaturization is especially valuable for smartphones, wearables, and other compact devices where maximizing screen real estate without compromising portability is crucial.

Enhancing brightness and efficiency: QDs efficiently convert light energy into specific colors, surpassing the capabilities of traditional materials. This enables smaller displays to achieve higher brightness levels, delivering a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience. Additionally, QDs consume less power compared to traditional displays, leading to leading to longer battery life for mobile devices.

Expanding color gamut: QDs offer a much wider color gamut than traditional display technologies, enabling the reproduction of a broader range of colors with greater accuracy and saturation. This wider color space benefits high-end displays used for photography, editing, and other demanding applications where faithful color representation is critical.

Enabling flexibility and MicroLEDs: QDs can be deposited on flexible substrates, paving the way for the development of bendable and even rollable displays, unlocking new possibilities for device design and functionality. Furthermore, QDs are being explored for use in microLED displays, which offer the potential for even smaller pixel sizes and even higher resolutions compared to existing display technologies.

Revolutionizing backlights: QDs are being utilized to create more efficient and colorful backlights for LCD displays. These QD-based backlights offer several advantages, including thinner displays, improved brightness, and wider color gamuts.

To conclude, QD R&D are progressing rapidly. We can expect QDs to play a pivotal role in the next generation of displays, revolutionizing the way we interact with information and entertainment through smaller, brighter, and more vibrant screens.

DQ: How are you bringing in multicolor LEDs and reversed LED cooling?

Sagar Gupta: We have collaborated with panel and backlight companies and R&D centers in China and Taiwan to achieve energy efficiency without compromising on color and contrast

DQ: Have you achieved any revolutionary breakthrough in mini LED technology?

Sagar Gupta: Mini LED technology, is the latest in TV displays that uses a smaller LED chip to produce the same brightness as a larger chip. This allows manufacturers to reduce costs by reducing the quantum of materials used in their manufacturing. For this, we are in talks with R&D centres in China and Taiwan for getting the best Mini LED chips without compromising on quality.

DQ: What are you planning for materials transparency, design for disassembly, re-manufacturing, respect for dark skies, etc., in 2024.

Sagar Gupta: With the new manufacturing unit coming up in Noida, Uttar Pradesh which will be operational in early 2024, replete with complete backward integration, we are aiming to emerge as a one-stop solution right from production to assembly. We, at Ekkaa, own the complete value chain in the manufacturing process, thereby ensuring quality is maintained at every stage of the process.