Could you share the story behind Krystal’s acquisition of Citelum India, not just the business rationale, but the vision you see unfolding for India’s cities?
Krystal Integrated Services operates across healthcare, education and city infrastructure, including waste management. We have a strong presence across the country. For instance, we manage municipal corporation schools in the education segment, government hospitals in Tamil Nadu and Metro railway stations in Mumbai. Our government interface has always been centred around public facilities management.
Citelum India fits very well into this ecosystem because its services, particularly street lighting, are closely connected with public infrastructure. Street lighting is required across roads, highways and other public spaces, making it highly citizen-centric. It also aligns with the kind of business we have been building over the last 25 years.
On the corporate side, we manage services for more than 400 companies. Over the last three years, we have significantly expanded our presence in the manufacturing sector. Large manufacturing units and SEZ townships are spread across several acres and require extensive lighting and street-lighting infrastructure.
At the same time, energy costs are rising, and companies and governments are looking for ways to reduce energy consumption, both for economic reasons and to lower their carbon footprint. Citelum India brings technology that can help reduce energy consumption, improve efficiency and support sustainability.
Our traditional service offering has been built around people, machines and materials. With Citelum India, we are adding a stronger technology and engineering component to that offering. We evaluated several opportunities, but Citelum India was the one that fitted most closely with our vision and the sectors we serve.
The acquisition therefore allows us to scale up our capabilities on the technology, engineering and infrastructure side. It is a very strong strategic fit for us.
On a personal level, what belief or conviction motivates you to steer Krystal into city lighting and electrical infrastructure at this stage of its growth?
Personally, I find it highly motivating because we are contributing to the development of infrastructure, not just in cities but across the country. It would be wrong to look at this only from an urban perspective. Rural areas also need roads and street lighting, just as Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru do.
The opportunity is to offer a service that is universal and addresses a basic human need. Whether it is a farmer in a rural area or a corporate professional in a major city, effective street lighting benefits everyone.
That is what motivates me about this acquisition. We now have a service that can benefit people across geographies and customer segments, rather than being restricted to a particular type of customer.
Beyond technical upgrades, how will citizens actually feel the difference in their daily lives once Krystal’s city lighting projects are implemented?
Citelum India has already implemented projects for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and several other clients. The focus has always been on safety and achieving 100% uptime.
Ideally, a citizen should never have to walk on a road where one section is properly lit and another is in darkness. Maintenance is therefore a priority, and so is safety. The technology also allows municipalities, SEZs and other customers to control lighting more effectively and reduce energy consumption.
Citelum India already has the technology and expertise. What Krystal brings is a wider geographical presence and deeper market penetration, which can help Citelum India take its services to more customers.
Krystal’s position as a listed company also gives us strong financial credentials. Government and corporate customers look closely at the financial stability of a service provider when awarding contracts. Citelum India is strong in terms of its products and services, while Krystal brings financial strength and scale. Together, that combination can create significant opportunities.
What role do you see Krystal playing in making cities not just brighter, but safer, more sustainable and truly liveable for the people who call them home?
When you provide well-lit infrastructure that operates reliably and meets the requirements of a particular geography, it makes everyday life more convenient and comfortable for citizens.
That is the real impact we want to create. Reliable lighting is not simply about making a street brighter. It is about making public spaces safer, more accessible and more convenient for people.
What are the biggest challenges in integrating Citelum India into Krystal’s operations, and how are you preparing to overcome them while maintaining service excellence?
We have taken a strategic decision to keep Citelum India as an independent entity. Although it is a 100% subsidiary of Krystal, it will continue to operate independently in the way it has operated so far.
There will not be unnecessary interference in its day-to-day operations. We believe this approach will allow Citelum India to retain its existing strengths and expertise while benefiting from Krystal’s financial strength, geographical presence and market reach.
Five years from now, what milestones will define success for Krystal’s infrastructure vertical, and how will you measure impact beyond revenue figures?
Five years from now, success will be measured by the kind of customers we are serving and the contracts we have secured. These relationships and projects will create a foundation for further growth.
It could be measured through revenue, the number of streetlights under management, the number of contracts or the geographies we have entered. It is still early to define one single measure because we have only just begun this journey.
Over the next five years, as both Krystal and Citelum India grow, I am confident that Citelum India will add significant value to Krystal’s consolidated business. That value will come through revenue, margins, new customers and new geographies.
There is also considerable potential for synergy. For example, if Krystal is working on a project in Delhi, we can explore whether Citelum India can also become part of that project. We can cross-sell Citelum India's services alongside Krystal’s existing offerings.
There are multiple opportunities, but it is too early to reduce them to a single number or target. What I can say with confidence is that Citelum India will play a defining role in Krystal’s overall ecosystem over the next five years.
What message would you like to share with policymakers, industry peers and citizens about why investing in urban infrastructure matters now more than ever?
My singular message is that safety must remain the priority. People are moving from one place to another, cities are becoming increasingly crowded, and the needs of citizens are changing. As communities grow and people move through different stages of life, their expectations from public infrastructure also increase.
We need greater effort, focus, planning and commitment towards safety. Whether it is a small Zilla Parishad area or a large metropolitan city, we need to create a culture of safety and accountability.
When we provide a product or service, we must be accountable for how it contributes to making that place safer. My focus will always be on safety.
We should invest and plan with safety as the bottom benchmark, and then build everything else around it. The question should always be: how can we make our public spaces and infrastructure safer? Once that foundation is in place, we can build on it.
