Essel Group has appointed Carmine Communications, a premier Mumbai-based PR agency, to handle PR services for its utilities and infrastructure business in India. The agency will assist Essel Utilities and Distribution Company Limited (EUDCL) and Essel Infraprojects Limited (EIL), in providing strategic communications advisory and implementation across key markets in India. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

Speaking of the evaluation process, Vishal Sharma, Associate Vice President, Brand and Corporate Communications, EUDCL said, “We were looking for an agency that is versatile, experienced and committed. We felt Carmine Communications fit the bill because we saw the involvement of the whole team including the partners not only in the pitch process but also in a subsequent project we gave them.”

Smart Utilities, the flagship brand of EUDCL, caters to five essential utility services namely power distribution, water distribution, solid waste management, city gas distribution and cable and broadband. The company aim towards a top line revenue close to Rs. 2000 crores (INR) and a reach of more than 2 million consumer households by 2015 – 16. EUDCL is currently managing power distribution franchisee services in Sagar and Ujjain in MP, Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Nagpur in Maharashtra. Shortly, the company will start power distribution services for Gwalior. The company has also forayed into water distribution projects for major cities of India, beginning with the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Currently, EUDCL is India’s largest player in the power distribution space and have transformed some cities by providing seamless power distribution services along with bringing the loss level to almost 50 percent in most of its operation circles. The company is working towards implementing a single window solution with SIPC concept (Smart Integrator & Principal Contractor) delivering All-in-One conduit to consumers, thus offering scalable & affordable solutions for a smarter life under its flagship brand Smart Utilities.

“We are delighted to partner with EUDCL in building Smart Utilities, India’s first integrated utilities brand. We hope to implement effective communication campaigns and use innovative platforms to reach out to the target audience with the right message,” stated Neville Carvalho, Partner, Carmine Communications.

Carmine Communications offers corporate image building and reputation management advisory to companies across multiple sectors including power, engineering, retail, real-estate, financial services and healthcare. The agency is known for moving beyond traditional PR by applying their business acumen in favor of their clients to increase footfall, drive sales or deliver a new business idea. They are also respected for their work on tobacco control in Maharashtra, undertaken over the past decade.

source : Lokesh Shastri