The world is seeing an unprecedented growth in demand for energy, fueled by decarbonization, the spread of AI and digitization. Against this backdrop, Toshiba is channeling resources into expanding the manufacturing of power transmission and distribution equipment, with Toshiba Transmission & Distribution (Systems) India (TTDI) in the vanguard. At its base near Hyderabad, in India’s Telangana State, TTDI manufactures power and distribution transformers, gas insulated switchgears required for transmission and distribution networks, and also undertakes EPC(engineering, procurement and construction) projects. In this article, we speak with some of the key people in the company about the current direction and the future of power transmission and distribution business.

In the fast-growing power transmission and distribution market, TTDI is advancing capital investment

At TTDI’s facility, located a 90-minute drive from downtown Hyderabad, the company manufactures power and distribution transformers, gas insulated switchgears, and other substation equipment that handle the electricity generated at generating stations and in the transmission and distribution networks that bring it to consumers.

Santanu Lahiri, who heads the Power Transformer Division, is bullish about the business.
” In recent years, we have seen rapid growth in demand for transmission and distribution equipment, driven by the expansion in renewable energy, the infrastructure sector and, more recently, data centers. Even more dramatic growth is expected over the next 10 years, with Fortune Business Insights forecasting that the market will reach about US$398 billion in 2025 and US$526 billion in 2032.”

TTDI is meeting this robust demand by investing in brownfield and greenfield expansion to enhance its manufacturing capacity. It is currently operating at optimal capacity, but as it does so, volatility in the supply chain remains a major concern.

“Our competitors are also investing in greenfield and brownfield expansions,” Lahiri explains. “Component suppliers are doing the same, but demand now exceeds supply, and component procurement lead times have significantly increased. If this continues, it will certainly impact on the manufacturing cycle and project timelines. So we are reinforcing manufacturing efficiency by investing in our production system and bringing some processes in-house. To be more specific, our plans include a new automated CRGO core processing line for distribution transformers(already put into operation in August 2025), enhancing capacity expansion for power transformer factory, and our new surge arrester factory, and so on. We aim to expand production capacity approximately 1.4 times over the next one to two years.”

TTDI signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Government of Telangana in April 2025, in Tokyo, covering capacity enhancement, job creation and human resource development through the new capital investment.

Lahiri has no doubt that the company can handle the expansion. “TTDI’s strengths lie in offering high reliability, Toshiba’s design, technology, and processes, the application of Japanese safety and quality standards, kaizen activities to realize constant improvement, and the fact that we manufacture a wide range of products, from small to large transformers, switchgear, and surge arresters, all at a single location. TTDI is a vertically integrated organization that enables us to offer competitive prices, short delivery times, and high-quality products and solutions, which we provide to customers in over 50 countries, including India, North America, and Europe. We will continue to leverage TTDI’s strengths to provide products and solutions that meet the growing global demand for power infrastructure.”

Launching a new business in India

In August 2025, TTDI launched a new business in surge arresters. Jun Kobayashi, an engineer, was entrusted with establishing the operation and assigned to the Surge Arrester Division. One of his first impressions was of the differences in work styles.

“The way people work in India is characterized by very strong interpersonal connections. If someone encounters a problem, they immediately contact the relevant people,” says Kobayashi. “When I started working here, the depth of these relationships and the sheer speed of things really surprised me. But there’s another side to it, a unique rhythm to how work progresses. Things get started quickly, but if you don’t follow up, they might not get seen through to the end. That’s why frequent progress checks and close communication are essential.”

Surge arresters protect power infrastructure equipment from lightning and other high-voltage sources by suppressing abnormal voltages. Toshiba’s strength lies in zinc oxide elements, the core of the technology.

Kobayashi explains: “In a lightning strike, the voltage surge must be kept at a low level to prevent the failure of transmission and distribution equipment. Our zinc oxide elements do that more effectively than competitors’ products and deliver world-class thermal energy resistance*. By incorporating them into surge arresters, we can provide compact, highly durable products at a lower cost—that’s our strength.”

*Based on Toshiba’s internal research

Launching from scratch and securing the first order

Takato Fukano, who heads the Surge Arrester Division, is another key figure in the launch of the new venture. His long-standing focus on the lightning arrester business led him to strongly identify, eight years ago while working in Japan, the need for an overseas manufacturing base.

“At the time, we had manufacturing bases in Japan and China,” explains Fukano. “Japan handled sales in its domestic market and Southeast Asia, while China focused on its own market, but our sales channels were weak in North America and Europe. That was especially true for high-voltage equipment products: the market prioritized cost, competitiveness was a challenge, and I felt that the long-term outlook was difficult. After making repeated in-house presentations of extensive data that explained the necessity of manufacturing overseas, and with the favorable tailwinds of a strong performance in domestic manufacturing and an improving business environment in India, we finally got the green light for a new venture here in India.”

With the production line launched and running in August last year, products began to ship. The first inquiry came from a power company in Fiji that was struggling to handle lightening damage. After exchanges of technical information, the order was secured. On the line, TTDI staff and the staff of the Hamakawasaki Operations in Japan, where surge arresters are manufactured, worked together as one to overcome difficulties and meet the production deadline.

“My colleagues worked with smiles and a positive attitude,” Kobayashi recalls. “By the time we started production, we had everything up and running, from order taking to manufacture and shipping, and the atmosphere in the factory now is really energized. We want to continue to build up the production system by transferring know-how and knowledge cultivated in Japan to India, building a production system, with the ultimate aim of becoming number one in global market share.”

Demand for electricity continues to grow around the world.  Behind the scenes are the efforts and determination of the people who support the infrastructure that makes electricity something we can all take for granted. TTDI will continue to take on the challenge of delivering electricity by providing power transmission and transformation equipment, from India to the world.