What if utility poles could be stronger, lighter, and virtually maintenance-free? In an exclusive interaction with EFY’s Nitisha Dubey, Rahul Bandaru from Helipole outlines how the company is redefining infrastructure using corrosion-resistant, durable composite poles for street lighting, telecom, and smart city applications. Q. What is Helipole, and what does your company do? A. Helipole is a brand developed by CNC Technics, a machine manufacturing company focused on advanced composites. The company was incorporated in 1986 and entered the composites space in 2000 with the development of India’s first CNC filament winding machine, inaugurated by A P J Abdul Kalam. Helipole, launched in 2018, applies aerospace-grade composite technology to infrastructure by manufacturing high-performance utility poles. Q. What exactly is your product, and what innovation does it bring? A. Helipole is a composite utility pole made from glass fibre and resin. It is designed to support applications such as street lighting, telecom towers, smart poles, and electrical distribution. The innovation lies in its lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and non-conductive properties, as well as the ability to customise material characteristics for specific use cases. Q. How would you explain Helipole in simple terms to a non-technical audience? A. It can be understood as wrapping strong threads around a pipe, where these threads are industrial glass fibres soaked in resin. They are wound at precise angles using machines to create a hollow pole that is extremely strong yet weighs only one-third as much as steel. Unlike traditional poles, it does not rust, crack, or require frequent maintenance. Q. How is Helipole different from steel and concrete poles? A. Steel poles are prone to corrosion and require regular repainting, especially in coastal areas. Concrete poles can crack, exposing internal steel that rusts and weakens the structure. In terms of total cost of ownership, including installation, maintenance,