Categories and the numbers that matter
| Product | Key specification | Band we observe |
|---|---|---|
| LED lamp / bulb | Lumens, CRI, base type | ₹120 – 600 per lamp |
| LED batten | Lumens per foot, CCT | ₹450 – 1,600 |
| Recessed downlight | Lumens, beam angle, cut-out, CRI | ₹450 – 2,800 |
| Surface spot / track light | Beam angle, CRI, tilt range | ₹900 – 5,500 |
| Linear profile light | Lumens per metre, driver, diffuser | ₹600 – 2,400 per metre |
| Flat panel | Lumens, UGR rating | ₹900 – 3,500 |
| Connected / smart lighting | Protocol, hub requirement | ₹900 – 6,000 per point |
Buying observations, not official pricing. Architectural and specification-grade fittings sit well above these domestic bands.
The five specifications to write down
- Lumens. A living room needs roughly 150–250 lux at working height; a kitchen counter 300–500. Work out the lumens required for the area rather than counting fittings.
- Efficacy, in lumens per watt. Above 100 lm/W is good for a domestic LED. It tells you how much of the wattage becomes light rather than heat.
- CRI. Above 80 for general use, above 90 in wardrobes, dressing areas, kitchens and anywhere colour judgement happens. Low-CRI light makes food and skin look grey.
- Colour temperature. 2,700K for warm living spaces, 3,000K for kitchens and bathrooms, 4,000K for work areas. Fix one temperature per room and hold to it.
- Dimming protocol. TRIAC, 0–10V or DALI. A dimmer and a driver that do not match produce flicker and buzz, and this is the single most common lighting complaint we are called about.
Drivers, access and the Mumbai ceiling
An LED chip may last tens of thousands of hours. The electronic driver behind it, running in a hot unventilated ceiling void in a Mumbai May, will not necessarily match that.
- Design access to every driver. A driver buried above a fixed gypsum ceiling means opening the ceiling when it fails.
- Where fittings have integral drivers, the whole fitting is replaced on failure — which is fine if the model will still be available, and a problem if it will not.
- Group drivers in accessible locations above a removable panel or inside a nearby wardrobe loft, and label them.
- Heat shortens driver life. Do not pack insulation around a downlight, and leave ventilation space in a sealed cove.
- Keep two spare fittings of each type from the original purchase. Matching a discontinued downlight three years later is not possible.
Common Mumbai lighting mistakes
- Mixed colour temperatures in one room. A 4,000K downlight beside a 3,000K cove reads as a fault, not a design.
- Too many downlights. A grid of downlights makes a flat room. Layer instead: ambient, task and accent, on separate circuits.
- No dimming. A living room that runs at one level all evening is uncomfortable. Dimming is cheap at installation and expensive to retrofit.
- Fittings chosen after the ceiling. Cut-out sizes vary; the reflected ceiling plan should be drawn against actual fittings.
- Bathroom fittings without an IP rating. Anything in a shower zone needs an appropriate ingress rating, and in a humid Mumbai bathroom that is not a formality.
- Cove depth designed after the profile was bought. A shallow cove makes the LED strip scallop visibly on the adjacent surface; the cove dimension has to be drawn around the actual profile and its diffuser.
- Everything on one switch. Ambient, task and accent should land on separate circuits, or the layering you paid for cannot actually be used.
Our independence
Greenbox is an independent design and build studio. We are not a dealer, distributor, channel partner or specification partner for Signify, Philips or any other lighting manufacturer, and we accept no brand-linked incentives. We specify fittings on their photometric performance, buy through Mumbai suppliers at market rates, and pass through invoices where we procure for a client. Figures above are our market observations.
Frequently asked questions
How many downlights does a room need?+
Fewer than most schemes propose. Work from lux levels: around 150–250 lux at working height for a living room, 300–500 at a kitchen counter. Then layer the light — ambient, task and accent on separate circuits — rather than filling the ceiling with a uniform grid.
What colour temperature should I use at home?+
2,700K in living rooms and bedrooms, 3,000K in kitchens and bathrooms, 4,000K only in work areas and utility. The important rule is one temperature per room; a warm cove beside a cool downlight reads as a defect to everyone who walks in, even if they cannot say why.
Is Greenbox a Philips or Signify partner?+
No. We are an independent studio with no dealership, distributorship or specification arrangement with any lighting manufacturer. We specify on photometric merit and buy on the open market, passing through invoices where we procure.
Why do my dimmable lights flicker?+
Almost always a mismatch between the dimmer and the driver. TRIAC dimmers need TRIAC-compatible drivers, and loading a dimmer below its minimum load also causes flicker. Fix it by matching the protocol, not by changing the lamps.
What is CRI and does it matter?+
Colour rendering index describes how accurately a light source shows colour against daylight. Above 80 is acceptable generally; above 90 matters in a wardrobe, a kitchen or anywhere you judge colour. Low-CRI light is the reason clothes chosen at home look wrong outside.