Photo Credit: Louise Stickland; SSL Media highlights the collaboration between IES, 369 Design Lab Robe as a major contributor the team's productions

Published 18^th November, 2025

Mumbai-based SSL Media Technology & Solutions, headed by CEO Ulhas Sahasrabuddhe, and one of India’s largest event and entertainment technology production providers, has made major investments in Robe moving lights over the years. Currently Ulhas and his son Akshay have made significant investments for the enterprise. The list includes Robe iFORTE LTX FS (follow spot) fixtures – eight fixtures together and the eight RoboSpot BaseStations, which are the first RoboSpot systems in India.

The equipment was delivered by Robe’s Indian distributor IES (Integrated Entertainment Solutions) headed by founder & owner Rasesh Parekh.

SSL currently holds the largest stock of Robe in India, with over 200 fixtures from the most recent Robe ranges, plus some of the classic ColorSpot and ColorWash 575 series fixtures – circa 2003 – which are still working after all these years and still perfect for parties and the more budget-conscious events. In the last year alone, SSL has expanded its Robe stock of FORTES – they now have 87 – and MegaPointes, of which they now have 80. The Spiider count has been boosted as well, with the purchase of another 24 of these popular LED wash beams.

The SSL team offers expertise in lighting, video – LED screens and projection – trussing and rigging, audio, and SFX. The large inventories of lighting and LED screen make the company stand out with work that spans multiple genres and sectors, events and television production, together with many major event producers, TV channels and prominent media organisations.

SSL provides tech production for around 95% of the Hindi and Marathi TV industry producing non-fiction content, and their portfolio embraces concerts and music festivals, spectacular opening & closing ceremonies, sports events, including esports, spiritual gatherings, theatre productions, musicals, and more. They work internationally throughout Asia and the Middle East, supplying both equipment and talented hard-working crew to a diverse range of projects from awards shows to concerts.

They collaborate with top international acts when they perform in India – Coldplay, Bryan Adams, Green Day, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Guns N’ Roses, Eric Prydz to name a few over the last year. Ulhas underlines that it is essential, when dealing with this level of artist, to be able to provide the premium brands their production teams are demanding.

“We studied riders extensively,” he explained, “and this has been a factor driving us towards Robe right from the start.” He adds that SSL has arguably one of the largest fleets – over 1000 – of moving lights in the country, branded and unbranded combined.

Typically, they will be supplying around 20 / 25 active sites each day that could be shows, rehearsals, tours or events, and two or three of these will usually be using branded moving lights.

Project manager Siddhesh Susvirkar noted that in addition to shows and music-based performance, FORTES were popular for lighting conferences, trade show booths and expo areas. He sees that lighting designers appreciate features like the fantastic brightness, gobos and the overall quality of the light being emitted from the fixture.

He also notes that FORTES and iFORTES are increasingly on riders together with RoboSpots. If sub-hired, any of these lights and systems are always supplied with SSL’s own highly trained crew rather than as a dry hire.

The very first gig in India for SSL’s new RoboSpot was a massive show in Chennai by Indian movie and singing superstar Anirudh. Lighting was designed by Bala Subramanya (Vinod) and Guru Somayaji of Bangalore-based creative studio, 369 Design Lab.

The SSL team did their own RoboSpot training after receiving the fixtures, which was organised by IES, after which their now trained crew are teaching a selection of their own operators.

Co-ordinating the RoboSpots for SSL is Sahi Jabdhav, also a lighting designer, and he was one of those originally trained by IES. He highlights how at a gig or concert, utilising RoboSpots will save on structures and will enable the prompters to have less seat kills, which is always a plus!

“Robe have not over-engineered this project. They have been clever and kept it straightforward and easy to learn, especially for those who are already adept in the art of follow spotting.” He confirms that a lot of the LDs and lighting operators also like the system, as they can work in closer proximity to the RoboSpot operators.

In addition to all this, it really maximises the flexibility of fixtures in the rig, which can be used for following and as part of the general rig at different times.

Ulhas points out the collaboration between Rasesh Parekh and the IES team, which is also a critical element of the bigger-picture investment plan.