RFID tags are becoming increasingly popular in India due to their ability to enable the tracking of items, from retail products and livestock to vehicles. RFID technology is being adopted by many industries for its cost-effective solution for monitoring assets. This article will discuss the price of RFID tags in India and how this technology can help businesses save money while improving efficiency.
The price of an RFID tag depends on several factors including size, type, frequency band used, quantity ordered, and application it is intended for. Generally speaking though, passive UHF (Ultra High Frequency) tags or RAIN RFID labels with a read range of up to 10 meters typically start at around Rs 3 per unit when purchased in bulk quantities. Active UHF tags with a read range of up to 100 meters can be priced at Rs 500 per unit or more depending on order size. In addition, there may also be additional costs associated, such as installation fees or RFID reader hardware including reader, antenna, mounting bracket, and cables that need consideration when budgeting your project's total expenses.
Overall, RFID offers significant savings over other traditional asset tracking methods such as barcodes or manual logging systems which require more labor hours, materials, and maintenance than modern automated solutions like those provided by radio frequency identification technologies. The relatively low cost combined with improved accuracy makes adopting this system an attractive option, especially considering the long-term benefits it brings. Businesses should consider all their options before making any decisions, but investing in efficient inventory management through the adoption of new technologies like RFID and the Internet of Things (IoT) could pay off handsomely down the line.
Both active and passive RFID are frequently used to operate real-time location systems (RTLS). While both serve the same purpose, they employ different methods.
Why RAIN RFID Tags? Cost of RFID tags in India
The main advantage of RAIN RFID Tags or passive RFID tags is their low cost, which ranges from 4 cents (for paper and polyester labels) to 50 cents (for anti-metal hard tags) per tag (INR 3 to INR 40). The tags don't even require batteries, which means they can last for a long time. The downside of passive RFID is that the infrastructure costs a lot and only detects the "presence" of the tag, not its precise position, unlike active RFID systems, say BLE beacons.
Advanced RFID technology, on the other hand, employs batteries that enable tags to connect to different access point readers across an area (like the inside of a building) and transmit data to a cloud or server. Active RFID tags (like Bluetooth or ultra-wideband) are costlier ($10 plus), but they have the benefit of utilizing a cheaper reader infrastructure.
Therefore, the main differences between these two forms of technology are
• The transfer cost from tag to infrastructure, and
• Trading complexity and accuracy to lower system cost totals.
Based on the kind of RFID system you're planning to use, the expenses you will incur will differ. Here's a breakdown of the 5 types of costs of RFID tags to help you be ready before you decide to select and implement a particular type of technology:
1. Passive RFID Tag Cost (in India)
One of the main advantages that passive RFID offers is a lower price tag, usually less than a dollar. The only exception is if you have to tag an object made of metal, for instance, a laptop or medical equipment, in that case, tags are somewhat more costly because standard passive RFID tags won't function effectively due to metal interference issues. Other highly specialized RFID tags used for laundry and linen management cost more.
Tags are among the few things that cost more in the case of active RFID. Although RF tags that use beaconing are cheaper than tags for other technologies such as Wi-Fi and ultra-wideband, you can expect to pay as much as (or over) 100 times more for an active RFID tag than for an RFID tag that is passive ( say INR 5 for passive label and INR 500 for active RFID tag).
Additionally, Active RFID tags are combined with smartphones and wide-area technologies such as LPWAN and GPS to offer seamless indoor and outdoor tracking and localization.
Another factor that affects the cost of active tags is the expense of maintaining the batteries. Some systems offer disposable tags, while others allow the replacement of batteries. In either case, the costs of life-cycle batteries and the associated labor costs must be considered when calculating the total system cost for an operational RTLS system.
1.1 UHF Passive RFID Tag Prices in India
The passive UHF RFID tags are the most prominent ones as these tags provide long read-range and high performance at low cost. The global UHF Passive RFID (RAIN RFID) market is worth 2.1B USD in 2023 and it is poised to grow further, pushed by the high demand in the retail and apparel sector. The retail apparel sector alone accounts for 64% of the market share by tag volume and 72% of the market share by value when it comes to the global RFID market.
In India, with increasing automation and reforms in businesses and industries, RFID technology is growing fast. With growing demand, RFID implementation costs have also come down over the years.
1.2 UHF Passive RFID Label Prices in India
UHF Passive RFID inlays and labels are cheaply available passive RFID tags that are most popular in item-level tagging requirements. The Passive UHF RFID labels cost INR 2.5 per label onwards in India and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
1.3 Passive UHF RFID Hard Tags Prices in India
The specific purpose, passive UHF RFID hard tags are fabricated for use on pallets and RTIs (Returnable Transportation Items), smart bins, etc. These tags are made of ABS plastic casing that is durable and fit for use in outdoor, extreme environmental conditions such as frost, heat, humidity, chemical exposure, etc.
Passive UHF RFID hard tags cost INR 10 onwards, going up to 150 INR per tag and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
1.4 RFID Mount on-Metal Tags Prices in India
These are special RFID tags that are designed to perform well in applications where metal frequency interference is present. Some metals cause interference with RFID tag frequency causing normal RFID tags to fail and that is why special-purpose Mount on-metal RFID tags are used for metal surface applications.
Passive UHF Mount On-Metal Hard tags cost INR 35 onwards going up to 150 INR per tag while premium quality Mount On-Metal Labels cost INR 25 onwards and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
2. Cost of RFID Equipment
If you decide to go with a RAIN RFID system, you'll have to take into consideration the cost of the RFID readers along with the cost of cables and antennas.
The cost of RFID readers in India depends upon the type of RFID reader, read range, read rate, and obviously the brand of the product. RFID handheld readers by Zebra technologies, say the RFD40 Zebra Handheld SLED Readers cost around 60,000 INR while the Zebra FX9600 Fixed Readers cost around 65,000 INR if you purchase these from EnCstore.com. Similarly, RFID antennas could cost you around 25,000 INR, and RFID cables and antenna brackets could cost you around 1000 INR.
3. Passive RFID Installation Cost
Passive RFID system installation should be carried out by a professional who is proficient with tuning equipment, managing the antennas, conducting the tests for connectivity, setting up network settings, and other information. The readers are typically connected through a LAN network to a central server, which is often located on the premises and handles all RFID information.
Specialized antennas are used to provide passive RFID and have to be put in place and calibrated to ensure proper performance. As a result, the costs of installing passive RFID can be significant.
However, there are many operating RFID technologies that can be put in place by someone on your IT staff in just one day, which makes the process more cost-effective and less expensive. The exact location where an active reader is placed isn't essential; you are able to place it where it is most convenient and avoid the expense of having to redesign your facilities. However, ultra-wideband RFID devices can have installation costs that are higher than even those of passive RFID.
4. Software Cost
Active and passive RFID readings aren't useful without asset management and tracking software. After all, what good is the captured data if it can’t be stored and converted into meaningful insights?
This type of software for tracking IT assets and fixed assets could cost you a hefty sum.
In general, the complexity and specificity of the software will determine its price. Basic tag-reading software can be an open-source program, and the integration of RFID into enterprise ERP software could be a huge expense to maintain as well.
5. RFID License Cost
Although active RFID license costs are usually integrated into the software, passive RFID technologies typically have ongoing licensing costs for support and software updates. They can be costly, so you should be sure to take this expense into account prior to choosing an RFID technology that is passive.
These license costs are typical for Wi-Fi-based RTLS systems in which the location technology is an addition to Wi-Fi access points already in place.
So, if you’re looking for RFID tags in India, kindly head to EnCstore.com where we offer a wide range of RFID tags and inlays and labels, RFID readers, and antennas at competitive prices with warranty and assurance. We offer pan-India delivery of RFID components and our return policy offers 7-day returns on selected RFID components.
We also offer support and consultation on RFID system selection, RFID tag and reader selection, and RFID deployment.
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