We plan to expand our presence to more countries

You launched DIGISOL in April this year. How is it

different from the rest of your products?



DIGISOL offers a complete range of active products which include switches,

wireless routers and more. We have wall mounted multi-use switches as well as

portable routers. The battery life of the new range of products is also much

more now.

Who are some of your major customers and which new

segments are you looking to tap?



We work extensively in the government sector covering segments like

e-governance, education, defense, PSUs and telecom. Other big customers include

major banks and Tata Steel in the private sector. However, telecom is more OEM

based so we source requirements from service providers. Some of the new segments

we are looking to tap are ITeS, BPO and the mobile segment.

How do you plan to tap the new 3G wave?



We will be offering 3G connectivity through laptops and computers as some

people go directly to service providers, while some will route requests through

us. We are also planning to offer wireless data cards, 3G cards, etc.

What are your expectations from the government to boost

innovation and transform India into a production hub?



Previously high duty imposed by the government was the main concern, but now

there are new issues of government control on manufacturing and strict policies

for the same. With the recent announcement to push local manufacturing of

telecom equipment, this sector will get a boost. With the demand growing, the

components industry will also see a boost. Manufacturing in India is much

cheaper than China and there is no dearth of talent, but logistic costs are very

high, forcing us to import.

What is the main thing lacking in R&D innovations by

telcos?



The main thing lacking in R&D is volumethe economies of scale are just not

present, and thus, the R&D spend becomes very high with insufficient turnover.

We are currently working with outside partners who supply in large volumes to

several companies. For active products, there is a big market; but for passive

products, there are only six players in India today.

Beryl M



berylm@cybermedia.co.in