T&M Industry in India : Visioning new Architecture!

At this time of the year many of us active in the T&M industry Globally are back from the Holidays and for others it is biginning of the Financial year as well. I thought it will be in order to do just some imagineering and kite-flying on our industry.

Well our industry is fantastic no doubt, yet it will not hurt if we encounter few innovations in place both in terms of selling and supporting to newer users and applications but also defining new platformsand architecures.And these innovations need to be relevant to Indian conditions and the needs of the user Industry here,which is being served by our Professionals. Towards that I seek our being able to reach out Global Standards of Modulars,a new methodology of common platform of testing across frequencies and may be a new indigeneously developed integration of hardware and software/services.

We in India are somehow stuck in old portable mentality and all technology based new announcements are going waste.We are just commoditising more and more and in the bargain we are losing price-realisation and not moving up the value chain of technology/integration or applications.In any industry with time,the Services oriented Architecture drives the total revenues.And the paradigm thinks bigger and bigger envelope of Hardware plus Services.So,in that respect we need to think beyond the box,and outside the box simultaneously.

For an immediate thought I propose we start replacing and substituting portable instruments by modular instruments (may be PXI architecture) to leverage maximum work being done Globally.This will have twin advantage of using standardised modular instrument and also encourage us to think "systemic" by using packaged software and other data sheeted services from T&M companies.The functionality of test will improve and ultimately the user will gain in terms of Quality,Productivity and Profitability. The possibility for T&M will be incremental business for hardware and services finely tuned for the user.

I will discuss these thoughts and road maps in future Blog Posts. Trust you are off to a good start in 2013 ! 

T&M Industry in India :Economic Linkges with Macros !

As the new year takes off,and we are past one fortnight some indications of the Government mood looks to be distinctly changing for the better.There is little bit economic pragmatism shown and the major part related to T&M industry is the signals of halving the CDMA spectrum price for next round of option.Supreme Court also lets the licenses continue till the March First week,enabling prominent players in CDMA taking part in the option. I think Government is finally realising the market call on selling Spectrum.It augurs well for Capex once these players are motivated to deploy network.

Likewise,there seems to be lot of customer churn and infact decline in number of subscribers and count among top ranked operators and only small hinterland based operators are gaining traction due to both focus and lower base effects.This is really giving a fillip to OSS/BSS activity and keeping tight grip on the Quality Management of Network.Its outfall can be positive to the T&M industry uptake. The sale of Smartphones catering to lower value segments is being upped by proper promotions as well. T&M may see some growth in maintaining wide customers devices there.

There is a little bit of talk on cutting back by 10% the Defense Budget of Rs 193000 Cr to address the current account deficit staring the Government finances ( Subsidy on Food,Fuel,Fertilisers).But its effect on ultimate T&M purchases will not be significant due to little size in comparison to overall pie.I think large scale deals of T&M through the DGS&D and otherwise direct from the users labs and field organisations should come through in this JFM period.As far as the smaller T&M players below the Top deck are concerned,they seem to be on good growth traction this year.So,overall the FY13 should exit with a small but sort of positive growth tone.We are expected to hold up to the overall revenue. More to come.

Happy new year. 2013 definitely hold HOPE and positivism ahead!