BSE-listed Smartlink targets 40% growth next fiscal in wireless business

BSE listed networking company Smartlink Network Systems is now eying 40 per cent growth in its wireless business in next financial year, 2015-16. The company has aggressively revamped its strategy in sync with the Centre's 'Make in India' initiative to grow its wireless business.

The company, has ramped up its production capabilities to double its market share within a year from the present 10 per cent in wireless broadband business in India. The company has extended its manufacturing capabilities with as many as 100,000 routers a month. It has 40 distributors across India. The company also offers its facility for contract manufacturing services to multinational companies. It has clocked annual turnover of Rs 120 crore in FY14-15.

"We're focusing on the rapidly growing wireless broadband business in the country by locally designing and manufacturing a range of electronic hardware. Smartlink was set up with a vision to manufacture IT products in India for India. We at Smartlink are geared up to reinvent complete chain of electronic hardware manufacturing starting from design to disposal (D&D). With a price band of Rs 1,100-1,200 range, offering Internet speed upto 300 megabyte per second is the next generation affordable devices than the existing ones in the market, said K R. Naik, founder & chairman, Smartlink Network Systems.

It recently unveiled a cost-effective wireless broadband router for consumers, manufactured under the flagship Digisol brand priced at Rs 1,100. It offers Internet speed upto 300 megabyte per second with intelligent antenna technology that enables receiving wireless signals faster. The product is being manufactured at its Goa plant.

"The company is also eyeing the SAARC and East Asian and African countries to expand its wireless hardware business in 2017, and said that their products are cost-effective with optimal quality. We plan to export our wireless local area network (WLAN) products in next couple of years. Currently, we are completely focusing on India market this year," Arati Naik, Digisol chief operating officer said.

Being country's oldest indigenous manufacturer, Smarlink started operations in 1993 it has an R&D centre in Bangalore and a production facility in Goa.

According to Naik, manufacturing locally in India has and will enable companies to make significant savings on import duty and logistics costs, which remain considerably high (up to 25-30 per cent) of total landed cost. There will also a significant reduction in lead time for deliveries to the customer, especially in the case of complex engineering or high-tech products. This will allow companies to be far more responsive and flexible to changing customer needs.