AMARA RAJA BATTERIES FOR TELCOS & UPS SOON
G Balachandar, July 13, 2009
Financial Chronicle
Bullish on the growth of the industrial battery segment, Amara Raja Batteries, battery maker for automotive and industrial sectors, is set to introduce a new range of batteries this financial year for telecom and uninterrupted power supply (UPS) segments, which have been driving the growth for the company in the industrial segment. “The company is in an advanced stage of developing front terminal access (FTA) batteries for the telecom segment and will be marketing the product during 2009-10,” according to Amara Raja’s annual report for 2008-09.
The new battery has been developed for optimum space utilisation, accelerated installation speed and enhanced scalability in powering telecom networks.
The company plans to market the FTA batteries to both domestic and international telecom service providers. Amara Raja is also planning to introduce small valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries for commercial and household applications during the present year. The battery maker seeks to increase its market share in the UPS segment by expanding output of medium VRLA batteries and launching a new range of batteries. The company says it continues to be a preferred supplier for leading telecom operators and UPS manufacturers.
Powered by these two segments, the company has registered 55 percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in the industrial segment in the past four years. The industrial segment accounted for about 55 percent of the topline (Rs 1,318 crore in 2008-09), while the rest was accounted for by the automotive sector, which was hit by the economic slowdown. Amara Raja expects FTA batteries for telecom, specialised sleeper-coach batteries for the railways and batteries (12V) with high capacity for the UPS segment to be the growth drivers in the industrial segment.
AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR GROWTH AREA FOR US
Priyanka Akhouri, July 13, 2009
The Financial Express
KUKA Robotics (India) Pvt Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of KUKA Roboter Germany and was incorporated in India in May 2006. In a short span of three years, KUKA has successfully made a strong presence in India as a supplier of industrial robots by bagging customers like Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Reliance and so on. Raj Singh Rathee, MD, KUKA Robotics (India) in an interview he talks about the company’s involvement with the Indian auto sector and its plans for other sectors.
Excerpts:
What will be KUKA’s growth strategy and expansion plans in FY09-10?
We would like to explore the possibility to work with every auto company, which has plans to invest in coming times to automate their lines. Hence, in India, a large part of our business comes from the automotive industry and it will continue to grow. We are also looking at unconventional sectors like medical, entertainment, foundry, food, FMCG and renewable energy for growth in the Indian market. If the market continues to grow at a rapid pace, then definitely we can foresee the possibility of opening similar training institutes in other regions as well. We have an art training centre in Pune where we train people from the industry as well the students from educational institutions on different aspects of robotics. If the market continues to grow rapidly, we can foresee the possibility of opening similar training institutes in other regions.
How has the demand for robots been across other verticals?
The major requirement till now for industrial robots is from the automotive industries and its suppliers. But recently, industries like foundry, food, wood, logistics, solar, medical and aerospace have shown interest in industrial robots for different applications. KUKA has one of the biggest product portfolios to cater to the needs and demands of different industries. KUKA being the technological leader in this segment is preferred by the industry verticals for very precise applications. We would certainly want our Indian customers to be benefited by the use of the latest German technology. As we already have number of good references worldwide including the auto industry, we want the Indian industry to benefit from this technology.
CUSTOMERS NOW WANT BEST RETURN FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT
Pragati Verma, July 13, 2009
The Financial Express
As customers today are very conscious and look for IT infrastructure that contributes towards data security and lower total cost of ownership, Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) workstations and servers are tuning in. Dennis Mark, who heads the commercial systems unit at HP Personal Systems group (PSG) is banking on products that promise return on investments as early as three months. In an interaction he elaborates on HP’s plans and the environment. Excerpts:
As customers squeeze tech spending, how do you compel them to buy new computer systems?
Yes this environment is tough. In this environment, a customer will ask for the best return for each dollar spent. Having said that, the good news is that we are seeing an economic momentum. In countries like China and Vietnam, there are a lot of opportunities and we are seeing a positive sentiment. The key thing for companies is to invest in technology that will help them to be more productive and more competitive in their respective industries.
Our new workstation series called Z have been designed keeping performance in mind. This is especially true for SMBs, where the work done in five days can be brought down to 2.5 to 2.7 days due to the high performance of the workstations. From their perspective, there is a productivity improvement of almost 85%. For the same amount, architectures using these systems can double their work and this generates a lot of saving and ability to do more projects in the same amount of time. As a result there is huge saving for them.
How different is the product profile today?
Customers are more demanding in this environment. For example, an architect can complete his work using the new Z series workstations in 27 days or 1 month, while otherwise he would take 2-3 months. So in a very short period of time, he can realise the practical benefit of the investment.
Time to realise the return on investments (ROI) have come down by three to four monts time. So the design of the workstation was able to enhance the performance.
We spoke to our customers on how they used our workstations and gathered their feedback. We came together with BMW DesignWorks to design the internal chassis and the internal airflow. This partnership enables us to integrate the handle on the top of the machine so that it may be moved around easily. At the bottom, we added a layer of a material that enables users to shift the machine easily. These minute details come together to enhance the computing experience for the customers and offering better productivity.
Do you expect customers to buy more HP products like after the 1997 crisis?
Our market share has been steadily increasing. Hence during these difficult times too, we continued to invest in meaningful innovations. An economic slowdown doesn’t mean we stop—we continue to invest in the market and technology. In such a tough scenario, we aim to understand our customers’ needs better and fine-tune innovations to suit them. We want to continue to help them in their business to become more competitive. The crucial thing is to be with the customer and retain their loyalty. Like I said, it will be about keeping the relationship going and not merely buy and sell. The strategy is ‘we grow as they grow’.
US ORGANIZATION TO DISTRIBUTE 30 LAKH LAPTOPS AT RS 11,000
New Delhi, July 13, 2009
The Statesman
For creating screen-based learning environment in Indian schools, US-based non-profit organization, one laptop per child (OLPC), plans to distribute 30 lakh XO laptops in the country at the rate of Rs 11,000 per laptop by the year-end of 2009.
The organization claims to have already distributed 1000 such laptops in 20 schools in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on experimental basis.
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