The growth opportunities in the Indian electronics industry have influenced a lot of overseas firms to grow their business in the country. Baishakhi Dutta, senior business journalist with Electronics Bazaar spoke to Kathy Lai, specialist—international sales department, Tenmars Electronics, to understand the company’s local requirements, the obstacles it faces while operating in India, and to discuss the firm’s future plans and business opportunities.
EB: How do you view the current state of the India market?
For us, each and every market has its own specialty. We look upon all the markets as our revenue generators. So India, as a market, is no exception. We cherish every market in the world.
EB: What potential do you see for your products in India?
The Indian electronics industry is gradually growing. The country has opened its doors to many foreign players. But, at the same time, Indians want lower priced products, without compromising on the quality.
EB: Have you been doing business with Indian companies?
Yes, we are already in business with Indian companies. The demand for our products has increased in the Indian market over the last couple of years. Our business has started growing here. However, we want to consolidate our presence by attending more shows in India to reach out to customers here.
EB: How has business in India been for you over the recent years?
Business is good as of now, but it is not growing too fast. Growth has been slow and steady. Out of our total global revenue, 3 per cent comes from our India business.
EB: Which are the top three countries that you export to?
Apart from India, our products are primarily exported to the US and Canada in North America, to South America, Central America, and Europe. USA and Europe make up our major customer base. At present, we export to more than 80 countries.
EB: What are the roadblocks you encounter in the Indian market?
As I mentioned earlier, the Indian market needs low-cost products without compromising on the quality. For us, this is undoubtedly a very big challenge.
EB: What platforms do you use to promote the sales of your products in India?
We have some dedicated distributors in India who help us in promoting our brand across India. Apart from that, we participate in some major industry events here, which helps us to promote our products on a much bigger scale.
EB: How many local partners do you have in India now?
At present, we have six to seven distributors across the Indian market.
EB: Are you planning to increase your presence in India?
We are planning to increase our distributor base in India since the market is continuously expanding. Within the next three years, we plan to add two to three more distributors in India.
EB: What qualities do you look for in distributors that you hope to work with?
We do not follow any particular selection criteria when it comes to our distributors. We prefer that they are specialists in the test instruments field. For us, the distributor should have the capability to sell our products in the competitive Indian market.
EB: Are you planning to set up your own office in India?
Right now, we do not have any plans for setting up an India office. Our Indian distributors have their own offices and that is how we plan to operate.
