Ajay Gulati, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Business Development, Electro Rent India
In recent years, the rental market for test and measurement (T&M) equipment has gained significant traction owing to continuous advancements in telecom technologies and the growing pressure on telcos to reduce capex. Electro Rent, a market leader in the T&M rental space, has been associated with the Indian telecom industry for a number of years and is helping stakeholders expedite the installation and commissioning of new technology roll-outs. In an interview with tele.net, Ajay Gulati, senior vice-president, sales and business development, Electro Rent India, talks about the trends in the rental T&M market, and the company’s focus areas…..
How has the rental market for telecom T&M equipment evolved in India in recent years?
India’s T&M market is experiencing massive growth due to various technological advancements across industries. The telecom sector, per se, is witnessing continuous technological upgradation. Many developments are taking place simultaneously. There are consolidations and the arrival of new kinds of services – 5G, MIMO, fibre connectivity, and more. These crucial shifts are creating a demand for high-performance testing equipment. Traditionally, testing equipment would be purchased but, given the short frequency arrivals of new trends, it is becoming difficult to manage the capex. Hence, renting and leasing of the desired test equipment is seen as the best alternative to stay abreast with trends as well as manage budgets. The concept of renting test equipment is catching on in the Indian telecom industry owing to the various benefits it offers. With flexible renting plans and on-tap maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, Electro Rent is working closely with large telecom and other players in India to provide the necessary support for their projects.
What are Electro Rent’s key focus areas in India? How important is the Indian market for the company?
Electro Rent began its journey in India 11 years ago, and its growth in the Indian market is notable. With various industries poised to transform via technological upgradations, the importance of test equipment cannot be ruled out. As a renting and leasing partner, we offer unique
propositions to our clients and take complete responsibility for the fast delivery of equipment in any corner of India. We also look after their upgradation and maintenance. Some of the sectors that are responding very well to Electro Rent’s services are semiconductors, telecom, automotive electronics – safety sensor, infotainment, and connectivity-V2V and V2I, and battery-operated vehicles.
What are some of the key challenges before you? How do you plan to address these?
The ability to innovate has engulfed almost all sectors, with firms wanting to continuously innovate and keep in sync with the competition in their respective industries. One of the challenging tasks undertaken by Electro Rent is to keep track of and map new trends in every industry. We aim to respond to new trends in the same way as our customers do. Along with offering cutting-edge solutions, we are stringent with our employee
training in order to enable them to deal with our clients better.
How are the T&M requirements expected to change with the advent of 5G? What does this mean for Electro Rent?
5G will bring along a whole new set of functionalities to up the game for telecom players. 5G roll-out is certainly one of the most ambitious projects for telecom players as well as for the Government of India. Electro Rent is in a favourable position to offer maximum support and benefit to telecom players for their 5G roll-out plans. We have acquired relevant assets worth $1 million to offer a wide range of test equipment on rent.
Going forward, what are some of the opportunities that you are looking to tap globally as well as in India?
Following the merger of the Microlease and Livington brands, Electro Rent is equipped to serve the Indian as well as international markets better through an expanded equipment fleet and broader geographical coverage. This will lead to better availability of technical services, especially considering India’s plans to introduce better medical equipment, roll out 5G services and open data centres. Our clients are frontrunners in innovative product and service offerings and thanks to their foresight, they think ahead of what’s trending. We plan to keep devising employee training workshops and training sessions to keep up the momentum. We are also looking to tackle complex Exim (export-import) regulations and constantly changing rules in terms of taxation.
