On sales of broadcast T&M instrument in 2008-09

Our business 2008-09 was satisfactory and we expect to grow by 15-20 percent for the current year. With new investments in manufacturing of set top box, display and broadcast equipment, new projects by DDK will augment our sales growth.

On marketing strategies

Our core competency has always been on providing technically advanced solutions catering to the different segments of market, be it R&D, production or maintenance. Looking ahead we have introduced a new range of products and system solutions which is low on apex but very high on quality and expandability. A best example is our "Central Transmitter Room system" for R&D, quality and production. We have also introduced a digital video signal generator DVSG, which is a universal platform for generating and playing compressed and uncompressed video and audio signals. It features transport stream (TS) interfaces as well as all common analog-digital audio/video (AV) interfaces for the latest TV display technology. Our test receiver ETL with multiple digital TV technology and analog TV support and capability of decoding the signal to MPEG is a definite long term investment. Last, but not the least, the highly successful hand held TV test receiver for DVB-T/H is a must for all field analysis.

On market forecast for broadcast T&M market in India

The foray of major industry houses into satellite pay-TV services opens up new opportunities for the T&M industry. We can thus anticipate an increase in R&D and production activities of chipsets, RF front ends and set-top-boxes. In addition, performance and quality checks will also have to be performed which will also require T&M equipments. As DTH continues to grow in India incorporating the latest technologies and standards, the need for test & measurement, monitoring and quality measurements becomes apparent. Rohde & Schwarz with its complete range of T&M equipments is well positioned to address this growing and technically challenging market.

When the Mobile TV becomes a reality with 3G network services, there will be a new market to address. With high software development talent coupled with increasing RF expertise the BIG MNC giants will continue to outsource more work to India and tap into the local talent.

On factors driving growth for broadcast T&M equipment in India

The factors driving the market are:

• Indigenous design and development of STB, and LCD TV,
• Large outsourcing of projects to India, and
• New & innovative projects by DDK.

On the competitive advantage of the company in the Indian market

Our main USP is the quality and cutting edge technology of our solutions. We provide complete end-to-end solutions which are being used right through the product development lifecycle to quality assurance and maintenance. No matter if the customer is an end user, broadcaster, TV Manufacturer or a R&D setup. Today, we are the first company to have a certified conformance test solution for DVB-H. Rohde & Schwarz has always been and will continue to be at the forefront in providing T&M solutions for the latest Digital TV standards.

On challenges and oportunities

There are several factors that are hindering the growth of T&M broadcast industry. Currently most of the components or whole units for STB, LCD TV are being imported from China and Korea at costs much lower than those produced in India. Only assembly is done in India without any comprehensive testing. Development on cutting-edge technologies is yet to take shape. Most of the companies have been concentrating only on offering software services and very little design services.

Unlike other Asian countries such as China, Korea, Japan, India doesn't have its own DTV standard which could have provided an impetus to the growth of R&D and production within India.

Except for some pockets in Urban India, customers across India are not educated about QOS they ought to get on their home televisions. Hence most of the TV network operators spend on maintenance and field analysis is nil.