"2004–05 was a breakaway year for us as we reached inflexion point"
How's Cisco's global vision being translated in India?
Cisco's vision is to provide end-to-end network infrastructure solution to
all our customers-service providers and enterprises. The vision is to provide
end-to-end integrated converged IP traffic on access, switching, routing, and
providing advanced technologies like IP and wireless. And on top of this
incorporate security, which is built in to all Cisco's product. The same
vision is being translated in the Indian market.
Cisco completed ten years in India in 2004. What were some of the major
achievements?
We are very satisfied with our performance in the past ten years. We entered
the market in 1994 when the market was nascent. In the first phase, focus was on
setting up distribution networks in the country. In the second phase, the focus
was on reaching out to a wide range of customers as at that point of time the
market was small and the focus was on reaching out to the customers. India has
been and will remain an important market for us in terms of top line.
Our success is attributed to bringing the right products, at the right time,
and at the right place.
How do you see the next ten years for India as well as for Cisco?
Next ten years are important for India as a country. We are expanding our
infrastructure as the economy is moving forward and the companies are exploiting
the networked business environment. The country is making significant
investments in e-governance projects and it will help on the social front, and
we want to be a part of that process.
How do you rate your performance in 2004–05?
2004–05 was a breakaway year for us as we reached inflexion point. In this
year, three to four critical things happened. First, the verticalization model
is paying off. Second, Indian companies are market leaders in sectors like:
telecom, pharma, auto, and banking sector. All have embraced networking as
mission critical applications and have deployed Cisco to provide complete
end-to-end solutions. Third, customer satisfaction rating has increased which is
the number one measure for our employees. And last but not least, Cisco India
has gained significant market share and the proportion of market hold here is
one of the highest in the world for Cisco.
In terms of enterprise versus carrier, both markets have grown significantly
in India. Companies are investing in IP network, IP telephony, and wireless.
Advanced technologies have made inroads sooner than we had anticipated. On the
carrier front, consumer broadband and wireless is a major investment.
When do you expect to cross revenues of $1 billion in India?
In three to four years. I believe we will grow faster than the market. In
the best-case scenario, we will grow at 40–45 percent and in worst case it
will be around 30 percent.
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