"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.

Page(s)   1  2