TI Ltd began another movement called "Operation Nav Shatabdi" in 1999-00, calling for increased "productivity, profitability, and parivartan" in the New World order of convergence. While its credentials as a telecom equipment and service provider need no introduction, what will come as a cultural shock to many is its performance in IT and IT-enabled services. Silently, it did business worth Rs 70 crore in this area. Though the figures may not justify its behemoth size and potential, it has achieved this under adverse conditions where the IT solutions market is dominated by IT heavy weights like Wipro. And it did this within its first year of IT focus.

For the third continuous year since 1997-98, ITI’s growth has been unswerved in production as well as sales. Its sales revenues grew from Rs 1744.7 crore in 1998-99 to Rs 2,060.5 crore in 1999-00. While the switching production grew by 15 percent over the previous year, the digital radios and optical fibre terminals’ production registered an all-time high growth of 71 and 256 percent, respectively. The Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) systems grew by 39 percent.

ITI supplied several new products like ISDN, CCS#7 for C-DOT equipment, network synchronization equipment to upgrade E-10B and old C-DOT supplies, IDR modems, and DLC equipment. Prominent among these efforts were the GSM equipment tenders for C-DOT and MTNL. In tune with its equipment business growth, its turkey projects too have been on the rise. A proof of this has been the state-of-the-art VSAT communication network that was designed, produced, and commissioned for the Indian Army.

It increased its thrust on core R&D activity and geared up to manufacture wireless products based on CorDECT technology. For this it signed an MoU with ECIL to cater to the requirements of DoT and MTNL.

However, the initiative of the year for ITI was on the IT front. It created a separate business group to address IT and IT-enabled services. As an end-to-end solution provider, it will deliver services in the area of enhanced network services, business support systems, ISP/ASP infrastructure, and enterprise telecom. It has entered into an alliance with Compaq to create a pool of resources for four areas of co-operation: network management, fraud management, billing and integration, and e-commerce for ISPs. The tie-up with Krone will help it to give the connecting options. More alliances are also in the pipeline. The move is very clear—utilize its understanding of the telecom switch for high-end voice and data solutions.

ITI’s dream of being a world-class company addressing the challenges of convergence of technologies can definitely be realized. But the mute question is—can it restructure itself quickly to gain advantage? Can it be market-savvy? If MTNL can turn competitive and aggressive due to changed ground realities, there is no reason why ITI can not do the same. Air Cmde SS Motial (Retd), who has been the driving force since 1998, has succeeded to a large extent in bringing about this attitudinal change and greater discipline among his workforce. But can this distinct change be nursed after his retirement—a feature that has been plaguing most of the PSUs? The employees are neither motivated for a change nor are self starters to bring in dynamism.