Sorry, Indians not allowed in India by Indians!

When we talk of Indian nationalism, we think of a few things, and one of them is the pride we take in the growing Indian economy. We think of budding Indian entrepreneurs, successful SMEs and also of PSUs. Some of us may also think of the interview by Praful Patel, Union Aviation Minister, where he mentioned that Air India and Indian PSUs symbolize Indian nationalism. This post takes an extension from this speech and several other similar talks about PSUs.

If the public sector undertakings of India represent our own nationalism, why is it that some of them take proactive steps towards closing doors for another representation of India- Indian SMEs? Is it that the very fabric of our society does not allow us to look beyond imported products, or is the mindset of those sitting at the top which forces them to use everything foreign? If this remains the approach, then will it be possible for us to take pride in Indian nationalism forever? These questions may have answers which are subject to debate and qualitative explanation, but facts always give you quantitative understanding.

Well, instead of taking you through a myriad of questions, let me acquaint you with certain facts which will help us understand the reason which led us to ask the questions.

Fact 1: HPCL issued a tender for Biometric Access Control with a list of qualified manufacturers for the same.

Fact 2: The list did not include any Indian manufacturer which may be fully capable of handling the project to the client’s complete satisfaction.

Fact 3: Solus is a well recognised but Indian brand which has successfully undertaken Biometric Access Control projects for various multinational companies, while replacing many foreign brands in the process. The words spoken by companies like Wipro, Patni, Asian Paints and testimonials by several others speak for this fact.

Fact 4: Solus fulfils all the criteria set by the Technical Evaluation Committee  required for make approval for the project. Every certification and required documents supporting all claims were submitted in time.

Fact 5: Solus, the capable  Indian manufacturer was excluded from Approved makes, despite the fact that other countries’ government projects have approved Solus, such as Royal Court & Palace and Royal Air force of Oman, as well as Several Ministries of Bahrain.

Fact 6: Some of the brands approved for bidding actually have little experience of Indian environment and conditions, and have failed in successfully executing some other Indian projects.

The above are some facts which cannot be denied, and facts lead to conclusions. Conclusions may not be always quantitative like facts but they do present a possibility,  - A picture of future.

Conclusion 1: HPCL and several other PSUs seem to have a problem with Solus being an  Indian brand, and they feel it’s easier to involve imported brands while overlooking the facts stated above. It is similar to a case where Indian middle class decides to buy a Van Heusen or Louiss Phillipe because they sound foreign (and also feature foreign models in their ads) and partially hides the fact that they are manufactured in factories of India. But I hope PSU heads do not need to behave like us regular middle class people, especially when important projects like these are at stake.

Conclusion 2: Such trend can lead to severe stagnation of Indian economy’s growth, as this will mean that Research & Development in India won’t be given its due credit.

Conclusion 3: This entire set of facts also rings a possibility of death knell for Indian manufacturers who wish to grow big and reach out to developed countries showing them the Indian prowess. And we are not overreacting, because trends lead to exponentiation. No one can forget the panic the PSUs were subjected to when American MNCs denied cooperation in the late 90s.

Conclusion 4: This conclusion is a suggestion that, Govt should ‘legalise’ this brand approval business by making it Open to all but setting an appropriate fee (like EMD) rather loosing revenue by leaving it to the “discretion” of consultants. This will encourage "serious to deliver" to come forward while deterring non-serious players apart from healthy competitions, fair chance to all and of course revenue for government than others.

Conclusion 5: We need to take steps towards showing the PSUs that India is ready to make it big, and companies who represent India must definitely take decisions based on what can help their projects the most, instead of following what has been a wrong convention.

The conclusions above have used heavy language as it was needed to emphasise the importance of this entire article. Conclusion 5 talks about what is needed now. Indian SMEs, Indian Manufacturers, R&D experts of India, and every other entrepreneur who wishes to help India grow need to make a statement.

Solus is a brand which has been continuously making efforts to keep up the name of Indian manufacturers, through the various international and national level projects it has undertaken for Security & Office Automation. Several Awards to its credit, Solus has also expanded its pledge to help India grow by launching a brand Incept in order to specially help Indian SMEs. Such a group needs its place amongst the equals even though these equals may represent some other country. 

We speak out to India through this post and also to Mr Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and to all the Directors of various PSUs in India. Isn’t it an irony when we talk of Indian nationalism, and those at the helm of ensuring our growth fail to recognize what is needed the most for this? I think it’s time to let us grow without any prejudice or biases.

Indians, please allow us Indians to serve India.

Office 2020 !

This post is also published at Security Today Feb 2011 (Page 41), To see Smart Lighting Controls  in working Visit our Booth # 4 Hall 7 on 24-26 Feb 11 at ACREX INDIA 11

A few years ago, the first visual which came to mind, once the phrase ‘Automated Building Management System’ was spoken, was that of complicated electronics with flashing devices and robots. Times have changed and we are in the phase of communication maturity with the advent of 3G and other advanced systems. Today, I can foresee ‘Office 2020’ being defined as Intelligent & Automated Space, with every office and home having such systems, irrespective of the size of home/office. A trend towards the same is already in progress and will soon gain quick popularity.

Based on this trend, there is a significant increase in talks of Building Management Systems. Today such systems are simple, easy to install, and even easier to operate. Even with limited knowledge of technology, its owners can use the system to control various aspects of their building, whether home or office. It is indeed the power of technology itself that makes it look so simple.

Talking about the various aspects of Building Management System, it includes Security Solutions- Access Control products which can be controlled on the click of a button, remotely accessible CCTV Cameras, Advanced Motion Detectors, Fire Alarm Systems, Remote Alarm Systems, Visitor Tracker and Controller, Critical Information Manager, Threat Assessment Systems, Vulnerability Controller, and many others. Such systems also include Environmental Control Solutions- Occupancy Sensing products, lighting controllers, HVAC Digital Controlling Systems, and various other Utility Management solutions. Life Safety Systems like Sprinkler Supervisor, Smoke Detector, Elevator Managers, and Emergency Communicators are also parts of the Building Management System.

So, in short, everything ranging from luxury to necessity is within the control of a few buttons now, and the best part is that it’s not limited to large offices anymore. Let us take the example of a small office belonging to a small-sized enterprise and think from its point of view. A small company is primarily focused on saving time and energy while extracting best possible performance from its employees. Its budget is limited by resources and hence every penny it spends should give a substantial return.

Now this small company can reduce the energy costs in its office significantly without diverting even an iota of its focus from work. Automatically, a system controls lights, heaters, ventilators, ACs, computers, and other energy consuming systems. And while reducing these costs significantly, the capital needed is only nominal in comparison to the benefits provided. This is possible through various advancements in BMS. Strangely a BMS already looks like an inherent requirement when I have not even talked about the comfort it provides through control over surroundings. Moreover, additional security is provided to these small facilities without even needing to choose other aspects of building management solutions.

So, we saw how small offices can benefit from such solutions. Let’s move on to talk about another group of beneficiaries- small, medium and large sized homes. Home Automation System provides similar benefits as mentioned for offices- it saves money for the consumer, and also provides automated security, while creating a comfortable and relaxing zone.

Think of the benefits if you could do these in your home: Get notifications sent to you at work or messages sent on your mobile if a motion detector or security system is tripped while out of the house. Get notifications with the caller ID information of a call received at your house when out. Press one button to suit the environment of the room based on your mood. Have a single button dim the lights, set the volume level, and start playing a movie and music which you desire. Change the mood of the house on the arrival of guest on single button click. Automatically turn the lights on in the house when the main door opens and after sunset. Automatically adjust for daylight savings. Remote control all access to the house. Automatically turn on holiday lights at specific times. Control energy usage by Refrigerators, Heaters, Ventilators and other household products. Manage security of family and home while having a holiday or business trip. And the list of benefits goes on as long as your imagination can take you to. The lifestyle of a family need not be changed with such systems; rather the systems adapt themselves to suit you.

People complain of technology taking control of their lives and even limiting their business decisions. I agree that these building management systems do take control of activities in office or in home, but ironically, by taking control they ought to give us more freedom. And such freedom is now needed on a personal and basic level- the level where the most popular products for Building Management Systems will be Small Office Management System and Home Management System. Homes and Small Offices are also buildings and they are in focus now.

Interestingly, C.K. Prahalad, commonly known as the guru of poverty and profit, envisioned something similar years ago, when he talked about bottom of the pyramid. He introduced us to the importance of business generated by the masses- individually small sales but large number of individuals. Similarly, we can draw a parallel to the business world and claim that SME (small and medium enterprise) is the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ in this world. And, as we saw high quality FMCG products being specifically made for Indian middle class, we are definitely going to see office products being created particularly for Small and Medium sized companies. Ventures like Incept and few others have taken steps towards the same, and Building Management Solution forms an integral part of this journey.

With every passing day, Building Management Solutions are becoming even simpler to use and more economical to buy. Also, these systems are becoming flexible enough to automatically suit requirements based on customers’ applications. Needs are dictated by availability and reach; and with these systems getting more popular and available, its time when we can say that BMS is no more luxury of the rich but ‘need of all’.

Advanced and Intelligent Building Management Solutions for Micro, Small and Medium sized companies, and for homes of all shapes and sizes- this is my vision for every building of the future. And it is already in progress!

Write your comments, or send feedback at hariom@solus.co.in