"With the introduction of Optic Fiber Cables and its price-cum-bandwidth benefit, telecom copper cables have lost some sheen, yet these are important elements."

On the telecom cable market scenario

The telecom cable market in India, perse, is shrinking primarily because voice has migrated from fixed line telephony to handheld or wireless telephony. The requirement for telecom cables is shrinking globally and in India as well.

Telecom cables are essential element of any telecom network be it PIJF Cable, aerial cable, RF cable, or inter-connect cables. Though with introduction of OFC and its price-cum-bandwidth benefit, telecom copper cables have lost some sheen, yet these are important elements. Few requirements with respect to meeting specification can only be met through copper cables. At present, the market is driven by the fact that the fast data communication which is the ADSL broadband communication is still done on the fixed line network.

On key considerations while choosing a vendor

As a regular buyer, we are associated with reputed suppliers who have necessary infrastructure and follow TEC-GR approved testing standards. Quality has been key parameter for us in vendor selection and procurement. We have enrolled our vendors onto our approved vendor list. We do a factory inspection of the supplier before giving him the order. Some of our key considerations while choosing a vendor are:

• Infrastructure availability: The vendor should have the necessary infrastructure available.
• All the test and measurement instruments should be in-house.
• Good financial status

We also do a cross check on the raw material procurement policy of the vendor. A vendor is enrolled for a regular purchase order only when we are satisfied on the above stated parameters and has successfully executed the trial order.

On the challenges faced

Pricing is a major issue for us. We do procurement on a quarterly basis and there have been a lot of fluctuations in the exchange rates, and in the copper and steel prices in the London Metal Exchange in the past. Such fluctuations make it difficult for us to fix up a rate and every time we put an order, we have to make continuous reassessments to make sure that whatever the price we are paying, is the right price for the product.

On expansion plans and associated procurement plans?

At present we have operations in Punjab and we are making continuous efforts to expand our operations. We are waiting for the 3G spectrum auction to happen. Once that happens, it will be an immediate target to successfully bid for the spectrum and focus on 3G and WiMAX platforms.