Primed for Success

Sanjeev Sehgal
MD, SPARSH Security

What is the size of the surveillance and security industry?

The Indian safety and security market has been growing at a modest rate over the past few decades. But the growing terrorist activities, coupled with increasing crime rates, have driven up the domestic demand for effective security systems across the country. In this regard, the use of closed circuit television (CCTV) or video surveillance, in particular, has emerged as the most viable solution that has gained significant momentum in the country. 

For how long have you been in the surveillance business?

It has been almost 9 years since we came into being. Much has changed since then. The Security and Surveillance industry has grown, markets have become more competitive, we have grown along with the demands and the expectations of the customers. We are growing by more than 70% on a year-to-year basis for the last four years against the industry average of 30%, which shows that our market share is increasing every year at a reasonable rate. 

How do you differentiate your products from the traditional CCTV cameras? 

We, at Sparsh, focus on indigenous design and manufacture of technologically advanced electronic security devices. We have played a major role in organizing this industry - the earlier players only did assembly work. We were the first to start manufacturing in an organized manner. We have a history of firsts with the company in camera manufacturing.

*  First Indian company to manufacture CCD board camera in technical tie-up with Sony Electronics (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

*  First Indian electronic security equipment manufacturing company to go green - manufacture RoHS-certified products. 

*  First Indian electronic security equipment manufacturing company to get CE, FCC and EMC certifications for its products. 

*  First Indian company to manufacture Sharp CCD board camera in technical tie-up with Sharp Electronics (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

How many models do you have in this category?

Today, we have 200-plus camera models. Starting with the basic board camera of 420 TVL, today we manufacture 450 TVL,480 TVL, 540 TVL, and 540 TVL with OSD at the high end, comparable to products from leading brands with high-end features like HLBSC, privacy masking, selective BLC, etc. We are trying to cater to both ends of the market - the basic as well as the high-end. Thus, we have the complete range of products. 

What are the opportunities for the channel?

We are passionate, and we know what our tiered channel programme should deliver to meet our business partners' expectations. We are celebrating the new partner portal which signals an exciting departure for our team, from supporting select partners to a larger audience of value- added resellers, OEMs and technology partners. Together, we can offer competitive solutions, develop new business, close more deals, be more profitable and increase customer satisfaction. 

Who are your competitors? Is the competition healthy?

In the entry level, our major competition is from the Chinese products and unorganized manufacturers who present the unhealthy competition. These players are providing low-quality products and are evading all government duties to be cost effective. We have "eYe" range of cameras to cater to this market.

In the mid level, we have competition from some local brands who are again importing products from China and selling under their brand names. We have "Elegant" range of cameras for this market.

In the high end, we have feature-rich "Bravura" range which are comparable with any leading brand in the market.  

How do you see the real estate (coming up of new societies) as your customer?

In the real estate marketplace, property owners and operators have had limited opportunities to generate additional revenue from tenants, buyers and users. Generally, the only way to compete has been through location and lease rates. In short, traditionally, landlords sell only space. 

The future lies in the convergence of real estate and technology solutions, creating an intelligent building that acts as a foundation for next-generation communications, physical security, and building management systems. Real estate developers and building owners and operators have the opportunity to become building and tenant service providers, creating services that add value and that are relevant to the businesses leasing the space. 

After taking into consideration the future trend, this segment holds vast potential for the CCTV market and being a CCTV manufacturer real estate could be valuable customer for Sparsh.

For more contact: Deepak Singh 
edit@varindia.com