“Beetel can execute larger SD-WAN turnkey projects”

Beetel is a name we have known since the good old landline days. It was founded in 1987 and became one of India’s leading home-grown brands and an established market leader in the landline phone category. Fast forward to the present, and the company is excited about its new journey as a pioneer in IT enterprise and networking solutions, SD-WAN, and collaboration solutions. Sanjeev Chhabra, Managing Director and CEO, Beetel Teletech in an interview with Pratima Harigunani provides a closer look at the pendulum’s big swing – from landlines to the software-defined networking world.

Tell us about the current strategy and portfolio of Beetle in India.

At Beetel, we follow a two-fold strategy. The first revolves around strengthening our partner base, enabling them to provide innovative solutions, and managing their customer relationships by establishing deep partnerships with OEMs and strategic accounts. Beetel ensures that its partners have a clear understanding of its product offerings, empowering them to address complex customer challenges. This includes emphasising, but not limiting, the development of MSI as a segment and software, security, and services as categories.

"We take pride in our commitment to transforming boardrooms into centres of efficient and seamless collaboration."

Next, Beetel is expanding and strengthening its project and services arm, with a special focus on its strategic accounts. We have established a PMO and governance layer consisting of technical and commercial representatives. Beetel is committed to providing 360-degree support, from pre-sales to post-sales, and proof of concepts.

How vast is your footprint today?

With our comprehensive network comprising 1,500+ channel partners – the system integrators, 10,000+ retailers, and 500+ distributors spanning 400+ cities in India and several cities globally, we have been able to bolster our presence and serve technology that not only connects businesses but also people together.

How strong is your enterprise segment?

We take pride in our commitment to transforming boardrooms into centres of efficient and seamless collaboration. Our offerings are designed in such a way that they ensure business communications are not just reliable but also technologically advanced. Whether it is conducting important meetings, presentations, or team discussions, Beetel’s solutions are there to support our customers every step of the way.

Our mission is to help organisations do more in their business, and thus, we have formed alliances with top-rated brands such as Arista, Avaya, Derwiser, E42 AI, Poly, HPI, and Samsung to name a few, owing to their mastery of different enterprise solutions be it data centre networking products, unified communications solutions, cabling solutions, end to end automation through AI, audio and video conferencing solutions, large format displays and digital signage.

What is happening in the SD-WAN space? What is the company doing on this front?

Beetel represents over half a dozen brands and their SD-WAN solutions in India, supported by Beetel’s technical team with the capability to successfully install and commission customer sites in India. With this capability, Beetel is ready to take the lead in the market and execute larger SD-WAN turnkey projects.

How has the drive for indigenisation or ‘Make in India’ impacted the industry?

The Make in India initiative has had a significant impact on the telecom and electronic manufacturing industry in India. By increasing investment, promoting R&D, and encouraging local manufacturing, the Government of India is creating an environment that is conducive to innovation and competition. This is already leading to the development of new products and technologies and the improvement of the quality and affordability of existing products.

By promoting R&D, and encouraging local manufacturing, the Government of India is creating an environment that is conducive to innovation and competition.

The initiative has emerged as a win-win for both consumers and manufacturers. While the consumers have benefited from lower prices and a wider range of products to choose from, Manufacturers have benefited from a large and growing market and the government’s support for the sector.

How tough or easy was indigenisation for you back then, as a pioneer?

As an organisation, Beetel is always recognised for its consistency, quality, innovation, and ability to deliver exceptional value to both our partners and their customers in the field of manufacturing. We consistently maintain our customers’ preferences by continuously evolving to meet the demands of this competitive market and ensuring sustainable growth for all our stakeholders. This has been a long journey, never an easy one. With our joint venture, we are now actively participating and becoming more aggressive over time to achieve a higher level of excellence to support the Make in India initiative in a big way.

So, what is the next exciting area that Beetel is focusing on?

India stands out as a prominent player in the global IT landscape, owing its significance to a compelling blend of factors that establish it as an IT hub. This enhances the appeal of the overall market, given India’s consistently advancing IT infrastructure, featuring a robust digital ecosystem, extensive connectivity, and world-class data centres. The government’s initiatives, such as the Production-Linked Incentive scheme to bolster domestic manufacturing or Make in India, have further contributed to India’s allure.

In summary, India’s amalgamation of skilled talent, cutting-edge infrastructure, cost-effectiveness, innovation, advantageous time zones, and a proven track record firmly cements its status as the guiding star in the realm of global IT requirements.

And what does all this translate into for the company?

We are eagerly anticipating the next couple of years, which promise to open a floodgate of opportunities for us. As mentioned earlier, we are proactively preparing Beetel for the future by venturing into emerging technologies like industry software, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and security solutions. Furthermore, we are expanding into projects and services, reinforced by a pool of talented individuals and a robust governance framework.

Sanjeev Chhabra

Managing Director and CEO, Beetel Teletech

By Pratima H

pratimah@cybermedia.co.in