TCIL bagged various opportunities in FY 18

TCIL has managed to remain a profitable entity in an environment where telecom PSUs are making losses. Bagging new and prestigious projects in recent months, the company is actively exploring business opportunities in domestic and overseas markets. The ev

How has the last year been for TCIL? Can you take us through the key developments in the company?

TCIL has been doing consistently well for the past 3 years, and last year our revenues from operations increased from Rs. 1200 Cr. to Rs. 1240 Cr. Even though all the other Telecom PSUs under DoT are reporting losses, TCIL closed the balance sheet with a Profit of Rs.78 cr. In October last year, TCIL also paid a healthy dividend of 7.08 Cr. to the government for FY2016-17. The diversification of business is the key success of TCIL. The year 2017-18 has also been a year of opportunities, many of which TCIL was able to convert. The company undertook some very prestigious projects like Defence Network for Spectrum (NFS) Project, Navy NFS Project, OPGW Project for North East, Operation and Maiantenance of National Information Backbone (NIB) project of BSNL, Construction of Global Headquarters of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), Digital Enablement of 1.3 lakh Rural Post Offices for a New India Project of Department of Posts. The company also received cabinet approval for setting up a subsidiary in the United States of America. We are hopeful that these developments will help in building an active organisation in the coming times.

What new areas of business TCIL is looking to grow and explore?

TCIL is continuously exploring new business opportunities in the Indian and International market, while the main thrust remains on the ICT sector. In line with the Digital Revolution in India, the company has been actively involved in building infrastructure for Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BharatNet). The company has also been functioning in the service sector, providing several services in the ICT space to Govern ment and several PSUs, helping them in their digital transformation journey. Apart from these, there are areas like Data centre services, cyber-security infrastructure, skill development etc. where TCIL has got itself involved in.

The Indian telecom industry is going through a challenging phase where there is pressure on margins due to rising competition. Is this a

good development for the consumers? How can the industry tide over this crisis? TCIL has established itself as a known and respected organisation across the globe which completes projects from concept to commissioning. Despite the telecom operators experiencing falling revenues due to various reasons, the sector in the country has a lot of potential due to the government push. Due to large-scale government initiatives like Digital India, the c ountry is on the cusp of a digital revolution, and TCIL is amongst very few project organisations that are well positioned to take up the new projects and challenges. Sectors that are undergoing massive, all-round development regarding digital infrastructure in India are education, health and security. TCIL, having extensive experience in all these sectors backed up a skilled workforce, is very well placed to provide these services leading to further growth of the organisation. TCIL is also playing a vital role in bringing synergy between the government and private entities. With an open process, we shortlisted several suitable business associates in the areas of ICT such as e-governance, security, health, IOT etc. based on their strengths in relevant fields. These business associates then help TCIL in providing highquality services across these areas to all government sectors.

There is a growth in mobile data consumption across the sector. What opportunity this brings for TCIL?

Data has become the most important parameter today, and WiFi is the most sought model of data services across the globe. Data, in fact, has even become more important than voice services for the consumers. TCIL is actively involved in building a robust WiFi infrastructure in the country. In fact, TCIL has recently been awarded an order to provide 13,000 WiFi hotspots by BSNL in various states. TCIL is also significantly involved in making data services available even in the interiors and remote parts of the country. Backed by a strong satellite wing, TCIL is offering satellite services through VSAT to reach to parts of the country that still are not covered for these services.

The theme of 2018World Telecom Day is enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All. How do you see this happening in India?

AI is no longer a buzzword but has become one of the essential things in our daily lives. The habits, routines etc. of people define their needs very clearly which are mapped with the systems that are built to serve them. These systems are also designed to keep evolving as they learn more about these habits continuously. The day is not far away when people will enter a railway station or an airport and the details of their requirements will be understood and will be offered to them accordingly. Such technologies will spread across sectors to provide a better experience to customers across the spectrum. This provides an excellent opportunity for TCIL, and we are already working with several companies to build further capabilities related to AI

There have been concerns around privacy of data in recent times. What do you think should be the right approach here?

Technology has become a vital part of our lives and is getting deeper into our lives. The Internet is being used by people for various purposes, many of which involve sharing data online. Also, with technologies like AI playing a vital role, behavioural data is being collected and monitored all the time to offer a holistic experience to users. While so much data is being shared, knowingly or unknowingly, it is important that such sensitive data is not compromised. This is possible by taking large-scale measures to ensure cybersecurity and the government is taking adequate steps to ensure personal data integrity measures.