Matrix Tele to export PBX equipment

Vadodara-based Matrix Telecom Pvt Ltd has chalked out plans to export private branch exchange (PBX) equipment to the US, Europe and countries in southeast Asia.

The company has targeted a 30 per cent growth in turnover in the current fiscal. It recorded a 15 per cent increase at Rs 16.7 crore in the previous fiscal. Matrix hopes exports will contribute at least five per cent of the turnover this year.

Set up by two persons in 1992 with an initial investment of Rs 20,000, Matrix today has a dealership network of 300 spread across all states in the country.

"The company has its office and research centre at Makarpura, while the manufacturing facility is located at Waghodia," said Sagar Gosalia, head-marketing for Matrix Telecom.

"Interestingly, despite such a huge investment made in both the set up as well as the dealership network, not a single rupee has been borrowed from financial institutions," he added.

Commenting on the export market, the official said Matrix is eyeing the German, Italian and US markets for its products, besides Canada, Mauritius, Singapore, Nepal and the like.

"For the first time, our company participated in the CeBIT exhibition in Germany, which is the biggest telecom exhibition in the world," Gosalia said.

He added that there were close to a dozen companies from Germany, Italy and the US, who have shown keen interest to purchase Electronic Private Automated Branch Exchange (EAPBX) systems from matrix.

The EPABX system market in the country, including the huge network market, is valued at around Rs 450 crore. Divided into three categories - 0 to 50 port category, 50 to 100 port category and 100 port plus category, Matrix has so far been operational only in the first two categories (0 to 100 port category).

"We are now expanding into the 100 port plus category, which will mean that we will take on the leaders in the industry like Tata Teleservices, Seimens, Alcatel, BPL and the like," Gosalia said.

While the first two categories account for around half of the total EAPBX market in the country, the 100 port plus category alone accounts for the other 50 per cent.

Matrix already has 85,000 customers across the country and connects as many as one crore calls per day. "We install around 700 lines a day in India, which means that all over the country, around 70 Matrix BPX systems are sold on a daily basis," the marketing head said.

Almost all major companies operating in India use Matrix systems for their telecommunications and other data transfer requirements.