Tata Communications betting big on IoT, to spend $100 million in 2-3 yrs

Tata Communications Ltd is set to invest about $100 million in the internet of things (IoT), a digital space the company is betting big on in the next few years.

IoT is a serious business and will become a significant revenue line for the firm going forward, Tata Communications Senior Vice President and Head, Internet of Things, VS Shridhar said.

He, however, did not disclose projected revenue numbers.

"There will be a lot of action over the next two to three years in IoT. We have tall ambitions. Overall investment over the next two to three years will be $100 million," Shridhar told PTI in a telephonic interview.

The Mumbai-based company has already rolled out its dedicated IoT network in 38 cites across the country, along with a platform to manage the services that supports very low power consumption, he said.

"Low power consumption for devices with supporting platform and network is crucial for IoT applications and solutions. We have conducted trials and tested networks and applications, and are ready with the ecosystem for services to be launched seamlessly in India," Shridhar said.

Tata Communications will also expand its LoRa network in India by 2018, he said.

LoRa network is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN), a powerful tool for mapping smart city applications and urban planning at a low bit rate.

IoT is a huge potential area as a number of smart cities and services by governments are in the process of execution and adoption will happen fast, Shridhar said.

He said over 10 pilot projects have already been executed for customers across segments like safety, including factory workers on shop floors, energy, customer services, lighting and asset protection.

Tata Communications is focusing on the enterprise business, mostly in the B2B domain, and will be leveraging on first-mover advantage in building large networks and synchronising with robust platforms in association with global leaders, the company official added.