TP Link India plant to initially focus on catering to domestic demand: COO

Consumer electronics maker TP-Link will begin production at its India plant with a focus on meeting domestic demand for consumer electronics and surveillance equipment during the first 18-24 months, before shifting attention to exports to the Middle East and other Asian markets, the company’s chief operating officer Bijoy Alaylo said.

 

“Globally, we have factories across Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. We are planning one in India as well. Right now, we are talking to state governments about the subsidies they can offer us. Once that is through, we will start work on getting the regulatory approvals, which can take a couple of years. The plan is to start India manufacturing within the next five years,” Alaylo said.

 

Manufacturing products in India also saves the company costs, as it can export to the Middle Eastern countries from India rather than from Vietnam and Brazil, where it currently exports to these geographies, he said.

 

In India, TP-Link currently gets its products manufactured by three original equipment manufacturers, including Optimus, which makes a majority of the company’s routers, cameras, and other switching gear. Nearly 92 per cent of TP-Link’s products sold in India are manufactured in the country, and the aim is to increase that to 96 per cent soon, he said.

 

The company will, however, stick to the products it currently manufactures and does not plan to “spread itself too thin” by venturing into other consumer electronics products, Alaylo said.

 

TP-Link, which ventured into the manufacturing of surveillance gear 18 months ago, is hoping to soon obtain regulatory approvals, such as the standardisation testing and quality certification, so it can expand its presence in the market, he said.

 

The company also aims to transition from a consumer-electronics company to one that offers complete end-to-end solutions, Alaylo said, adding that TP-Link already has networking and connectivity solutions, in addition to its range of intellectual property (IP) products.

 

“We have approximately 100 products in the surveillance segment, including consumer segment, under our Tapo brand, and the Vigi brand for enterprises. We also have products in the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) segment,” he said.