CASHING IN ON SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

Ashok Kumar & Prachi Raturi Misra
The Financial Express

Riding the boom in satellite communications, US-based STM, which is a satellite networking company, has opened up a fully owned subsidiary, STM Softech, in India for getting into software development.

Says Deepak Pandit, country manager for STM in India, “We are looking at three areas — satellite communications, rural telephony and voice-over-internet protocol. There is a good market opportunity in these areas.”

Pandit has over a decade of experience in satellite communications. He started his career in HCL where he was involved in launching an overseas subsidiary and market development activities for software project sales in Hong Kong and Greater China. Later he joined Gilat Satellite Networks in India and was involved in opening up emerging segments for VSATs like commodities exchanges. He was also instrumental in Gilat's participation in the e-choupal network.

He managed the shared hub operations on Gilat systems for four major national service providers and developed innovative business models for achieving sustained growth. Over the years, he has evolved as a strategist with expertise in adopting emerging trends and addressing industry requirements.