Sasken diversifies, eyes satellite handset space

Thanuja BM, Bangalore
Financial Chronicle
Sasken Technologies is focusing on newer areas to maintain its growth trajectory. The company is investing in technologies for satellite handset space, mobile services in banking, convergence devices in automotive and consumer device segments.

Company founder and CEO Rajiv Mody said, “We will not get into completely different verticals, but we want to develop solutions and technologies for areas related to communications for other verticals.” The company is at present focused only on the tele-communications space unlike other Indian IT firms.

This strategy will help us address a bigger customer base and also derisk our business activity, he added.

One of the new areas that the Bangalore-based firm is looking at is developing an end-to-end solution for satellite handsets. Sasken has already won an order in fourth quarter of financial year 2009 from Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, to develop its next generation global satellite hand-held phone.

Mody said that discussions with other companies in this space are underway.

The Indian domestic market has also become more attractive for Sasken.

“With about 8-9 million mobile subscribers being added every month, the local market is creating a good opportunity. The areas we are looking at are network engineering and managed services,’’ he said.

The eminent introduction of 3G in India will also open up opportunities, especially on the mobile data services side.