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TCIL (Telecommunications Consultants India) is committed to driving the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and has actively pursued its policy to promote indigenously developed products. The policy is not limited to India but also to overseas markets, shared Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, TCIL, in an exclusive interview with Rajeev Ranjan of Elets News Network (ENN).

What are your focus areas as a master system integrator (MSI) and name any significant recent wins?

TCIL has been the project implementation agency for various IT, Telecom, Power, and Civil Engineering projects from various government departments worldwide. Vertically, TCIL has focused on e-education, e-health, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, blockchain, 4G-5G, IoT, and video analytics.

As a Government master system integrator, the focus area of TCIL is to stitch solutions in such a manner as to maximize the utilization of indigenously developed products without compromising the profitability and quality of the project. This is particularly important to break any sort of cartelization in the industry. With this trademark style, TCIL recently won the prestigious Data Center Project of the Indian Coast Guard with a total project value of INR 5.88 billion. In this project, indigenously developed products were quoted by TCIL, unlike other bidders, leading to a gap of around INR 4 Billion with the L2 bidder and a significant saving for the exchequer.

How does TCIL differentiate itself from the competition?

TCIL has never been part of the rat race for profit making and has always prioritised the National Interests above anything. Strategically important projects and Geographies have been successfully tapped by TCIL in the past.

Diversified Area of Operations: TCIL is the only Company from the Government of India that is working in the field of IT & Telecom as well as in the Civil,
Architecture, and Power sectors with in-house expertise. TCIL boasts of impressive Global Exposure with footprints in more than 80 countries, which has inculcated a wider viewpoint in the company, leading to a unique value proposition for our clientele. We understand our client’s unique needs and preferences and provide products/ services that cater to their specific requirements holistically, giving us a competitive advantage over companies with sector-specific approaches.

Innovation and Technology: We embrace the latest technological advancements and foster a culture of innovation within our company. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and solutions, we deliver innovative products/services tailored to the Indian market, providing us with a technological edge over competitors.

Quality and Reliability: We prioritise uncompromising quality and reliability in all operations. Our products/services adhere to the highest quality standards, and we have built a reputation for reliability, earning the trust of Indian customers who value consistency and dependability in their purchases. Strong Local Partnerships: We have established strong partnerships and collaborations with local companies, organisations, and experts in India and abroad. These alliances enable us to tap into local resources, networks, and market insights, giving us a competitive advantage over companies without similar local connections.

What are the plans in terms of Expansion?

TCIL has identified several technological areas for expansion, including the following:

• E-Health: Telemedicine, Hospital/ patient management systems, Health ATMs, Diagnostic Labs, Dissection Labs, Ambulance Service
• E-Education: Smart Class, Virtual Class, School & University Management System, Demand Based Real Time Teacher Assist System, AR/VR Based Learning Platforms.
• Export domestic Telecom products like 4G/5G Core, RAN, DWDM, and IP-MPLS to Russia.
• 4G & 5G Core and RAN Network, Converged Core Network
• DWDM/MPLS-based Backbone Network
• IBS, Outdoor Mobile Coverage solutions
• Captive Network Solutions: Industrial Automation, Office Automation, Audio Video based solutions, Asset Tracking, Safety Solutions, Visitor Management, Surveillance, Port Management Systems, Airport Management Platform.
• Centralised Disaster Management Network
• Drone-Based Solutions: Solutions for Agricultural, Survey/Mapping Applications, Crowd Management, Asset Management, and Surveillance solutions.
• Smart Pole based Solutions for Smart Cities/NDMC.
• Intelligent Traffic Management System: Incident detection, Lane/ speed violation, Unwanted Vehicle detection, ANPR/GIS-based toll collection.
• Fintech- Digital Banking & UPI
• Cyber Security, Quantum Key, SOC
• Video Analytics based CCTV Surveillance Systems, Visitor Management Systems, Attendance Systems
• Office automation
• IoT: 4G/5G-based Smart building solutions, Smart Energy/Water/Gas Metering, AVTS,
• AI and Blockchain-based UCC/ Transparency Portal system.
• Block-Chain based Unified e-KYC platform,
• Solar system: Roof-top Solar system, Solar Smart Street lights, Solar Farm.
• Data Centre: Executing Data centre Projects, Data Centre as Service.

What strategies does TCIL have to improve your operations and build long-term relationships with key suppliers?

TCIL, being a project-based organisation, remains vigilant regarding its operational efficiencies. TCIL management proactively takes multi-disciplinary measures to improve upon this, as given below:

Streamline Processes with Vendor Charter: Several Structural changes have been carried out by the TCIL management, clearly defining the delegation of powers to fast-track the decision-making process. A Vendor Charter has been prepared for the timely resolution of the vendor issues. Standard templates have been designed and approved to facilitate faster and smoother operations. TCIL has adopted automation, digitisation, and standardisation by implementing the ERP and E-Office to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency.

Performance Measurement and Monitoring: TCIL has established a culture of defining the key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance of various operational processes. Management regularly monitors these metrics to identify areas that require improvement and take appropriate actions to address any shortcomings.

Training and Development: TCIL regularly Invests in training and development programs for employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Provide continuous learning and upskilling opportunities to keep up with evolving technologies and best practices.

Focus on Make in India: In line with the Vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, TCIL actively pursues the MII policy. There is a special focus on Make in India and export of Indigenous technology in the field of 4G/5G, GPON, Converged Core, Fintech solutions, and biometric- based National ID solutions.

Collaborative Supplier Relationships: We have fostered a culture of collaboration with key suppliers wherein we Engage in regular communication and establish open channels for dialogue. TCIL management organises Networking Lunch sessions with its various OEM/SI partners.

Healthy Ecosystem: TCIL has created a healthy ecosystem of OEMs and SI through a transparent and online method of empanelment wherein Manufacturers and System Integrators can get empanelled with TCIL seamlessly. Innovators and startups are also encouraged to enroll through the same process but under a separate category: startups. A detailed agreement is signed with the empanelled partners. Currently, 184 Startups have been impanelled with TCIL, while 120 OEMS/SIs have been empanelled with TCIL, taking the total tie-ups to 304.

How are you promoting domestic technology in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign?

TCIL is wholeheartedly committed to Atmanirbhar Bharat and has actively pursued its policy to promote indigenously developed products. The policy is not limited to India but also to overseas markets. Regular sessions are conducted to sensitize the TCIL officers about indigenously developed products and technologies. Further, as already mentioned, the focus area of TCIL has been to stitch solutions in such a manner as to maximize the utilization of indigenously developed products without compromising the profitability and quality of the project.

TCIL is actively supporting Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (VoICE), a new Society working on AatmaNirbharta in the Telecom Sector, with participation restricted only to Indian registered companies with Indian R&D, IPR, and designs.

In this series, several measures have been initiated by TCIL to boost the domestic telecommunications infrastructure & ecosystem and remove the bottlenecks in the sector:

• TCIL has offered free-of-cost PoCs to overseas clients for Indigenously developed products. One indigenously developed Health ATM is being tested by the Government of Uzbekistan pursuant to the free POC offered by TCIL.
• TCIL is actively discussing with government operators in Angola, Gambia, and Mauritius to pitch Indian telecom equipment Tejas as viable upgrade alternatives. TCIL has offered them a converged core for delivering fixed and mobile services along with the operation of the backbone network.
• TCIL has empanelled 184 Startups and SMEs as technology partners to promote their products.
• TCIL gives preference to India- manufactured Products in its various bid submissions.
• TCIL has been writing to various clients to modify the technical specifications wherever it is found that the specifications are inclined to specific foreign OEM, or the specifications are about Foreign Standards like ‘The Gartner Report’

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