In the automotive domain, we work on remote vehicle diagnostics. Our design helps accumulate data about performance, travel schedules, productivity and so on.
Q. Take us through your work in the field of medical electronics.
A. We are working on a blood glucose monitoring device that shows a colour change according to the level of sugar in the blood. Our idea is to connect it to a smartphone and display the reading on it. We want to release this at one-tenth of the current cost of such devices.
We also have a wearable platform, a device that can be worn on your belt. A sensor on it monitors the level of oxygen in the blood, and automatically alerts a cylinder to pump in oxygen when the level is low.
Q. How do you go about procuring components for your design?
A. We depend on online resources like Mouser and Digikey for components. We also deal with new vendors directly. We have partnered with NXP, Telit, Freescale and Texas Instruments (TI) for the key semiconductors required. Our focus is more on Indian customers for the next two years, after which, we would be expanding globally.
Q. Can you name some of your leading Indian clients and the kind of projects you have done for them?
A. Our leading customers are Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Labs (CSIR Labs) and public sector units (PSUs). The work we do is related to customising our Oxyscope IoT devices for various applications like radiation sensing.
Q. What is your marketing strategy to reach global clients?
A. Currently, we depend on our own direct marketing. We get leads through customer references, because of our quality and timely deliveries. We plan to participate in two or three global events around the world (Silicon Valley, USA, Germany and Japan) so that we can showcase our company and IPs. We also have good connections in the European Union (EU), Unites States of America (USA) and Japan due to our past experiences, through which we find opportunities and customers.
Q. Is your strategy the same for Indian clients too?
A. For India, we know our target customers and have them lined up already. We do direct marking in cases where long-term and continuous business is expected. We also like to participate in Indian exhibitions relevant to our areas of operation, like Aero India, defence expos, automotive expos, telematics and M2M expos.
Q. How do you see the IoT phenomenon? Do you see it driving business growth for India’s independent design houses (IDHs), or is it more of a marketing gimmick?
A. It is well-stated that the IoT is a marketing gimmick to attract attention. However, we foresee increased usage of devices connected to the Internet and developments in the areas of home automation, health care, industry, agriculture and body electronics in the form of wearables. Initially, it will be a slow penetration, but the moment people get to know the benefits of the solutions the IoT has to offer, everyone would like to go for it.
Q. What kind of projects does your team work on, in the IoT arena?
A. We are developing a radiation sensor connected IoT device. This can be used in the future for radiation monitoring in smart cities. Also, flying this device periodically in a UAV can help us record radiation levels in the cloud for further analytics and monitoring. Similarly, we plan to integrate many other sensors like air and temperature sensors with the IoT device.
Q. How many design engineers do you have? Do you plan to recruit more?
A. We have 20+ system design engineers. We plan to recruit design and development engineers with a product and IP mindset, for hardware and software development.
Q. Do you have a training/ internship programme?
A. Yes. We take M. Tech. students with specialisation in embedded systems, good academic background, aptitude and attitude, for product development.
Q. Do you hire freshers? What are your selection criteria?
A. We hire from standard established colleges, from Tier-1 or Tier-2 cities. We mainly hire people who have oriented themselves towards embedded electronics by doing an M. Tech. course, or having relevant embedded experience. We pursue candidates scoring consistently above 70 per cent marks and check for their attitude towards building IPs and products. We look for problem-solving capacity, fundamentals of digital or analogue circuits and designs, embedded system programming, operating systems fundamentals and logical thinking.
