The average product cycle for any electronics product is about six months, but a week ago a customer wanted us to complete the product in two months. There are companies that can get it done in a short time. So in a way, the design business has become like a fast food chain. We are expected to be prepared with the commonly used designs and with a little modification produce the result quickly. Also, like I said, the low-power consuming devices are expected to dominate the market in the foreseeable future.
Q. How do you find the Indian design houses vis-a-vis the design houses abroad?
A. Take the case of China. Their basic advantage is that they can roll out a product at very cheap prices, as there the labour is cheap, facilities are close-by and lots of R&D is being done. But there are major players who are insisting on quality. We have had several cases where clients who were interacting with Chinese design houses, approached us because they wanted better quality, high durability and strong after-sales support. If you ignore the cost criterion, we are on par with many of the leaders in the semiconductor world.
