Ericsson to install 15,000 smart meters in India

Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson will soon start its first smart metering project in India.It will be installing 15,000 smart meters in the next 3 years, says Orvar Hurtig, Head of Industry and Society at Ericsson in an interview to CNBC-TV18's Prerna Baruah. The company will soon announce a pilot smart metering project in Assam, he adds. Ericsson maintains that India is a very important market for the company and sees the Indian government's initiative of creating 100 smart cities as a big opportunity. Hurtig hopes that the newly formed Industry & Society vertical will likely contribute around 15-20 percent to Ericsson's overall business in India by 2020. Below is the verbatim transcript of Orvar Hurtig’s interview with Prerna Baruah on CNBC-TV18 Q: How important is India for Ericsson? A: It is of course a very important market for us. Today we have business around the globe in this area that we call industry and society. We are focusing on utilities, transport and public safety. Bringing this to India now and with the 100 smart cities in India actually at this big investment it is a big opportunity for us. So, we will bring competences, the offerings that we have and launch that now full in India. So, it is great opportunity for Ericsson. Q: Industry and society have the focus area that you are concerned with is utilities in transport and ICT as well. Have you already started any pilot project into his vertical? A: We are actually about to announce a project up in Assam in North-east of India. That is a smart metering project, some of 15,000 smart meters but that is just a starting point for us Ericsson in India. Q: Going ahead what kind of an opportunity do you see in terms of business proposition and in terms of revenues around this vertical. How much will this account for as part of your total global pie? A: If you look globally these different verticals they are growing heavily. If you look at the transport vertical it is growing with some 25 percent globally and that happens in India as well. Utilities closed to 10 percent, public safety closed to 10 percent probably more and you see these numbers in India as well. India is a big country with the launch of the 100 Smart cities the opportunities here are tremendously good and therefore Ericsson that is a very important business. In total for Ericsson, we are probably talking about some 15-20 percent of our total business percentagewise, so a big bucket. Q: So, 15-20 percent will come from this new vertical of Ericsson. Anytime line for that? I mean when do you expect this to? A: 2020 that is what we have said. We see good growth globally in this area. Again I expect the same growth in India. Probably even better, possibility is here given that the government has launched this 100 smart cities project I think that is really good. It gives us and others of course good opportunities.