Indian manufacturer seeks inroads into Africa

JOHANNESBURG: An Indian provider of digital television technology is aiming to establish a foothold in Africa, entering the annual Satcom Africa Expo as the sole exhibitor from the country.

Kanhaiya Yadav of Mumbai-based Rudraksha Technologies said the company had decided to explore markets abroad after gaining a presence in India with their satellite and television products.

"We have a presence already in Singapore and we are going to participate in Germany soon, so we thought it would be useful to exhibit our products here as the whole of Africa's satellite and television technology market is represented here," Yadav told reporters.

The company manufactures encoders, decoders and many software products for IPTV, DSL cable and DTH, he said.

Despite the fact that South Africa, which will be moving from terrestrial to digital television transmission soon, already has a highly competitive market with established suppliers, Yadav remains optimistic about his company's chances.

"We see opportunity because we are giving the same quality that other companies are giving, but we are offering better prices for them," said Yadav, adding that some interest had already been shown by potential partners in South Africa.

Satcom Africa Expo is an annual satellite, telecom and broadcast exhibition and is attended by business leaders from across Africa.