GP test market expected to reach Rs 6,692.5 million by 2011

The growing trend of the telecom market has paved way for the general purpose (GP) test equipment industry. According to the analysis from the Growth Partnership Company, Frost and Sullivan, the Indian GP test equipment market has earned revenues over Rs 4,346.50 million in 2007 and is expected to reach Rs 6,692.5 million by 2011.

The GP test equipment market is employed for a wide range of products including the research and development (R&D), manufacturing to installation and maintenance (I&M). The cost advantages and availability of skilled professionals have transformed India into a R&D hub for various industries. A vast number of companies from the entire world are investing in the country, which is aiding the market of GP test equipment.

"As security concerns assume the limelight in the wake of the terror threats and security concerns facing the country, an enormous amount has been budgeted for defense spending, which includes communication technologies," says Deepa Doraiswamy, Frost & Sullivan Program Manager. "A decent proportion of the spending goes into procuring test equipment, which mostly includes general purpose (GP) test equipment, and this is expected to create good opportunities in the ensuing years for the GP test equipment market."

Further, the customer support and the brand equity have become the determining factors for the success of the GP test Equipment market. Most of the test vendors have allocated 10 to 15 percent of their revenues to R&D, which result in the emergence of multi-functional instruments that integrate the functions of diverse equipments into one, marking the end of stand-alone products.

Moreover, the expansion of communication networks across the country is facilitating the GP test equipment such as the spectrum analyzers and the network analyzers. With the increasing penetration of mobile phones into the rural zones, the demand for the GP testers is on rise.

However, there are some concerns associated with the GP market, which need to be addressed. "Continuous product improvement with new features demonstrating cutting-edge technology remains the challenging aspiration for GP test vendors to gain market share," says Doraiswamy. "They must fine tune their products and make feature additions and modifications to outpace competition. Participants must also cater to the demand for customized products, identifying the specific end user needs across all end user segments," she adds.

SiliconIndia