Through human history, progress has been defined by a fundamental need for connectivity – connectivity between people, between places, in thoughts and of ideas.
The Industrial Revolution, the discovery of the structure of DNA and the invention of the ‘Worldwide Web’ remain amongst the milestone events that changed the course of recent history. Although these can be viewed as discrete events, when assessed holistically, it points to the reality that at a fundamental level, there exist underlying connect without which none of the above could have been possible.
In a world that is increasingly reliant on connectivity, power and telecommunication are amongst the key infrastructure platforms that have defined the progress of individuals, of organizations and of nations. There has been more economic progress made in the last 150 years since the commercialization of power and telecommunication, than there has been through the last millennium.
In such dynamic global marketplaces, recognizing and capitalizing on market transitions before they occur provides a vital direction to an organization’s future growth strategy. Organizations need to develop and implement a multi-pronged strategy that encompasses a spectrum of aspects such as product development, research, people development, risk management, good governance standards and a responsibility to the community in which they operate.
Sterlite strives to connect our world
In a world obsessed with the need to interact and interconnect, power and telecommunication are two fundamental infrastructures that make this possible by augmenting individual and enterprise capabilities. In both of these critical sectors, Sterlite has remained a significant contributor to the Indian and global economies by developing transmission solutions – connecting individuals, connecting enterprises, connecting nations.
Sterlite has maintained a keen balance in facilitating infrastructure effectiveness, whilst enhancing its business capabilities in power conductors, optical fiber, telecommunication cables, OPGW cables, data cables, telecom systems & solutions and power grid infrastructure.
A mission to make it easier, faster and more cost-effective for service providers to build telecom and power infrastructure is what drives Sterlite’s strategic decisions, investments, and organizational capability building. The company continues to hone its intrinsic capabilities through focus on economies of scale, costs and technology advancements.
To be a long-term global leader in any technology or market, an organization needs to be able to anticipate the future needs of the industry and its customers, and be a first responder to these needs at the right time. Given the long development time for new technology to evolve from the laboratory to the factory floor, an organization that is responsive to its customers’ immediate needs must anticipate them many years before.
A metric of success in Sterlite’s technology development program is fact that the company has an enviable patent portfolio of 30 patents granted in India and globally. This has enabled Sterlite to gain inroads into several focus markets and to acquire quantifiable market shares.
Sterlite also continues to adopt an inclusive and collaborative approach to ensure a strong connection with the needs of its stakeholders. By keeping a close ear to the ground, Sterlite makes strategic decisions, investments and organizational moves to maintain its competitive advantage.
Sterlite remains committed to develop infrastructure, to make the world even more connected
Sterlite’s success comes from recognizing and capitalizing on market transitions before they occur. Sterlite’s goal is to capture these market transitions as per applications desired by its clients, and by recognizing major technologies and markets, that would play a crucial role in the future of power and telecommunications.
Globally, the power and telecommunication sectors have shown tremendous resilience, fuelled by large and coordinated stimulus from federal governments. This heralds the next wave of connectivity through broadband and power grids across the world.
To fuel this growing need for critical transmission solutions, Sterlite has undertaken capacity enhancements of its power conductors to 200,000 MT and optical fiber to 20 million-km, with project completion well on track. Further, Sterlite has agreed to form a joint venture company Jiangsu Sterlite Tongguang Fiber Company Limited in China to manufacture, market and distribute optical fiber used in the production of fiber optic cables.
With a resolute belief that the right infrastructure is crucial to India’s future economic progress, Sterlite recently made its foray in the transmission grid ownership space. During FY11, the company won two new projects for development of India’s transmission systems on ‘Build, Own, Operate and Maintain’ (BOOM) basis. Sterlite now has a portfolio of three projects with a total value of about Rs. 4000 crores (~US$ 900 Million) for power transmission systems with a network of about 2200 km of transmission lines and 2 substations.
To address the critical challenges in improving efficiencies in new telecom and power infrastructure, Sterlite increased the breadth of its portfolio by introducing new products and solutions like bend-free fiber, OPGW cables and FTTx solutions.
Sterlite also entered into a strategic relationship with CTC Cable Corporation, USA for manufacture specialty ACCC® power conductors for the Indian market. These conductors would offer India a unique ability to increase the current carrying capacity of existing lines and to significantly improve the overall economics on new lines.
Sterlite has maintained a judicious mix of facets that are critical for a successful organization. This has resulted in sustained growth across its businesses and has strengthened its global leadership position.
Sterlite’s insatiable desire for growth, backed by a clearly defined strategy and resilient demand for telecom and power products, would ensure that Sterlite would continue to make the world even more connected.