CommScope, Inc. for large scale investment in Sri Lanka

By Cheranka Mendis

CommScope, Inc., a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks is all positive eyed about the future of Sri Lanka and is targeting aggressive participation in the local market.

Regional Sales Director India and SAARC for CommScope V. Natarajan who recently came down to Sri Lanka asserted that the company is now actively interviewing people in the country and is looking for investment in the country on a large scale. Natarajan who has been a constant visitor to Sri Lanka and has travelled to the country for the 42nd time says that the transformation of the country from a war torn one to a sustainable one is evident with tourism and infrastructure industry at its helm.

“The best years for Sri Lanka are ahead of us. The growth marks a clear pattern across all industries and we are looking at major economic drives in the future,” Natarajan said. Business for CommScope is also looking good, he said. “Tourism industry is picking up and they cannot do with the hotels they have now. Infrastructure is a necessity and we are looking at increasing the business. Also new free trade zones, airports and stadiums are being built and these are priorities of the government. All this would mean better business opportunities for us.”

However on a global context Sri Lanka is not one of the major markets for CommScope. The biggest market is India, he said. The change that will happen in Bangladesh will soon happen in Sri Lanka, he perceives. “Bangladesh did not have any infrastructure for a long time but this year it all happened and the benefits were beyond our expectations. The same thing will happen in Sri Lanka.” The development of the country depends on how fast you want to run the race, he reminded.

“Today everything is about how well the people are connected. The greater the connectivity the greater the economic benefit,” Natarajan said. The advantages for Sri Lanka start with its geographical location and are followed by man power. “Sri Lanka has excellent man power” and Natarajan says “Sri Lanka has not taken the advantage of it, yet.”

CommScope which has been investing in Sri Lanka for the past 10 years is already in for good times since they have years of experience and presence in Sri Lanka. “I like to call it ‘jumping generations. We already have our sights set on certain fields and are now looking at widening the presence in the areas,” said Natarajan.

CommScope provides essential infrastructure that makes communication possible. The company empowers people to connect and communicate seamlessly where, when, and how they choose. The solutions and services for wired and wireless networks enable high-bandwidth data, video, and voice applications everywhere, at home, at work, and on the go. Backed by numerous respected brands such as Andrew, SYSTIMAX and Uniprise, CommScope supports customers in more than 100 countries around the world through its focus on integrity, ethics, quality and technical innovation.

So what does he see happening in Sri Lanka within the next five years? Sri Lanka would, within the given time frame would move to bridge the gap from the Category 5 cables, referred to as Cat 5 and would embrace the newer and faster Cat 6A. He stated that while the rest of the world is now using Cat 6, Sri Lanka is still lagging behind with Cat 5.

Cat 6A is a higher speed cable that can meet the customer demands and challenges for the next 20 years. It is the latest product and with development being a key area of focus Cat 6 would soon come to stay in Sri Lanka.

Just In Time Group, CommScope’s principal Business Partner in Sri Lanka stated that the first ever project CommScope did in Sri Lanka was for SriLankan Airlines. Together the companies is said to have successful completed a number of projects at the Colombo Hilton, Airport and Aviation, and Union Assurance among other projects, Senior Marketing Manager of Just In Time Group Damitha Jayawardana said.

Group CEO Dr. Chandika Wickramatillake stated that even though within the last two years the industry slowed down in 2010 the market started picking up and that the future seems much brighter. The demand or focus from both government and private sector to uplift the construction and telecom industries will benefit the company’s business further within the next few years. What must be done to further enhance this is to provide education and awareness of IT and create a more experienced generation, Wickramatillake said.

Sri Lanka must go up to the Singaporean level in development and Colombo is “almost there,” he said. “The country on the whole is developing with major projects being initiated all over the island especially the North and East and Hambantota; tourism industry is fast picking up and so is the IT/BPO industry. As such, development is but an arm’s reach away. Technological advancement of university students is important and the government should pave the way for it,” he said.

Pix by Dinuka Liyanawatte