Vi launches new IoT offering, eyes digital India, smart city projects

Competition heats up in enterprise segment with Airtel having launched its IoT solution on Wednesday

Vodafone Idea (Vi) today launched an integrated IoT solution as it aims to tap opportunities from Digital India and Smart Cities mission.

The telecom company said it will design and develop solutions for enterprises by integrating various elements of the IoT value chain such as devices and chipsets with a view to address current market challenges and help them lower costs and achieve efficiencies.

The company is targeting the automotive, smart infrastructure, logistics and power sectors with its new business offering and hopes it would be a big growth driver for its enterprise business segment.

India’s cellular connectivity based IoT market is forecasted to grow to Rs 10,000 crore by 2022 driven by connected cars and appliances, smart factories and utilities and telecom companies are building their portfolios to gain the business.

Vi’s big push comes a day after a similar announcement from rival Bharti Airtel which unveiled its IoT platform offering convenience and security to its enterprise customers.

Abhijit Kishore, chief enterprise business officer of Vi said companies are now adopting digital solutions in the post pandemic

world out of necessity rather than choice.

Vi’s managing director and CEO, Ravinder Takkar, said, “Vi is a market leader in IoT and well positioned to capitalise on future growth driven by the government’s push towards ‘Digital India’ and ‘Smart Cities’. The launch of Vi Integrated IoT Solutions is a strategic step towards making Vi Business - an IoT ecosystem integrator for Indian enterprises, and positioning Vi to have an ecosystem play driving our transformation from a ‘Telco’ to ‘TechCo.”