Our new solutions aim to bridge the gap for SMEs

What would your focus area be in the near future?

The SMB market continues to be an important segment for HP and it will
always remain as one of the fastest growing sectors for us. In fact, this market
has witnessed continuous growth for over 20 years and small business is one of
HP's largest segments, representing one-third of the company's global revenue.
Our new product and solutions portfolio aims to bridge the gap for over 8
million SMEs in India for whom technology is the key enabler for achieving
global competitiveness. This sector contributes to 30 percent of the total IT spend in India and we are sure that it will
continue to grow further. This year, we have launched technology solutions,
specifi c to vertical segments like business, education and retail. By
partnering with some SPs, HP wants to do meaningful product innovations and
understand its customers deeply.

Do you have a manufacturing set up in India?

Yes, HP has a manufacturing unit at Pantnagar in Uttarakhand which has
acquired a prominent position in India's IT roadmap, through a mixture of
innovation and application of cutting edge manufacturing process. It was set up
with an initial investment of Rs 100 crore, the plant commenced operations in
March 2007, and has an installed capacity of 5.7 million units per year for
manufacturing desktops, workstations and notebooks. In 2009 it rolled out the
one millionth unit from its manufacturing facility.

 It has been noticed that the retail segment is witnessing a growth. Do
you want to concentrate on this sector?The retail segment is witnessing growth
because of expansion, consolidation, acquisition and also the entry of
international chains are giving further fi llip to the overall growth of
organized retail.

According to Technopak Analysis and Estimates, consumption is likely to
double in India in the next five years. In the next five-ten years, the scale of
business opportunity and pace of changes would be fundamentally different.

BHARAT SHARMA

bharatb@cybermedia.co.in