In a chat with EFY’s Nitisha, S.K. Yadav of RIGOL Technologies highlights the company’s journey in India, shedding light on its growth prospects and the influence of the “Make in India” initiative while collaborating with Indian institutions for talent development…
Q. What prompted Rigol Technologies to establish a presence in India, and why did you choose Bengaluru?
A. India is a growing market with immense potential, particularly with the government’s “Make in India” initiative. We decided to set up in Bengaluru because it is already an established electronics and semiconductor hub, home to major players like Texas Instruments, Nvidia and Intel. The city offers easy access to local materials and skilled talent, helping us reduce manufacturing costs and improve efficiency.
Q. What are the key products you are planning to manufacture, and how will this contribute to the Indian market?
A. We plan in future to manufacture various products, including oscilloscopes, RF signal generators, and other test and measurement equipment. Our products already in demand worldwide and will be tailored to meet the needs of the Indian industrial, automotive, and semiconductor, research, and medical electronics markets. By establishing a local manufacturing hub, we will help reduce the reliance on imports and provide cost-effective solutions.
Q. What unique aspects of Rigol’s products differentiate you from competitors?
A. We focus on balancing price and performance. India is a price-sensitive market, so we offer powerful and cost-effective products. We aim to deliver the best value to our customers, making high-performance test and measurement equipment affordable for industries like semiconductors and defence.
Q. What are your growth plans for the Indian market?
A. We have aggressive expansion plans. Our India business is $2 million, with a goal to reach $6 million in three years. We are building more partnerships across different regions such as North, South, East, West, and Central India to expand our market and customer reach.
Q. Can you elaborate on your manufacturing setup in Bengaluru?
A. Our facility in Bengaluru will be a crucial part of our global manufacturing network, complementing our primary facility in Penang, Malaysia. We will collaborate with local semiconductor and automotive industries to source components, calibrate, and provide service support. This setup will also help create job opportunities and contribute to India’s growing electronics and semiconductor ecosystem.
Q. How does Rigol plan to collaborate with Indian educational institutions?
A. Education is crucial to our business. We supply our products to various engineering colleges & research centres, where students gain hands-on experience with our technology. We are collaborating with institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs. We are in talks with several institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT BHU, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, and NITs, to provide solutions that enhance the technical capability of engineering students. These collaborations will ensure that future engineers are industry-ready when they enter the workforce.
Q. How do you see Rigol contributing to job creation in India?
A. Besides manufacturing, we will provide training and learning opportunities within our facility. We plan to collaborate with universities and technical institutions to give students hands-on training, ensuring they are industry-ready by the time they graduate. This will not only create direct job opportunities but also build a skilled workforce that can support India’s growing semiconductor and electronics sectors.
Q. What kind of challenges do you foresee while setting up manufacturing in India?
A. The main challenges we anticipate are documentation, certifications, and sourcing raw materials locally. The semiconductor industry is still developing in India, and while the government’s vision is to make India a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, more local component manufacturers are needed. Overcoming these hurdles will require collaboration between the private sector and the government.
Q. What is your vision for the future of Rigol Technologies in India?
A. Our vision is to establish a sturdy manufacturing and service hub in India. We plan to increase our business partnerships, enhance product marketing, and deliver innovative solutions. In terms of fiscal growth, for the past three years we have been growing at a rate of more than 35% year-over-year and we expect this trend to continue as we expand our operations in India.
