A safety device to alert a company when its women employees reach home using the company cars is just one of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices that Tata Communications is working on.
Others include a tracker that will alert a fast-moving consumer goods firm if its coolers used by retailers to keep products at a certain temperature are tampered with. And a device which can gauge the electricity consumed in a room and regulate the lights and air conditioner from any place to ensure there is no wastage.
The company plans to launch a staggering 50 million such devices by 2022, with the aim of capturing 10-15 per cent of the market that has about 150 million devices currently and is growing 28 per cent annually.
The business unit, which had earmarked $100 million for IoT, plans to bring out devices in three main categories – asset management, energy management and customer feedback. The Tata Group arm faces tough competition from large telecom operators, among others, who have a leg up in this race.
The company is working with states to provide IoT network in cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jamshedpur and Delhi. For the smart cities, these IoT networks could help in monitoring the quality of water, sewage management, smart lighting, etc.
By Baishakhi Dutta
