Mahindra Satyam scouts for partners in video analytics space

Less than a year after the candid confession of its former founder of the financial irregularities, and more recently, Mahindra Group’s takeover of Satyam, the Integrated Engineering Group of Mahindra Satyam is pushing ahead aggressively with product suites and solutions in the automotive electronic space. It is scouting for global partners in order to enhance its video analytics and vision-based system capabilities, technologies that are bound to change the way visuals are used to ensure a ride much safer than ever for vehicles occupants, pedestrians and other motorists.

How is the market for embedded systems evolving?

In terms of clientele, value and volume, work in the embedded systems has definitely undergone a shift over the last few years. In terms of value, we are likely to see the Indian offerings and the capabilities would likely go up once customers move into hybrid and electric platforms. These are capabilities that OEM may require to scout for, within their technology partners.

How big is the automotive vertical at Mahindra Satyam?

About 250 people are working on reliability, back-end operations in embedded electronics, testing, safety case analyses. Projects extend from in-car entertainment to geographical interfaces and even video analytics and vision-based systems. In fact, the Integrated Engineering Systems or IES as we call it, is more or less dedicated to automotive clients. So, from back-end to embedding and validation and testing, we provide complete solutions. Prototyping is typically required when hardware needs to be changed; we work closely with clients in that department too.

Going forward, do you only see Government regulations as the biggest drivers for automotive electronics?

Some of the aspects such as occupant safety, active and passive, pollution control and related value additions are important to be pushed by OEMs and those who do so, always enjoy preference. Simply put, OEMs hope to gain a first mover advantage by initiating such features. Also, the governments across the globe are pushing for increased R&D spends in making cars more frugally, that are lighter on consumption. It is their means of accelerating recovery in a sector that has faced the downturn like no other.

What is the key agenda for Mahindra Satyam, for the year 2010?

We are working on achieving specific competencies and actively building up our offerings portfolio that we can proactively pitch to progressive clients. We hope to tie up with firms in the area of video analytics and vision-based system. Clearly there is a demand for high-end solutions in this area. We are looking for expertise in decoding images recorded by various onboard equipments. Plus there are various areas in which our customers would be bound subject to a change in their products, primarily dictated by Government regulations, which like I said earlier is a big trigger for R&D spends.

Also with Mahindra coming on board, do you expect more work your way?

I think they would evaluate us as a value-based technology partner and make their own judgments. If we offer more value at their price points, we would be glad to assist in every aspect of their requirements.

Has the Indian engineering services sector gone up in the value chain over the initial experiments?

If it were at the bottom-end of the value chain, this industry would have almost wiped out in recent downturn. Product development expenses at several OEMs were cut drastically. Its survival in effect is a testimonial that it has moved up the value chain. That said it is a progressive learning curve and also progressive infrastructure development that is a primary enabler for such services to be outsourced. Telecom and