Unlimit is an independent unit of Reliance Group providing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the Indian market. Launched in 2016, it has grown from a single employee to an organisation that promises a complete stack of IoT solutions thanks to a 500-plus partner network. Their chief executive officer, Juergen Hase, who was the first employee of Unlimit and coined the name of the firm, shares his thoughts on India’s IoT industry and its prospects, in a conversation with Rahul Chopra.
Q. How do you see the Indian IoT ecosystem evolving?
A. It is growing fast, very, very fast. There is a lot of work happening around the digital world, in universities, startups and the government sector. Most of the solutions that startups are coming up with are connected to the IoT in one way or the other.
Q. In terms of business, are you seeing growth?
A. For IoT-related businesses to achieve full potential, it will take time. Many believe that the IoT is a low-hanging fruit, which is not the reality. You have to work hard and go step-by-step to make it happen. There are a lot of innovations coming in from young organisations, but the challenge is how to go to market with these solutions. How to make the products suitable for customers, which can include prototypes or field tests. And, this is where you need the combination of these young organisations and deep-pocketed experienced players like Unlimit, Tatas and so on. Only then there will be an opportunity for startups to ramp up and survive.
Q. We often get the feedback that the frequency of proofs of concepts (POCs) is much higher in India as compared to final orders?
A. People want to have a touch-and-feel experience for implementation of the IoT, and this is why we are doing POCs. POCs typically help customers realise the different stages of digitisation, investments and benefits expected on the bottom line. The good thing is these are not prototypes; these are POCs. My impression is that 95 per cent of our POCs will be going ahead to the next stage.
