Editor Speak

TVS-E – The Pearl in Indian Brands

by VARINDIA 2010-03-25

Working hard is smart, but working smart is better. Markets are booming; so are the industry and exports. When we delve deep into the state of the economy in India, especially into the IT sector, branding and brand building becomes an inherent portion of the growth cycle of the products and enterprises.

Branding a brand takes millions of dollars, and building the brand takes only thousands of dollars. After building the brand, the final part is brand management, which is the application of marketing techniques for a specific product line. It seeks to increase the product’s perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity. Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with the present and future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with the competing products more favourable. The value of the brand is determined by the amount of profit it generates for the manufacturer. This results from a combination of increased sales and increased price.

The consumer’s response to the brand revolves around the brand’s image. It’s the totality of consumer perceptions about the brand, or how they see it. Companies have to work hard on the consumer’s experience to make sure that what customers see and think is what the companies want them to see. In this issue,

VARIndia wants to bring out TVS-E, the pearl in the Indian incorporates, which created its brand in Information Technology industry. With the product-line, including Printer, Keyboard, UPS, POS, etc., it has been building the brand quite resonantly. The whole exercise of branding and brand building has happened over the last 15 years for TVS-E. The goal of the company is to provide innovative solutions to the Indian customers in the SMEs, enterprises, retail and government sector and financial services as well. In the process, the company has created a strong base of four million customers. The credibility of the brand can be gauged from the fact that 70 per cent of the company’s business comes from repeat business.

The branding exercise does not only limit to company’s own brands but also to the associates or partners across the country. The company invests in enabling the partners and providing market infrastructure to stay in the minds of the customers. “The very logo of TVS-E stands for the company’s commitment to serving customers for life and to innovate ahead of the market to be the leader in whatever the company does. It is the symbol of innovation and our belief in taking IT to the heart of India,” said S. Narendran, Vice-President – Printers Business & Marketing, TVS-E.

TVS-E has been the pioneer in the Indian Dot Matrix-based Printing technology market. Starting way back in 1987 when DMPs were the main form of office and transaction printing, TVS-E has over the years continuously innovated for the Indian customer.

TVS-E was the first to bring in printers that print in the Indian language. More than that, TVS-E products are also customized to suit harsh user environments–– the Pro series stands testimony to this. With a unique and innovative design, this was the first time that a dot matrix printer has been completely built in India – built by Indians for the world!

They say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. TVS-E has the largest installed base of Indian language printers in India; TVS Pro Series has boosted TVS-E’s market share in this segment!

TVS-E is well known for its high quality, high-performance products at affordable prices, in line with the TVS corporate philosophy. It has been ranked No. 2 in the Asia Pacific DMP market and No. 1 in the Indian market (Source: Gartner). Each of TVS-E’s products is designed with utmost care and quality to give customers the best value for their money. This has seen TVS-E grow into a market leader as the largest manufacturer of computer peripherals in India. Our offering includes keyboards, printing supplies and customer support services. We believe in creating a unique value by our offering, which exactly matches the customer’s needs through very deep understanding of customer requirements.

Narendran says, “We spend 4–5 per cent on R&D, which includes understanding customer’s applications, his changing needs and the cost equation. Our R&D engineers work very closely with customers in their environment to create customer-centric solutions. We continue to invest in the core faculties of design like embedded software, industrial design, manufacturing engineering and life cycle management. We also invest in New Product Introduction (NPI) processes and our engineers are trained in design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and design for manufacturing (DSM).”

In its life cycle, TVS-E has won many accolades from various companies for exports, products or even as a brand. The group’s turnover has touched over US$3 billion. With 25 blue-chip companies under its umbrella, the group has created each operational areas a brand to look upto, including two-wheelers, automotive component manufacturing, automotive dealerships, financial services and IT. The brand building exercise of the company also has helped it to go global. Today, the company exports to countries like Australia, Malaysia, UK, Singapore and South Asia. Underlying the success of the group is an ethos of commitment to the values of Quality, Service and Reliability. Continuous innovation and close customer interaction have enabled the Group to consolidate its position at the leading edge of the industries it operates in.

All TVS-E products are manufactured at its modern, state-of-the-art plant at Tumkur, Karnataka, Guindy (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu and Kalamb (Himachal Pradesh).

The company covers 500 towns for distribution and support of its range of products.

TVS-E believes in taking IT to the heart of India. Narendran adds, “We would say: our mission in itself directly contributes to nation building.” TVS-E also takes up many CSR initiatives. TVS-E runs a model school in Tumkur known as TVS Academy.

Another major initiative launched by TVS-E, along with Sahishnatha Trust, an NGO, and the State Government, is launching a sanitation campaign in Tiruvidenthai with the objective of promoting a clean and sanitized village. TVS-E took up the challenge of creating a village with 100-per cent toilet facilities and ensuring full utilization. Tiruvedenthai is the first village in India, where a public-private partnership has been formed for implementing a sanitation campaign. Weekly Value education class – the Atma Vidya Program and an Atma Vidya Activity Centre (AVAC) are unique initiatives for children to nurture their creative talents.

Finally…

The comany pledges to invest in market infrastructure, product development. The idea now is to bring products of higher value for the customers.