The FY 2000-01 was a year when TCIL took stock of itself. The telecommunications turnkey provisioning business was smoothly going on, with TCIL establishing itself among global competitors as a force to reckon with for projects in the developing countries. But, TCIL had to go looking for newer opportunities in order to increase its turnover. The company registered total sales of Rs 770 crore in comparison to the last year’s figure of Rs 740 crore, thereby attaining the No. 5 position from the last to last year’s No. 7 position in the Top 10 club. For this, the natural progression would have had to be entering telecommunications services.

During the fiscal 2000-01, it continued to meet its targets in the turnkey business winning several projects both in the domestic market and outside India. But when it came to telecom services, it could not go beyond showing intent, negotiating with partners and obtaining licenses.

On the turnkey side, TCIL bagged peace-keeping project for Cosova, East Timor, Congo, Lebanon and Sierra Lonne for setting up and maintaining the trunking and computer networking. In Zimbabwe, it bagged a transmission access project worth Rs 220 crore. On the access front, the company has bagged planning and installation of SDH network in Mauritius whereas in
Saudi Arabia apart from SDH, the company has to install GSM network. TCIL has also bagged access network project worth Rs 225 crore in Ghana.

In India, the company is involved in the infrastructure project of Hughes Tele.com, and is a consultant to GAIL for its broadband network and Gujarat government for its e-governance network. TCIL has also executed automated mail
sorting system for the department of post and has bagged turnkey project worth Rs 200 crore for BSNL in the southern states.

TCIL also put some efforts on the services front as well. The most significant achievement, in this respect, has been the bagging of basic services license in Kenya and Nepal. And though it has shelved plans of providing GMPCS service in India, TCIL has taken marketing rights of setting handsets for Shyam Aces in the Indian market.

The software business contributes about 6 percent of the total turnover. The company has tie-ups with Marshal and ICC of UK. TCIL plans are to go for more tie-ups in the area of networking, software package and customization in the field of communications.

In 2001-02, TCIL hopes to reach a turnover of Rs 850 crore. This, it expects through expanding turnkey services. But the clincher is expectedly going to be telecom services. And for this, a lot of ramping up is needed.