Tata Sky, India’s number one Direct-to-Home (DTH) operator, has just unveiled the first batch of ‘Made in India’ Set-Top Boxes (STBs). The company had made an announcement in FY21 that it will soon start making STBs within India to support the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Tata Sky had partnered with Technicolor Connected Home and Flextronics for manufacturing its STBs in India. There will be a lot of positive impacts of this announcement in India.
Tata Sky Is Also Manufacturing Binge+ STB In India
Luis Martinez-Amago, President of Technicolor Connected Home, said Tata Sky and Technicolor would also be manufacturing the Android-powered Binge+ STB within Indian boundaries. Amago said this is a major step for Technicolor in the Indian market, where the company plans to invest even further.
Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO, Tata Sky, said the company would help with increasing employment opportunities in India. Nagpal further said that this would help Tata Sky in reducing the lead-time and assured that the STBs manufactured within India are tested and re-tested before they are shipped out of the facilities to ensure high-quality performance.
Tata Sky and Technicolor, in partnership with Flextronics, started mass production of the STBs in India in June 2021. The manufacturing facility is in Chennai. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the companies that they can’t rely on international shipping and need a local manufacturing facility to ensure that the market never stays dry because of supply constraints in the international routes.
The cost of manufacturing the STBs might be more for Tata Sky initially because it won’t be able to take advantage of the economies of scale. The company must have also spent a ton of money on building a manufacturing facility, bringing assembly machines, train personnel, and more for building its STBs in India. This is a great move and one which should pay off in the near future.
