Kerlink Starts India Operations, Rolls Out LoRaWAN IoT Network

Kerlink, a specialist and global leader in network solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced its expansion into India with the creation of a subsidiary that will coordinate the company’s partnership with Tata Communications and the emerging IoT ecosystem to deploy the world’s largest LoRaWAN network.

The rollout, which will bring a cost-and-energy-efficient IoT network to more than 400 million people in nearly 2,000 cities and communities across India, will include more than 10,000 Kerlink WirnetTM iBTS Compact stations. The subsidiary, Kerlink IoT Solutions India Private Ltd., is based in Chennai, India.

Kerlink, which recently announced a partnership to roll out a LoRaWANTM network across Argentina, is ramping up its global supply chain to meet strong demand for its equipment and network design, installation and operation services worldwide.

The new Kerlink subsidiary, which will oversee the company’s continued growth in India, is headed by Girish Dadheech, vice president of technology, customer & partner engagement.

“This expansion into India underscores Kerlink’s commitment to provide Tata Communications with superior customer service for the rollout and operation of their LoRaWAN network,” said Kerlink CEO William Gouesbet. “It also signals the success of our ongoing strategy to rapidly expand in regions around the world where our equipment and services are increasingly in demand.

“Girish Dadheech is an excellent addition to our teams in India and Asia,” Gouesbet added. “He has been in the forefront of technology innovation, with extensive experience especially in digital transformation, evolution of exponential data and customer-experience segments. He has broad and deep exposure to virtualization, cloud computing and big data analytics. Moreover, his cross-border and diverse experience in leading and managing technological transformations will help Kerlink India to meet its strategic objectives. Girish will help devise synergies bridging Kerlink capabilities and customer expectations, while helping to grow our footprint throughout the region.”

Prior to joining Kerlink, Dadheech served as chief technology officer for Astellia India, a leading provider of subscriber intelligence to improve customer experience at mobile telecom operators. He also co-founded a technology-consulting firm in London, primarily dealing in fraud analytics.

His professional career has been divided between Europe & India, where he worked for companies like Telefonica, Hughes, Astellia, Orange & Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Dadheech also has been associated with the IoT for more than 10 years, including work on a pilot for smart metering in London.

Dadheech noted that the IoT will help boost India’s economy in a variety of ways, such as supporting infrastructure projects and creating demand for innovative services and applications.

“The Internet of Things will have enthusiastic reception in India in the major application categories of transport, agriculture, asset tracking, logistics, smart cities, smart homes and security and safety. These are being driven by strong and dynamic programs led by the state and private companies, like ‘100 Smart Cities’,” he said. “The LoRaWAN network, powered by Kerlink stations, can be deployed simply and will quickly begin delivering the efficient, two-way connectivity throughout Tata Communications’ targeted nationwide coverage areas.”

Kerlink’s subsidiary is located in Chennai, and is close to Flex, a leading end-to-end supply chain services company, selected earlier this year by Kerlink to manufacture its stations locally. Production for the India network deployment began this summer on a new manufacturing line.

Kerlink’s new Wirnet iBTS Compact stations include a 3G dual-SIM modem to ensure backhaul continuity of service for data transmission to applicative servers. Moreover, its geolocation-ready design also immediately enables Tata Communications to anticipate new global, innovative and cost-efficient services for its customers, based on the native geolocation capability for LoRaWAN connected devices.