The Hindu Business Line : UshaComm eyes new biz, plans own facility

TELECOM billing and customer care solutions major Usha Communications Technology Ltd (UshaComm) has said its revenue growth in the months ahead will be fuelled by new businesses in India and nearby markets, South America, Eastern Europe and Africa.

According to Mr Bharat Thakker, Managing Director of UshaComm, traditional markets such as the US would grow at 30-40 per cent per annum, but new markets would grow at a substantially faster rate "as is reflected in the number of new customer acquisitions in these geographies".

The company, which has 45 implementations globally, is hopeful of adding around eight new customers every year.

Mr Thakker told a news conference here that to gear up for additional business, UshaComm had firmed up plans to build its own facility and ramp up its staff strength to 1,000 - from 400 at present - within the next 18-20 months.

Talks have been initiated with the West Bengal Government for allotment of land either at the Salt Lake Electronics Complex here or at Rajarhat New Township. The capital outlay for the project has been pegged at Rs 20 crore.

The successful bagging of a billing solutions contract from MTNL in India and a BPO contract from PTNL in Bangladesh were shots in the arm for the company, he added.

At present, the company generates revenue of $45,000 (around Rs 19.66 lakh) per employee per annum.

During the year ended March 31, 2004, UshaComm generated revenue of $17 million (around Rs 74.3 crore), down from $20 million in 2002-03. The fall in revenue has been attributed to the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.