School bus, STUs and Smart Cities to be main focus areas
The implementation of the AIS 140 standard mandating the fitment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) that include vehicle tracking, camera surveillance and emergency request button on city buses has opened up a whole new avenue of opportunities for the supplier fraternity. While there are many companies supplying parts of the ITS for buses, there are only a handful when it comes to providing a complete one-stop ITS solution, that too a reliable and cost-effective one. One such firm is the Chennai-based Prime Edge Info Solutions Pvt. Ltd. that offers a full gamut of ITS and other related solutions for buses.
Talking about the company’s focus on ITS, Mr. S. Girish, Vice President, Prime Edge Info Solutions, says: “Our company was working primarily in the vehicle tracking space. We were taken over by the Prime Edge Group in 2013 which is when we started focusing and specializing on ITS solutions. Instead of offering just a vehicle tracking unit, we wanted to add more value to the customer and developed our own vehicle computer which does vehicle tracking, video surveillance, two-way communication, Passenger Information System (PIS), CAN interface, etc. We first launched the solution with Ashok Leyland and found the results to be very encouraging.”
With solutions certified by ARAI, Prime Edge is among the few vendors whose products qualify as per UBS-II specifications. The company has delivered solutions to more than 1,000 Ashok Leyland buses over the last four years and continues to work closely with the OEM.
Customized and specialized solutions
When asked about the company’s USPs and what it’s like to compete with bigger brands in the segment, Mr. Girish responds: “We have a team of around 60 people and are involved in a lot of R&D work. The chips and other parts are imported from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shenzhen (in China) where we have our representatives stationed to check the quality of the imported parts before they are shipped. We have an assembly unit in Chennai where the entire integration is done and a development centre, also in Chennai, where all the software has been indigenously developed. One of our main strengths is the high level of customization we can offer our customers. Being a small company, we are very agile and our turnaround time is very less. Whenever there is a specific requirement or need for customization, we are the first choice for customers.”
Amidst growing safety concerns in public transport vehicles, Prime Edge has introduced a mobile digital video recorder (DVR) for buses as part of its ITS solution. A low-cost device that provides video surveillance inside the vehicle, the new DVR solution also enables live video streaming by the push of an emergency button, allowing the Control Room to keep track of activities within the vehicle.
For the school bus segment, Prime Edge has introduced a vehicle tracking unit with an RFID reader which marks the students’ attendance as they enter the bus. When the bus is about to reach the bus stop, the parents receive an SMS indicating the arrival time of the bus. Prime Edge has offered the solution to a leading bus manufacturer for its school bus and has deployed it on buses in Kolkata, Orissa and other parts of the country.
With specialized solutions being its forte, Prime Edge has also developed tailor-made solutions for special applications. An interesting example is a prisoner bus equipped with eight cameras inside and pin-hole cameras on the outside, all of which are hidden to the naked eye to keep track of prisoners being moved from one location to another.
Fulfilling customer needs
Prime Edge products and solutions primarily go into the STU segment which involves tender processes. Getting entry into STUs’ supplier base is not an easy task, while ensuring the products are well maintained is another challenge, both of which Prime Edge has managed to work its way through smoothly.
The VP explains: “In terms of product, we have done our own R&D and testing, so our product is perfectly suited for Indian conditions. Through experience we have learnt a lot on the kind of conditions our product goes through. We had an initial experience with an STU by which we learnt what not to do in order to ensure our product lasts long. Close to 2,000 of our units are in the market today, and systems which were deployed around 5-6 years back are still functioning very well without any problem.”
Sharing details on product customization and service support, he adds: “Every STU’s requirement is unique, so we have to come up with tailor-made solutions to suit the needs of each STU. For instance, an STU in Maharashtra wanted the display to be in Marathi; similarly in the local language in Odisha, and so on. For an export order, we were asked to have the menu in French. We have also done integration of third-party solutions such as ticketing systems into our product and have had good experience on that front as well. We usually go to the customer site, understand their set-up and then provide solutions. Once the deployment is done, we conduct a hands-on training for drivers and conductors. We have made this mandatory at all STU sites so that their crew is well trained to handle the product. We also provide local service support. Once an installation is done at a location, we open a service centre there and ensure there is a local person to provide service support. Having a local person ensures the language is not an issue and response is quick. This makes the customer feel more comfortable. When there is local support, half the problem could be nipped in the bud, which is why we have around eight such centres across the country.”
Among STUs, Prime Edge works with Ludhiana City Bus Services, NWKRTC, KSRTC, Kolhapur Municipal Transport, OSRTC and West Bengal STU, among others. In the OEM segment, the supplier works closely with leading bus manufacturers in the country. It is also a preferred solution-provider for leading bus body builders, including KMS Coach, MG Group, Global TVS, Veera Vahana and Bharat Coach. Apart from domestic orders, Prime Edge has fitted its ITS solutions in a number of export buses as well.
Road ahead
With AIS 140 being mandated, Prime Edge expects a sharp surge in demand for the kind of products it offers. “This year, our main focus will be on AIS 140. We expect a huge explosion in market demand and hope to do some value addition in our products over and above the AIS 140 needs such as the mobile DVR and other solutions which can be integrated into one product”, he says.
The company is also looking to expand its offerings in the school bus and STU segments in a big way. He adds: “The school bus segment is fast-adopting these solutions, and we also see a lot of pull from STUs driven by their need to improve efficiency for which such solutions would be very beneficial. We are working on some export orders for the UAE market in the school bus segment; we have a local partner through whom we will supply the product and they will provide service support.”
Riding the wave of the Government’s Smart Cities program, Prime Edge has stepped up its focus on smart transportation, emerging a one-stop solution provider for passenger information system, vehicle tracking solutions and bus stop displays. The company is already working with two smart cities, one of which is Vizag, and sees a lot of potential in the segment. “The Smart City project is an important area for growth. In addition to smart transportation, the bus stops will also be an important focus area for us”, Mr. Girish reveals.
Looking beyond the bus segment, Prime Edge is slowly expanding into other segments as well, including the truck space with its vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions. With AIS 140 coming in, the company expects certain standards to come in wherein its product quality and reliability would carry more value which customers would be able to appreciate better.
The Prime Edge Group achieved a turnover of around Rs. 20 crores in FY18. Buoyed by strong market demand, the group is aiming to reach a revenue target of Rs. 40 crores this year.