Japanese firm SATO comes to India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: SATO- a Japanese barcode and RFID technology major, as a part of global expansion, has forayed into the Indian market. With base in Gurgaon, it has started India operations, and is planning capital and resource investments.

The company said that it’s looking at inorganic growth and will expand operations through acquisitions, partnerships and capital investments in the country. SATO, however feels that distribution channel is fragmented which it, said is one of the challenges in India.

SATO Holdings Corporation president and CEO Kaz Matsuyama said that they get most of their revenues from Japan region. “By 2020, we expect to receive 40 per cent of our revenues from outside Japan,” he informed.

India, Matsuyama said, is one of the six growing economies and the company would suitably invest in human resources and other capital-intensive areas over the period of next couple of years. SATO also plans to open manufacturing facility in India.

The barcode and RFID technology heavyweight has also invented proprietary technology- ‘Eco Nano’ which it said facilitates CO2 reduction by 40 per cent. The patent though is pending with the Japan government. 

Thanuj Madanakesari, country director at SATO India said that government business is one of their key business strategies in India. “We are in talks with the Centre and state governments’ departments and agencies for our portfolio,” he said.

Madanakesari also informed that they are working to take solution partners on board. The company said that it has forged alliance with Fujitsu and NEC in India. SATO said that it sees potential in AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) landscape in Asia.

This $1 billion company offers end-to-end comprehensive solution that includes hardware, software maintenance and technical support. In addition, it provides easy-to-integrate thermal barcode and RFID printers and labeling systems for transportation, logistics, retail and healthcare industries.