Excerpt: Navigating the market: “India is not an easy market,” said Karim Kassam, vice-president of business and corporate development for Burnaby-based Ballard Power Systems. “It’s not for the faint of heart, for sure, in terms of the regulatory environment.”
Ballard is currently deploying its fuel-cell technology within Idea Cellular’s India network. The fuel cells run off liquid methanol and are supporting the country’s move to reduce reliance on diesel generators to power telecom base-station towers.
India is a uniquely cost-sensitive market, with pressure to be competitive on price coming from its massive population, according to Kassam.
B.C. is a leader in clean technology, he pointed out. So despite the work required to enter the market — tackling over-regulation, high duties and a foreign investment environment — the province stands to gain from India’s need to address sustainability within its large population.
“If you can crack the market, and if you can be competitive and do a good job, there’s tremendous opportunity,” Kassam told The Vancouver Sun from India. “There is a business need and we have a business solution.” Kassam said having good relationships with local partners is one of the keys to navigating the Indian market. Every new market presents challenges, and India is no exception, according to Head.
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