Canon India expects the UID project (Aadhar) to create a Rs 200 crore business for its high-end digital SLR cameras if the products get approved by UID Technology Centre in Bangalore. The firm has completed trials using a systems-integrator partner for collection of database for the project and is awaiting approval, which is expected by September.
?The firm’s digital SLR cameras is competing with cheaper web cameras from Swiss vendor Logitech,? Canon’s senior vice-president Alok Bharadwaj said. ?The overall demand is expected to be of 10,000 digital SLR cameras per quarter or 80,000 units in two years. In terms of revenues, it will open up a Rs 200 crore opportunity over the period,? he said.
Government projects contributed 25% to Canon India’s revenues of Rs 840 crore in 2009. The firm expects a top line of Rs 1,200 crore in 2010. The UID-related project can add to the contribution from the government.
The UID project requires the source code of the camera to be made available. The source code is given to application providers who can then take control of the camera. ?Canon aims to be the hardware supplier for the UID project through the systems integrator. Another area of opportunity will be printing of the cards for the project,? Bharadwaj said. The firm had traditionally sold printing solutions such as copiers and scanners to the government. Canon India is already working on three major government projects ? the Passport Seva project where it has partnered TCS, the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) project with Wipro, and the Costal Identification Project with BEL.