Jitin Gupta: Passion for technology

Delhi-based Usha Infotech, is a well-known name in the networking space today. Its association with A-class net­working companies has grown its business into a stellar position. From a small time dis­tri­­bution business background, today, Usha Infotech, is an ISO 9001:2008 certified comp­any. It has established a brand named-Nergy, which deals in passive networking products. Driven by Jitin Gupta, CEO, Usha Infotech, it is one of the leading networking business companies in North India from the last 12 years.

Humble Beginning
Hailing from a noble and wealthy business class family, Gupta, instead of joining his family business, decided to enter the technology space. His passion for learning networking landed him into the technical field. Before starting his own business in April, 2002, Gupta worked as a freelancer at MNCs. While working, he got hands-on-experience on heterogeneous networks. "While I was studying advance dip­lo­ma in electronics in 1995, I was always sure of one thing-I would carve a niche for my­self and become a businessman. Later, I also got enrolled for Cisco Certified Network Associate," says Gupta candidly.
Today, not only has he carved a niche, he is the most reputed networking system integrator and distributor in the northern region. Over a span of 9 years, he has opened offices in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida; and overseas office in Hong Kong. Usha employs more than 40 people and leverages on advanced networking technology like Fibre to the Home(FTTH) and advanced Gigabit Ethernet PON (GEPON).

The Journey
Usha Infotech was founded in 1992. Recalling those days, Gupta says, "I set up the company without any financial support from family and friends. Whatever I gained during my freelancing time, I put that into starting my own distribution company. I managed to start it with an investment of Rs 22 lakh." In the year of its inception, Usha Infotech clocked a bumper revenue of Rs 2 crore. Since then, it has been a remarkable climb for Usha.
In the beginning, the company started distribution for Surecom, Compex and Samsung. In 2003, it added Netgear and 3Com; and Linksys in the following years. The company touched new heights after becoming the
selected partner for Cisco's small and commercial business. "Today for Cisco, we are India's second highest partner for its commercial range. Moreover, for the last 2 years in a row, Cisco has awarded us with the second highest partner in A-class cities. This year, again we will be awarded for the third time in Germany," asserts Gupta. Today, Usha enjoys premium partnership with most networking brands including Cisco, Linksys, Alvarion, Watchguard, HP, and Netgear.

Launch brand Nergy
Today, Usha Infotech commands 3 key business lines with a current turnover of Rs 12 crore, including distribution business which holds 70% of the revenue, vertical business of
Rs 3.5-4 crore, and import business of
Rs 2 crore. In addition to distribution and vertical business, the company launched its own brand-Nergy in the networking market.
On being asked the reason for launching Nergy, Gupta aptly replies, "The reason why we introduced, Nergy in the year 2010 is because cloud computing was coming in a big way and diversification of product selling was getting stiff. It was becoming difficult to remain completely dependent on distribution. With Nergy, our focus was on developing future products based on emerging technologies-FTTH and advanced GEPON. All our products are highly tested and certified and they are at par with international brands. Moreover, to check on the quality, we have set up an office in Hong Kong."

Best Practices
One of the great principles followed at Usha is bringing products which not only meet present requirement but also peep into the future. "I have been continuously driving my skills to keep myself abreast with the latest and emerging technologies. As we are focusing on fiber, our own products will be based on end-to-end fiber solutions," says Gupta.

Future Plans
As of now Usha's reach is limited to the North belt only. To grow its own products, the company will set up an office and warehouse in Mumbai in October this year. In FY 2011-12, Usha plans to hit Rs 20 crore revenue mark, and is counting on Nergy by adding triple play products to its portfolio. Moreover, it is also looking at the security space closely as CCTV and IP surveillance is a booming market.

Personally Speaking
Gupta is a hardcore technology savvy person. He loves to keep himself updated on the technological front. "I expand my knowledge domain by attending seminars, workshops, IT fairs and technical programs. This keeps me upgraded on new technologies," Gupta says. Gupta is married to Neeta and is blessed with 2 sons.