The Hindu Business Line : Volvo Ocean Race: ‘Kochi detour reflects Asia strength’

Kochi, Jan. 23 After plying the same ocean routes for the past 30 years, the Volvo Ocean Race will take a detour and call in at the Kochi port in December 2008.

Addressing a press conference in Kochi, Mr Mats Granryd, Managing Director of Ericsson India, said that the choice of India, China and Singapore in the port of call in the world’s premier yacht race reflects the rapid economic growth and strength of the Asian region in general and the three specific countries in particular.

While Volvo, a Swedish company, is the principal sponsor of the Ocean race, Ericsson, another Swedish company, would have two boats to participate in the nine-month event.

With India adding eight million phone subscribers a month, it is a huge market, Mr Granryd said. That is approximately the total population of Sweden being added to the Indian subscriber base every month.

Ericsson, which set shop in India in 1903, has a network of 25 offices employing 4,000 people. The company recorded a 70 per cent annual growth in India last year.

Stimulating cooperation

The race is expected to stimulate cooperation and partnership within the team, competition with rival teams, and confront and overcome major challenges in their pursuit of success, the same as in any corporate world.

For the company, it would yield major commercial benefits in the countries and ports where the race would be calling, Mr Henry Kings, Vice President-Sales, Ericsson, Sweden, said.

Facilitating links

It would facilitate meetings with the operators and customers in these countries. And all of them are high-growth markets. These interactions would be pursued for a nine-month long period.

The company hopes to strengthen association with local participants like Airtel, Reliance Mobile, and Idea Cellular when they call in at the Kochi port.

Ericsson, which is a major provider of mobile infrastructure in the national and international arena, plans to further strengthen its position through participation in the event.

The race is expected to cover over 45,000 km across the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and is poised to confront some extreme conditions along its route.