Interview with Péter Bolesza, Vice President, EEU & Emerging Markets at NNG LLC.

Company Description: NNG LLC is one of the leading navigation solution providers for the automotive, personal and wireless navigation industries. While cooperating with 150 hardware partners worldwide and providing navigation solutions for 115 countries, NNG is particularly focussed on driving its business in India. Throughout 2011 the company has invested heavily in the development of a localised edition of its iGO Navigation software. The company reinforced its rapid growth in India with a new office in Gurgaon in early 2012, managed by Péter Bolesza, Vice President, EEU & Emerging Markets. The permanent presence in India proves the company’s commitment to developing and providing high-end navigation solutions that meet all the requirements of local partners for easy-to-use and India-specific navigation. Several OEMs have recently launched their PND and aftermarket solutions in India running on NNG’s iGO Navigation software.

The car navigation systems space is rapidly evolving in India and new types of products are hitting the market. Is the Indian consumer market receptive to such gadgets and the services it offers?

I would say maybe not today, but in the foreseeable future.  I am expecting a big boom in the next 6-8 months and I hope in one year’s time I will tell you that the Indian market is ready for such products. What we intend to achieve is to make people aware that these navigation devices or systems can ease their lives, and once they realise that, it will be an immediate success.

What kind of strategies have you decided for the Indian market?

We are going to follow the same path as we are doing in other countries. We are going to work closely with automotive Tier1 suppliers. In India, we have already signed a few agreements, including some local brands like Mega Audio or ANS (Ayana Navigation Solutions). We already have a contract with global brands and are also working on other negotiations too. Basically what we are doing is providing software solutions to our clients, thus enabling our partners to create their own navigation experience. In India, we are going to develop an application which completely suits local needs. Going forward, we are also planning to ally with car manufacturers through our partners.

Do you have any plans to establish an IT solutions centre in a city like Bangalore?

What I know for sure is that the top management of the company is investigating possibilities to have an outsourcing hub to develop its software solutions for the global markets. They are reviewing several cities, including Bangalore. But this application is extremely complex and could be very hard to do it. We have to slice up the solution into modules, which can make it a very long process.

What are the unique selling points of the iGO Navigation products? Do you provide software solutions or both hardware and software?

We develop only software solutions. Our partners are the ones who are combining our solutions and their hardware together.  One of the biggest USPs of our offering is that we are the only company which is able to cover the whole globe. We have a contract with more than 40 content providers including big market players like the Navteq or Tom Tom.

I feel that iGO Navigation marketing initiatives are on a low scale. Do you feel people are very much aware of your products as a result of your marketing initiatives?

Before implementing any local marketing campaigns, we wanted to make sure that the product we are launching is fitted for the Indian market,therefore we have developed a special India Edition of our flagship application (iGO primo).In line with this, in the next couple of months we are going to implement some marketing campaigns with our partners

What is the size of the GPS system in India and what is your company’s market share here?

I heard different figures from different people. The size of the GPS system in India is somewhere between 80,000-130,000 units per annum. I believe NNG is going to close the year with around 25pc marketshare.

Can we expect your products in the motorbike segment too?

NNG has a motorbike product in Europe and we are checking whether we can bring it to India or not, as we are already negotiating with a bike manufacturer in India. Having said that, our approach for the product for the Indian market is completely different from the German product. We are looking at coming to the Indian market with a bike navigation product that is developed for this market specifically. 

How tough is competition in the GPS gadgets space?

The competition is always tough and always welcome. It allows us to compare our product with our peers’ and to gauge our strengths and weaknesses. It helps us roll out a competitive product.

Can we expect new products from NNG in the coming months and is the team working on any new product based on a revolutionary technology?

Yes, the products that NNG has introduced this summer will be completely different from our competitors’. It will be incorporating unique features including ‘Quick Address Search’ and ‘Natural Guidance’ which will be unique for the market. The latter is available in 3 or 4 overseas nations and we believe that the benefits of this feature would be welcome in this market too.

Lastly, how important is the Indian market for you? And what is your vision for NNG India?

Personally, I have a huge vision from Eastern Europe to India as I am focusing on all these regions now. Geographically, India is a huge market and it is my team’s first priority, which is the reason why I have shifted my base here to Gurgaon along with my family. We are opening a bigger office here, I am already in the hiring process to recruit engineers to support our Indian technology department. We are in talks with our partners to develop products for the Indian market, and will also be focusing on after sales and service support. We can also offer our maps on rent to our customers. Overall, our aim is to  provide the best navigation experience to our Indian customers and global solutions to those who travel abroad.To achieve this, we are coming with unique offerings and features including our Mobile Phone navigation solutions and portable devices.