Keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings of the office or data the company collects and by securing it from predators can prove to be critical. Goan IT professional Sandeep Prabhudesai set up the Psytech Infosolutions (India) Pvt Ltd as Diana Fernandes finds out
One of the most important aspects of running a business is security. Whether it is on the ground or online, a company needs to protect its assets and ensure it is safeguarded against security breaches.
Psytech Infosolutions (India) Pvt Ltd which was started by Sandeep Prabhudesai, managing director and CEO specialises in loss prevention tools with focus on the electronic surveillance, information technology and fire fighting industry.
Being a science student with experience in hardware, networking and software, Prabhudesai started the company in 2005 after working with several corporate companies in India. He started the venture which is now in the 13th year of its operation.
Through the years, the company has introduced and installed measures to control a term called ‘loss prevention’ in government buildings including the Ravindra Bhavan-Sanquelim, Rajiv Kala Mandir-Ponda and South Goa Collectorate as well as private companies including Goa Carbon, Royal Orchid, Club Mahindra Holidays, Actavis Pharmacy Manufacturing, VerGo Pharma Research and Sanofi Aventis Pharma.
Explaining the concept, Prabhudesai says loss prevention helps a company function smoothly. “Assets are very important to any organisation. Keeping a company’s assets safe and working with utmost efficiency is the goal set by the management at Psytech. We help people in identifying, calculating the risks and supporting them with IT infrastructure, surveillance equipment, fire detection equipment and RF equipment to maximise security and minimise risk for smoother operations,” he says.
Psytech focuses mainly on CCTV/IP surveillance systems, access control systems, fire alarms systems, fire fighting systems, building management systems, intruder detection systems, public address systems and long range IP wireless connectivity.
With each new project, Psytech has had to keep up with the times and deliver as required. Take for example one of their recent project’s that required perimeter protection. Prabhudesai designed and installed a system of surveillance that included putting beam detectors along the perimeter of the client’s boundaries along with Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) cameras. This system of detectors and PTZ cameras are triggered on intrusion and track movements while they can be controlled from a single command centre within the premises.
In keeping with the information technology era, the company has also recently begun venturing into data centers and IT security for clients while looking to expand to other parts of the world.
“Our company has grown steadily over the years in Goa. Our current vision is to expand the company to other parts of the country as well as to go international. Information Technology is a sector that’s constantly upgrading and we understand the need to align with the latest technologies and update what is happening in the industry so that our clients receive the best and robust solutions,” says Prabhudesai.
Currently employing around 15 people in an office at Margao, the company hopes to grow to over 80 employees in the next two years. But setting up Psytech was not challenging when he started the company in 2005. It was ensuring the client understood the service and its importance which was a challenge.
“Setting up a new business is easy, but generating consistency and up keeping of client expectation is challenging. Financially when the Return on Investment (ROI) is worked out and presented to the end user, he would want the solution executed in the best interest of the management. Educating the client with respect to the pros and cons of a solution before deployment and having a proactive approach towards expected challenges during the deployment keeps us on an edge above competition,” he says.
Apart from providing security solutions, Prabhudesai has worked with social issues through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing of the company. A staunch believer in the field of agriculture, he also manages 150 acres of plantation as well as his subsidiary company Saatmya Ayurveda which is involved in healing and ayurveda treatments.
“Agriculture is our ancestral profession and interests in agriculture are coded deep within our DNA. Using my experience in IT and electronics, I am trying to improve the current agricultural practices to better productivity, viability and create a better life for those dependent in the sector. I along with a group of likeminded people are also trying to bring value addition to our produce thus creating better market opportunities for our products,” says Prabhudesai.
Additionally, Psytech’s CSR wing has also associated with organisations to work with many social and economic causes like medical camps, blood donations for the better of the people, society and environment.
“We also practice a minimum plastic usage policy, promote maximum recycling of paper and other recyclable products, and plant/maintain about 200 trees annually at our farm in Rivona with a total count going up to 4,500 trees. Our permanent project is through the Lions Club of Rawanfond in Shishu Vikas School where about 500 children are given the facility for education. Our future plans are to create a shelter for stray animals,” says Prabhudesai.