ESDS growth in the global cloud market space

Digital transformation is no longer a buzzword; rather, it has become a business priority for today's companies to gain a competitive edge in their respective industries. The number of internet users in India is set to reach 915 million, according to estimates by the foreign brokerage and research firm Morgan Stanley.

Transforming the world through digital technologies

ESDS was established in 2006 by a first-generation entrepreneur, Piyush Somani. Piyush Somani, the Managing Director, and Chairman, ESDS, shares, "I started ESDS 16 years back with the idea of creating the best workplace where workers would receive equal treatment. I started my venture after working for a year and a half, post my engineering. I wanted to become an entrepreneur who is not just a job-seeker but also one who creates opportunities for others."

ESDS has built a comprehensive cloud platform that its customers rely on, consisting of cloud infrastructure, well-architected solutions aimed to reduce cost and provide safety, flexibility, scalability, and reliability to enterprises.

ESDS' product – eNlight Cloud – adheres to international security standards, following the concept of layered security to provide a high level of data protection over hypervisor platforms (Source: Ken Research Report).

ESDS's comprehensive Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud computing services portfolio includes public cloud, private cloud, virtual private cloud, hybrid cloud, and various community cloud offerings. Further, ESDS provides both in-house and third-party developed applications on a digital marketplace, called SPOCHUB, which enables ESDS and its software vendors to offer their solutions with custom packages to enterprise customers.

Overcoming business challenges

The initial days of starting the business recorded responses primarily from international customers. " India is one of the top offshoring destinations for IT companies across the world In July 2015, the Government of India launched a ‘Digital India Programme’, with a vision of propelling the efforts to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The cloud services market in India was undergoing a cloud transition phase, which got accelerated by the perpetuation of Covid-19 in 2020. The shift of work culture from office set-ups to virtual work generated the urgent need of secure, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective technology services across the country. SaaS has been a huge support for the sudden increase in the mobile workforce in 2020. ," says Piyush.

"Starting a business in India, especially from a Tier III city, has its own set of challenges, and we weren't sure of how to hit the customers or investors in the metros. So, we were earning from our customers and re-investing that. This went on scaling up, and finally, in the process, external investors started showing up. ," claims Piyush.

An Indian company with a global presence

"Choosing the .co.in and .in domains for our business was to project to the world that ESDS is not just an Indian company but an Indian company with a global presence," explains the founder.

The .in domain has helped position ESDS as an Indian cloud service provider, and the .co.in domain extension has further demonstrated the desire to be perceived as a 'make in India' company, acting as a bridge between people in India and abroad.

"Unlike large corporate houses, small businesses often remain subdued due to their lack of resources. However, they can still manage to gain the extra mile by having a responsive and user-centric website," says Piyush on why small businesses should opt for a website instead of social media platforms.

"In today's digital age, websites serve as the first line of interaction between the business and their customers. Small companies can directly market their products and services to website visitors. Small business owners can also get user information like email addresses while promoting marketing strategies by sending emailers, offering discounts, and keeping them updated with the announcement of new launches," he adds.

Besides, a .in domain extension ensures a level-playing field for small businesses and budding entrepreneurs to compete with larger organizations. "It is much easier for someone in India to register a .in domain as it is budget-friendly. Resolution of a .co.in or .in domain from India happens at a rapid pace, so people visiting your website can pull out web pages easily on mobile phones. Besides, you can quickly get your favorite domain name from .co.in .in domain extensions for yourself," says Piyush.

The National Internet Exchange for India (NIXI) is helping many businesses across the country to get a .in or. Bharat domain. Enterprises, irrespective of their scale and size, can avail a .in domain with the help of NIXI. It is affordable and can be availed in more than 22 languages for businesses coming from all regions of the country.

Growth and revenue

ESDS revenue from operation increased by 8.42% to Rs 1,719.27 million in FY 2020-21.

The 'Shaping India Inc's Online Growth' series chronicles the journeys of startups and SMEs in India and how creating an online presence on the .in or.Bharat domain powered their success stories.