Emerson T&M focuses on sustainability, decarbonization: Basker Ceri

Emerson acquired NI in Oct. 2023, a leading provider of software-connected automated test and measurement systems, at an equity value of $8.2 billion. Baskar Ceri, MD, tells us more in an interview. Excerpts

DQ: How has the former NI's journey been in India? How has the organization grown?

Baskar Ceri: Emerson’s Test and Measurement business, formerly National Instruments (NI), started its India operations in 1999 with only three employees. In a couple of years, we set up our first R&D centre. Since then, we have expanded to a team of around 400 employees that focuses both on R&D as well as sales. 

We are headquartered in Bangalore with a couple of facilities, NI Labs for the R&D and the Engineering Innovation Center for our customers, partners and start-ups in aerospace, defense, automotive, and semiconductor/electronics industries. The R&D centre builds products for the global market and globally for NI and addresses specific local needs. Our sales team predominantly focuses on our GTM strategy here in India and expanding our business here. 

We have seen consistent growth over the years, and some challenging periods in between.  During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, we changed our business and Go-to-Market strategy for growth in specific industries such as aerospace, defense, EV and ADAS in automotive, semiconductor, electronics, etc., which helped us gain momentum and phenomenal growth. 

DQ: What is your vision for the Indian market, and what role India plays in the larger plan?

Baskar Ceri: Emerson’s Test and Measurement business, formerly NI's, mission is to equip engineers and enterprises with systems that accelerate productivity, innovation, and discovery. NI fulfills our mission by providing software-connected automated test and measurement systems. 

Over the years, Indian companies have moved from a cost-based outsourced centre to contributing to fundamental product design and development, and moving towards a manufacturing centre. NI’s mission perfectly fits India’s vision to become a developed nation by 2047 by helping build/test new products during the design and validation stages, and in manufacturing tests as India strives to become a manufacturing hub for the world. 

The global test and measurement market and the T&M companies are going through a challenging time right now. However, NI in India has been growing at a healthy pace over the last couple of years, and we are investing to continue this growth trajectory. 

Over the years, we have seen first-hand the role NI’s software connected automated tests and measurements plays in innovation and we are extremely proud of the impact we’ve had on India’s advancements in aerospace, defence, semiconductor, electronics, automotive, research, academics, healthcare, and a host of other industries. 

DQ: Elaborate on the current NI's customers and projects in India.

Baskar Ceri: Our products and systems play a big role in testing the products/systems of our customers during design, prototype and in manufacturing, whether it is a Satellite component, communication or launch testing or EV battery testing or aircraft engine to defence systems testing or a semiconductor chip to a cell phone testing and the range is vast. 

We serve a vast set of customers in different sectors – aerospace and defense (ISRO, DRDO Labs, HAL, BEL, Tata, new space companies and other private companies), automotive (Tata, Mahindra, other OEM and Tier 1, 2 suppliers and new EV 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler companies), semiconductor and electronics (Intel, TI, ADI, other international and Indian semiconductor companies), academics and research (IITs, IISc, other academic and research institutions), healthcare, etc. 

Our partner ecosystem in India help us provide complete solutions in all these industry sectors. Together with them, we have supported various important national projects, including the missions of Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan by ISRO, various defence projects., and several fundamental research initiatives and manufacturing projects.

DQ: What are the new plans for moving forward with Emerson?

Baskar Ceri: The acquisition of NI by Emerson, completed six months back, advances Emerson’s position as a global automation leader and expands its opportunity to capitalize on key secular trends like nearshoring, digital transformation, sustainability and decarbonization. 

NI has become a new segment within Emerson called Test & Measurement segment bringing NI's portfolio of software, control and intelligent devices that expand Emerson’s Boundless Automation Vision into Test & Measurement field, expecting to accelerate Emerson’s revenue growth aligned to its 4-7% through the cycle, organic growth target. 

Since NI’s founding more than 45 years ago, the technology landscape has changed tremendously, and we have actively evolved and enhanced our products & offerings and how we support our customers and partners. 

Joining Emerson represents an exciting new chapter for us -- with a deep bench of talent, an impressive roster of customers and our strong combined innovation engine, we are well-positioned to work closely with Emerson’s broader business, continue to invest in NI software-centric test and measurement technologies that are helping customers use test as a strategic differentiator, driving innovation and enhancing business performance.

DQ: What is the plan for the next five years of growth?

Baskar Ceri: India, as a country, is poised for high growth in the next decade across various sectors and NI-India can and will be part of that growth story. 

With a pivot on our business units based on industries; with our platform, products, offerings and solutions serving our key customers in aerospace, defense, automotive, semiconductor, electronics and research; and a differentiated go-to-market strategy, along with our partners. With the investments that we are making in India, we believe that we can continue the momentum that we have gained and make NI the leader in test and measurement market.