India’s vision for 2047 extends beyond becoming an economic powerhouse—it aspires to be a developed nation built on equality, justice, and modernized technologies and policies. Video technology plays a pivotal role in this transformation by enhancing critical infrastructure, public safety, healthcare, education, and workplace environments.
From traffic monitoring that enables faster emergency responses to video analytics improving healthcare efficiency, the applications are vast. Video technology also supports safer educational institutions, secure workplaces for women, and optimized industrial operations, driving productivity and safety in sectors like farming and manufacturing.
By collaborating with technology partners and leveraging advanced video analytics, Alvin Chia, Director of Finance and Business Operations, Asia Pacific, Milestone Systems in an interview with Tech Achieve Media said that the company aims to contribute to India’s journey toward a more equitable, efficient, and modern society, aligned with its ambitious 2047 vision.
TAM: Milestone Systems launched its first Experience Center in India in the city of Bangalore earlier this year. What have you been witnessing so far in the India Market?
Alvin Chia: We have an experience center in Bangalore, and we also have a smaller version of it in Delhi. Currently, we operate from three offices across India.
The experience center serves a purpose far beyond just being a presentation area. I’d describe it as a space where innovation truly comes to life. Of course, we use it to showcase our technologies to customers and partners. But more importantly, it’s a place of imagination and collaboration—a space where discussions spark ideas, and solutions are born.
This environment, powered by our open platform and enhanced by the capabilities of our technology partners, enables us to address customer challenges effectively. It’s not just about showcasing; it’s about understanding specific problems, brainstorming solutions, and identifying use cases that make sense for the situation. In many ways, it’s a creative hub where magic happens.
Since opening the experience center, we’ve seen a significant increase in conversations and collaboration, particularly around the use of video technology and video analytics. These discussions are vital as they allow us to explore innovative applications in various verticals.
We’ve seen great success in sectors like airports, manufacturing, and IT, and we’re eager to expand further into areas like transportation and critical infrastructure, including traffic monitoring. These verticals present incredible opportunities, which is why we aim to establish experience centers wherever decision-makers are located. This allows us to facilitate meaningful conversations and ideation processes close to where the action is.
To answer your question, the Indian market has shown tremendous growth in these discussions. The ideas and solutions we’re exploring are becoming increasingly imaginative. While our open platform allows for endless possibilities, the real value lies in identifying what works best for a specific location, how it can be implemented, and what investment is required to make it a reality.
All of this cannot be captured in a PowerPoint presentation. It requires collaboration with the right partners to co-create tailored solutions. That’s the true essence of the experience center—it’s a dynamic space that brings people together to innovate and solve problems.
TAM: Which are some of the industries that are early adopters of your solutions like Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) software, Milestone Kite?
Alvin Chia: We are starting to see some traction in India, though it’s still early days—we only launched it this year. While it might be premature to make big claims, I’d like to talk a bit about VSaaS, as we call them.
You asked which vertical might show the most interest in VSaaS. I’d frame it differently—it’s less about the vertical and more about the maturity of the customers. Let me explain.
Early adopters of VSaaS tend to be those who understand the key differences between on-premise solutions and cloud-based systems. On-premise solutions involve cabling, servers housed in a server room, on-site cameras, and video cards. In contrast, a cloud-based solution involves data being uploaded and managed remotely.
The difference goes beyond just the physical setup—it’s about the total cost of ownership (TCO). Mature customers, regardless of their industry, grasp the deeper implications of this difference. It’s not just about the hardware or transitioning from a CapEx to an OpEx model. There’s an entire second layer of costs that often gets overlooked.
For example, consider the floor space needed for servers, the air conditioning required to maintain them, and the additional cabling. Then there’s the cost of the team needed to manage the system. While a traditional IT setup might need a small IT team, managing a VSaaS solution could require increasing that team by 5–8%.
There are also ongoing considerations—upgrading hardware across multiple locations, software updates that might take several days, and the effort required to manage and train the team responsible for these tasks. Mature customers recognize these hidden costs, while less experienced IT departments may overlook them.
This is why early adopters—whom I consider very mature customers—are drawn to VSaaS. They understand the true TCO and see the value in what we’re offering. These are the kinds of customers we work well with at Milestone, as they truly appreciate the differences between the two systems.
That said, we’re also focusing on educating the broader market. It’s important for customers to move beyond just evaluating the hardware and instead look at the holistic cost of managing an on-premise system versus the simplicity and efficiency of a cloud-based solution, which is automatically updated and requires far less overhead.
TAM: How does Milestone Systems align with India’s vision of becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2047, and what specific milestones does the company aim to achieve to support this journey?
Alvin Chia: Since 2020, we have doubled our headcount and now operate from three offices in India: Mumbai, Delhi, and our headquarters in Bangalore. We’re also working to strengthen our presence in East Asia, particularly in the Kolkata region. This year, we expanded our Bangalore headquarters to more than three times its original size, and we opened a new office in Delhi just last year.
These developments highlight the significant investment we’re making in India. We’re not just growing in size—we’re building a robust technology community here that represents the Asia-Pacific region. Our technical support team in India operates as a standalone unit because of the country’s strategic importance.
In addition to these efforts, we’re planning further expansions, including increasing our headcount in India. This reflects our commitment to the region and our belief in its potential.
To address your question directly, we are actively pursuing larger accounts and deeper engagements across key verticals. While we already have a strong presence in critical infrastructure, we aim to deepen our focus on sectors such as healthcare, transportation, railways, and law enforcement.
Globally, we’ve achieved significant success in these areas, and we’re confident we can bring valuable case studies and best practices to India as well. This is a glimpse into our vision for the future here—a deeper, more impactful presence across these critical sectors.
TAM: With India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub, how do Milestone’s solutions enhance safety and productivity in industrial environments, and what innovations are you bringing to the table?
Alvin Chia: We need to approach this from two perspectives: the traditional view and what we call “beyond security.” From the traditional perspective, video technology is crucial for manufacturing plants, departments, and organizations because it helps protect their most critical asset—intellectual property (IP). Video surveillance plays a vital role in safeguarding IP, and when integrated with access control systems, it ensures that unauthorized individuals are kept out of manufacturing facilities.
Take, for example, keycards. While widely used, keycards are not entirely secure. If someone uses a keycard to access a facility, others can easily follow them through the door once it’s open. This vulnerability is where video technology, particularly facial recognition, comes into play. It enables organizations to monitor who enters and exits, ensuring governance over access and enhancing security.
However, video technology in manufacturing goes beyond just traditional surveillance and security. Many companies are now exploring how video can enhance productivity. Cameras are being used to create computer vision solutions for monitoring production assembly lines. For instance, they can assess worker productivity and evaluate the efficiency of assembly processes.
Compared to deploying individual sensors across large facilities, video technology is often a more cost-effective solution. A single camera can cover an entire production floor, offering insights that would otherwise require extensive sensor setups.
These “beyond security” applications are still in their early stages, but they hold great potential. Advances in bandwidth and video storage have significantly reduced costs. Where recording and processing video once required substantial investment, it’s now much more affordable. Companies like NVIDIA and Adobe are leading the way in making video processing more efficient and accessible.
As these technologies become more cost-effective and powerful, the analytical capabilities of video systems will continue to grow. With support from technology partners, solutions that combine security and productivity will soon become even more impactful and widespread.
TAM: India is also investing a lot on its smart city initiatives. How is Milestone contributing to urban safety and operational efficiency through its video management and AI-driven solutions?
Alvin Chia: When we talk about the definition of a smart city, much of it revolves around improving the quality of life for its residents. For instance, traffic monitoring and how we can enable quicker responses from critical services like the police and fire departments. That’s one key aspect. Another compelling example comes from one of our solutions outside India. While I can’t disclose the specific location or customer, this particular case involved a law enforcement agency. Traditionally, the efficiency of a police station is often measured by the ratio of officers to the population or the area they cover. However, this agency leveraged Milestone and its technology partners to build innovative policing kiosks across the city.
Here’s how these kiosks work: In a densely populated city with frequent traffic congestion, these booths provide a lifeline for people in distress. A person can quickly access the booth, press a button, and connect directly with the police control center. From there, video surveillance immediately captures what’s happening in the vicinity, allowing officers to assess the situation in real-time. Whether it’s something minor like a cat stuck in a tree or a more urgent incident like a robbery, the response can be prioritized and executed swiftly.
This system integrates multiple technologies beyond just video management systems (VMS). It connects existing surveillance cameras across the city, incorporates audio communication for direct interaction between the person in need and responding officers, and links various branches of law enforcement for seamless coordination.
This implementation showcases how technology can enhance law enforcement and improve the quality of life, particularly in cities with challenges like traffic congestion and high population density—similar to Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore.
TAM: Are there any challenges related to deploying solutions from an India market perspective?
Alvin Chia: Of course, challenges are inevitable when deploying solutions, no matter the territory. Specifically for India, one of our key priorities is to better illustrate our value through our channel model.
At Milestone, we have a wealth of best practices and innovative use cases from around the world. Our product development is focused on delivering this value proposition effectively. Being an open platform, we collaborate with technology partners to create versatile solutions capable of addressing a wide range of needs.
However, the flexibility of “being able to do almost anything” can sometimes dilute our message. The challenge in India lies in accelerating the education of our channel partners, enabling them to effectively communicate and translate our value to end users.
Often, especially in the Indian market (as I’ve observed in my previous experience), discussions tend to focus heavily on cost. This upfront emphasis on cost can sometimes lead to disqualification, overshadowing the broader picture of total cost of ownership (TCO). When the focus is solely on the most visible or immediate expenses, the long-term value and benefits of a solution can be overlooked.
This is a significant challenge—not just in India but in some other regions where Milestone operates. That said, we have the time and the opportunity to address it. We recognize the urgency as India advances toward becoming the third-largest economy by 2030.
Moreover, the increasing levels of foreign investment in India provide a strong foundation for driving this change. With continued efforts in education and communication, we are confident in building a deeper understanding of our value in this market.
TAM: How has Milestone’s partner network evolved in India, and what strategies are in place to foster stronger collaborations and expand this ecosystem to accelerate India’s industrial and digital progress?
Alvin Chia: I would say our channel network in India is strong, particularly when it comes to our portfolio of premium channel partners. These partners are well-versed in driving Milestone’s value proposition and have successfully delivered our solutions in key verticals, as I mentioned earlier.
However, India is an enormous market, and our current physical presence in just three cities is not enough. As I’ve told the team, our biggest challenge in India is that we’re simply not big enough. Expanding our channel network is essential—not just in terms of quantity but also in ensuring our partners have the right capabilities to address specific verticals where we are not yet leaders.
To illustrate, let me point to another Milestone territory. Historically, we’ve worked with traditional partners focused on surveillance and IT integration, areas where they excel. However, we’ve recognized the need to evolve by engaging with new types of partners—those who are well-versed in cloud solutions, telecommunications, banking, and government sectors.
This diversification of our channel partner ecosystem is essential for India as well. While we already have a solid base of partners, we need to expand both their numbers and their expertise to address the unique demands of this market effectively.
This evolution won’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process that will extend beyond 2025. That said, by increasing the variety and capabilities of our channel partners, we’ll be better positioned to support India’s long-term growth, including its vision for 2047.
TAM: Any final comments?
Alvin Chia: Earlier this year, we were Milestone XProtect. With the merger of Briefcam, a video analytics company, and Arcules, a VSaaS company, we’ve now evolved into a broader organization covering more of the value chain. While expanding, we’ve stayed true to our roots as an open platform, collaborating closely with technology partners.
Also read: Milestone Systems and Arcules Announce Merger
The key shift I want to highlight is that we are moving from offering standalone products to providing comprehensive solutions. This evolution positions us as trusted advisors to our customers, tailoring solutions to their unique use cases. Looking ahead to milestones like 2030 and 2047, these solutions won’t be built overnight but through ongoing collaboration. This transformation is about covering a wider value chain and becoming a solution-oriented company.
