Interview with Mr. Niranj Sangal, Group CEO, OMA Emirates Group
Q1. Please tell us about your company?
OMA Emirates has been in the business of providing solutions for payments, card personalization, payment issuance and payment acquiring systems, etc. for over 25 years in the Middle East. Having commenced our operations in India, we now plan to gradually expand our operations here and introduce our diverse portfolio of products for banks, other financial institutions and other business industries. We have always been focused on strengthening our infrastructure and support team, integrate with latest technology and developments which has helped ensure that our clients benefit from our cutting edge solutions in a fast moving and dynamic global economy.
Q2. What is the current scenario of Payment solution in India?
The payments ecosystem in India is a fast growing one with an increasing number of people resorting to digital modes of payments. There are numerous solutions available like PoS, mPoS, NetBanking, Mobile Banking through apps, etc. which are usually routed through banks. Additionally, there are other solutions like online payment gateways which enable transactions for online purchases, wallets, etc. The government’s initiative of Aadhar based payments through UPI and BHIM has also been well received. Having said this, I believe that the PoS is here to stay.
Q3. Please tell us about payment solutions you are providing?
At OMA Emirates we pride ourselves in being able to offer a wide range of solutions not only for banking and banking institutions, but also for merchants directly.
OMA Emirates’ Mobility offset of wireless solutions offers a range of devices that enables seamless transactions for different industries for e.g. Retail, Oil and Gas, Government, Telecom etc. via mPoS devices using different platforms and channels, thus providing the services. The solutions, can be used with Android, iOS and even Windows devices – on both smartphones and tablets. We also provide Biometric solutions which enables transactions with a fingerprint. The defining factor of this solution is the 4 factor authentication combining chip, PIN, Fingerprint and GPS.
Additionally, we also have MobiSwipe as a part of our solutions. It is an mPoS wherein merchants can accept credit and debit cards via their mobile phone which is connected to an EMV Certified Card Reader via Bluetooth. The solution can accept swipe and chip cards. In keeping with the mandatory requirements, MobiSwipe is compliant with the latest RBI and PCI norms. The compactand robustsolution is designed for indoor and outdoor use.
OMA Emirates is also ready to deploy Tablet PoS Solution in India. The Tablet PoSsolution enables small shop merchants to use atablet and mobile to generate bills and invoices in addition to acceptingcard payments. The solution is a low cost alternative to high cost desktop TouchscreenPoS Solutions which widely used today. OMA Emirates’Tablet PoSsolution includes a cash drawer, barcode scanner, receipt printer and a tablet with MobiSwipe billing and mPoS settlement application loaded.
Q6. What is your USP in comparison with your competitors?
With MobiSwipe, the solution is competitively priced unlike other similar solutions. Besides, it comes along with a card reader which is of superior quality. Likewise the Mobility range and the Tablet PoS solution is also competitively priced thus making it a perfect and seamless solution for smaller business units like SMEs, retail outlets, and other transaction based businesses.Clients from different industries can avail product portfolios like loyalty cards, Gift cards, PrePaid cards etc., thus can do their own program management using our business analytics tools to improve business keeping to the demand and choices of their customers.
MobiSwipe can be integrated withloyalty programs and existing billing systems. The web interface, enables a user to manage his account, and keep a record of his transaction history, etc. It is also comes along with an auto reversal process in case of failed transactions once an amount is deducted. All of these features makes the solution an ideal one for any business.
Q7. What is your projections to add new merchant in the current fiscal and in near future ?
As part of our growth plan, we are exploring new cities across India focusing on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Post the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-DhanYojana, a majority of new bank accounts have been opened in smaller cities and rural areas resulting in a surge of Debit Cards usagein these markets. Merchants here have started to feel the need to have non cash mode of payment options available.Considering our solutions have been well received in India in tier 1 cities, we would strengthened our presence and network here by means of enrolling new merchants in these cities.
In terms of number of devices, we aim to set up atleast 50,000 mPoS terminals and in the process of deploying 1,00,000 of PoS terminals across India over next 1 year and our approach has been quite aggressive.We also plan to introduce a franchise model having a network of DSA’s. The increasing awareness about varied payment options as well as being able to provide cost effective solutions has helped us reach these markets. Moreover, consumers and merchants are now more receptive towards trying out new technologies and this has facilitated the penetration of non-cash payments to a great extent. As a part of product upgradation and advancement, we will also introduce new Value Added Services like integration through QR Codes, Utility Bill Payments, etc.
Q8. How secure and strong is the technology platform you are using ?
Our partners that we work are world known terminal and hardware providers which are compliant and are certified keeping to all payment standard in the payments industry. All terminals are EMV compliant making them extremely secure for all transactions. All of our terminals comply with necessary standards and certifications. With reference to MobiSwipe, the solution is MasterCard preferred and Visa ready. This indicates that the start to end process is a secure mode to accept payments. All PCI DSS certified companies like MobiSwipe have to undergo inspection on regular basis to maintain the license to handle, process and transmit card data thus maintaining a strong and secure technology interface. Our solution are also PA DSS compliant, thus making our security team in touch with latest mandates from regulatory bodies across the globe.
Q9.In which cities you are operating and any plans of expansion ?
OMA Emirates is headquarteredin the United Arab Emirates with offices spread across 9 countries including India. In India, we are headquartered in Mumbai and are also operational in Chennai. We aim to scale up our operations in India quickly by having a presence in at least 10 cities by end of 2017. The idea is to not restrict ourselves by only PoS and mPoS but to make a wide range of services available as well.
About Mr. Niranj Sangal
As Group CEO, OMA Emirates Group, Mr. Niranj Sangal oversees 12 regional office with 300 employees maintaining OMA Emirates’ strong international presence. He joined the company in 2006 as a Business Development Manager with seven employees and one office. Since then Mr. Sangal has been responsible for the growth of OMA Emirates into becoming a renowned and reputed IT solutions provider. Under his leadership, the asset value of the company has risen from USD 1 million to USD 400 million, and annual turnover increased from USD 35 million to USD1.5 billion over the last 10 years.
Mr. Sangals’ focus on innovation has turned around OMA Emirates’ business mode land as a result has led to strategic alliances followed by large sized mergers and acquisitions. This adds to the company’s value added services and customer offerings. In line with his vision of expanding to over 25 countries by 2020, his strategy of investments in foreign entities began with acquisitions in Africa, Eastern-Europe and APAC.
Moreover, Sangal is a golfing enthusiast and his dedication to the sport are evident in the keen interest he shows not only in his personal game, but to also works with organizations that make a concerted effort to promote the sport.
