Mumbai-based Rsmart Aviation Software has set up its European headquarters and product development center in Finland. Internationalization is natural in the aviation software business, and from its new office in Vantaa, Rsmart will target the European and US markets. The company plans to hire at least 10–12 employees in Finland in the next two years.
Rsmart Aviation Software provides global technology solutions for the aviation industry. More specifically, its cloud-based, mobile-enabled aviation suite provides a one-stop digital ERP and analytics solution for ground handlers, airlines, and airports. Rmart has had its sights on setting up an office in Europe or the United States for some time already.
“The aviation industry is governed by global norms and practices, so internationalization is natural for us. In the past couple of years, we have been participating and exhibiting Rsmart in international aviation conferences, and in one of these conferences, we met the people of Helsinki Business Hub and were invited to visit Finland,” says COO Varadharajan Chellappa from Rsmart Aviation Software.
Rsmart and Helsinki Business Hub were introduced to each other by Indian business development consultancy PrEver. Helsinki Business Hub works with PrEver to identify Indian companies that could potentially expand to the Helsinki area.
A visit to Finland laid the groundwork for a quick decision
Helsinki Business Hub’s invitation led to a visit in October 2015, as Rsmart’s representatives wanted to explore the possibilities of setting up their European headquarters and product development unit in the Helsinki area. Helsinki Business Hub acquainted the visitors with the local business environment as well as relevant Finnish organizations and services.
“Helsinki Business Hub took us through the business ecosystem in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo. They also arranged for us to meet with banks and law firms, which helped us to gain an understanding of the process of setting up a company in Finland. They also introduced us to government funding agencies like Tekes and Finpro. Everything was very smoothly organized,” says Chellappa.
The visit convinced Rsmart that the Helsinki area would be the ideal location for the company’s new European business unit.
“After we had made the decision to locate in Finland, registering and setting up the company only took a few days. On our subsequent visits, Helsinki Business Hub helped us find a suitable office space.”
In the footsteps of many other aviation-related companies, Rsmart placed its new unit in the City of Vantaa where the international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located.
“Vantaa was a natural choice for an aviation software company. The whole greater Helsinki area has an excellent ecosystem for developing Internet and cloud technologies. Finland in general provides fine resources and opportunities for creating world-class technology and products,” Varadharajan Chellappa says.
Rmart plans a positive disruption on the aviation software market
Rsmart’s Finnish business unit is now operational and running the company’s European sales and marketing work. It has already signed four new customers. The new research and development unit is also nearly ready and will soon start working on Rsmart’s cloud and mobile solutions.
“We are now recruiting and expect to hire 10–12 employees in Finland in the next two years. However, if our plans work as well as expected, the unit will grow even faster,” Chellappa says.
Although Rsmart’s target market covers practically the whole world, it is particularly keen to enter the European and US markets and gain customers among their ground handling companies, as well as airlines and airports providing their own ground support services.
“Our new headquarters and product development unit will help us target Europe and the United States extensively. Our long-term plan is to leverage Internet, cloud and mobile technologies to positively disrupt and transform the aviation software market. We have many new cloud and mobile applications on the anvil, and we expect our Finnish unit to play a pivotal role in designing and marketing these applications,” Chellappa says.
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In the picture: The Rsmart Software Services Oy team from Mumbai, India in Helsinki with (from left) Muhaimin Saidu, PrEver; Rajan Chellappa, COO, Rsmart; Jose Valanta, Director of Business Development, City of Vantaa ; Vinay Nerli, CEO, Rsmart; Sandeep Shah, Senior Business Advisor, Helsinki Business Hub
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