Smartlink Network Systems, one of India's first companies to manufacture networking products in India, recently completed two decades in business. On the occasion, it also announced the upgrade of its Goa facility to undertake OEM/ODM manufacturing.

Started by KR Naik, who initially set up a PC manufacturing unit in Mumbai, Smartlink ventured into networking field by shifting the manufacturing base to Goa in 1993.

Way back when Goa was looked at only as a tourist destination, Smartlink launched its first SMT line and, in subsequent years, strengthened it by adding six more SMT lines. It became one of the largest IT manufacturing companies in India in 2001. That same year, it got listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.

Over the two decades of its existence, Smartlink, with its manufacturing base in Goa and R&D in Bangalore, developed and manufactured Gigabyte brand of motherboards and D-Link brand of active networking products and its own brand Digilink in passive networking range.

In the past few years, Smartlink gave away Gigabyte and D-Link brands [to their respective owners] and introduced its own brand Digisol in active networking products and the Digilite brand for motherboards. Smartlink also has its own indigenous service and support division under the brand Digicare, which also provides service to third-party brands (it is one of the largest service partners for Intel) .

Recently, Schneider Electric approached Smartlink to take the Digilink brand worldwide and, under a business transfer agreement, Smartlink agreed to transfer its Digilink business to Schneider.

Smartlink is now looking to establish Digisol in the active networking space and Digilite in the motherboard space.

KR Naik, Executive Chairman, Smartlink Network Systems Ltd, said, “As we move from the year 2011 to the year 2012 we are excited to see great response and support from both customers and channel partners...We wish to be among the top three networking brands in India in the next three years."

The company claims to have manufactured over 8 million motherboard units at its Goa facility thus far.