Mrinq Technologies is an innovative Indian company working towards building cutting-edge IoT technologies
By ANNA FERNANDES
Stephen Hawking once said, “We are all now connected by the internet, like neurons in a giant brain.” This quote has never been truer than it is today. In a world where connectivity is the norm, the Internet of Things, or IoT – a new wave in the technological revolution, takes it a step further. All set to dramatically enhance the quality of life and change the way we experience products around us, the Internet of Things, is defined as a worldwide network of “things” that include identifiable devices, appliances, equipment, machinery of all forms and sizes with the intelligence to seamlessly connect, communicate and control or manage each other to perform a set of tasks with minimum intervention. The goal of IoT is to enable things to be connected at any time, any place, and with anything or anyone.
In Goa, pioneering the IoT sector with a ground-breaking solution for industrial and residential IoT implementation is Rohin Parkar.
Gifted in the field of wireless technology with extensive experience in hardware and product development, Rohin Parkar founded Mrinq Technologies in 2017, along with his friend Malcolm D’Souza. Prior to starting his company in Goa, Rohin worked in the wireless technology field for over 15 years, honing his skills in the development of 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE) high power base stations, WiFi access-points for 802.11n and 802.11ac, PCIe Wi-Fi Modules, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart designs, LTE femtocells and breakthrough IOT platforms. He has also worked at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre as a scientist developing RF Linear Accelerators. After that, he worked at companies like TCS, Motorola, Nokia, and Broadcom. He also worked at a startup on technology development for 5G cellular communication. This strong technical background and international work experience was a great asset when he started Mrinq Technologies.
The Internet of Things is a new concept in the technology segment of connecting objects through the Internet. Devices and people will have the ability to transfer data over wired and wireless networks with minimal human intervention. Though not mainstream now, IoT will be crucial in the years to come. The near future will see better adoption with IoT being used for increased operational efficiency. “With the IoT market set to grow considerably in the coming years, we decided to tap into it. In India, there aren’t many companies developing products in the field of IoT. At Mrinq, our goal is to be an Indian company working towards building cutting-edge IoT technologies,” says Rohin.
The company has developed IOT platforms using Wifi and Bluetooth (BLE) technologies which will enable quick adoption. These platforms can and will be used to develop innovative next-generation products. Mrinq specialises in home automation, industrial IoT and asset management. Home automation is the technology that gives you access to all electrical devices in your home through mobiles, laptops or PCs. It is the ultimate technology for building smart homes. With the help of home automation, one can gain access to electric lights, fans, doors, heating and cooling systems, smoke detectors, window coverings and many more. Industrial IoT and asset management is a transformative manufacturing strategy that helps improve quality, safety, productivity in an industry by merging the information and operational functioning of the industry. This technology is an amalgamation of different technologies like machine learning, big data, sensor data, M2M communication, and automation that have existed in the industrial backdrop for many years.
“Currently, we are working on building an intelligent office access control system that will serve as a replacement to office key cards and traditional keys. This solution will act as a highly convenient and increasingly secure means of providing office access, using an app. Using Bluetooth technology, each employee’s smartphone effectively becomes a key. When an employee approaches the office entrance point, a signal is sent from the device itself to the cloud network, unlocking the door. Around the same app, leveraging cloud data, you can build attendance systems, payroll systems, visitor management systems, etc,” says Rohin, adding that the company is currently working on a long-term plan of building an (IoT)-enabled intelligent wireless lighting control system. Mrinq’s products are based on Bluetooth Mesh Technology. According to Rohin, the company spent seven months developing this technology, which is poised to further catalyse industrial IoT and manufacturing solutions.
Mrinq prides itself on hiring fresh young talent and training them to become industry leaders. Rohin says, “Malcolm has been involved with engineering colleges. He engages with budding engineers, providing them with projects to get hands-on experience in the field. There is an influx of talented and innovative engineering graduates, but a lack of job opportunities. Graduates are therefore forced to move out of the state. At Mrinq, one of our primary aims was to generate employment to freshers.” The Mrinq team consists of senior engineers, mid-experienced employees and freshers, each bringing a targeted, mindful and inspired approach to every project. Under the staunch leadership of the founders, Mrinq is growing steadfastly as a pioneer in IoT and wireless product development. The founders are active contributors to the local startup community, conducting various workshops and training for local entrepreneurs and holding seminars at colleges to promote entrepreneurship among students. Rohin also runs the Margao chapter of the Goan Entrepreneurs’ Circle and is a member of GCCI and GTA.
Speaking about what keeps him motivated every day, Rohin says, “I owe it all to my family, and, in particular, my wife’s unconditional support. Throughout our lives, we have had to make very big decisions – decisions that have taken us from city to city and country to country, and finally to taking the biggest leap of faith and starting my own company. My wife has stood by me through it all and, without her support, it would not have all been possible.”
Looking ahead, Rohin says, “In the immediate pipeline, we have plans to deploy a few products into the market. Eventually, we want to grow the company systematically, to be a leader in innovative technology development. We are focusing and researching new technologies as well, such as LoRa, NBIoT, and more. Technology is constantly evolving, and we strive to catch up with it.” Rohin also wishes to devote more time towards social initiatives as well as focus on his hobbies, such as music
