HISTORY

From a Workshop to a National Technology Company

Sertel Electronics was founded in Chennai in 1990 by Mr. Gopalan R, initially focused on electronic systems and switchgear solutions for local industrial clients. What began as a small engineering operation grew into one of India's trusted names in time synchronisation and industrial instrumentation. Today, Sertel runs a DSIR-approved R&D centre and reinvests 10 to 15 percent of annual turnover into new product development. Every product is still designed, manufactured and supported from a single Chennai facility, with more than 5,000 installations now running across utilities, agencies and OEMs in 7+ export markets.

OUR JOURNEY

From the Founding of the Company to the Present Day

More than 35 years of experience designing and manufacturing time synchronisation and industrial electronics.

1975-1989

ORIGIN

The early years as Television & Electronic Service (TELSER)

The journey began in a modest car shed as Television & Electronic Service (TELSER), servicing all types of televisions across local and international brands. The venture grew into industrial trade as a distributor for Larsen & Toubro, supplying process and test instruments, and later partnered with Amano of Japan to deliver time management systems to various industries, laying the foundation for expertise in precision timing.

1990

FOUNDATION

Founding of Sertel Electronics

Mr. Gopalan R established Sertel Electronics in Chennai with a clear belief: Indian industry deserved electronics that were engineered locally, built to last and priced fairly. The earliest work centred on electronic systems and switchgear solutions for nearby industrial clients.

1995

CAPABILITY

Expansion into Industrial Panel Design

As the client base grew, Sertel extended into switchgear panel design and integration for the industrial belt around Chennai, building deeper expertise in power distribution, control panels and the demands of process plant environments.

2000

PIVOT

From Systems Integrator to Product Company

A deliberate strategic shift took Sertel from a systems integrator into a product company, designing its own proprietary instruments instead of only integrating others. This was the decision that shaped the next two decades of growth.

2005

LEADERSHIP

Market Leadership in Time Synchronisation

Sertel became a leading supplier of GPS-based time synchronisation systems to India's power utilities, substations and SCADA operators, a reputation for precision the company has held onto ever since.

2010

INTERNATIONAL

First Overseas Manufacturing Engagements

Sertel secured its first significant international OEM engagements for alarm annunciators, with products manufactured in Chennai and validated against demanding global quality benchmarks.

2016

RANGE

A Single-Source Supplier for Plant Instrumentation

The product catalogue expanded substantially, adding signal isolators, level and flow instruments, DP transmitters, vibration sensors, protocol converters and fibre or RF links, positioning Sertel as a single-source supplier for plant instrumentation.

2018-2022

SCALE-UP

National-Scale Solar and Weather Deployments

Solar string monitoring units, combiner boxes and DCDB units, plus weather monitoring stations, were deployed across SECI and MNRE projects nationwide, while upper-air sounding systems and automatic weather stations gained wider adoption among national meteorological agencies.

Today

DSIR R&D

Recognised as a DSIR-Approved R&D Centre

Sertel's in-house R&D operation earned formal recognition from India's Ministry of Science and Technology as a DSIR-approved centre, reflecting a sustained 10 to 15 percent reinvestment of turnover into new product development.