RIM strengthens India team before BlackBerry 10 launch

The company is strenghtening its sales, marketing team to ensure the pitch is ready for the new model

Before Blackberry launches its newest innovation – BlackBerry 10 in the Indian market by end of February, the company is strengthening its sales and marketing team in India to ensure that the pitch is ready for the new kid.

But, before it launches the newest device in India, the company is in process of strengthening its India team to ensure that the pitch is ready for the new kid. BlackBerry has recently hired Prosenjit Sen as Director (Channel Sales), a newly created position. Sen moved to BlackBerry from Samsung Electronics as a Director (sales – south and west region).

Earlier, the company had two sales directors looking after enterprise and retail sales.

“We are strengthening our sales team keeping in mind the rising smart phone sales in India,” said Sunil Dutt, Managing Director, Research In Motion India Pvt Ltd.

Besides, BlackBerry has appointed Ashish Gupta as its new marketing director. Gupta, an ex-HP hand, will replace Krishnadeep Baruah who has moved to a bigger role for BlackBerry’s Asia Pacific operations. The company also hired Sumita Tandon as its HR head. Tandon is also moving from HP.

Meanwhile, to boost presence in the retail market, BlackBerry is planning to spread wings to atleast 100 more cities, primarily in the smaller ones, across the country over the next one year, said Dutt.

BlackBerry currently has six exclusive premium retail outlets and sells products through about 5,000 retail touchpoints across 250 cities in India.

“Besides enhancing our retail presence, we will be opening about 100 walk-in service centres across India over the next six months,” added Dutt.

However, BlackBerry that currently has about 12% market share in India’s smart phone market has no plan to tap the fast growing sub-Rs 10,000 smart phone category.

The above Rs 10,000 smart phone market is growing at about 20% in India, said Dutt, adding that the company is growing in line with the market.