Hitesh Shah,
Director, Channel Sales,
BlackBerry India
Smartphones today have evolved to become multimedia, entertainment, information and productivity tool. Commensurate with this evolution has been the transformation in the form-factor as screen size, resolution assumed centre stage in delivering a heightened consumer experience. As a mobile device maker, BlackBerry is continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences for its customers. Elaborating more on the company’s channel strategy and expansion plans, Hitesh Shah, Director, Channel Sales, BlackBerry India, talked at length with VARINDIA. Edited excerpts…
What will be your competitive edge vis-à-vis the low-budget handsets in the Indian market?
In comparison to handset manufacturers, BlackBerry has a unique and robust proposition. BlackBerry is a “smartphone++”company that offers devices, software and services to its customers. Our advantage stems from our comprehensive bouquet of services and a compelling technology proposition for smartphone users that not only addresses their mobility needs around productivity and collaboration but also offers huge utility functions.
Since your phones are little highly priced, are you looking at coming up with any low- budget phones to tap the tier-II and -III markets in India?
We don’t have a mass market strategy and have never had a play in the sub-$100 segment. We have a healthy portfolio of devices across BlackBerry OS 7 and BlackBerry 10 OS. We have customized our pricing strategy to suit the purchasing pattern of Indian consumers. In India, our goal has always been to offer cutting-edge technology across price points.
Our strengths lie in creating cutting-edge devices that offer superior user experience coupled with great security and we will not dilute that proposition.
How much of your sales come from Channel, Retail and e-commerce media? Which one is flourishing for you at present?
As per industry statistics, gadgets and smartphones are the largest selling categories for e-commerce players. Hence, for brands, e-commerce platforms have become an integral part of their retail strategy. However, it is equally imperative to look at omni-channel presence and leverage both traditional as well as new-age formats to reach out to consumers across segments. We, therefore, continue to leverage a combination of both online and offline platforms for our devices. In fact, we had partnered with Flipkart and The Mobile Store for the recent launch of the BlackBerry Z3.
What is your strategy around support?
We understand and value the importance of after-sales services, especially in a country as diverse as India. We have a large number of authorized service centres across the country and are also able to reach tier-II and tier-III cities like Solapur (Maharashtra), Ambala (Haryana), Belgaum (Karnataka), Puducherry, Asansol (West Bengal), etc. Additionally, we use social media platforms to connect directly with customers who engage with us for service queries as well.
As you must be well aware of the Indian consumer psyche by now, what are the most common features that they aspire to have in their phones?
At BlackBerry, we are focussed on meeting the needs of the new professional consumers who thrive on achievement. We will continue to empower these consumers with mobile solutions that allow them to work smarter, collaborate better, and achieve more!
satinder@varindia.com
See What’s Next in Tech With the Fast Forward Newsletter
Tweets From @varindiamag
Nothing to see here - yet
When they Tweet, their Tweets will show up here.