P Balaji joins Nokia as VP and MD, India

Balaji will expand Nokia's mobile phones and smart devices business in India and provide strategic direction and operational focus.

Nokia India has appointed P Balaji as vice-president and managing director for India. He comes from Sony Ericsson, where he was managing director, Sony Mobile Communications, India.

In an official communiqué, D Shivakumar, senior vice-president, IMEA, Nokia, says, "Balaji is respected in the IT and telecom industry. His experience and leadership make him a strong addition to the India leadership team. I am confident that Balaji will provide the required direction and leadership in delivering significant value to our consumers and partners across India."

At Nokia, Balaji will be responsible for the growth of Nokia's mobile phones and smart devices business in India and provide strategic direction and operational focus. His responsibility will also be to build and consolidate the company's presence in the Indian market. He will also drive partnerships and strategic alliances for the organisation in India.

Balaji graduated from IIT Roorkee in electronics engineering and is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad. He has been the chairman of several task forces and expert groups of the telecommunications and Planning Commission, over the years.

He was also associated with the start up ventures of the Tata Group, AT&T and Lucent, at various points in his career. He has earlier worked as vice-president, business development, corporate affairs and communications at Ericsson India. He oversaw marketing, strategy and technical solutions for Ericsson India. From there, he joined Sony Ericsson as managing director in July, 2011.

At Sony Ericsson, he was responsible for growth strategy and established strong operator and distribution partnerships, also driving sales for the company.