Microsoft to make India its strategy hub
By siliconindia staff writer   |   Friday, 15 October 2004, 19:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: It looks like India is Microsoft ’ s new destination. While CEO Steve Ballmer is expected here next month, a high-profile team led by technology chief Craig Mundee and sales and marketing head Kevin Johnson will be here next week to get a feel of the country. And packed into their trip is a first-hand PC buying experience in big stores as well as looking at unbranded offerings at the Nehru Place and Lamington Road, besides a visit to Dharavi in Mumbai and Jama Masjid in Delhi. Microsoft India chairman Ravi Venkatesan is believed to have visited Redmond two months ago to meet Steve Ballmer and present a new strategy roadmap, as the software giant realigns its Indian operations to provide a common face to its four business units in the country. Operating independently till now, the software giant’s sales and marketing subsidiary, India Development Centre, IT Development Centre and Global Support Centre are now being integrated to have a single point of leadership. While no confirmation was forthcoming on Mr Ballmer’s visit, Microsoft is ready with the agenda for its guests from Redmond next week. “We have already given Redmond our perspective on how the unified-India approach should take place,” said Mr Venkatesan. Microsoft executives from Redmond will also meet IT minister D Maran and a cross-section of leaders from the Indian government and the corporate world, including high-profile teams from Reliance, Tata, Bharti, Pepsi and HLL, as well as academicians and independent economists. They will visit Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Microsoft is building its strategy on providing affordable access to IT; localise its offerings and help improve IT literacy to improve PC penetration in the country.

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