Despite competition from heavyweights like Nokia and Samsung, Faisal Siddiqui, country head, HTC India, is excited about the opportunities in the Indian smartphone space. “The smartphone market in India is expected to grow at 60 to 80 per cent year on year for the next four years. This provides us with ample room to consolidate our presence in the market. I feel that we are well positioned to leverage each opportunity to the fullest,” notes Siddiqui.

Having spent 16 years in the telecom industry, Siddiqui is ready to navigate the waters of the Indian handset arena. His confidence stems from HTC’s “proven” track record in the global smartphone market. “HTC is a premium smartphone company. We have been in this business for many years and were, in fact, one of the first to introduce smartphones in several markets.”

Siddiqui has a master’s in electronics engineering from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from the Wharton Business School. He worked as a consultant for several years before joining AT&T Wireless. “That was my first exposure to the telecom sector,” he says. Thereafter, he also worked with Sprint and Nextel.

He moved back to India six years ago and worked with Bharti and Motorola before joining HTC. “Working in a mature market like the US was very exciting. Being a fast paced and a highly evolved market, it is like running on a treadmill that is on an incline. One has to push one’s way forward while adjusting the speed in order to get the best workout. That is where we are right now. The business is growing very fast and we have to keep pace with it while ensuring that the required processes are in place. So, if one comes from a mature organisation, the experience one brings helps the company take its business forward,” he observes.

At HTC India, Siddiqui oversees the company’s entire operations in the country. This includes its sales and market-centric activities as well as everyday operations.

He believes that people are an organisation’s biggest asset. “I like to hire good people because at the end of the day, an organisation is as good as its people. I believe you have to hire the best and brightest as they bring passion to the job. I like to empower them and let them display their creativity and talent. I also hold them accountable for the projects they undertake.”