Samsung India has reportedly brought Sumit Walia back on board with the company as part of its plan to compete more successfully against Chinese rivals. Sumit Walia has worked with Oppo for a full year until July and was largely responsible for the company's relative success in the country. According to Canalys, Oppo was the fifth-largest smartphone brand in India in Q1 2020 but outperformed Realme in Q2 to capture fourth place.
Sumit Walia has been appointed the head of marketing for Samsung India's mobile division. Nevertheless, he is no stranger to Samsung's corporate structure. Prior to working with Oppo, Sumit Walia occupied various roles at Samsung over the course of nine years. He also has prior experience working with Huawei, LG Electronics, Videocon, and Tata Teleservices.
Sumit Walia's appointment is crucial for the company's efforts
Samsung seemingly wants the appointment of Sumit Walia as the head of marketing to create a ripple effect across the mobile landscape in India. Specifically, the company expects more people who are currently working for Oppo – and who have previously worked for Samsung – to follow Sumit Walia in rejoining Samsung's side. According to an industry insider cited by ETTelecom, Sumit Walia's appointment is crucial for the company's efforts to increase market share in India.
According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung was the second-largest smartphone maker in India by shipment in Q2 2020 with a 26% share of the market. Xiaomi was leading the pack with 29% market share. Likewise, Samsung was the second-largest online smartphone retailer after Xiaomi over the same three-month period with 25% market share. Oppo had little-to-no online market share in Q2 and only time will tell if the company's fortunes will change now that Sumit Walia has left to rejoin Samsung.
