New Intel chief in India

BANGALORE: Intel has a new chief in India. Dr Ketan Sampat, director of Intel's e-Business Group (Asia) now takes over as President of Intel India - a newly created post. Dr Sampat will be responsible for all of Intel's activities in India including business development, R&D and strategic investments in the country.

Technically, Dr Sampat will head Intel Technology India Pvt Ltd and as such will oversee research at the Intel India Development Center (IIDC) in Bangalore.

At a press conference here on Thursday the company announced that Avtar Saini will continue as director (South Asia) looking after sales and marketing with Amar Babu (sales) and Janyant Murty (Marketing) reporting to him. Manni Kantipudi will move out as head of IIDC into Dr Sampat's earlier role as head of the Asia e-Business Group.

Though Saini and Kantipudi will not formally report to Sampat, the new Intel India president said he was now in charge of "everything to do with Intel's presence in India."

The press conference was addressed jointly by Sampat and Saini.

Saini said the changes herald Intel's new phase of growth in India. "Historically Intel has had one senior person in the country. But as we enter the next level of growth it is important to have people more focused on specific areas. Which is why we decided to have two senior people." According to Saini the announcement was an "execution really of what Craig Barret said when he came to India last year - that we have big plans of growth in the country." It’s a sign, he said, that Intel is taking India very seriously "as the new frontier."

The new Intel India president, Dr Sampat said: "Intel is raising its strategic commitment to India today. We believe our presence here is not just about selling our products in this market. It is about a long-term strategic relationship with the country." Sampat said his charter would include enabling policies for balanced growth, encouraging investment in e-governance and most specifically in education.

According to Sampat a lot of Intel executives in the US have been moving to India in the last few months and the trend is expected to continue. "At the moment about 10% of the project manager/tech lead level people are those who moved into India from outside. Which is good for us since they understand the technology and the company," he said. However, he also added the company to hire local talent out of colleges for its development center in Bangalore. Sampat himself will be based out of Bangalore.

The move, according to Saini strengthens what Intel believes is the dual engine of growth in India and APAC - a large market and the infrastructure and skills for a growing development base. While APAC is Intel's largest geography accounting for 38% of all revenues, India is the 7^th largest consumption market for the company projected to be fifth largest by 2007 (after the US, China, Latin America and Japan)

Saini who relocated to India in 1999 helped set up and grow the India development center to nearly 1000 people. Among other things the India team is now driving the lead design on Intel's next generation Xeon processor. Nearly half of the company's development work force on its large e-corp project also works out of Bangalore.