Hitesh Lokhandwala is new Nortel India MD

RALEIGH, NC/ BANGALORE, INDIA : Nortel  has appointed Ravi Chauhan as its global Multimedia Applications Leader, effective February 2008. A strong leader with a track record of success in leading and driving the India sales team as its managing director, Chauhan will now be responsible for providing strategic direction for the Multimedia Applications business at Nortel globally.

Hitesh Lokhandwala has been appointed as the new managing director for Nortel India, moving up from his previous role as leader of several major accounts in the country.

“Ravi’s appointment is great news for Nortel’s business globally. He brings with him extensive industry experience and leadership qualities that will be instrumental in driving the Multimedia Applications business and propel it to the next level,” said Mike Pangia, president of Nortel Asia.

“I am also pleased to announce the promotion of Hitesh Lokhandwala, who brings 10 years of Nortel experience from the enterprise, carrier and operation fields to his new role, and is a consistent over-achiever. Hitesh is the ideal leader to take the Nortel India team to continued success in 2008 and beyond.”

“Nortel’s business is increasingly focused on solutions, software, and applications, and India is the right place from which to drive this major global initiative,” said Joel Hackney, president, Enterprise Networks, Nortel.

“We’ve built a reputation for solving complex business problems, and the dynamic IT sector in India is rapidly establishing itself as the epicenter for application and solution creation. Ravi is an inspirational leader who will leverage our extensive partnerships in India and across the globe to deliver new capabilities – especially in the realm of unified communications – for our Multimedia Applications business.”

Chauhan has over a decade of IT experience prior to joining Nortel, holding key positions in leading companies such as Cabletron Systems, Digital Equipment and Wipro Information Technology Limited. Chauhan joined Nortel India as the vice president of Enterprise Solutions where he was instrumental in growing the enterprise business and positioning Nortel as one of the market leaders in India.

Chauhan will continue to be based in Bangalore, India and retain strong links to local customers and partners. Lokhandwala is based in the vibrant economic center of Mumbai.