Raj Shamani's Figuring Out

China’s Smartphone Disruption, IPL, Virat Kohli & Kapil Sharma – Sunil Raina | FO395 Raj Shamani

Aug 15, 2025
Sunil Raina, the Managing Director of Lava International Limited, shares his insights on India's smartphone landscape. He discusses the fierce competition brought on by Chinese brands and how Lava navigated the crisis by focusing on feature phones. Raina emphasizes the importance of integrity, consumer expectations, and the evolving role of celebrity endorsements, especially with figures like Virat Kohli. He also highlights the branding strategies within the IPL and the cultural nuances shaping the telecom industry in India.
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ANECDOTE

Early Trauma Turned Into Resilience

  • Sunil Raina recalled fleeing Kashmir in 1990 during violent unrest while he was in 11th grade.
  • He said the experience hardened him and converted trauma into resilience that shaped his career.
ADVICE

Build Business On Integrity

  • Maintain integrity: say what you mean and do what you promise to build trust with partners.
  • Trust reduces coordination cost and makes execution easier across teams and suppliers.
INSIGHT

How China Reshaped India's Phone Market

  • The 2014 wave hit Indian phone brands when Chinese firms moved from trading to product-led strategies.
  • Xiaomi's low-price online route and BBK's high-marketing offline route squeezed local players with weaker product control.
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