EXCLUSIVE: Vivo India's Nipun Marya on V19 smartphone delay, life during lockdown and more

The months of March and April are usually the busiest for Vivo India. The Chinese smartphone maker drops its new ‘V’ series smartphone during this time of the year, which is just days ahead of the start of a new Indian Premier League season - it is the title sponsor. However, things have been a bit different this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, with all plans put on hold for now. 

In an exclusive conversation with Zee Business, Nipun Marya, Director – Brand Strategy, Vivo India revealed that the smartphone launch has been postponed for now but smartphone lovers can expect more innovative and cutting-edge products from the company, as and when the situation improves. 

“The IPL time is very important for Vivo. Our customers, partners, employees, everybody looks to this season. This is the time when we usually launch the new ‘V’ series smartphone and the IPL is also happening at the same time. This year also we were expecting our fans' love for the Vivo V19. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the launch. And, for now it will remain on hold till the situation improves and there is more clarity,” Marya said.

Marya said that Vivo will have to wait for a little while before taking a decision on its upcoming products. He said that the company will decide whether to push its entire portfolio or not once the lockdown is over.

“First of all, we need to ensure that the safety and well-being of all our employees is maintained. After that, we will continue to launch innovative products that wow our customers. You can expect more cutting-edge products from Vivo when the lockdown is over which will include 5G,” he said.

WATCH | Talking Tech with Nipun Marya

Just like most other companies, the lockdown came as a new challenge for Vivo India but it wasn’t reluctant to take necessary steps for its employees.

“When the Janta Curfew was imposed, we got an idea that this may be coming. I was listening to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech when he clearly and emphatically explained why this lockdown is important. I believe whatever steps the government of India has taken are in the right direction for the health of the nation and its citizens. We had not heard about anything like this before. But, as a brand, it wasn’t very difficult for us to take decisions. We are very clear that first and foremost is the health of our employees and partners,” Nipun explained.

He said that as soon as Vivo got to know that it is unsafe, the company announced work from home for 100 per cent of the workforce. Vivo also shut down its Greater Noida factory till the end of the lockdown. 

Vivo is one of the few smartphone players in the Indian market with a strong offline presence. It was planning a network of 600 exclusive stores by the end of 2020 and is hopeful that the offline channel will continue to flourish despite the latest setback.

“We had opened a experiential store in Thane. It was a part of our larger strategy to expand offline presence. We will continue with the same strategy. We believe that offline channel has a lot of strengths like experiencing the product, having the physical proximity with the seller, trying various options and then choosing. For a lot of customers, it is not just about looking at the specs. They want to feel the product before buying,” Nipun said.

“There are always some ups and downs. This is one such situation. But, I am sure that in coming few weeks, as and when the situation improves, we will see the offline channel overcome these challenges,” he added. 

Questioned on how he is spending his time these days, Nipun revealed that he is cooking a lot for his daughter. 

“I am trying a few new things this time. I have a young daughter and on her insistence, I have started baking. I usually don’t enter kitchen but this time I have a chocolate cake which is not that bad. I have also tried Kalakand in Indian sweets. I think it came out pretty well,” he said.

“I would have definitely posted pictures, if they were worth posting..haha,” Nipun responded, when asked why there aren’t any images these deserts on social media.

WATCH | Talking Tech with Nipun Marya

While the IPL must have been shelved for now, cricket is not missing from his life. The Vivo exec is having indoor sessions with his daughter.

“The cricket sessions are going good. We have also started indoor tennis. So, now there is indoor cricket, indoor tennis…everything has become indoor. My daughter is of course loving it but she is also missing her friends. I think all of us are rearing to go back to normal lives,” he said. 

Nipun also revealed his strategy towards house chores. 

“Firstly, I stay shut….haha. Secondly, I pick up all the low value adding works… because I am low skilled in all the high value adding tasks,” he said.

“I have some personal hobbies which I am able to pursue – reading is one of them. I recently posted an image of some books which are based on one subject which is very close to my heart – nature vs nurture. A lot of people say that successful people are born that way. I did not know if that is right or not. So, I started reading books on this. And, most of them pointed out to the same fact that success is a combination of hard-work, determination and more than just genes,” he added.

When asked for recommendations, Nipun suggested the ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell which states that if you practice something for 10,000 hours, you will become world-class in it.

“Sometimes it is always good to pause, reflect, introspect and see where you are going. When are we are running on busy schedules, it is difficult for us to take stock of the situation. The current situation allows you have to have long-term view both forward looking and backward looking,” he concluded.