In an exclusive interview with BW People , Pradipto Ganguly - CEO & Co-Founder – Britzo, (iVVO Mobile Phone), talks about their social and market targets. He also talks about the hiring structure at BRITZO and employee satisfaction

Q- How does BRITZO aim to achieve social targets along with its objective targets?

Since introducing ourselves in 2017, Britzo aims to take care of the society where we operate. Mostly it is the rural area, where there is no communication; most of the peripheral villages in our country do not have road connectivity. Moreover, it is difficult for them to buy expensive devices to stay connected. Hence we have come up with IVVO ECO Series and others to provide them best which fits their requirement and pocket. Besides this, we try and take up social targets right from our office culture to the activities we carry out for our consumers.

Q- Tell us something about your newly launched gadgets?

Our phones are made for Indian Masses –We envision enabling a convenient access to the customers across the socio-economic spectrum. Our seven 2G Smart Feature Phones have been launched under the product category of – BEATZ, PRIMO, SELFIE, TUFF & VOLT. The price range starts at a – Rs. 649 and would bring a smarter experience of Customized operating software – iVVO Smart Store - giving access to relevant apps & download of songs & videos, games along with inbuilt memory, powerful battery and a peace of mind with our strong service policies. We promise a 201-day replacement warranty & 455 days product warranty.

We will also be launching two smartphones under the product category ‘Storm Pro’ & ‘Storm Lite’. The handsets are on the latest Android Go – Oreo 8.1 software with Top Specs like Face Recognition unlock, Shatterproof screen, 8mp Selfie camera with dual flash & 8mp rear camera with auto focus along with a one-time screen replacement within 365days & 455-day product warranty. We are also planning to launch our 4G Feature Phone under the series ‘Skipper’.

Q- What are your marketing strategies for the weaker section of the society as they’re not tech-savvy and cannot afford high priced gadgets?

We want to be a brand in rural India, especially in smart feature phones. That means we have to appear more or less very similar everywhere in rural India but of course, there is always local adaption, because our first consumer is the weaker section of society. Of course, we may have different attitudes in different localities, so we are a PAN India brand. Our clear goal is now to create a presence of IVVO where only a few have a presence. Our marketing strategy is a mix of, a unique thought, a unique product, a unique formula, a unique brand. We plan to get in rural mobile markets nationwide now and we want to convince more and more Indians to be daily mobile users that it’s worth investing in IVVO Phone.

Q- How does the company plan its development in the coming years?

Our main growth strategies for the coming years is to develop more and sell more to the consumers that belong to the weaker section of the society. As per BRITZO’ aim, this is something that will benefit both our customers and us. We actively seek to devise ways to create the business in new and existing markets, offering our product and after-sales services to customers in what for us are untapped geographic regions in India.

Q- What are the major challenges that BRITZO has to face while competing with the other brands already existing in the market?

India is a massive market and every market player having an apt offering can find its place here. One of the primary factors that differentiate us from other players is the social cause associated with the brand BRITZO. We are confident that we are going to bring an observable disruption in the market. However, we will also be more than happy if our competitors take a cue from our approach and start aggressively targeting this market segment. We believe in constant learning, coexisting, and a healthy competition. Challenges are very similar to creating a new category in the market and then bringing it to a phase of maturity. In order to develop smarter feature phones, it needs a complete eco-system in place, which is a herculean task in itself as it needs out-of-the-box thinking. It also needs a strong belief on behalf of developers, engineers, and everyone associated with the brand. Once the eco-system is in place, we have to educate the consumer about the benefits of adopting a digital lifestyle.

Q- What kind of talent do you look for while hiring an employee?

At Britzo, we are very much moving into new and advanced operations, which are very technology-led. So of course, we are recruiting with these skills and capabilities in mind, developing and training a wide mix of people. Apart from this, we also aim to provide re-skilling or upskilling, to prepare our existing ones for a new role, so that their skillset is competitive and recognized in the market.

Q- Despite engaging yourself so much into the business and social welfare how do you manage to keep your employees happy and satisfied?

In my opinion, a leadership is the primary driver of organizational success. I think the single most unique characteristic to manage the team is solid cohesion and the strength of interpersonal relationships. Here, I trust my team and they have trust in me. At Britzo, we share a devotion to being a good brand in and out. Moreover, I think the cohesiveness of my leadership is something which can be better heard from employee observation.