MAM
David Chang to spearhead India ops for Gionee
MUMBAI: In a recent development, Gionee’s India ops will be helmed by David Chang. The strategic announcement comes at a time when Gionee with a loyal customer base of 1.25 crore in the country is bullish on strengthening its regional penetration.
Gionee Communication Equipment global sales director David Chang says, “India as a nation, has been exhibiting a great deal of potential for the smartphone business. As part of our global marketing strategy, India ranks number one and the success witnessed in a span of last five years has given us immense optimism to further invest and expand our presence in the market. I am profoundly honoured to be a part of the India growth story and maximise Gionee’s impeccable trajectory advancing our customer base as well as being among the top five phone brands by the next fiscal.”
With an experience of 13 years in the industry, Chang has been associated with Gionee Communication Equipment for over a decade. In his earlier capacity, he has been responsible for driving global sales of the organisation.
In his new role, Chang will lead Gionee India’s next phase of growth in the country, wherein he will drive the overall operations and reinforce the brand positioning in the country, with emphasis on retail expansion, sales volumes and after sales establishing the connect with customers.
Brands
Nodwin Gaming appoints Sonal Varma as global director of live events
Former Comic Con India VP to scale global gaming and pop culture experiences
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has appointed Sonal Varma as global director of live events, bringing on board a seasoned architect of fan communities as the company accelerates its global push in gaming, esports and youth culture.
Varma steps into the role with more than 15 years of experience creating large-scale fan experiences and cultural platforms. She is best known for her long stint at Comic Con India, where she most recently served as vice president and helped transform the convention into one of the country’s most recognisable pop culture gatherings.
At Nodwin Gaming, Varma will lead the strategy, design and execution of the company’s global live event initiatives. Her mandate includes expanding flagship intellectual properties and developing new formats that bring gaming communities together across emerging markets.
Over the years, Varma has been closely associated with building and scaling community-led events such as Comic Con India, Geekly and the Indian Cosplay Championship. Her work has focused on turning niche fandoms into thriving cultural ecosystems by blending entertainment, creator culture and brand partnerships.
Her appointment comes at a time when Nodwin Gaming is expanding its international events footprint through properties such as DreamHack India, NH7 Weekender, Comic Con India and the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series. The company has also been growing its presence across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa through esports tournaments, gaming festivals and fan conventions.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee, said Varma’s experience in building fan-centric platforms would play a key role in the company’s next phase of growth.
“Sonal brings a deep understanding of how live experiences can bring communities together around gaming and pop culture. As we expand our global live events footprint, her experience will help us create experiences that feel authentic and meaningful for audiences across markets,” he said.
Varma said the scale of opportunity at Nodwin Gaming made the move particularly exciting.
“Joining Nodwin Gaming at this moment feels incredibly exciting because the canvas is so large. There are new audiences, new markets and new formats waiting to be explored. I’m looking forward to working with teams across the network to create live experiences that celebrate gaming culture while staying rooted in the communities that power it,” she said.
Over the past few years, Nodwin Gaming has built an ecosystem that stretches across competitive gaming, creator communities, music festivals and youth culture platforms. With Varma now leading global live events, the company is looking to further expand its flagship properties while experimenting with new formats that blend gaming, entertainment and fandom for audiences around the world.
