Brands
Intex targets revenue of Rs 6500 crore by 2016; to focus on south India
BENGALURU: Intex Technologies (India) that got into the mobile business around two years ago, had initially focused on the north and west Indian markets. Now, it has set its eyes on the south to help grow its business, starting off with Karnataka. The company is targeting revenues of Rs 6500 crore (a little more than $1 billion) by FY 2016.
It has roped in Kannada actor Sudeep, who is also the anchor of Suvarna TV’s reality show Bigg Boss Kannada 2, as its brand ambassador for a year. The TV/movie star launched Intex’s new range of aqua mobile handsets – Aqua Style- in Bengaluru earlier this week.
The company states that its revenue doubled to Rs 2000 crore in FY-2014 as compared to Rs 1000 crore in FY-2013 and it plans to close the current fiscal with revenue of Rs 3500 crore. 65 per cent of the company’s business comes from mobile phone sales.
Intex senior general manager mobile business Sanjay Kumar Kalirona said, “The Aqua range has been widely accepted by our customers across India. The Aqua Style has been designed keeping in mind, the need for style and quality. We are focused on increasing our footprint in Karnataka and I am certain that our association with Sudeep will be well accepted by the regional audiences. With Aqua Style, we aim to empower youngsters looking for a mobile that speaks about their personality.”
Earmarked for brand spends is Rs 150 crore for FY-2015, with around Rs 100 crore solely on mobile phone promotion. Intex is planning a Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore campaign over the next three to four months, with a big percentage of the spends in south India. The campaign will cover print, television, radio, outdoor, social media and BTL activities, along with retail branding strategies.
Intex had roped in Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador in 2013, and launched two TVCs featuring its smartphones – Aqua i5 and Aqua i7 with him. It plans to launch its third TVC, also with Farhan for Aqua i5 HD as one of the four to five TVCs planned for this fiscal.
To enhance its customer base, Intex has joined hands with various players in the sports and entertainment industry through associations with cricket tournaments and a partnership with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the Priyanka Chopra-starrer biopic on Mary Kom.
Most of the creative work has been done in-house, and the company has two to three agencies for media-buying, sources at Intex said.
Intex is a player in India in mobile handset, consumer durables and IT accessories. It claims that it has a pan India presence through its wide network comprising 29 stock and sales offices and over 800 service touch points.
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
