Nokia India's head P. Balaji quits following Microsoft integration

Following the announcement of mass layoffs by Microsoft, Nokia India’s head P. Balaji has decided to move on. Balaji had been working with Microsoft for nearly two years as the Managing Director and Vice President.

Economic Times reported that he, along with some 550 Nokia local staff, moved over to Microsoft - to be placed under the Microsoft Devices Group - after the former’s devices and services business was acquired by the software major on April 25 this year for $7.5 billion. Microsoft has apparently not closed the position, as it reported to the paper that Ajey Mehta, the head of sales operations-India Middle East and Africa (IMEA), will be working as the acting head until they find a replacement.

Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella’s announcement of cutting 18,000 jobs around the world was quite a shocker in the tech industry. In a highly competitive market, with new product categories launching all the time, Microsoft had to move faster than it did with smartphones. While Nokia has made some progress in the low-end and budget segments with Windows Phone, the high-end tier remains largely iPhone and Android.

Insiders knew this fate was eminent after Microsoft purchased Nokia’s handset division. As reported to ET, one of Microsoft India’s executives said, “Integrating the two has been a tough task. There were multiple issues within the country which have plagued the integration.” The chaos resulted in many executives, including Balaji, to look for other options.