RIM takes BlackBerry to India

By Dinesh C. Sharma
Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: October 19, 2004 9:21 AM PDT

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Research In Motion on Tuesday introduced its BlackBerry messaging service and software in India, in partnership with mobile service provider Airtel.

The wireless service is designed to forward customers' e-mails from a desktop to a mobile device and synchronize changes between the two. RIM will offer three BlackBerry wireless devices--the 7730, 7230 and 6230--to customers in the country, the company said.

Airtel is part of India's largest telecom conglomerate, Bharti Enterprises

With 43 million mobile phone users, India is one of the fastest-growing wireless markets. Mobile operators are turning to higher-end products such as the BlackBerry and push-to-talk to capitalize on that growth.

"BlackBerry's unique value has fueled adoption in thousands of companies and government organizations throughout the world," Don Morrison, chief operating officer at Research In Motion, said in a statement. "Research In Motion, together with Bharti and its strong technical and service capabilities, is now aiming to bring the same level of experience to the Indian telecom market."